Larry Stephens - Revision history

Kurt at 14:05, 6 February 2023

2023-02-06T14:05:09Z

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	~~{{EngvarB\|date=August 2014}}~~
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2014}}~~
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	~~\| name = Larry Stephens~~
	\| image = Larry Stephens.jpg		\| image = Larry Stephens.jpg
	\| image_size = \| caption =		\| image_size =
			\| caption =
	\| birth_name = {{nowrap\|Lawrence Geoffrey Stephens}}		\| birth_name = {{nowrap\|Lawrence Geoffrey Stephens}}
	\| birth_date = {{birth date\|df=yes\|1923\|07\|16}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date\|df=yes\|1923\|07\|16}}
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	\| death_date = {{nowrap\|{{death date and age\|df=yes\|1959\|01\|26\|1923\|07\|16}}}}		\| death_date = {{nowrap\|{{death date and age\|df=yes\|1959\|01\|26\|1923\|07\|16}}}}
	\| death_place = St Pancras, London		\| death_place = St Pancras, London
	\| resting_place = \| resting_place_coordinates =		\| resting_place =
			\| resting_place_coordinates =
	\| residence =		\| residence =
	\| nationality = British		\| nationality = British
	\| other_names = .		\| other_names = .
	\| known_for = ~~\| education = \| employer =~~		\| known_for = [[The Goon Show]]
	\| occupation = Scriptwriter		\| occupation = Scriptwriter
	~~\| title = \| salary = \| networth =~~		\| spouse =
	~~\| height = \| weight =~~
	~~\| term = \| predecessor = \| successor = \| party =~~
	~~\| boards = \| religion =~~
	\| spouse ~~= \| partner = \| children = \| parents = \| relatives = \| signature =~~
	~~\| website = \| footnotes~~ =
	}}		}}

Kurt: /* External links */

2022-12-14T15:37:36Z

External links

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	==External links==		==External links==
	*{{IMDb name\|id=0827086\|name=Larry Stephens}}		*{{IMDb name\|id=0827086\|name=Larry Stephens}}

	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Larry}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Larry}}

Kurt: /* Career */

2022-09-22T17:49:35Z

Career

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:49, 22 September 2022
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	Elements of ''Vacant Lot'' were later re-written by Stephens and broadcast by the BBC as ''Welcome to Welkham'', but with [[Brian Reece]], instead of Hancock. <ref name="LSTMWNW">BBC Radio 4 Programme: "Larry Stephens, The Man Who Never Was" (originally aired 24 May 2007)</ref>		Elements of ''Vacant Lot'' were later re-written by Stephens and broadcast by the BBC as ''Welcome to Welkham'', but with [[Brian Reece]], instead of Hancock. <ref name="LSTMWNW">BBC Radio 4 Programme: "Larry Stephens, The Man Who Never Was" (originally aired 24 May 2007)</ref>

	The original script for ''Vacant Lot'' re-emerged in 2015.<ref name="BCG"/> After its rediscovery in the BBC Archives by Stephens' biographer [[Julie Warren]], ''Vacant Lot'' was finally premiered in November 2017 - 65 years after its planned broadcast. Staged by Birmingham Comedy Festival as a live 'script-in-hand' performance with actor and impressionist [[James Hurn]] (as Tony Hancock) and [[Janice Connolly]] among the cast, Stephens' "great writing" was noted. <ref name="ES2">{{cite web\|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/theatre-and-comedy/2017/11/06/lost-tony-hancock-scripts-performed-for-first-time-in-wolverhampton/\|title=Lost Tony Hancock Scripts Performed For First Time\|website=Express and Star\|date=6 November 2017\|accessdate=9 November 2017}}</ref>		The original script for ''Vacant Lot'' re-emerged in 2015.<ref name="BCG"/> After its rediscovery in the BBC Archives by Stephens' biographer Julie Warren, ''Vacant Lot'' was finally premiered in November 2017 - 65 years after its planned broadcast. Staged by Birmingham Comedy Festival as a live 'script-in-hand' performance with actor and impressionist [[w:James Hurn\|James Hurn]] (as Tony Hancock) and [[w:Janice Connolly\|Janice Connolly]] among the cast, Stephens' "great writing" was noted. <ref name="ES2">{{cite web\|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/theatre-and-comedy/2017/11/06/lost-tony-hancock-scripts-performed-for-first-time-in-wolverhampton/\|title=Lost Tony Hancock Scripts Performed For First Time\|website=Express and Star\|date=6 November 2017\|accessdate=9 November 2017}}</ref>

