Comedians & Comedy Writers

[VSBfromH 74]

Lennie Bennett: Many years ago, when I lived in the area, he was a regular fixture resplendent in his shellsuit sitting at the bar of the Wyre Hotel just outside Poulton-le-Fylde near Blackpool. Just seemed to enjoy a quiet pint and a chat, and not too "up his own arse".

 

If any of you live in the Blackpool area (poor sods!), maybe you could go and check if he's still there and report back as to his state of health...

[VSBfromH 74]

Re OoO's list, I don't remember Eddie Flanagan, but in an interview on Radio Lancashire last night, Jim "great!, super!, smashing!" Bowen mentioned that he is no longer with us (Eddie, not Jim!)

[Godot 149]

DL is sophisticated entertainment compared to most of what The Comedians offered. You could get videos a while back. Those mother in law jokes in particular have dated beyond repair.

Like my mother-in-law.

[Guest sid]

Norman Collier does have his own IMDB page. I'd have said he was on The Comedians too although our collective memories could be in meltdown and confusing it with the other great show he is credited with.....Joker's Wild.

[maryportfuncity 10,645]

Hello Sid

 

And yer point is......?

[Godot 149]

Hello Sid

 

And yer point is......?

His point, surely, is that OoO may well have made a minor yet uncharacteristic omission in his otherwise painstakingly assembled list since there is an emerging consensus among those with long memories that Norman Collier was indeed on the Comedians. That was it Sid, wasn't it?

 

OoO, I would have thought, would have been the last Deathlister to rely on some hastily-assembled website compiled by an office junior who was probably not even a piece of grit in Norman Collier's scratching shed when the Comedians first aired. As for the nod to Joker's Wild, I think Sid was being ironic. I wouldn't assume he was a fan. Say it ain't so Sid.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,186]

OoO, I would have thought, would have been the last Deathlister to rely on some hastily-assembled website compiled by an office junior.

 

Well, I'd trust that site more than the lamentable imdb listing in one of MPFC's earliest post.

 

IMDB is excellent if you're looking for American based roles, but shitter than the shittest sh*t for a full British biography.

 

and that site, hastily assembled or not, is the main one devoted to the Comedians - probably a good thing too. So, it left me with little option as a result.

 

Although as no-one else can be arsed to check, it DOES appear Collier was there.

1

 

However, nothing else on the internet, except equally as confused people, or e-bay listings. Many mention the Royal Variety Performance.

 

Question now is, was Collier at that reunion because he was an ex-Comedian or was he a "special guest"?

[Godot 149]

OoO, I would have thought, would have been the last Deathlister to rely on some hastily-assembled website compiled by an office junior.

 

Well, I'd trust that site more than the lamentable imdb listing in one of MPFC's earliest post.

 

IMDB is excellent if you're looking for American based roles, but shitter than the shittest sh*t for a full British biography.

 

and that site, hastily assembled or not, is the main one devoted to the Comedians - probably a good thing too. So, it left me with little option as a result.

 

Although as no-one else can be arsed to check, it DOES appear Collier was there.

1

 

However, nothing else on the internet, except equally as confused people, or e-bay listings. Many mention the Royal Variety Performance.

 

Question now is, was Collier at that reunion because he was an ex-Comedian or was he a "special guest"?

I agree there remains a smidgin of ambiguity about that report but since Roper was also one of the comedians it would mean that Collier would have been the odd man out. I will make a few checks of my own with real people. I have a friend who knows Lennie Bennett well. I'm going purely on memory. I don't think I ever watched Joker's Wild and rarely saw the Royal Variety Performance but I did watch the Comedians a lot and I remember seeing Collier so I'm thinking it must have been there although he wasn't a regular like Frank Carson or Colin Crompton because he didn't have much material beyond the chicken thing.

[Anubis the Jackal 77]

I have a friend who knows Lennie Bennett well.

 

 

 

That wouldn't be Bennie Lennett would it? I remember he used to be part of a double-act with Mr. Bennett, which was amazingly good fortune I would say.

[maryportfuncity 10,645]

All the above is great but the point I was making was that guest Sid, who's not returned since, was simply posting a lot of stuff that was already established in the posts immediately above his. I mean, I'm all for new members and that but it was the equivalent of someone joining us and posting; 'Hey, this site is about celebrity deaths.'

[Guest Leonard Bennett]

Hey, this site is about celebrity deaths

[pulphack 6]

Cymbal crash and ayethangyew... you're not the real lennie bennett obviously, as that was too funny for him.

