Jerry Desmond, born James Robert Sadler on July 20th, 1908, made his stage debut at the tender age of 11 in his parents' stage act, the Sadler Elsie Four, at the Palace Cinema in Armadale, November 1919. He remained with them until 1928, when he was discovered by C. B. Cochrane and Noel Coward, and joined the cast of the musical comedy "This Year of Grace". The show premiered in New York and ran for six months before embarking on a two-month tour of America and Canada.
Following his stint with "This Year of Grace", Jerry teamed up with another performer, Jerry Desmond, to form The Desmond Brothers. He then married his dancing partner, Peggy Duncan, and the trio performed in revue and concert party revues. In 1942, Jerry embarked on an eight-week tour with Sid Field, during which time they were spotted by George Cole, who subsequently engaged them for the show "Strike a New Note" at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London in 1943.
The success of "Strike a New Note" was followed by "Strike it Again" in 1944 and "Piccadilly Hayride" in 1946. Jerry's impeccable dress sense and superior air made him the perfect straight man for Sid Field, and the duo performed a golf sketch at the 1945 Royal Variety Show. Jerry's film career took off in the late 1940s, with appearances in "London Town" (1946) and "Cardboard Cavalier" (1947).
After Sid Field's death, Jerry became the straight man for Nat Jackley, and later for Norman Wisdom, with whom he appeared in a series of films. In the mid-1950s, Jerry took on the role of quiz master on the popular television show "$64,000 Dollar Question", a position he held until August 1957.
Tragically, Jerry Desmond was found dead in his London flat on February 16th, 1967. His legacy as one of the greatest straight men in the business was cemented by his long-time friend and colleague, Bob Hope, who described him as "the best straight man in the business".
