Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Famous actor and variety star who began his career in the early 1890s and recently finished a new television series.
On the island
Eight records
Carry Me Back to Green Pastures
I was fascinated at the time by carry me back to green pastures because it was accepted as a genuine old spiritual. And to everybody's surprise, it was written by dear old Harry Pepper. Well and I spent some happy times with Harry Pepper up at Bangum when we were all banished during the war. And I just want to add this record to remind me of those happy days.
Because in my early days with the girls, my daughters and their friends, one of them was very fond of playing this number on the piano. And one day I said, Very, very good, but you apply much better when you had a sorrow or some tragic experience. I lived to remember that, and so did she, for she had the sad experience of a new life. And some years afterwards she sat there as a grown woman and played it and I said, There you are. It tells. There's emotion in it and there's finish that you hadn't got before. And so I'd like to hear it all over again.
I met Shaliapin in one of his recitals at Dublin. And he took a great fancy to me, and called me the greatest artist, etcetera. etcetera. And when he found I was going to be in Belfast the following week, and he was he invited me to meet him at supper after the show. So at Belfast after the show I went to his hotel and his season had ended. His manager was nearly mad with his worries of Shalepin during a tour showing so much temperamental but Chalepin now is finished. He came into the room, he threw off his dress coat, tore off his collar and ties, and said, I am finished now I am a man. And we had a wonderful evening, wonderful night.
Memories of some very happy times with John Baxter as my producer. We were playing The Common Touch, which is a very popular picture. Die played an old toy, Silla. And Mark Hamburg played him. An itinerant musician. He was in ragged clothes and on the piano he played. My next record, which is Tchaikovsky's Pianofort Concerto No. 1. This is played by Solomon.
I've been thinking that there would come a time when I'd like a peaceful half an hour. But some of the people who I listen to on this desert island, they always have some damn noisy thing. Rattling away bow But if it's called Beethoven or Rachmaninoff marvellous. It's music. So I thought I'd like a rest for few minutes and so I I've chosen the Cavaliery rusty corner. The intermediate. I should be nice and peaceful for a little while then.
Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4
There was the big exhibition at Wembley. I know I was lucky enough to get a seat among about twenty thousand people. King George the Fifth and Queen Mary drove round the arena. took their seats. And after a lot of pomp and ceremony. The orchestras were already in. I had the pleasure of seeing old Ilgo. Very round shouldered. Mount the rostum. and he conducted pomp and circumstance. And I just thought, well, that's a memory.
I was always fascinated with it as a youngster. I'm having Gladys Replace singing you. And I'm sure that'll always be fascinating, it'll always be restful, as I say again. Melody beautiful melody. No skiffle.
It's going to be the only big noisy one that I've got. I've listened to so many of them, having those noises all the way through. I thought myself well, I don't know. Poor old bloke sitting alone on a desert island sometimes I I shall want to feel that there is some life round me, so let's have the Ride of the Valkyrie Stan stir things up a bit.
In conversation
Presenter asks
5:48What brought you into the theatre? Was it in the family?
Oh no, no, it was just boyish inclination, I suppose. I started like all boys do when they want to disguise themselves in those days, they blacked up. I was a boy minstrel. But before all this I was intended to be a a parson. In fact, I was well known as the boy preacher of the Doctor Harry Grattan Guinness Mission. That surprises you. Then came the time when I wanted to act. And so I played little parts in a little amateur dramatic company. And then I played better parts and the little company went round and played in working men's clubs.
Presenter asks
6:37What was your first professional engagement?
Well, I suppose my first professional engagement was when I was engaged to go down to Brighton. In those days there was a theatre in the old aquarium. I remember I dressed among the seals and sea lions. Oh, I was general. Dealer and bottle washer. I played anything and everything. Old men this week, young men next week.
Presenter asks
7:35Did you ever get stranded?
Did I ever get stranded? We did at Sittingbourne and it was at Christmas. We played a matinee, we played a night show. Played boxing day. and the next day The bloke runnin' the show had done a guy, and there we were left at Sittingbourne.
The keepsakes
The book
Not recorded.
The luxury
Large enough it'll allow her to have reams and reams of paper. with enough pencils to be able to write diaries or thoughts.
Presenter asks
7:56How did you get back to London?
I walked it.
Presenter asks
9:58As well as the straight theatre, a great part of your career has been spent in the music hall, hasn't it? How did all that start?
Oh, well when I was left stranded, something had got to be done. And so I thought, well now if I could get an audition to be a mimic. So I got an audition of the London Shore District. I gave some invitations there, and they were a success. So big a success I was engaged to open properly on the Monday. On the Wednesday night I was hustled away from the London shortage to the Tibolin and found there that Dan Lina, who was the greatest comedian of his day, was indisposed and they wanted a deputy, and I was put on as the deputy. Three days in the musical and of course. Well, I was lucky enough to make a very big success and I stayed at the Turboli then for 12 weeks.
Presenter asks
13:29How do you enjoy working in television?
Oh, well, I've got used to television now. I mean, they laugh because they all say I'm so natural.
“I was intended to be a a parson. In fact, I was well known as the boy preacher of the Doctor Harry Grattan Guinness Mission.”
“I remember I dressed among the seals and sea lions.”
“He came into the room, he threw off his dress coat, tore off his collar and ties, and said, I am finished now I am a man.”
“I was such a pioneer in television that it was Baird who came to me and asked me if I would recite a verse of the We now the god. and they put me in a sort of telephone box. And there I stood and recited until I nearly went mad seeing red and black lines in front of me.”
“I think a man's a fool if he gets if his mind's active. And I'm told that my mind is pretty active for my age, for I every day I get some new idea.”