Arthur Askey

2022-06-06T07:17:03Z

2A02:C7C:1420:3A00:7453:82FD:FB21:468E: /* Film */

{{Short description|English comedian and actor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox comedian
| name = Arthur Askey
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE|size=100%}}
| image = Arthur Askey.jpg
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1900|6|6|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Dingle, Liverpool]], [[Lancashire]], England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1982|11|16|1900|6|6|df=y}}
| death_place = [[St Thomas's Hospital]], [[London]], England
| resting_place = [[Putney Vale Cemetery and Crematorium]] [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon]], London, England
| genre = [[Stand-up]], comedic acting
| spouse = Elizabeth May Swash (m.1925–1974, her death)
| children = [[Anthea Askey]]
| parents = Samuel Askey <br /> Betsy Bowden
| website =
}}

'''Arthur Bowden Askey''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE}} (6 June 1900{{snd}}16 November 1982) was an English [[comedian]] and actor. Askey was known for his short stature (5' 2", 1.58 m) and distinctive horn-rimmed glasses, and his playful humour incorporating improvisation and [[catchphrase]]s including "Hello playmates!", "I thank you" (pronounced "Ay-thang-yaw") and "Before your very eyes".

Askey achieved prominence in the 1930s in the [[BBC]]'s first radio comedy series ''[[Band Waggon]]'' and subsequently starred in several [[Gainsborough Pictures]] comedy films during the [[Second World War]] including ''[[Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt]]'' (1940) and ''[[The Ghost Train (1941 film)|The Ghost Train]]'' (1941). His [[Novelty song|novelty]] recordings for [[His Master's Voice]] include "The Bee Song" (1938), a lasting part of his act. From the 1950s, Askey was a prominent television presence and made regular appearances on the BBC's long-running [[music hall]] programme ''[[The Good Old Days (UK TV series)|The Good Old Days]]''. Askey was made an [[Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|OBE]] in 1969 and a [[Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|CBE]] in 1981; he continued to appear frequently on television, radio and the stage until his death in 1982.

== Early life and education ==
Askey was born at 29 Moses Street, [[Dingle, Liverpool|Dingle]], [[Liverpool]], the eldest child and only son of Betsy (née Bowden, d. 1949), originally from [[Knutsford]], [[Cheshire]] and Samuel Askey (d. 1958), company secretary of Sugar Products of Liverpool. Six months after his birth, the family moved to 90 Rosslyn Street, Liverpool. It was here that a sister, Irene Dorothy, was born. Askey was educated at St. Michael's Council School (1905–11) and the [[Liverpool Institute High School for Boys|Liverpool Institute for Boys]] (1911–16).<ref>Arthur Askey, ''Before Your Very Eyes'' (London: The Woburn Press, 1975), p. 22. {{ISBN|9780713001341}}</ref>

==Career==
Askey served in the [[Royal Welsh Fusiliers]] in the [[First World War]] and performed in army entertainments. This would prove an excellent training ground for his career in show business. After working as a clerk for [[Liverpool Corporation]]'s Education Department, he was in a touring [[Concert party (entertainment)|concert party]], the [[music hall]]s and was in the stage company of [[Powis Pinder]] on the [[Isle of Wight]] in the early 1930s before he rose to stardom in 1938 through his role in the first regular radio comedy series, ''[[Band Waggon]]'' on the [[BBC]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/duettists/3584197111/|title=Sunshine Concert Party, Shanklin|date=1 June 2009|access-date=24 July 2020|website=Flickr.com}}</ref> ''Band Waggon'' began as a variety show, but had been unsuccessful until Askey and his partner, [[Richard Murdoch]], took on a larger role in the writing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishcomedy.org.uk/comedy/bandwagon.htm |title=Bandwaggon |website=Britishcomedy.org.uk |access-date=2020-05-16}}</ref>

===Film roles===
During the [[Second World War]] Askey starred in several [[Gainsborough Pictures]] comedy films, including ''[[Band Waggon (film)|Band Waggon]]'' (1940), based on the radio show; ''[[Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt]]'' (1940); ''[[The Ghost Train (1941 film)|The Ghost Train]]'' (1941); ''[[I Thank You (film)|I Thank You]]'' (1941); ''[[Back-Room Boy]]'' (1942);<ref>Murphy, 2005, p. 271</ref> ''[[King Arthur Was a Gentleman]]'' (1942); ''[[Miss London Ltd.]]'' (1943); ''[[Bees in Paradise]]'' (1944); ''[[The Love Match]]'' (1955) and ''[[Make Mine a Million]]'' (1959). His last film was ''[[Rosie Dixon – Night Nurse]]'' (1978), starring [[Debbie Ash]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0039450/|title=Arthur Askey|website=IMDb|access-date=2020-05-16}}</ref>

