Quote: Oldrocker @ September 7 2012, 1:59 PM BSTI was thinking of going . . . .
http://www.grandtheatre.info/WhatsOn_focus.asp?ShowId=620&sC=page10
I agree with Zooo, they may have improved. There were awkward gaps when they didn't seem to know what they were doing, punchlines too slow and obvious to be funny and a lot of personal chat between them which wasn't funny either.
Eddie had a running joke about Sid fancying one of the Nolans, but it ran on and on and on.
Billy Dainty
Billy Dainty and emu TV was a joy to watch (and Rod Hull)
Of course a lot of people got lost or forgotten is because there are no official recordings, TV or radio, because they were live and/or tapes were too expensive too keep so were wiped and reused. That answers the OPs question.
Quote: Jinky @ September 7 2012, 2:41 PM BSTBilly Dainty
My Nan knew his Mom, they lived in the same street in Dudley and she got Billy's babby bath for me when I was a babby !
As someone else mentioned Brian Conley.
I used to have a stand up show on video that made me laugh a lot.
Sid Field.
Norman Collier, the chicken walk and faulty microphone were mighty
I don't think it's just down to tapes being wiped. Some shows like Dad's Army are repeated constantly, some like The Goodies never repeated. Benny Hill is remembered, Stanley Baxter almost forgotten, along with the likes Harry Worth and Jimmy Edwards; there are existing tapes of all these comedians, none of them are shown on TV, yet Benny Hill is remembered, maybe because he was so reviled in the eighties. Little remains of the work of Max Miller but he is well remembered and highly regarded. In the case of Sid Field you would have a point, but with many others some survive some don't. Think Hancock and Horne against comedians like Charlie Chester, Ted Ray, Arthur Askey all equally popular but now almost forgotten. Maybe cream rises to the top, but is that true in the case of Harry Worth, Jimmy Edwards, Jimmy James, Rob Wilton etc
I used to enjoy The Comedians back in the day and a few decent ones there. I used to love Ken Goodwin with his fairly unique style of delivery. Stan Boardman was also very good until his (in)famous "focker" joke
Kenneth Horne and Hancock were different class. Would today's youngsters raised on Frankie Boyle, Peter Kay etc find them funny?
I think Peter Kay's audience would appreciate Hancock. As for Frankie Boyle's audience can they appreciate anything.
Not sure a lot of those mentioned would be considered forgotten, but good call on whoever mentioned Harry Worth. A huge star back in the day.
Quote: Loopey @ September 7 2012, 1:54 PM BSTDick Emery
He might not get the credit but his baleful influence lives on in all the Catherine Tates and Little Britains and the like.
I guess a lot of it is an age thing. As an older gentleman firmly stuck in the seventies I guess that's where a lot of my references come from. But my Dad introduced me to Hancock and I loved it. He was, I agree, a class above, although I hear his stage show was very creeky even then. But he was no more popular than Arthur Haynes, both died early, Haynes is only now resurfacing. I guess our only hope of rediscovering these comedy gold nuggets is the slow release of archive material on DVD.
As for Dick Emery, I loved him. He still makes me laugh now. Don't get me wrong there are some brilliant comedians around today, Jack Dee, Henning Wehn, Stewart Lee, David Mitchell etc. But I still enjoy the more innocent comedy of the days of yore. I know a lot of it was sexist and racist, but that stuff gets forgotten for good reason. Some comedy will never age, it is timeless, Les Dawson, Harry Worth,Hancock et al. I do sometimes think that Bernard Manning and Jim Davidson might appeal to the younger audience more, but maybe I am just showing my age and am out of touch
Charlie Farnsbarns!
i don't know who he is, I just like saying it.
Quote: Pingl @ September 7 2012, 8:00 PM BSTBut he was no more popular than Arthur Haynes, both died early, Haynes is only now resurfacing.
Shit!!!!!!!!
Arthur Haynes made sixteen primetime television series for ITV up until his early death at 51. He had a successful career in America, appearing on the Ed Sullivan show and made a successful Hollywood film with Rock Hudson 'Strange Bedfellows'. He won numerous awards and was as popular as Hancock and had the great Johnny Speight writing his scripts. We have all been brought up to believe that the streets cleared for Hancock, this may be true, although I think this is exaggerated, but Hancock was not the only kid on the block. Hancock died a broken man feeling he was a failure, Haynes at the top of his game. History has been kinder to Hancock, I think this is because his was a sitcom format where as Haynes operated in a variety format with musical interludes. But remove the dated aspects of his show and the comedy is relevant, hilarious and beautifully performed.
