Ray Alan RIP

Sad to hear of Ray Alan's passing and I hope he died peacefully.

I used to love his many TV appearances as a kid. He gave Lord Charles some really funny lines and he was the one funny man in the strange world of ventriloquism.
I say strange as they all seemed to move their lips apart from Ray Alan. In fact Keith Harris was on C4 News the other night with Orville and he still can't keep his lips still after all these years.

Anyone recommend any modern ventriloquists? I hear Achmed the Dead Terrorist is very funny and I enjoyed Nina Conti's appearance in Chris Guest's For your Consideration.

I'm sure his lips used to move quite a bit.

RIP

The greatest ventriloquist of all time imo.

R.I.P.

That routine where Lord Charles has is own ventriloquist dummy is just superb.

RIP Ray

Is there any Ray and Charles video on YouTube?

Quote: Aaron @ May 26 2010, 9:13 PM BST

Is there any Ray and Charles video on YouTube?

View original

yep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3Zn3M-WMzM

I think this is the clip that Steve Sunshine is referring too.

I used to really enjoy this guy's act as a kid; he seemed to turn up on TV, especially childrens TV, a lot in the eighties.

Quote: Richard Wells @ May 26 2010, 10:24 PM BST

yep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3Zn3M-WMzM

I think this is the clip that Steve Sunshine is referring too.

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That's grilliant.

Wonderful.

Quote: youngian @ May 26 2010, 2:02 PM BST

I say strange as they all seemed to move their lips apart from Ray Alan. In fact Keith Harris was on C4 News the other night with Orville and he still can't keep his lips still after all these years.

View original

I can't keep my lips still when I see Keith Harris.

I believe Alan was able to move his lips less than other ventriloquists because his Lord Charles dummy was meant to be drunk as well as an aristocrat, which gave him the ability to slur and drawl his words somewhat. At least that's what it said in the Guardian obituary yesterday.

Latterly Alan wrote crime novels and probably kept our own Marc P of the bestseller list. It's certainly a highly appropriate side profession for a writer - ventriloquism. I intend to take it up. If I ever take up writing.

Anyway Ray Alan was a class act and I've never not enjoyed seeing him which I can't say about many light entertainers.

R.I.P. Alan and his Lordship.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ May 26 2010, 10:34 PM BST

I used to really enjoy this guy's act as a kid; he seemed to turn up on TV, especially childrens TV, a lot in the eighties.

View original

We are olden times telly twins.

I remember him too. But watching that again, he really was excellent!

Quote: Richard Wells @ May 26 2010, 10:24 PM BST

yep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3Zn3M-WMzM

I think this is the clip that Steve Sunshine is referring too.

View original

Absolutely the best !

Great clip !

Thanks, Ray.

Hey, it was before the eighties as well. RIP Mr Alan - I think Godot summed it up for me because he was on loads and loads of Light Entertainment shows in the 70s and 80s but NEVER did you dare turn off or leave because you knew you wouldn't be disappointed by him and Lord Charles.

Great clip on this thread too, showing what a genuinely smart comedian he was apart from anything else like great ventriloquism skill.

Quote: Godot Taxis @ May 27 2010, 12:29 AM BST

R.I.P. Alan and his Lordship.

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Not Charles as well?!?!

Quote: Oldrocker @ May 27 2010, 1:17 AM BST

Absolutely the best !

Great clip !

Thanks, Ray.

View original

That was great!