	Stephens wrote for a number of popular shows, comedians and entertainers in the 1950s including [[Arthur Askey]], [[Jon Pertwee]] and [[Dick Emery]],<ref name="bbca">{{cite web\|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8daf421c771a490581644c0b082b804e\|title=Jon Pertwee in PERTWEE'S PROGRESS\|website=BBC Genome\|date=9 November 2017\|accessdate=9 November 2017}}</ref> [[Dickie Valentine]],<ref name="ES1"></ref> [[Kenneth Horne]], [[Derek Roy (comedian)\|Derek Roy]], and [[Charles Hawtrey (actor born 1914)\|Charles Hawtrey]].<ref>BBC Genome, Fables of the Fifties HORACE CLABTROUT AND THE BEANSTALK (1953), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/abf02fdb14244d219e8eaff6fec6bf30</ref>		Stephens wrote for a number of popular shows, comedians and entertainers in the 1950s including [[Arthur Askey]], [[Jon Pertwee]] and [[Dick Emery]],<ref name="bbca">{{cite web\|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8daf421c771a490581644c0b082b804e\|title=Jon Pertwee in PERTWEE'S PROGRESS\|website=BBC Genome\|date=9 November 2017\|accessdate=9 November 2017}}</ref> [[w:Dickie Valentine\|Dickie Valentine]],<ref name="ES1"></ref> [[Kenneth Horne]], [[Derek Roy (comedian)\|Derek Roy]], and [[Charles Hawtrey (actor born 1914)\|Charles Hawtrey]].<ref>BBC Genome, Fables of the Fifties HORACE CLABTROUT AND THE BEANSTALK (1953), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/abf02fdb14244d219e8eaff6fec6bf30</ref>

	The radio shows he contributed to included ''[[Pertwee's Progress]]'', ''[[Bumblethorpe]]'' (with Spike Milligan and Peter Ling),<ref>BBC Genome Project: Robert Moreton in Bumblethorpe (1951), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=0&q=BUMBLETHORPE&media=all&yf=1923&yt=2009&mf=1&mt=12&tf=00%3A00&tt=00%3A00#search </ref> ''The Forces Show'' (with Jimmy Grafton),<ref>BBC Genome: Kenneth Horne, Derek Roy, The Forces Show (1954), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3f63cd8a852e4da8b3b67f3f1b7e48f9 </ref> ''Arthur's Inn'',<ref>BBC Genone, Arthur Askey Arthur's Inn (1954), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f50c7323ef664138828d3da0fbe24c3e </ref> ''Forces All-Star Bill'' (with Spike Milligan) and ''Star Bill'' (with [[Eric Sykes]]),<ref name="thc1">{{cite web\|url=http://www.tonyhancock.org.uk/uploads/docs/PRH%20Sleeve%20Notes/Hancocks%20Half%20Hour%20Collectibles%20Vol%201%20Sleeve%20Notes%20FINAL%20from%20PRH%20Release.pdf\|title=Hancock's Half Hour Collectibles - Notes to Accompany Volume 1\|website=Tony Hancock Appreciation Society\|accessdate=26 March 2018}}</ref> and ''Bring On The Girls''.<ref>BBC Genome, Bring On The Girls (1955), celebrations marking the tenth anniversary of The British Forces Network with Vanessa Lee, Diana Decker, Carole Carr, Irene Handl and Pat Coombs, http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1c1540680bb243988f020acc561204ca</ref>		The radio shows he contributed to included ''[[Pertwee's Progress]]'', ''[[Bumblethorpe]]'' (with Spike Milligan and Peter Ling),<ref>BBC Genome Project: Robert Moreton in Bumblethorpe (1951), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=0&q=BUMBLETHORPE&media=all&yf=1923&yt=2009&mf=1&mt=12&tf=00%3A00&tt=00%3A00#search </ref> ''The Forces Show'' (with Jimmy Grafton),<ref>BBC Genome: Kenneth Horne, Derek Roy, The Forces Show (1954), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3f63cd8a852e4da8b3b67f3f1b7e48f9 </ref> ''Arthur's Inn'',<ref>BBC Genone, Arthur Askey Arthur's Inn (1954), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f50c7323ef664138828d3da0fbe24c3e </ref> ''Forces All-Star Bill'' (with Spike Milligan) and ''Star Bill'' (with [[Eric Sykes]]),<ref name="thc1">{{cite web\|url=http://www.tonyhancock.org.uk/uploads/docs/PRH%20Sleeve%20Notes/Hancocks%20Half%20Hour%20Collectibles%20Vol%201%20Sleeve%20Notes%20FINAL%20from%20PRH%20Release.pdf\|title=Hancock's Half Hour Collectibles - Notes to Accompany Volume 1\|website=Tony Hancock Appreciation Society\|accessdate=26 March 2018}}</ref> and ''Bring On The Girls''.<ref>BBC Genome, Bring On The Girls (1955), celebrations marking the tenth anniversary of The British Forces Network with Vanessa Lee, Diana Decker, Carole Carr, Irene Handl and Pat Coombs, http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1c1540680bb243988f020acc561204ca</ref>

