Wee Georgie Wood

Speaker 10:00

Hello, I'm Kirsty Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Disc's archive. For rights reasons we've had to shorten the music. The programme was originally broadcast in nineteen sixty one.

Speaker 30:24

Desert Island discs.

Speaker 30:34

Each week, a well-known person is asked the question

Presenter0:37

Yeah.

Speaker 30:37

If you were to be copyrighted,

Presenter0:38

Cast away alone on a desert island, which eight grammophone records would you choose to have with you?

Presenter0:43

As usual, the castaway is introduced by Roy Plumley.

Presenter0:47

How do you do, ladies and gentlemen?

Presenter0:49

On our Desert Island this week is a very well known person in the entertainment profession.

Presenter0:53

For many years he was a greatly loved music hall star. He's also a producer, a journalist and a theatrical manager. It's We Georgie Wood.

Presenter1:02

Now I I've introduced you as We Georgie Wood because that's the name so many millions of people know you by, but I believe that for years you you never liked that, We you you just like to be Georgie Wood.

Wee Georgie Wood1:12

But that is true.

Wee Georgie Wood1:13

What

Wee Georgie Wood1:14

But the change came because

Wee Georgie Wood1:17

Lady in Australia.

Wee Georgie Wood1:19

And it's manly actually.

Wee Georgie Wood1:21

New South Wales.

Wee Georgie Wood1:23

She wrote me that she'd enjoyed a programme on television.

Wee Georgie Wood1:27

The story of We Georgie Wood.

Wee Georgie Wood1:30

Then she sent me some press cuttings about it.

Wee Georgie Wood1:33

And it was all about a little train in Tasmania.

Wee Georgie Wood1:38

uh that is used to service uh the tin mines there and is known as Wee Georgia Wood.

Wee Georgie Wood1:45

Then on August twelfth.

Wee Georgie Wood1:48

when I had an accident and busted my kneecap.

Wee Georgie Wood1:52

And I was in hospital.

Wee Georgie Wood1:54

I had so many letters to Wee Georgie Wood from people that I didn't know at all.

Wee Georgie Wood2:01

But they came to We Georgie Wood. I thought what's been the matter with me? We Georgie Wood is.

Wee Georgie Wood2:07

So I mean to be proud of my insist on being called me Georgie.

Presenter2:11

I think you're right. Now do you think you could bear the isolation on on this island for a long time?

Wee Georgie Wood2:16

Yes, I think so. I would

Wee Georgie Wood2:18

Where is Arthur Dain person?

Presenter2:19

What was your plan in choosing your eight records? Yeah.

Wee Georgie Wood2:22

Most of the records I've chosen by people.

Wee Georgie Wood2:26

who I think don't date, not just nostalgic, but people who

Wee Georgie Wood2:31

live on forever. They'll they'll people the place for me.

Presenter2:34

Yeah.

Wee Georgie Wood2:34

There are people I've known, well, that was a general idea.

Presenter2:38

Uh who was the first one?

Wee Georgie Wood2:40

Claire about singing Abide With Me.

Presenter2:42

Why did you choose this?

Wee Georgie Wood2:43

Well

Wee Georgie Wood2:44

It was the first record I ever had. Remind me of very many cup finals.

Wee Georgie Wood2:50

I can't have Stanley Matthews on the Desert Island with me. I can think of his memorable cup final when he won his cup medal and die.

Wee Georgie Wood2:57

Not only that, you know, it's a pretty nice line help of the helpless to have on a desert island with you.

Speaker 13:03

Why do we

Presenter3:08

Uh

Presenter3:09

Fast falls the even tide.

Presenter3:15

What darkness demons

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Lord with me abide.

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Uh

Speaker 33:27

Uh

Presenter3:27

Where

Speaker 33:27

Yeah.

Presenter3:27

Robert Helpers Pain.

Presenter3:32

Oh the core

Speaker 13:38

Oh thou who chafed.

Speaker 13:44

A part with me

Presenter3:52

I need thy presence every passing bow.

Presenter4:00

What but thy craze?

Presenter4:09

Dem care a butt singing Abide With Me. What's your second choice?

Wee Georgie Wood4:14

My second choice

Wee Georgie Wood4:15

Ms. L. Johnson.

