Don Kiddle
Tuesday 18th October 2011 7:06pm
Dunstable
14 posts
There are just so many wonderful comedy characters that have been created over so many years that every time I think of one who might be my favourite I immediately think of a dozen others.
But Oldrocker's YouTube clip of Norman Evans just goes to show there's no such thing as a new joke. Evans is obviously the guy from whom Les Dawson got his Cissie (or maybe it was Ada?)and although Dawson may have taken it to new heights, Evans was the originator, unless it was passed down from a previous generation.
Anyway, the Norman Evans sketch set me off on a long ramble though the amazing old stuff YouTube's got.
To name just a few: Rob Wilton, Max Wall, Max Miller (obviously), Gert and Daisy, Old Mother Riley, Wilson Keppel and Betty, Ronald Shiner, Will Hay, Sid Field, Tommy Trinder etc etc. dating from 1929 to late 40s.
In decades gone by many people used to say that Sid Field was the greatest British comedy actor of all time, even better than Hancock, but from the few clips I've just seen of Field, Hancock was better in my opinion but maybe he had better scripts or maybe Field came over better live.
But in all the stuff I've just watched and listened to, not one single 'bloody' let alone any 'effings'. These poor old buggers wouldn't get a look in nowadays, not even Max.