John Maxwell Cryer (10 December 1935 – 25 August 2021), generally known as Max Cryer, was a New Zealand television producer and presenter, radio broadcaster, entertainment producer, singer, cabaret performer and writer.

Early life and education

Cryer was born in Ōtāhuhu in 1935, the son of

East Tāmaki East Tāmaki is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is a largely industrial area adjacent to a rapidly growing population. Prior to the 1960s it was largely a dairy farming area. A landmark is Smales Mountain which in 2010 has the remains of ...

farmer Arthur John "Jack" Cryer and his wife Jane Stewart, who farmed on Cryers Road, Tamaki, Auckland. He began learning the piano at the age of five and later played the double bass in the Auckland Junior Symphony Orchestra. He graduated from the University of Auckland with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in 1958, and a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

with second-class honours in etymology and linguistics in 1959. After graduating in 1960, Cryer spent a year in Perugia, Italy studying singing and Italian.

Career

While studying in Italy in 1960, Cryer earned money as a model and film extra. He then moved to London where he sang with the Sadlers Wells Company. Returning to New Zealand, he taught English and music at Otahuhu College and also began appearing on television as an interviewer and as host of quiz show '''Top of the Form'''. Cryer hosted an entertainment show called Cryer and the children''' which ran for 10 years and resulted in 15 albums of songs. In 1977 he moved into TV production producing programmes such as ''Mastermind'' and ''University Challenge.'' He continued to perform as a narrator and on stage. Roles included Henry Higgins in ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' and on the Pygmalion (1938 film), 1938 film ...

,'' Danilo in ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' ( ) is an operetta by the Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The Libretto, librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein (writer), Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's ...

,'' Prince Orlovsky in '' Die Fledermaus,'' and the King of Siam in '' The King and I.'' Cryer was a host for radio and TV events including the first TV coverage of the Mobil Song Awards in 1963, and in 1969 the first nationwide simulcast of TV and radio and the first time TV was linked throughout New Zealand. In addition to his TV and radio work he also wrote columns for the New Zealand Herald and the New Zealand Woman's Weekly and published a number of books. He served on boards for the Auckland Festival, Central Theatre, Northern Opera and was a judge for the Watties Book Award.

Honours and awards

Cryer's awards include New Zealand Entertainer of the Year in 1973, the Variety Artists of New Zealand's Benny Award in 1977 and the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal for services to New Zealand. In the 1995 New Year Honours, he was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

for services to entertainment. Cryer died, suddenly, on 25 August 2021, aged 85.

Works

* ''Cat Miscellany'' (Blake Publishing 2005) * ''Curious Kiwi Words'' (HarperCollins 2002) * ''Curious Questions'' (HarperCollins 2001) * ''Curious Thoughts'' (HarperCollins 2002) * ''Curious'' (Exisle, 2012) * ''Curious English words and phrases: The truth behind the expressions we use'' (2020) * ''Day by Day'' (Harper Moa Beckett, 1988) * ''Every Dog Has Its Day'' (Exile 2013) * ''Hear Our Voices, We Entreat'' (Exile 2004) * ''Is It True ??'' (Exile 2014) , * ''Love Me Tender'' (Exile 2008) * ''Max Vocab'', with Cherie Brown (Harcourt Education, 2004) * ''Max Vocab: Fun Lessons in the English Language'' with Cherie Brown ( Raupo Publishing (NZ) Ltd. 2004) * ''Max Vocab: Journeys in the English Language'' with Cherie Brown ( Raupo Publishing (NZ) Ltd. 2004) * ''More Curious Questions'' ( HarperCollins, 2003) * ''New Zealand Day by Day'' (Harper Moa Beckett, 1988) * ''Preposterous Proverbs'' (Exile 2011) * ''Superstitions: And why we have them'' (Exisle Publishing 2016) * ''The Godzone Dictionary'' (Exile 2006) * ''The Godzone Dictionary (Expanded Second edition)'' (Exile 2020) * ''The Mastermind Quiz Book'' (BCNZ Enterprises,1985) * ''Town Cryer'' (Collins, Auckland, 1978) * ''Who Said That First'' (Exile 2010) * ''The Cat's Out Of The Bag'' (Exile 2015)

References

External links

AudioCulture profile - Max Cryer
*
Max Cryer: Language evolution @ the cutting edge
at TEDxAuckland, 2015
Cryer Remembered As Showbiz Through And Through, Stuff.co.nz Obituary

Stuff.co.nz Obituary: Max Cryer - an entertaining man of mystery, 4 September 2021
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cryer, Max 1935 births 2021 deaths Musicians from Auckland Mass media people from Auckland University of Auckland alumni New Zealand television presenters New Zealand television directors New Zealand radio presenters New Zealand radio journalists New Zealand television journalists 20th-century New Zealand male opera singers New Zealand non-fiction writers New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire 21st-century New Zealand journalists 20th-century New Zealand journalists 21st-century New Zealand non-fiction writers 20th-century New Zealand non-fiction writers