Wee Georgie Wood4:18

Al Jolson singing Keep Smiling at Trouble. 1943 in the Hotel Alette in Algiers. I landed English. And I sitting there with

Wee Georgie Wood4:29

Graci feels.

Wee Georgie Wood4:30

And

Wee Georgie Wood4:31

Al whom I'd known for many years.

Wee Georgie Wood4:34

Took me over in one corner.

Wee Georgie Wood4:35

I need it.

Wee Georgie Wood4:36

Well, I guess I'm a forgotten man, and these young guys won't even remember me.

Wee Georgie Wood4:41

Well, we were a friend for very many years and I want to keep smiling at trouble because in 1923

Wee Georgie Wood4:48

when they opened the Liverpool Empire with a Julian Wire production.

Wee Georgie Wood4:53

Julian was one of my producers.

Wee Georgie Wood4:55

I love very much.

Wee Georgie Wood4:57

And George Biker, who was University of the Savage Club for so many years,

Wee Georgie Wood5:02

He sang this very number, so he got all sorts of associations and.

Wee Georgie Wood5:07

Well, Joely sings it where you ain't heard nothing yet. You listen to this pop.

Speaker 35:12

Keep smiling at trouble.

Speaker 35:16

What trouble's a bubble?

Speaker 35:20

Uh

Presenter5:20

And barbed whale phone.

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Uh

Presenter5:22

Go away.

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With never a sad an F

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And nothing but glad and air.

Presenter5:33

We'd weary of life. You're not there. Yeah.

Presenter5:38

Al Jolson singing Keep Smiling at Trouble

Presenter5:41

Where were you born?

Wee Georgie Wood5:43

I was born over a pawnbroker's shop kept by my father in Geraldine.

Wee Georgie Wood5:48

I had on time up to the age of six weeks then.

Wee Georgie Wood5:52

I left the place. Not that I didn't like it, but I was always restless, so I I went to Sunderland.

Presenter5:58

How old were you when you made your first appearance in public?

Wee Georgie Wood6:01

My first professional appearance

Wee Georgie Wood6:04

I I'd be five.

Wee Georgie Wood6:06

I used to do, buddy.

Wee Georgie Wood6:08

Church anniversary concerts.

Wee Georgie Wood6:11

and they had their Sunday school treats at the Victoria Hall grounds at Sam Harbour.

Wee Georgie Wood6:16

And I was put up to sing and recite and my Auntie Maggie stood on the outside of the crowd and she threw a penny at me uh when I'd finished and then all the others threw their money so I really was receiving money at as an early age as that, wasn't I?

Presenter6:29

Yes, indeed. I believe by the age of twelve you were top of the bill.

Wee Georgie Wood6:33

Well, before that

Presenter6:35

Before that.

Wee Georgie Wood6:35

Oh yeah. When when I was ten I was with Levy and Cardwell's Juvenile Pantomime Company. Yes. And uh in one of my scenes I had a g

Wee Georgie Wood6:44

A couple of gollywogs, one of them

Wee Georgie Wood6:47

They famous it became eventually they didn't have to do anything.

Wee Georgie Wood6:50

And he was booked in those days because his father had two theatres that we could get dates at. His name was Stanley Jefferson. He became Stanley Lottle of Lodrell and Hardy. But I was the star of that company. By the way, Chaplin, well I likes this story, Charlie Chaplin. He speaks of when we were playing at Eldham and he was there with the eight Lancashire lads and he said he used to look at the bills and see We Georgie Wood and the Sleeping Beauty and wonder, would I ever be as big as that? And I said.

Speaker 16:58

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 17:03

They love.

Wee Georgie Wood7:17

And were you? Charlie, I'll have to tell that one.

Presenter7:20

And very early you began to have traveled the world to Africa, South Africa, the United States.

Wee Georgie Wood7:25

Played saw that because it was nineteen hundred and

Wee Georgie Wood7:28

Nine at a normal salary and though it is a hundred and forty five pounds a week.

Presenter7:31

Mhm. When did you start playing those famous sketches of yours of The Little Boy and His Mother?

Wee Georgie Wood7:36

Well, 1917 and 18 I was doing a play called Some Detective and Dolly Harmer was in that play with me.

