British Comedy Guide

Worst autobiography Page 4

Quote: Teddy Paddalack @ September 27 2012, 1:39 PM BST

Geldray played the comb and died of numb lips in Blackpool Royal Infirmary & Petting Zoo.

The infamous fight with Trinder was over Hitlers demand for Lebensruam in the Sudetenand.

Trinder who was a closet transvestite and communist (He used to dress as Stalin's wife)detested Hitler and hit Manny from behind with a coal scuttle in a boarding house they were sharing in Eastbourne during their legendary stint in the towns pantomime 'Snow White and The Nazis'

And they say entertainment wasn't exciting back then. It brings back to mind the story of Anita Harris, the flymo and the dwarf with a huge talent.

I once met Anita Harris at a party in Soho, she was very risque and offered to 'Blow me to Bermondsey and back' as I had no idea where Bermondsey was at the time and considering the mole she had on her kite I knocked her back.
Two minutes later she was on Charlie Drakes knee snorting chisel off his bald spot, heady days indeed.

Quote: Teddy Paddalack @ September 27 2012, 1:50 PM BST

I once met Anita Harris at a party in Soho, she was very risque and offered to 'Blow me to Bermondsey and back' as I had no idea where Bermondsey was at the time and considering the mole she had on her kite I knocked her back.
Two minutes later she was on Charlie Drakes knee snorting chisel off his bald spot, heady days indeed.

Yes and you try and tell the kids of that today. I well remember Charlie Drake as last on the bill at Clapham Hippodrome. He was supporting Betty from Wilson, keppel and Betty. He did six months for that. I remember him telling me that it was all in the wrist, but I left before he could give me a demonstration.

Drake was a fiend!

The worst I've read has to be Rodney Bewes, called a Likely Lad or something. It was turgid, self-aggrandising and generally dull.

To turn the subject around (if only for post) good autobiographies include I Didn't Where I Am Today by David Nobbs and Me, To Name But a Few by Dennis "Spike" Mullins. Niven's two autobiographies are also referred to a lot.

Glitter And Savilles lol

I know it's supposed to be the 'worst' but I am halfway through reading -
Marty Feldman, The biography of a comedy legend.

It's very apt for these forums. The story of a struggling writer that of course eventually made it. Probably even harder for him as virtually all writers were from the big Universities at the time.

It's full of interesting insights and stories including his writing of classic sketches that are still well known today.

The four Yorkshire men was mostly written by him and the 'I'm upper class so I look down on him' sketch was his

Fascinating stuff.

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ June 6 2013, 8:58 AM BST

It's very apt for these forums. The story of a struggling writer that of course eventually made it.

How apt?
Rolling eyes

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