- Hall, Bill 100–1
- Hancock, Tony xix, 14, 76, 130–1, 136, 146, 169, 188, 208, 212, 229, 243, 259, 260, 264, 277, 318, 345, 356, 394, 406
- Happy and Glorious
194
- Hardley Secondary School 34
- Harrison, Rex 343–4, 345
- Hayden, Bob 106, 107
- Hemingway, David 171, 173, 430, 433–4, 446, 454
- Henderson, Dickie 104, 277, 436
- Henning, Doug 105, 301
- Her Majesty’s Theatre xvii, 407–12
- Heroes of Comedy
xvii, 419
- Hill, Benny 137, 194, 195–6, 251, 259, 274, 302, 328, 352
- Hills, Dick 201, 292, 293, 295, 297, 310, 364
- Hobley, McDonald 237, 240, 241
- Hooper, Edwin 110–11, 112, 114, 356, 445
- Hope, Bob xxii, 21, 137, 147, 153, 155–6, 158, 182, 188, 301, 348
- How Do You View
? 236, 251
- Howard and Wyndham 206, 207, 211, 216
- Howard, Trevor 326
- Howerd, Frankie 14, 38, 98, 136, 180, 182, 241, 259, 261, 330, 331, 332, 352, 420, 430
- Hudd, Roy 178, 354
- Hudson, Peter 214, 345, 357, 359, 362, 371, 404, 430, 434, 445–6, 455
- Hull, Rod 392–3
- Humby, Derek 35, 36, 38
- Humor-Dor for Emcees and
Comedians
159
- Hurran, Dick 215–16, 221
- Hylton, Jack 188, 242
- Hythe, Hampshire 25, 34, 35, 38, 40
- Institute of Magicians 170
- International Magic Studio 109
- It Never Fails
199–200
- It’s Magic
187, 236–40, 290
- It’s Your Move
340–2, 402
- ITV 246, 247, 254, 269, 270, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277
- Jackdauz 75, 91
- Jacques, Hattie 332–3
- James, Sid 26, 146
- Jones, Betty (cousin) 20, 23, 24
- Jones, Philip 248–9, 251, 253, 254, 255, 258, 259, 260, 263, 273, 274–5, 285, 287, 291–2, 294, 299–300, 338, 339
- Juke Box
63–4
- Jus’ Like That!
xvii, xxii, 172, 422, 424
- Kaleidoscope
241
- Kay, Mary xix–xx, xxi, 2, 53, 82–3, 105, 106, 150, 179, 218, 225–6, 269, 296, 303, 306, 320, 327, 362, 369, 370–1, 372, 373, 382, 383, 384, 390, 404, 410, 412, 418, 423, 433–4, 450
- Keaton, Buster 3, 14, 130, 272, 334
- Ken Brooke’s Magic Place 104–5, 109, 359–60, 439
- Kirkland, Dennis 303, 304–5, 320–1, 388–90
- Lahr, Bert 157, 413, 427
- Lakeside Country Club 217, 378–9, 441
- Lancashire Evening Post
49
- Langley, Hampshire 25, 28, 65
- Las Vegas 115, 148, 150, 189–90, 191, 192, 218, 219, 220, 228, 362, 399, 405
- Laughtermakers, The
(Nathan) 262
- Laurel & Hardy 12, 70, 137, 140–2, 173–4, 187, 201, 333, 334, 341, 348
- Leddy, Mark 196, 219
- Leno, Dan 12–13, 138, 290
- Lewis, Milo 263, 276, 277
- Life with Cooper
258–69, 274, 275, 276
- Little Hut, The
328
- Live from Her Majesty’s
405–12
- London Hippodrome 93, 96
- London Laughs
188
- London Night Out
201, 389
- London Palladium 62, 106, 117, 134, 139, 142, 163, 187, 188, 204, 206, 207, 211, 212, 213, 241, 247, 251, 376, 385–6, 434, 440, 446
- London Society of Magicians 170
- London Television Consortium 273
- London Weekend Television (LWT) 273, 275, 276, 278, 280, 284, 285, 286, 287, 289, 292, 310, 407, 412
- Lowe, Arthur 262, 339
- Lutz, Abbot 128–9
- Lynn, Vera 188, 189, 225, 274
- Lyons, Frankie 61, 62, 63, 64
- Magic Circle, The
83–4, 89, 96, 100, 112, 113, 121, 199, 201, 239, 322, 435
- Magic Circular, The
96
- Main Attraction, The
301, 403
- Manchester Opera House 206, 216
- Marks, Alfred xxii, 88
- Marqueez 77, 452
- Marsden, David 194–5
- Marsh, Billy 74, 205, 206, 221
- Marshall, Jay 103, 196, 219
- Martin, Dean 233–4
- Marx, Groucho 137–8, 146, 213
- Marx, Harpo 173, 213
- Maskelyne, Jasper 134, 314
- Mayoh, Royston 184, 292, 294, 295, 304, 305, 306, 310, 358, 369, 430, 447
- McCabe, John 140–1
- McGivern, Cecil 92, 238, 239
- McKenzie, Doug 234–5
- Meet the Champ
329
- Merriman, Eric 263, 265, 266, 267
- Miller, Max xxii, 53, 68, 74, 87, 95, 100–1, 137, 144–8, 175, 181–2, 195, 205, 213, 235, 268–9, 289, 324, 327, 348, 354, 448, 449, 452, 457