Presenter7:43

Yes, you had a long partnership with Dolly Homer, who played your mother.

Wee Georgie Wood7:46

From then till she died five years ago.

Presenter7:49

You wrote all those sketches yourself.

Wee Georgie Wood7:51

All excepting the Black Hand, and that was written by West Lindley.

Presenter7:55

I'll let break off here and have

Presenter7:57

The third record.

Wee Georgie Wood7:58

And I'm a Geordie.

Wee Georgie Wood8:00

I come from

Wee Georgie Wood8:02

The we are side.

Wee Georgie Wood8:04

Born in Java and brought up in Shundland, you know.

Presenter8:07

Mm-hmm.

Wee Georgie Wood8:07

Why I man and

Wee Georgie Wood8:11

Owen Branicle.

Wee Georgie Wood8:12

Now, he's done a recording.

Wee Georgie Wood8:15

of a number that I used to do.

Wee Georgie Wood8:18

But concerts and things, and I fancied myself in it because it was written by another fellow mine, Sterndale Bennett Leaning.

Presenter8:26

In on the gate, beside the pond that flies, beside the side, the hedge where my old dog lives.

Speaker 38:35

Hold the

Speaker 38:37

Mm.

Speaker 18:37

Uh

Presenter8:39

It's dear stickers from there I see the sunlight glinting through the tree.

Speaker 38:46

Upon the grave where he

Presenter8:57

Owen Brannigan singing Leanin

Presenter9:00

Now we've talked about your music hall successes as a turn, but I think you were almost equally well known for your pantomimes. You played in one almost every year right from the beginning of your career, didn't you? Which is your favourite pantomime?

Wee Georgie Wood9:10

Hamde dumtre.

Wee Georgie Wood9:11

It was created specially for me and I like because he was an ageless character.

Presenter9:16

You did a great deal of forces entertaining overseas during the war, for which you were decorated with the OBE.

Presenter9:22

After the war you began to broaden your activities and to you you presented quite a lot of straight plays.

Wee Georgie Wood9:26

Well I did it before the war I was I was doing that I mean and uh and and dur during the war as well. I mean I did the The Woman is Down at the Whitehall Theatre. And um I did that with Bernie Duff when King Hawkin came to the first night. He was looking for me all over to get into the picture with it, but he was so big he couldn't see me. I slipped in, I'm the little face beside his knee.

Presenter9:48

And you presented Sir Donald Wolfitt and Ibsen's The Master Builder, I remember.

Wee Georgie Wood9:51

But I think it's a little bit more.

Presenter9:53

And and your journalism. You've been a show business columnist for many years, haven't you?

Wee Georgie Wood9:57

Yes, in 1927 I was writing regularly. Well I wrote before that, um my first column, oddly enough, was written in 1915 for the old performer when I wrote about the sinking of the Lusitania.

Wee Georgie Wood10:14

As we felt it, as we were on the deck of the Baltic,

Wee Georgie Wood10:18

And uh Alec Lauder, Sir Harry Lauder's brother, was standing with me and the news came through about the Lusitania being sunk. And because it was Alec's daughter, Greta, she was the one who took

Wee Georgie Wood10:30

Let's have Sahari Lord for the next one because it was in 1917 that Willie Scott, Dolly Harmer's husband, was playing in three chairs with him.

Wee Georgie Wood10:40

At the Shawsby Theatre, and the news came through about Captain John Lauder.

Wee Georgie Wood10:45

His only son being killed in action. In order with the tradition, the show must go on.

Wee Georgie Wood10:51

Yeah, that's it. Jeep right on to the end of the road.

Speaker 310:54

If you're tired and weary, still journey on till you come to your happy abode.

Speaker 311:11

We'll be there at the end.

Presenter11:23

Sir Harry Lauder singing Keep Right On Till the End of the Road.

Presenter11:27

Well, now, mister Wood.

Wee Georgie Wood11:28

Mr.

Presenter11:29

That

Wee Georgie Wood11:29

Oh, Mr. Plumnerate.

Wee Georgie Wood11:31

May I call you Roy?

Presenter11:32

Yes, please do.