	He wrote for Hancock again on ''[[The Tony Hancock Show]]'' (1956–57), which was screened on ITV by [[Associated-Rediffusion]]. Stephens also wrote for other popular television series too, such as ''[[The Army Game]]'' with [[Maurice Wiltshire]], with whom he also co-wrote three ''Goon Show'' episodes (later, Wiltshire also rewrote an unused Stephens script for the show). Several of his radio scripts for ''The Goon Show'' were later adapted by Wiltshire for the TV puppet version, ''[[The Telegoons]]''.		He wrote for Hancock again on ''[[The Tony Hancock Show]]'' (1956–57), which was screened on ITV by [[w:Associated-Rediffusion\|Associated-Rediffusion]]. Stephens also wrote for other popular television series too, such as ''[[The Army Game]]'' with [[Maurice Wiltshire]], with whom he also co-wrote three ''Goon Show'' episodes (later, Wiltshire also rewrote an unused Stephens script for the show). Several of his radio scripts for ''The Goon Show'' were later adapted by Wiltshire for the TV puppet version, ''[[The Telegoons]]''.

	According to a [[BBC Radio 4]] programme on Stephens' life, it was while working on the second season of ''The Goon Show'' that Stephens, doubling both as a key contributor and as Milligan's agent, began to drink so heavily it affected his work. McCann (2006) states that Stephens' partnership with Milligan "foundered initially in the early 1950s – when he was drinking more than four bottles of rum and a couple of bottles of whisky each week".<ref name="McCann151">McCann, (2006), p.151</ref> In February 1954, the BBC asserted that Stephens had violated the terms of his contract by failing to deliver scripts for ''The Goon Show'' on time, and that, thereafter, his work would only be considered on spec. Insulted, Stephens refused to have anything further to do with ''The Goon Show''. Two years after the BBC cancelled his contract, Milligan managed to rehire Stephens for ''The Goon Show'' on the condition that Milligan, not the BBC, pay his salary.<ref name="LSTMWNW"/> Per McCann (2006), Stephens was		According to a [[w:BBC Radio 4\|BBC Radio 4]] programme on Stephens' life, it was while working on the second season of ''The Goon Show'' that Stephens, doubling both as a key contributor and as Milligan's agent, began to drink so heavily it affected his work. McCann (2006) states that Stephens' partnership with Milligan "foundered initially in the early 1950s – when he was drinking more than four bottles of rum and a couple of bottles of whisky each week".<ref name="McCann151">McCann, (2006), p.151</ref> In February 1954, the BBC asserted that Stephens had violated the terms of his contract by failing to deliver scripts for ''The Goon Show'' on time, and that, thereafter, his work would only be considered on spec. Insulted, Stephens refused to have anything further to do with ''The Goon Show''. Two years after the BBC cancelled his contract, Milligan managed to rehire Stephens for ''The Goon Show'' on the condition that Milligan, not the BBC, pay his salary.<ref name="LSTMWNW"/> Per McCann (2006), Stephens was

	<blockquote>		<blockquote>
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	</blockquote>		</blockquote>