[Guest Benny Lennett]

Correct, I'm merely his somehow even less funny ex-sidekick looking for a bit of panto work for the winter. I've still got the old magic you know.

[Guest Guest]

The Comedians was massive once over but it's strange that IMBD - normally a mecca for anorak who know their facts - doesn't post a birthdate for half the performers. Has anyone around the UK noticed the likes of Charlie Daze playing a local club? How many of this lot are still alive? Some of them will be well into their seventies now, late nights, loadsa fags and drink, stressful job. We could have us some future winners here.

 

The IMDB list hardly covers any of it. Typical US bias. After doing some quite basic research, the following:-

 

Russ Abbot .... ALIVE b. 1947

Lennie Bennett .... ALIVE b. 1938. Had a h/a in 1994, but now recovered.

Stan Boardman .... ALIVE, sadly. b. 1940 His daughter, Andrea was pretty though.

Jim Bowen .... ALIVE b. 1937

Jimmy Bright .... b. 1950, still performing.

Duggie Brown .... ALIVE, b. 1940. Sister Lynne Perrie died earlier this year.

Roy Walker .... ALIVE - say what you see, say what you see, b. 1940

Charlie Williams ....

Alan Brady ??

Mike Burton ??

Dave Butler - ALIVE. Still performing

Kenny Cantor - ALIVE. Still performing

Jackie Carlton ??

Frank Carson - ALIVE. b. 1926. Still performing.

Paddy Cassidy ??

Mike Coyne ??

Colin Crompton

Steve Faye ??

Ray Fell - ALIVE. Still performing

Eddie Flanagan

Stu Francis b. 1951. Still doing panto.

Syd Francis (died earlier this year, with barely a mention, MPFC)

Alan Fox ALIVE - still performing

Mike Goddard - ALIVE. Another cruise comic.

Ken Goodwin - ALIVE - still performing.

Jackie Hamilton - ALIVE. Later a BBC comedy producer.

Jerry Harris ??

Dennis Jones ??

Bobby Knoxall - ALIVE. Got an MBE last year. Still performing, but nearly died 2 years ago due to blood clot in stomach. b. 1934.

Bernard Manning - ALIVE, sadly. b. 1930. In poor health lately.

Jimmy Marshall

Paul Melba - ALIVE, still performing

Pat Mooney - ALIVE, still performing

Johnny More - still ALIVE, performing. Better known as an impressionist, really.

Hector Nicol

Tom O'Connor b. 1939- ALIVE

Bryn Phillips - ALIVE & performing

Colin Price - ALIVE & performing

Mike Reid - ALIVE, b. 1940

George Roper

Tony Stewart ALIVE - still performing

Sammy Thomas ??

Johnny 'Goon' Tweed ??

Johnny Wager - ALIVE & still performing.

Jos White ??

Stu Williams ??

Sheps Banjo Boys - all still performing, all ALIVE.

Johnny Carroll - ALIVE. Still performing

Bob Curtiss - ALIVE. Still performing

Ivor Davies - ALIVE

Charlie Daze - ALIVE, b. 1938. Still performing

Vince Earl - ALIVE - more famous for being in Brookside. b. 1944

Bobby Kaye - ALIVE - still performing (In Colwyn Bay on Saturday, apparently)

Mike Kelly - ALIVE - still performing

George King - ALIVE

Bobby Knutt - ALIVE b. 1945

Mick Miller - ALIVE b. 1950, still performing

Hal Nolan - ALIVE. Still performing.

Harry Scott - ALIVE. Still performing

Paul Shane - ALIVE, sadly, b. 1940

Kenny Smiles - ALIVE. Doing cruises.

Paul Squire ALIVE

Pat Tansey - ALIVE, still performing, mainly corporate functions

Lee Wilson - ALIVE. b. 1938. Still performing.

Lenny Windsor - ALIVE, apparently living in Florida. Still does performing on the cruises.

 

The Comedians

 

 

 

You know, if they were at a reunion & the reunion meeting place got bombed, I doubt few tears would be shed.

 

 

 

Most of these will not get obits, apart from the most famous ones already mentioned. In other words, don't put many of these on your DP lists in the future & concentrate your efforts elsewhere. This lot ain't worth it.

 

 

Sorry to say, my father, John Drury - Sousaphone player with Shep's Banjo Boys on The Commedians, passed away in 1991. However, I am certain he is still performing

[VSBfromH 74]

Of course, I'm sure you all know that Lennie Bennett's real partner (in the showbiz sense) was Jerry Stevens

 

Anyone know what happened to him?