Wee Georgie Wood11:33

Right, you may call me George. You might I like to be asked, you know, but that just wants to get on that basis, right?

Presenter11:37

I'd like to, Dode.

Wee Georgie Wood11:38

Huh.

Presenter11:39

Now in the last few years we've seen the virtual disappearance of the old music hall. Do you think television is responsible, mainly?

Wee Georgie Wood11:46

Oh, I

Wee Georgie Wood11:47

It had its fact better than

Wee Georgie Wood11:49

'Cause it has with a lot of things, but I don't think that was the main thing. I think that the music hall were going before that'cause there are no training grounds anymore, no juvenile schools where they learnt their jobs, cases caught and all those sort of troops.

Presenter12:02

Yes. You went through that mill yourself, George. Was it a hard life? Do do you think it was a a suitable life, a good life, for young children?

Wee Georgie Wood12:08

One minute. Get right back to the first one if you want a musical.

Wee Georgie Wood12:12

It's like acrobats, you gotta catch'em young and train'em. Personally I hated it and I never dared let anybody know because my mother loved seeing me doing it and so did everybody else and

Wee Georgie Wood12:23

Made it all harder for me.

Presenter12:26

Yes. But we were talking about television just now. You've been producing some television yourself, haven't you?

Wee Georgie Wood12:30

The rat show that they for the B B C

Presenter12:32

Uh

Wee Georgie Wood12:32

I I wasn't the actual producer, but virtually. And in America, but n not over here, no.

Presenter12:37

And you've been writing for American television too.

Wee Georgie Wood12:38

Oh yeah, I get quite a kick out of seeing some of the things, especially on the BBC, some of the seas that I've sailed under a different name altogether in America, and then seeing them over here on the screen.

Presenter12:48

Now you had a long and eventful career in many branches of the entertainment profession. Have you still any one main ambition still unfulfilled?

Wee Georgie Wood12:57

Yeah, and I I don't want to be a a big shutter in but but I'd like to do something in television, not exactly in the way of producing, but kind of advising. And I would love to do

Wee Georgie Wood13:09

The equivalent of a Jack Pa Mike Wallace Pa. You know the late night interviews they have in New York where they get somebody and they really grill'em and put'em through the mill. I would like to do one of those and show really how gentle some of the present Inquisitors are.

Presenter13:27

Well, someone may be listening who can further that ambition. Let's have another record.

Wee Georgie Wood13:32

Alright, well, this time we're gonna have North Carolina Gertrude London. They're both very, very good friends. I saw Gertie give her last performance

Wee Georgie Wood13:41

in The King and Die in New York.

Wee Georgie Wood13:44

And my memory of Nerl goes back to 1912 at the Coliseum. He was a little boy in a play with Sir Charles Horty, a little foul play.

Wee Georgie Wood13:52

And I was big name and came and said, could I get him a ride on the revolving stage? I called the assistant stage manager, Mr. Mutton, I said, let's have a ride. Then I took him home in my car to Hampstead. I never knew that was now a card until the first night of Cavalcade at Drury Lane, when he came and told me, let's have the the scene from Private Lives.

Presenter14:13

They are fine, you

Presenter14:16

Night behind you to the dream.

Speaker 114:23

I'm dreamy.

Speaker 114:26

As I draw near you, you smile a little smile For a little while We shall stand hand in hand

Presenter14:43

An excerpt from Private Lives played by Noel Card and Gertrude Lawrence, which brings us now to number six.

Wee Georgie Wood14:49

Well number six is

Wee Georgie Wood14:51

Schubert's Unfinished Symphony conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham. I met Sir Thomas at the late Sir Louis Dirling's home where I met a lot of celebrities. That brings that back. When I was in South Africa producing Pantomime, they gave me a symphony orchestra and I decided to start Cinderella Pantomime with the Volonov twins dancing a mime ballet as a prologue to Cinderella to Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, so that I must have.

Presenter16:16

The opening of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, Sir Thomas Beacham conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Now a question that must be asked, George. How good do you think your qualifications are as a castaway? Could you look after yourself?

Wee Georgie Wood16:28

Oh yes, I think so. I never do, so I think I could. I'm I'm tidy as I like, it wouldn't matter. I'm I'll be all right.