===Television===
In the early 1930s, Askey appeared on an early form of BBC television—[[Mechanical television#Television demonstrations|the spinning disc]] invented by [[John Logie Baird]] that scanned vertically and had only thirty lines. Askey had to be heavily made up for his face to be recognisable at such low resolution. When television became electronic, with 405 horizontal lines, Askey was a regular performer in [[variety show]]s. When television returned after the second World War, his first TV series was ''Before Your Very Eyes!'' (1952), named after his catchphrase. On 3 May 1956, Askey presented ''Meet The People'', a launch night programme for [[Granada Television]]. In 1957 writers [[Sid Colin]] and [[Talbot Rothwell]] revived the ''Band Waggon'' format for ''[[Living It Up (UK TV series)|Living It Up]]'', a series that reunited Askey and Murdoch after 18 years. He continued to appear frequently on television in the 1970s, such as being a panellist on the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] talent show ''[[New Faces]]'', where his usually sympathetic comments would offset the harsher judgments of fellow judges [[Tony Hatch]] and [[Mickie Most]]. He also appeared on the comedy panel game ''[[Jokers Wild (TV series)|Jokers Wild]]''. He made many TV appearances in variety, including BBC TV's long running show, ''[[The Good Old Days (UK TV series)|The Good Old Days]]''. His final professional engagement was ''The Green Tie on the Little Yellow Dog'', which was recorded 1982, and broadcast by [[Channel 4]] in 1983.<ref>[https://www.bright-thoughts.co.uk/monologues-02.html] The Green Tie on the Little Yellow Dog production website</ref>

===Radio===
In the late 1940s, Askey participated in a BBC radio show called ''How Do You Do'' in which listeners could write into the BBC asking for him to come and broadcast a show from their homes, twelve shows were broadcast with Arthur, his daughter Anthea and special guests, as well as a surprise guest each week which was revealed some time throughout the programme. The theme of each show was worked around the occupation of the family from where it was broadcast. This was broadcast on the [[Light Programme]]. Only one of the shows was recorded onto acetate discs, which are now held at The British Library. During the 1950s and 1960s, he appeared in many [[sitcoms]], including ''[[Love and Kisses (TV series)|Love and Kisses]]'', ''[[Arthur's Treasured Volumes]]'' and ''[[The Arthur Askey Show]]''. He was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' on two occasions, in December 1959 when he was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]], and in December 1974, when Andrews, dressed as [[Humpty Dumpty]], surprised him on a television show while discussing the art of [[pantomime]]. Askey made four appearances on the [[BBC Radio]] series ''[[Desert Island Discs]]'' in 1942, 1955, 1968 and 1980. He shares the record for most appearances on the programme with [[David Attenborough]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Moss |first1=Stephen |title=Desert Island Discs: 75 defining moments from 75 years of castaways |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jan/06/desert-island-discs-75-defining-moments-from-75-years-castaways |website=The Guardian |date=6 January 2017 |access-date=24 September 2021}}</ref>

===Theatre===
Askey appeared in the [[West End theatre|West End]] [[musical theatre|musical]] ''[[Follow the Girls]]''.<ref>{{cite book|author=Adrian Wright|title=West End Broadway: The Golden Age of the American Musical in London|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6-TvZ0O5NHQC&pg=PA23|year=2012|publisher=Boydell Press|isbn=978-1-84383-791-6|page=23}}</ref> He also made many stage appearances as a [[pantomime dame]].

===Recordings===
Askey's recording career included "The Bee Song", which was an integral part of his stage and television act for many years, "[[The Thing-Ummy Bob]]"<ref>{{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b6m-fTEGuW8C |title=The Foreign Office and Finland, 1938–1940 |author=Craig Gerrard|website=Books.google.com|date=15 September 2004 |isbn=9780203322765 }}</ref> and his theme tune, "Big-Hearted Arthur" (which was also his nickname). In 1941 a song he intended to record, "It's Really Nice to See You Mr Hess"<ref group=Note>The song is alternatively known as "Thanks for Dropping in Mr Hess"</ref> (after Hitler's deputy [[Rudolf Hess]] fled to Scotland), was banned by the [[War Office]]. A collection of Askey's wartime recordings appear on the CD album ''Band Waggon/Big Hearted Arthur Goes To War''.

==''Private Eye''==
''[[Private Eye]]'' magazine in the 1970s regularly made the comment that he and the [[Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon|Queen Mother]] had "never been seen in the same room together", referring to the fact that they were about the same age and height and suggesting that the Queen Mother was Askey in [[Drag (clothing)|drag]].{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

==Honours==
Askey was appointed [[Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|OBE]] in 1969 and advanced to [[Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|CBE]] in 1981.

==Personal life==
Askey was married to Elizabeth May Swash in 1925 until her death in 1974; he was the father of actress [[Anthea Askey]] (1933–1999).<ref>{{cite news|author1=Denis Gifford|author-link=Denis Gifford|title=Obituary: Anthea Askey|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-anthea-askey-1078399.html|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|access-date=7 September 2015|date=5 March 1999}}</ref>

==Death==
Askey carried on working on his comedy career until just before he was hospitalised in July 1982, due to poor circulation, which resulted in [[gangrene]] and the amputation of both legs.<ref name=nyt>[https://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/17/obituaries/arthur-askey-comic-of-british-stage-and-tv.html Arthur Askey Obituary], ''[[The New York Times]]''. Retrieved 20 April 2014</ref> He died in London's [[St Thomas's Hospital]] on 16 November 1982 and was cremated at [[Putney Vale Crematorium]].

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1937
| ''[[Calling All Stars (1937 musical)|Calling All Stars]]''
| Waiter
|
|-
| 1940
| ''[[Band Waggon (film)|Band Waggon]]''
| Arthur Askey
| credited as Big Hearted Arthur
|-
| 1940
| ''[[Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt]]''
| Arthur Linden
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1941
| ''[[The Ghost Train (1941 film)|The Ghost Train]]''
| Tommy Gander
|
|-
| ''[[I Thank You (film)|I Thank You]]''
| Arthur
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1942
| ''[[Back-Room Boy]]''
| Arthur Pilbeam
|
|-
| ''[[King Arthur Was a Gentleman]]''
| Arthur King
|
|-
| 1943
| ''[[Miss London Ltd.]]''
| Arthur Bowman
|
|-
| 1944
| ''[[Bees in Paradise]]''
| Arthur Tucker
|
|-
| 1955
| ''[[The Love Match]]''
| Bill Brown
|
|-
| 1956
| ''[[Ramsbottom Rides Again]]''
| Bill Ramsbottom
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1959
| ''[[Make Mine a Million]]''
| Arthur Ashton
|
|-
| ''[[Friends and Neighbours]]''
| Albert Grimshaw
|
|-
| 1972
| ''[[The Alf Garnett Saga]]''
| Himself
|
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Rosie Dixon – Night Nurse]]''
| Mr Arkwright
|
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1952
| ''Bet Your Life''
| Arthur Golightly
| TV movie
|-
| 1953
| ''[[The Love Match]]''
| Bill Brown
| TV movie
|-
| 1955
| ''[[Love and Kisses (TV series)|Love and Kisses]]''
| Bill Brown
| 5 episodes
|-
| 1957
| ''A Santa for Christmas''
|
| TV movie
|-
| 1960
| ''Arthur's Treasured Volumes''
| Various
| 6 episodes
|-
| 1961
| ''The Arthur Askey Show''
| Arthur Pilbeam
| 6 episodes
|-
| 1964
| ''Ninety Years On''
| Billy Merson
| TV movie
|-
| 1966
| ''Second Honeymoon''
| Arthur Bowden
| TV movie
|-
| 1966
| ''Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp''
| Widow Twankey
| TV movie
|-
| 1967
| ''No Strings''
| Arthur Anders
| TV film
|}

==Legacy==
Arthur Askey is among other famous names in the ''[[Dirk Wears White Sox]]'' version of [[Friends (Adam and the Ants song)|"Friends"]] by [[Adam and the Ants]].<ref> youtube.com/watch?v=6k6-EeFiN2g&t=113s </ref>

Paul Whitehouse in ''[[The Fast Show]]'' played 'Arthur Atkinson' a spoof of Arthur Askey and [[Max Miller (comedian)|Max Miller]].{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

==See also==
* [[Radio comedy]]
* [[Cinema of the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of British actors]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Arthur Askey (autobiography). ''Before Your Very Eyes'' (London: Woburn Press, 1975) {{ISBN|0-7130-0134-8}}
* Kurt Ganzl. ''The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre'' (New York: Shirmer Books, 2001) pp. 75 {{ISBN|0-02-864970-2}}
* Murphy, Robert. (2005). ''British Cinema and the Second World War.'' A&C Black
* Slide, Anthony. I Thank You: The Arthur Askey Story. (Orlando, Florida: BearManor Media, 2020).

==External links==
* [http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f3c1954 Arthur Askey] [[British Film Institute|BFI]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100527234058/http://www.britishpictures.com/stars/Askey.htm Star Archive: Arthur Askey (1900–1982)]
* {{IMDb name|id=0039450|name=Arthur Askey}}
* {{British Comedy Guide|people|arthur_askey}}
* [http://www.ltmrecordings.com/bandwaggon.html Askey and ''Band Waggon'' audiobook CD at CD41]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Askey, Arthur}}
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1982 deaths]]
[[Category:Male actors from Liverpool]]
[[Category:Burials at Putney Vale Cemetery]]
[[Category:Comedians from Liverpool]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:English comedy musicians]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English radio personalities]]
[[Category:Comedians from Lancashire]]
[[Category:People educated at Liverpool Institute High School for Boys]]
[[Category:Music hall performers]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century English musicians]]
[[Category:English amputees]]
[[Category:20th-century English comedians]]
[[Category:British male comedy actors]]
[[Category:British novelty song performers]]
[[Category:Deaths from gangrene]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Royal Welch Fusiliers soldiers]]

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Arthur Askey