HIS name will probably only be familiar to those folk on the wrong side of middle age, but St Helens-born Herbert Mundin was once a giant among Hollywood character actors.

During the 'thirties he appeared in no fewer than 40 films, rubbing shoulders with such legends as that greatest of all swashbucklers, Errol Flynn; screen siren Joan Bennett; the inimitable W.C. Fields; master of horror Bela Lugosi; and the magnetic Lionel Barrymore.

Tragically, his life was snuffed out at the height of his stage and film fame. Herbert was killed in California on March 5, 1939 - his skull fractured when flung from a friend's car in a traffic accident.

The man who had made his reputation playing eccentric and often creaky aged characters was 40 years old.

Careful study of the cast-lists of classic films from pre-war years will often reveal Herbert prominent among the credits.

He was born at 206 Windleshaw Road, St Helens, on August 21, 1898, which makes this month the centenary of his birth - a most appropriate occasion on which to put Herbert back into the spotlight for the benefit of a new generation of film-goers.

The research is kindly provided by the old-time comedy actor's great-nephew, Barry Fletcher of Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, in the West Midlands. Herbert's name had popped up when Barry was researching his family tree and he's keen to know more in addition to his own detailed findings.

The Mundin family history itself reads like some Hollywood script.

Herbert's dad, William Mundin, was 51 when the son who was to take Tinseltown by storm was born to his third wife.

William, twice a widower, had at first lived a nomadic lifestyle as a farm labourer before becoming a Primitive Methodist home missionary.

After a spell at Runcorn he moved to St Helens after marrying wife No. 3, Jane Groves (formerly Lewis) at Prescot in 1897. A little under a year later, son Herbert was born.

He grew up to attend St Alban's grammar school (a St Helens seat of learning now vanished in the mists of time) and this was the springboard to a most remarkable adult existence.

At the outbreak of the 1914-18 world war he enlisted with the Royal Navy, serving as a radio operator on minesweepers.

With peace restored, Herbert performed in a concert party at Boulogne before stepping up for his first character part during a stage tour of Britain.

He was discovered by star-maker Andre Charlot while performing at the Devonshire Park theatre at Eastbourne. And, under Charlot's management over the next seven years he gained a reputation as a comedy actor somewhat in the style of Ronnie Corbett today.

His first London appearance was at the Prince of Wales Theatre in 1921 alongside that famous British bill-topper, Jack Buchanan. In December of that year he was in a production with the likes of Jack Hulbert and Beatrice Lillie.

His career was by then assured and after three further successful years on the British stage he went to America, appearing in Andre Charlot's Revue of 1924 at Times Square, New York.

Back in London a year later, he shared bills with showbiz legends including Jessie Matthews and Henry Lytton Jnr., performing on the stages of the London Palladium, the Alhambra and Coliseum and appearing in several Royal Command Performances.

His sense of pathos added to his appeal and three of his well-known solo acts were 'The Last Cabby', 'The Chelsea Pensioner' and 'The Day of the Lazy Golfer.'

After two years of performing in Australia, Herbert returned to London in 1930 appearing in productions at the London Hippodrome and the Piccadilly. Then Hollywood beckoned and Herbert carved out a successful film career, appearing in 40-plus movies. Most notable was the 1933 film version of Noel Coward's 'Cavalcade' in which he played Alfred Bridges and acted with a remarkable cast including Diana Wynyard, Clive Brook, Ursula Jeans and Dick Henderson Jnr.

The picture won an Academy Award as best film of the year.

In 1932 he'd appeared with Joan Bennett in 'The Trial of Vivienne Ware'; in 'Chandu the Magician' with Bela Lugosi; 'One Way Passage' (William Powell and Kay Francis); and 'Sherlock Holmes' (Clive Brook).

The film offers came thick and fast, mainly with Fox productions.

In 1934 (this time with MGM) he performed with a predominantly British cast in the definitive 'David Copperfield' movie - a masterpiece still regularly screened on television and as fresh today as when it was shot more than 60 years ago. The starry cast included Freddie Batholomew (a lad who could wring a tear from a glass eye); Frank Lawton; W.C. Fields; Roland Young; Basil Rathbone; Maureen O'Sullivan; Lionel Barrymore; Hugh Williams; and Una O'Conner.

The following year he appeared in 'Mutiny on the Bounty', starring Charles Laughton, Clark Gable and Franchot Tone.

In 1938 he featured in Warners' Technicolour production of 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' with Errol Flynn; Basil Radford; Claude Rains; and Olivia de Haviland.

A year later he lay dying from his injuries on a California highway.

Twice-married Herbert never lost his sense of humour in even the most trying of circumstance. When parted from his second wife, actress Ann Shaw, in 1934, he merely said: "Gosh, how she has suffered, listening to my stale gags over and over again."

ANYONE able to add some extra local light on this extraordinary son of St Helens? If so, please drop me a line at: Whalley's World, St Helens Star, YMCA Buildings, Duke Street, St Helens WA10 2HZ.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.