Littler was born in Ramsgate, Kent, in the south east of England, the elder son in the family of five children of Jules Richeux (1863–1911), a cigar importer, and his wife, Agnes May, née Paisey (b.
After Richeux's death, his widow married, in 1914, the theatre manager Frank Rolison Littler (1879–1940), who adopted the five children, all of whom took his surname.
[2] With Blanche, Littler started a theatrical career in 1927, assembling small companies for provincial tours.
The following year he married a widow, Annie Leonora Maclachlan, an actress, professionally known as Norah Delaney.
[2] He was a member of the council of the Theatrical Managers' Association, and vice-president of the boards of the Society of West End Theatre Managers, Denville Home for Aged Actors and Actresses and the Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund.