Ronnie Barker night

Been watching bits of it tonight (all of which I have on DVD) and wanted to praise the man.

The Four Candles sketch has been shown many, many times and is a classic piece of comedy writing (even though Ronnie said he didn't like the tag and thought of a better one much later), but it was one of those that makes you wonder how on earth they kept a straight face throughout and the funniest bit for me is Ronnie Corbett's portrayal of a disgruntled hardware shop assistant muttering his was through it, and I especially like the "Got any 'O's?" when after the initial confusion is sorted out Ronnie B watches him put the box of letters back on the top shelf with all that involves and then asks if he has any Ps. Very funny.

As I have said many times and Barry Cryer said the same in "The Many Faces of Ronnie Barker" - you cannot believe that it is the same man playing Fletch as plays Arkwright.

Genius.

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 24th January 2015, 7:51 PM GMT

Genius.

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That.

I really love the fact he said ok that's enough of that and ran an antiques shop! Good on him!

A very very unusual thing for a big star to do, you usually can't keep them off the stage or screen. I think it may have been more of a snub to the media he hated and some critics of his own creations and even other comedians. He was known to bear a grudge or two.

Good doc in that it didn't hide the criticisms of him from quite a few. And there was Elton paying his penance to another star he now regrets slaughtering. The fact he looks sincere just proves what an ambitious arrogant prat he was at the time. Wouldn't he be better just owning up to that?

Ronnie B took it quite hard over Mel and Griff's spoofs, especially the Beefeater song but I thought it was very clever and funny and he should have took it as a compliment, not a piss-take. I understand that Ronnie C put it to him this way and he calmed down after that. Don't think Ronnie Barker carried that grudge with him for long.

As for his retirement I wonder if he knew his health was failing but didn't let on.

I would like to get hold of his stage play Mum to read. Will do some research.

Quote: Marc P @ 25th January 2015, 10:13 AM GMT

I would like to get hold of his stage play Mum to read. Will do some research.

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Yes, that will be interesting. Let us know how you get on.

It's in his anthology All I Ever Wrote. According to Samuel French and book search engine Addall.com it doesn't seem to be published on its own.

Cheers Paul. I'd like to see the play, I know it was recorded for radio but I am like Mozart with a musical score. Deaf to criticism, Did you see what I did there. It was a kind of play on words, what I meant is that some composers prefer to look at the music and not need to hear it performed.

There might have been something to do with his son which made him withdraw.

Quote: Chappers @ 25th January 2015, 9:54 PM GMT

There might have been something to do with his son which made him withdraw.

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Which one?

The paedo one.

Quote: Chappers @ 25th January 2015, 10:10 PM GMT

The paedo one.

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I thought he only had one son, and a daughter?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2593247/Ronnie-Barkers-paedophile-son-sells-house-hoarded-child-pornography-450-000-profit.html

It was nothing to do with any such thing.