{{Short description|British professional wrestler (1903–1985)}} {{for|the Australian rugby league player|Jack Pye (rugby league)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=January 2013}} '''Jack Pye''', also known as '''Dirty Jack Pye''', '''Filthy Jack Pye''' and '''The Doncaster Panther''', (July 9, 1903 – December 8, 1985) was an English professional wrestler and actor from Doncaster, England. He was born John Pye on 9 July 1903 in Hindley near Wigan.
==Family== John Pye is a descendant of the powerful Pye Family. John married his wife Lillian Wright and they had 2 sons, * Dominic, was killed in a shotgun accident in February 1979 while shooting on his land in Mains Lane, Singleton near Blackpool. * Jackey, died at the age of 12 in an accidental drowning.
He also had an illegitimate son with Edith Tomlinson * John Paul b. 1966, in Blackpool, who now lives in Thailand working as a civil engineer. John Paul has two daughters, Emma Praew Tomlinson (born 4 June 1999) and Jenny Ploy Tomlinson (born 16 July 2001). .
==Death== John Pye was the eldest of 11 children, and he died in Blackpool Victoria hospital on 8 December 1985. His youngest sibling, Ellen (Nellie) died in 2006 in Bishop Auckland.
==Bronze Bust== A bronze bust of Jack Pye which used to have a prominent place in the Castle Casino in Blackpool, is currently on display at Blackpool's Stanley Park Sports Centre. The bronze bust was donated to the Blackpool County Council due to its striking resemblance to Jack, which caused considerable discomfort to his surviving family.
==Wrestling career== In 1933, Pye came close to beating Atholl Oakeley for the British Heavyweight Championship. Other members of the Pye family who became wrestlers include brothers Harry Pye (who became a middle weight boxer), Tommy Pye (who became the light-heavy-weight wrestling champion of Great Britain), and Frank "Bully Pye" (the lightweight champion of Great Britain).<ref>[http://www.stainforthonline.co.uk/2001/jackpye.htm Stainforthonline – (Dirty?) Jack Pye – The Doncaster Panther<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Jack Pye's son, Dominic Pye was another family member to take up wrestling. Dominic had a tag partner called Casey Pye whose real name was Harry Bennett. They both appeared in the 1967 film 'Cuckoo Patrol' starring Freddie and the Dreamers.<ref>[http://genforum.genealogy.com/pye/messages/564.html Re: The PYE Brothers – Wrestling Family<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.6k2.com/myforum/britishwrestlin-about253.html |title=britishwrestlingarchive :: View topic – Rough house Harry Bennett aka Crafty Casey Pye/Gypsy Bennito<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=4 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009123209/http://www.6k2.com/myforum/britishwrestlin-about253.html |archive-date=9 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Dominic Pye went on to train several professional wrestlers, such as "Mad" Jock Cameron, who became well known on the British circuit in the 1960s. Jack Pye was presented with a Gold Jaeger-LeCoultre wrist watch as a retirement present in January 1964, the watch was presented by the Blackpool Tower Company Limited and Bill Best.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160309144733/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2007/01/12/3321782.html CANOE – SLAM! Sports – Wrestling – A pull-around with Mad Jock Cameron<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Film career== Pye also appeared in several films: *''Wives Never Know'' 1936. Starring: Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland *''Leave It to Me'' (1937). Starring: Sandy Powell. *''It's a Grand Life'' in 1953 (as a wrestler). Starring: Frank Randle and Diana Dors
==Notes== <!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags--> {{Reflist}}
==References== *The Times, Saturday, 28 January 1933; pg. 4; Issue 46354
==External links== *[http://www.stainforthonline.co.uk/2001/jackpye.htm (Dirty?) Jack Pye. Biography, including film of him fighting at Burnden Park in 1947] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060710144502/http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/famousfolk/update_douglasclark.asp Jack Pye's bout with Douglas Clark (timesandstar.co.uk)] *{{IMDb name|id= 0701438|name= Jack Pye }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pye, Jack}} Category:1903 births Category:1985 deaths Category:English male professional wrestlers Category:20th-century English sportsmen