... THIS encapsulates the Male Condition exactly - from Maxie:
I like the girls who do,
I like the girls who don't,
I hate the girl who says she will,
And then she says I won't,
But the girl I like the most of all,
And I think you'll say I'm right,
Is the girl who says she never does,
But looks as though she... 'Ere!!
You're a wicked lot you are - you'll get me a bad name you will!
Max Miller 1894 -1963
"There'll never be another"
Good old Maxie. The finish-'em-yourself routines are the best. 
The man was years ahead of his time.
No blatant sex gags (he wouldn't be allowed to get away with it then), just very clever innuendo, or as you said - let them finish it off. He knew that deep down everyone knew what he meant because they each had a dirty mind to some degree.
So that was an unfinished gag, here's an example of one of his innuendo gags that got him into trouble with the powers that be:-
I was climbing up in the mountains, and walking along this very narrow pathway when this gorgeous girl came walking towards me and of course there was not enough room for us to pass each other.
Well, I didn't know whether to block her passage or toss myself off.
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ March 25 2012, 7:53 AM GMTSo that was an unfinished gag, here's an example of one of his innuendo gags that got him into trouble with the powers that be:
I was climbing up in the mountains, and walking along this very narrow pathway when this gorgeous girl came walking towards me and of course there was not enough room for us to pass each other.
Well, I didn't know whether to block her passage or toss myself off.
That one's famoulsy disputed. I know our resident Maxie 'expert' Oldrocker doesn't believe it to be one of his.
Tossing oneself off seems quite a modern phrase? I don't know, though.
It's funny either way!
Watched some Max Miller the other day on the Stephen Fry thing about "Light Entertainment" and, whilst I can appreciate that he was a very talented comic, boy has his act dated, especially after being savaged by "The Fast Show" and the Arthur Atkinson sketches (which I realise were probably more about other acts of the time, Arthur Askey?), I can't see it, or even a more modern updating of it working with an audience, even an older audience.
I may be wrong, but I think all the nudge, nudge, wink, wink style would just seem very quaint nowadays and the constantly looking backstage, expecting to be pulled off (waahey!) at any moment by the stage manager would get pretty tiresome.
I can definitely imagine the delivery style would be dated now, even the Fast Show mickey take annoyed me.
Some of the jokes still work though.
I dunno, it's undoubtedly dated in places, but I laugh along quite a bit to the handful of routines I've heard. Mightn't get the kind of mass audience Max got back in his day, but I'm pretty sure that such an act would get a following of sorts.
But then I'm far less familiar with the Arthur Atkinson sketches.
Quote: Aaron @ March 25 2012, 11:59 AM GMTI dunno, it's undoubtedly dated in places, but I laugh along quite a bit to the handful of routines I've heard. Mightn't get the kind of mass audience Max got back in his day, but I'm pretty sure that such an act would get a following of sorts.
But then I'm far less familiar with the Arthur Atkinson sketches.
"Where's me washboard?.......How queer"
Definitely (Oh dear, I'm going to regret this - I can hear the wailing of contradictions coming up again!) based primarily on Arthur Askey and some others I can think of, but I never saw anything of Max Miller in his spoof.
Quote: Aaron @ March 25 2012, 11:41 AM GMTThat one's famoulsy disputed. I know our resident Maxie 'expert' Oldrocker doesn't believe it to be one of his.
I seem to remember hearing him crack that one, but maybe not - I'll check all my recordings of Max, but I'd like to think that it was one of his!
Quote: Tony Cowards @ March 25 2012, 11:51 AM GMTWatched some Max Miller the other day on the Stephen Fry thing about "Light Entertainment" and, whilst I can appreciate that he was a very talented comic, boy has his act dated, especially after being savaged by "The Fast Show" and the Arthur Atkinson sketches (which I realise were probably more about other acts of the time, Arthur Askey?), I can't see it, or even a more modern updating of it working with an audience, even an older audience.
I may be wrong, but I think all the nudge, nudge, wink, wink style would just seem very quaint nowadays and the constantly looking backstage, expecting to be pulled off (waahey!) at any moment by the stage manager would get pretty tiresome.
Of course it is dated, but you've got to appreciate the period he was working in and that a large part of the audience were there just to see how far he would go and the looking sideways for the stage manager was part of the "ere, what'd ya think of this one if I dare tell yer", which added to the tension.
I know what you mean though - Tommy Hanley in ITMA leaves me cold and I cannot see what the audience is laughing at.
At least now, you can still get a chuckle out of Maxie's work.