- Milligan, Spike xix, 3, 13, 33, 130, 159, 178, 179, 215, 245, 302, 311, 331, 344, 430
- Mitchell, Iris 385, 387
- Mitchell, Leslie 251
- Monkhouse, Bob 88, 128, 130, 139, 145, 149, 170–1, 178, 185, 248, 290, 301, 313, 316, 320, 375, 403, 404, 408, 444
- Montreux television festival (1969) 275
- Morecambe and Wise Show, The
280
- Morecambe, Eric 2, 133, 136, 176, 185–6, 226, 264, 277, 280, 292, 299, 307, 309, 352, 403–4, 413, 414, 426, 430
- Morgan, Gladys 21, 180
- Mortimer, Johnnie 262, 265, 283, 290, 291, 292
- Moss Empires 85–6, 96, 187, 188
- Mount Radford School 23–4
- Muir, Frank 252
- Muir, Graeme 238–9
- Muir, John 168, 169–70, 231, 254, 256, 259–60, 447
- Mullica, Tom 151–2
- Muppet Show, The
301
- Murray the Escapologist 118
- Murray, Jimmy 58–9
- Murray, Norman 212
- My Life by Tommy Cooper
243
- My Wildest Dream
230
- National Film Theatre 10, 201
- Nesbitt, Robert 204, 205, 451
- New London Theatre 299, 392, 396
- New Royal Restaurant, Liverpool 219
- New York, USA 115, 182, 190, 196, 285, 350, 399
- Newcombe, Clovissa 289
- Newcombe, Peter 113, 149, 199
- Night Out, Birmingham 218, 417
- Nixon, David 229, 251, 302
- Noel Gay Organisation 287
- North, Peter 28, 31, 34, 40, 439
- Nuffield Centre 74
- Nunn, Trevor 327, 346
- Observer, The
194
- Orben, Robert 157, 158, 186
- Out of My Trunk
(Berle) 157
- Page, Patrick 55, 103, 170, 311, 356, 448
- Palfreyman, John 297, 298, 299, 397
- Paris by Night
164–5, 188, 194, 196, 199, 227–8, 328
- Parkinson
246, 247, 381, 396–8, 400
- Parkinson, Michael 246, 247, 326, 358, 454
- Parkinson, Stan 251–2, 253, 295
- Parnell, Val 96, 98, 139, 204, 242
- Particular Pleasures
(Priestley) 38
- Pathé 275, 356
- Paul, Johnny 115–16, 123
- Payne, Tom 167–8
- Penington, Jon 337–8
- Performer, The
190–1
- Peters, Gordon 227, 307
- Piccadilly Revels
189
- Planet Cooper
280–1
- Plank, The
332–41
- Pollock, Channing 434, 435
- Poplar Civic Theatre 91
- Potter, Bob 217, 378–9, 441
- Powell, Sandy 132, 267
- Priestley, J. B. 38, 121, 213
- Prince of Wales Theatre 136, 165, 188, 200, 202, 205, 242, 328
- Prince of Wales, Charles 121, 232, 244
- Punch Lines
159
- Puss in Boots
206, 249, 252
- Pye Records 224
- Radio City Music Hall 190
- Rawlins, Dennis 71–2, 84
- Reeves, Peter 277, 281, 289, 309–10, 359
- Regency Room
91
- Rhubarb
338, 339
- Robey, George 53, 138
- Robinson Crusoe
106, 139
- Rome, Italy 387–8, 389, 390, 393, 396
- Ronay, Mac 130–2, 151
- Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In
108, 151, 278
- Roy, Derek xiv, 188–9, 206
- Royal Horse Guards, The 45–50, 439
- Royal Variety Gala Performance 390
- Royal Variety Performance 231 1953 160 1964 147–8, 234–5, 412, 451 1977 162–3
- Ruis, Willem 301, 402
- Sadler, Freddie 161, 163, 165, 166, 168, 230–1, 245
- Saturday Showtime
242
- Sauce Piquante
90, 440
- Savva, George 396, 399, 402
- Scarborough Floral Hall 207
- Secombe, Harry 21, 88, 137, 180, 208, 212, 213, 328, 338, 448
- Sellers, Peter xix, 88, 245, 262, 333
- Sewell, Ernest 26–7
- Shakespeare Club, Liverpool 184
- Shand, Neil 350, 351
- Shaw, George Bernard 118–19
- ‘Sheik of Araby’ 7, 57
- Simpson, Alan 14, 260, 261, 262, 331, 342
- Sinatra, Frank 10, 386
- Sirdani 54
- Skelton, Red 151–2, 158
- Slydini 246–7
- Southampton, Hampshire xiii, 23, 35–6, 38, 39, 40, 41–2, 106, 195, 439
- Speight, Johnny 120, 417, 431, 432
- Stanley, Harry 109, 110, 117, 451
- Starr, Freddie 355, 409–10, 438–9
- Stars Rise in the West, The
26
- Startime
207, 212, 251
- Stennett, Stan 20–1, 329, 414
- Stone, Richard 337–8
- Storer, Joan 31
- Storer, Roy 26, 31, 33
- Stuart, Donald B. 126
- Stuart, Mark 255, 271
- Sullivan, Ed 158, 219, 274, 294
- Sunday Night at the London
Palladium
117
- Sunday Times
179
