Charlie Brown
Biography
Charlie Brown worked as the head meat carver at Simpson's-in-the-Strand from 1879 to shortly before his death in December 1936. He often claimed to have carved at least 250,000 joints of meat in his lifetime.
To add an air of authenticity to Sabotage (1936), director Alfred Hitchcock hired Brown to play himself in the scene set in Simpson's. The scene was likely filmed only a few weeks before Brown died in December 1936.
Such was Brown's fame that his death was reported in local newspapers throughout the United Kingdom, including Aberdeen Journal and Yorkshire Evening Post.
In his own words, the "great secret of the art of carving is delicate wrist-work and not brute force."
Filmography
With Hitchcock...
- Sabotage (1936) — cast: himself
See Also...
Film Frames
Selection of film frames: Charlie Brown (click image to view larger version or refresh thumbnails)...
Image Gallery
Images from the Hitchcock Gallery (click to view larger versions or search for all relevant images)...