Presenter16:36

Now is food and luxury, good food and luxury important to you in life?

Wee Georgie Wood16:39

Not a bit. Doesn't matter a bit. As long as I have something like silver and you can steak there and crepes is it.

Wee Georgie Wood16:48

Hi, Vic.

Presenter16:48

A simple version of it.

Wee Georgie Wood16:49

Simple bits of mine.

Presenter16:51

Well, let's have record number seven.

Wee Georgie Wood16:54

Well

Wee Georgie Wood16:54

If I was there, I'd naturally want to feel that I had something that was really beautiful English being spoken.

Wee Georgie Wood17:03

And I can think of nothing better, and I I sort of feel a personal application to it.

Wee Georgie Wood17:08

of Sir John Gillgood reciting Seven Ages.

Speaker 317:12

All the worlds are stayed.

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and all the men and women merely players.

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They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.

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his acts being seven ages.

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At first the infant, muling and puking in the nurse's arms,

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And then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel and shining morning face, creeping like snail unwillingly to school.

Speaker 317:41

and then a lover, sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad made to his mistress Eyebrow.

Speaker 317:48

Then the soldier, full of strange odes and bearded like the pard, jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, seeking the bubble reputation even in the cannon's mouth.

Presenter18:00

The Seven Ages of Man Speech from As You Like It

Presenter18:03

by Sir John Gilgood, which brings us now to your last record, what you've been saving till the end.

Wee Georgie Wood18:08

Misher Ellman

Wee Georgie Wood18:10

Very old friend again playing Raph's Cavatina in a sketch I did called Half a Clown.

Wee Georgie Wood18:16

I used Rav's Cavatina as the closing me loss we call it.

Wee Georgie Wood18:22

Sort of background music. When the leader of the orchestra in the provincial places was particularly good as a violinist, I used to change the ending and walk off as a little clown. And the light, the spotlight, came from me and went on to the leader and he played Raf's Cavatina and had his hour of glory. And believe you me, I got more applause as you usually do for somebody else's effort than anything I'd done for myself. And then.

Wee Georgie Wood18:52

But memories of Misha.

Wee Georgie Wood18:54

I get them both.

Presenter19:59

Mischa Ellman playing Ravs Cavatina.

Presenter20:02

Well, there are your eight records, George. If you could only take one with you, which would it be?

Wee Georgie Wood20:07

Oh, I think certainly Noel and Gertie.

Wee Georgie Wood20:11

Someday I'll find you. If you're on a desert island, you gotta have some hope, haven't you?

Presenter20:15

Hmm.

Wee Georgie Wood20:15

Cool.

Presenter20:15

Uh

Wee Georgie Wood20:15

Yeah.

Presenter20:16

And you are allowed to take one luxury with you.

Wee Georgie Wood20:19

I was busy having eight records, I couldn't take the B B C grammar phone library.

Presenter20:23

I'm afraid not, no.

Wee Georgie Wood20:24

Alright, well then I'll settle for lots of scribbling pads and ball pens and I will write the biographies of ever so many people and believe you me

Wee Georgie Wood20:37

If ever I'm rescued and they're red, they'll throw me overboard right away.

Presenter20:42

Well, you'll let me read it, I hope, even if these uncensored revelations aren't published.

Presenter20:47

And one book you may take apart from the Bible and Shakespeare.

Wee Georgie Wood20:51

I'd I'd like to take Walter Delamere's Memoirs of a Midget.

Wee Georgie Wood20:55

I read it and thought it was a wonderful book.

Wee Georgie Wood20:59

I always meant to read it again, but felt I wanted to read it just alone.

Wee Georgie Wood21:03

This will be the opportunity.

Presenter21:05

Right. And thank you, We, Georgie Wood, for letting us hear your choice of Desert Island discs.

Wee Georgie Wood21:10

Well, thank you for letting me on your program at last. I've waited a long time for this.

Presenter21:15

I don't know how you got out of it so long.

Wee Georgie Wood21:17

All right, thanks a lot.

Presenter21:18

Goodbye everyone.

Speaker 121:33

You've been listening to a podcast from the Desert Islandists archive. For more podcasts, please visit bbc.co.uk/slash radio four.