Robert John Pratt

Who was Robert John Pratt?

Robert John Pratt was a Canadian architect, comedian, and politician.

Pratt was born in London, England; his Irish mother lived in London and his father lived in Montreal. In 1933, he received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from McGill University. A practicing architect, Pratt enlisted with the Royal Canadian Hussars during World War II rising to the rank of major. In 1942, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy so he could be a part of the Royal Canadian Navy musical revue. He performed as part of the show Meet the Navy and sung the song "You'll Get Used to It". Pratt also performed for the 1946 film version as well.

After the war, Pratt made a series of humorous short how-to films. In 1948, he performed in a musical version of The Drunkard which he took on tour. During the Korean War, he entertained the soldiers and later hosted a television program called This Is French. During Expo 67 he produced the World Festival of Performing Arts.

In 1953, he was elected as an alderman in the city of Dorval, Quebec. From 1955 to 1964, he was mayor of Dorval. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1957 federal election in the riding Jacques-Cartier—Lasalle.