- Supreme Magic Company 110–14, 356, 445
- Sykes, Eric 4, 15, 38, 110, 120, 230, 261, 301, 302, 303, 332–7, 338–41, 342, 353, 357–8, 360, 402, 416, 417
- Syms, Sylvia 340, 341
- Tabarin 164
- Taffner, Don 195, 196
- Talk of the South 377–8
- Tarbuck, Jimmy 234, 353, 372, 408, 410, 411, 412, 413, 430–1, 436, 446
- Tate Junior, Harry 73
- Tate, Harry 12, 136, 265
- Tati, Jacques 333, 334
- Terry-Thomas 98, 136–7, 236, 251
- Tesler, Brian 255–6, 258, 259
- Thames Television Ltd xvii, 139, 195, 196, 222, 248, 249, 265, 269, 272–3, 274, 275, 277, 283, 288, 289, 297, 298, 300, 302, 304–5, 338, 339, 340, 341, 364, 379, 381, 389, 398, 404, 419, 431, 440
- Thank Your Lucky Stars
248
- Theatre Royal, Margate 61
- This Is Your Life
302, 431
- Thurber, James 8–9, 189, 273
- Tich, Little 136, 138–9
- Times, The
11, 63, 194
- To See Such Fun
211, 213–14, 216
- Tommy Cooper
278–80
- Tommy Cooper Arts Ltd 286
- Tommy Cooper Hour
289, 293, 294, 364
- Tommy Cooper Show
296
- Tommy Cooper’s Guest Night
296
- Took, Barry 196, 262
- Topo Gigio 294
- Tynan, Kenneth 14, 97–8, 194, 345, 391
- Unique Magic Studio 109, 112
- USA 189–91, 196, 228, 272–4, 278, 285–8, 429
- Val Parnell’s Sunday Night at the
London Palladium
242, 247
- Van Hoven, Frank 39, 124, 125, 127–8
- Variety
189
- Variety Bandbox
332
- Variety Club 232–3, 235, 363, 453
- Vaughan, Frankie 206, 207, 212, 272, 301, 315
- Vosburgh, Dick 277, 279, 280–1, 282, 283, 304, 310
- Waldman, Ronnie 91, 92, 93, 97, 98, 189, 239, 240, 242, 244
- Wall, Max 14, 124, 158, 229, 243, 318, 345–6, 400–1, 420
- Way Out in Piccadilly
261
- Welles, Orson 99, 112, 121
- Westcott, Lucy (aunt) 26
- Westinghouse 273, 275
- Westmore, Michael 244
- Whitfield, David 107
- Whose Baby?
222
- Willem Ruis Lotto Show
402
- William Morris Agency 193
- Williams, Cissie 85–6
- Williams, Claude 126, 132
- Wilton, Robb 126, 327
- Windermere Club 75–7, 81, 84
- Windmill Theatre, London 66, 88, 89, 90, 114, 223
- Winner, Michael 179, 329–30
- Wisdom, Norman 90, 91, 98, 137, 173, 187, 213, 241, 327–8, 344, 440
- Wise, Ernie 133, 176, 185, 226, 264, 277, 280, 292, 299, 307, 426
- Wright, Jack (cousin) 21–2
About the author
JOHN FISHER
was born in 1945 and educated at King Edward VI School, Southampton and Magdalen College, Oxford. His long and distinguished career as a television producer and executive working in light entertainment for both the BBC and Thames Television has embraced shows as diverse as
Parkinson, The Bob
Monkhouse Show, The Ken Dodd Show, Wogan, Joan Rivers:
Can’t We Talk?, The Best of Magic, This Is Your Life, Des
O’Connor Tonight, The Paul Daniels Magic Show
, with which he won the Golden Rose of Montreux, and specials with names ranging from Spike Milligan, Max Wall and Bruce Forsyth to Paul Merton, David Copperfield and Tommy Cooper. His most recent work has included the critically acclaimed series
Heroes of Comedy
for Channel 4 and its sister show
Heroes of Magic
.
An authority on the history of popular entertainment, he includes amongst his published works
Funny Way To Be A Hero
, regarded as the seminal work on British variety comedians.
Jus
’
Like That!
– his celebration for the stage of the life of Tommy Cooper – has enjoyed recent success at London’s Garrick Theatre and on tour throughout the United Kingdom.
He shares with Tommy Cooper the distinction of being a Gold Star Member of The Inner Magic Circle. A past recipient of The Magic Circle’s ‘Magician of the Year’ award, he was also the first person to receive the Houdini Award for services to international magic on American television’s prestigious ‘World Magic Awards’, and is one of only a handful of people to win The Magic Circle’s Devant Award for his contribution to Magic.