Gordon Chater

Gordon Maitland Chater AM (6 April 1922 – 12 December 1999) was a Gold Logie-award-winning English Australian comedian and actor, known for his appearance in revue, theatre, radio, television and film.[1]

Gordon Chater AM
Born
Gordon Maitland Chater

(1922-04-06)6 April 1922
Bayswater, England, United Kingdom
Died12 December 1999(1999-12-12) (aged 77)
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
OccupationActor, comedian
Years active1944−1993

Biography

Early life

Chater was born in Bayswater, London and attended Cottesmore School as a child.[2] He attended Cambridge University to study medicine but did not finish his degree, instead taking part in many student revues.

Radio and theatre

Chater arrived in Australia following World War II. He first came to prominence in Australia as a stage and radio actor, and was a cast member of the 1963 Sydney season of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, the debut production by the Old Tote Theatre Company, the precursor to the Sydney Theatre Company.

Television roles

Chater became a national TV star when he was cast with Carol Raye and Barry Creyton in the Australian satirical television series The Mavis Bramston Show,[3] for which he won the 1966 Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television. He cemented his popularity with the title role in the popular sitcom My Name's McGooley, What's Yours?,[3] playing the elderly live-in father of a young married couple, played by John Meillon and Judi Farr. He appeared in many other television comedy series. His fellow actors included Ray Barrett, Stewart Ginn and Charles "Bud" Tingwell, among others.

Chater was critical of early Australian television direction which he characterised as too often "'feet, knees and in the distance pictures'. People watching TV are interested in people and close ups in Australia were hard to come by in the early days of Australian television."[4]

Stage roles in Australia

Amongst work in many other shows, Chater appeared in:

Gordon Chater later worked in the United States, including appearing on Broadway.

In the 1970s Chater was particularly associated with the play The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin by Steve J. Spears, the stage role for which he became best known. The play broke new ground in Australian theatre with its shocking opening scene (in which Chater walked onstage naked) and its discussion of paedophilia.[3]

Honours and awards

References
  1. Lane, Richard (2000). The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama Volume 2. National Film and Sound Archive. p. 111-115.
  2. The Almost Late Gordon Chater, Bantam Books, 1996, ISBN 9781863597975
  3. McDonald, Philippa (13 December 1999). "7:30 Report:Gordon Chater dies aged 77". www.abc.net.au/ Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
  4. Chater, Gordon (1996). The Almost Late Gordon Chater. Bantam. p. 117.
  5. "Contributor Identifier: 225086 Contributor Name:Gordon Chater". www.ausstage.edu.au. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
  6. It's an Honour. Retrieved 22 May 2015
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