 

P.S. I did see somehwere that it was the "Lennie and Jerry" show all the way back in the late 70s which introduced us to "The Chuckle Brothers", but can't find anything else to back this up.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,186]

Sorry to say, my father, John Drury - Sousaphone player with Shep's Banjo Boys on The Commedians, passed away in 1991. However, I am certain he is still performing

 

Thanks for that information. I had no idea, and sorry to hear of his passing, even though it was back in 1991. I share you sentiments in the hope he is still performing.

[maryportfuncity 10,645]

Sorry to say, my father, John Drury - Sousaphone player with Shep's Banjo Boys on The Commedians, passed away in 1991. However, I am certain he is still performing.

 

Who is? Yer dad? Respect, could you please put me in touch with the doctors capable of conjuring a performance from a dead man!

[Anubis the Jackal 77]

could you please put me in touch with the doctors capable of conjuring a performance from a dead man!

 

 

 

Whilst not strictly speaking a doctor, Blues singer Lucille Bogan (1897-1948) may have been up for the challenge, MPFC.

 

 

 

"I got nipples on my titties big as the end of my thumb, I got something between my legs to make a dead man come." Shave 'em Dry (1935)

 

 

 

Later nicked by the Rolling Stones for 'Start Me Up.'

 

 

 

[Tuber Mirum 125]

could you please put me in touch with the doctors capable of conjuring a performance from a dead man!

 

 

 

Whilst not strictly speaking a doctor, Blues singer Lucille Bogan (1897-1948) may have been up for the challenge, MPFC.

 

 

 

"I got nipples on my titties big as the end of my thumb, I got something between my legs to make a dead man come." Shave 'em Dry (1935)

 

 

 

Later nicked by the Rolling Stones for 'Start Me Up.'

 

 

 

That'll be where Mrs Slocombe got: "Has anybody seen my pussy?" from as well.

[JR976evil 906]

There are quite a few aged comic writers still about, though very possibly not for much longer. Longtime writing partners Jimmy Perry (b. 1923) and David Croft (b. 1922) responsible for Dad's Army, Hi-De-Hi, Allo Allo among others, also Jeremy Lloyd (b. 1930).

 

Roy Clarke, recently bestowed with a lifetime achievement award, turns 81 on Friday.

 

Ray Galton (b. 1930) and Alan Simpson (b. 1929) creators of Hancock and Steptoe and Son, have the distinction of having long outlived their main stars.

 

Frank Carson (b. 1926) still active reportedly but not in the rudest of health, has a pacemaker...

Shelley Berman (b. 1925) perhaps best-known nowadays for playing Larry David's father on CYE.

Dick Van Dyke (b. 1925)

Carl Reiner (b. 1922) veteran actor, writer and director, seen recently in the Ocean's Trilogy

Sid Caesar (b. 1922)

Jonathan Winters (b. 1925)

Don Rickles (b. 1926)

Mel Brooks (b. 1926)

Jack Smethurst (b. 1932) best known for playing Eddie Booth in Love Thy Neighbour

Edited January 26, 2011 by heaven can wait
topics merged

[JR976evil 906]

Also veteran comic actor Paul Dooley (b. 1928) appeared in many sitcoms and films over the years, notably as Dennis Christopher's exasperated father in the great Breaking Away, recently seen in the recurring role of Cheryl's dad in CYE

[Guest Guest]

The Comedians was massive once over but it's strange that IMBD - normally a mecca for anorak who know their facts - doesn't post a birthdate for half the performers. Has anyone around the UK noticed the likes of Charlie Daze playing a local club? How many of this lot are still alive? Some of them will be well into their seventies now, late nights, loadsa fags and drink, stressful job. We could have us some future winners here.

Jim Bowen has suffered 2 strokes in the past few days http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-12540642

[JR976evil 906]

The Comedians was massive once over but it's strange that IMBD - normally a mecca for anorak who know their facts - doesn't post a birthdate for half the performers. Has anyone around the UK noticed the likes of Charlie Daze playing a local club? How many of this lot are still alive? Some of them will be well into their seventies now, late nights, loadsa fags and drink, stressful job. We could have us some future winners here.

Jim Bowen has suffered 2 strokes in the past few days http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-12540642

 

Nothing particularly super, smashing or great about that for him

[themaninblack 2,112]

Roger Hancock, brother of Tony and agent to various writers and performers, died on April 23rd, same day as one of his clients, John Sullivan...

[maryportfuncity 10,645]

I bought Barry Cryer's autobiography, little more than a series of anecdotes, on CD and listened to it last week. Hancock was his agent, it never occured to me he was still alive this year. Cryer, Sykes and Norden must be starting to feel very lonely.