TWO COMEDY CLASSICS FROM TWO COMEDY GREATS OF BRITISH STAGE AND SCREEN

SIR NORMAN WISDOM & JOYCE GRENFELL

NARCISSUS (The Laughing Record)

b/w   I DON'T 'ARF LOVE YOU

There is not enough room here to list (Sir) Norman Wisdom's work and achievements. He was possibly most famous for his film roles often as "Norman Pitkin" or "the Gump" hapless endearing clowns who managed to get hopelessly in and out of sticky situations. The humour was simple visual - almost slapstick and at appealed at a very basic level. They were so "harmless" that his films got through the Albanian sensors of the communist regime where as a consequence Norman became  a superstar!   

He worked tirelessly for charitable causes and was awarded both an OBE and a Knighthood.

Charlie Chaplin described Sir Norman as "my favourite clown"

in his 90's Norman suffered from dementia and resided in a nursing home in the Isle of Mann, his Rolls Royce and London flat were sold off by the family and his "house of laughter"  containg the momentoes of his long career are likely to go the same way "in order to pay for his care"

 With some of his friends prevented from visiting him, a sad end to one who gave so many so much happiness...

Joyce Grenfell (1910-1979) was a British comedienne who was the Queen of the comic monologue, and was an acclaimed comedy performer on stage, radio and television. She started her training at RADA in 1927, but left after six months, claiming "I think I lost interest in acting in plays because I found it too restrictive".

Her first stage performance was in the revue Light and Shade by Herbert Farjeon

After the War she continued to star in revues working with celebrities such as Noel Coward and Max Adrian. Her first solo act was called Joyce Grenfell Requests the Pleasure (1954) at the Fortune and St Martin's Theatre, which she eventually took to the USA. She continued to perform her monologues and songs until the late 1960's.

Joyce wrote monologues, songs, and poems, working alongside Richard Addinsell for the musical accompaniment to her songs. She also collaborated with Stephen Potter for the How radio series. Her most famous film role was as Sergeant Gates in the St Trinian's films in the 1950's, and she also starred in The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950) and Laughter in Paradise (1951).

 

Disc Details

UK COLUMBIA DB 3161    78rpm 10" SHELLAC

NARCISSUS (The Laughing Record)

b/w   I DON'T 'ARF LOVE YOU

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