	Stephens was probably at his busiest during 1955 and 1956, during which time, apart from co-writing ''The Goon Show'', he also supplied the story and helped shape the screenplay for ''[[The Case of the Mukkinese Battle Horn]]'' (1956), and made countless last-minute re-writes of various comedians' scripts, innumerable gags for a wide range of variety shows and quite a few unofficial edits of troublesome television scripts.<ref name="McCann151">McCann, (2006), p.151</ref> Stephens' heavy drinking had aggravated his high blood pressure, and he died on 26 January 1959; the official cause of death was a cerebral haemorrhage brought about by chronic hypertension.<ref name="LSTMWNW"/>		Stephens was probably at his busiest during 1955 and 1956, during which time, apart from co-writing ''The Goon Show'', he also supplied the story and helped shape the screenplay for ''[[The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn]]'' (1956), and made countless last-minute re-writes of various comedians' scripts, innumerable gags for a wide range of variety shows and quite a few unofficial edits of troublesome television scripts.<ref name="McCann151">McCann, (2006), p.151</ref> Stephens' heavy drinking had aggravated his high blood pressure, and he died on 26 January 1959; the official cause of death was a cerebral haemorrhage brought about by chronic hypertension.<ref name="LSTMWNW"/>

	==Death==		==Death==

Kurt: /* Death */

2022-09-22T17:41:48Z

Death

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	==Death==		==Death==
	Stephens' death has been a subject of surmise and conjecture. Many ''Goon Show'' fans believe that Stephens died while having dinner with Milligan. Another theory, advanced by [[Humphrey Carpenter]] in his biography of Milligan, states that he died in a car while going out to dinner with his wife, Diana, and Milligan.		Stephens' death has been a subject of surmise and conjecture. Many ''Goon Show'' fans believe that Stephens died while having dinner with Milligan. Another theory, advanced by [[w:Humphrey Carpenter\|Humphrey Carpenter]] in his biography of Milligan, states that he died in a car while going out to dinner with his wife, Diana, and Milligan.

	McCann (2006) states that Stephens and his wife were on their way to dine out with Milligan.<ref name="McCann152">McCann, (2006), p.152. Note: McCann has the date of Stephens' death as 25 January 1959</ref> It was most likely that Stephens' death was the reason that ''The Goon Show'' episode, "[[Dishonoured – Again]]" (broadcast on 26 January 1959) was a remake of the show "[[Dishonoured]]" (broadcast on 14 December 1954).<ref>[http://www.britcom.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=840 ''The Goon Show Depository forum'']{{dead link\|date=December 2017 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>		McCann (2006) states that Stephens and his wife were on their way to dine out with Milligan.<ref name="McCann152">McCann, (2006), p.152. Note: McCann has the date of Stephens' death as 25 January 1959</ref> It was most likely that Stephens' death was the reason that ''The Goon Show'' episode, "[[Dishonoured — Again]]" (broadcast on 26 January 1959) was a remake of the show "[[Dishonoured]]" (broadcast on 14 December 1954).<ref>[http://www.britcom.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=840 ''The Goon Show Depository forum'']{{dead link\|date=December 2017 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

	A biography of Stephens has been written by his cousin Julie Warren. The book is entitled ''It's All In The Mind: The Life and Legacy of Larry Stephens''. <ref>[http://unbound.com/books/goons ''It's All In The Mind'']</ref>		A biography of Stephens has been written by his cousin Julie Warren. The book is entitled ''It's All In The Mind: The Life and Legacy of Larry Stephens''. <ref>[http://unbound.com/books/goons ''It's All In The Mind'']</ref>

Kurt: /* Filmography (as writer) */

2022-09-22T17:40:41Z

Filmography (as writer)

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	==Filmography (as writer)==		==Filmography (as writer)==
	*''[[The Case of the Mukkinese Battle Horn]]'' (1956) Film		*''[[The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn]]'' (1956) Film
	*''[[The Tony Hancock Show]]'' (1956–57)		*''[[The Tony Hancock Show]]'' (1956–57)
	*''[[The Army Game]]'' (1957) TV Series		*''[[The Army Game]]'' (1957) TV Series

Kurt at 13:12, 22 July 2022

2022-07-22T13:12:26Z

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	~~{{about\|\|the American football player\|Larry Stephens (American football)}}~~
	{{EngvarB\|date=August 2014}}		{{EngvarB\|date=August 2014}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2014}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2014}}
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	\| birth_name = {{nowrap\|Lawrence Geoffrey Stephens}}		\| birth_name = {{nowrap\|Lawrence Geoffrey Stephens}}
	\| birth_date = {{birth date\|df=yes\|1923\|07\|16}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date\|df=yes\|1923\|07\|16}}
	\| birth_place = [[West Bromwich]], England		\| birth_place = West Bromwich, England
	\| death_date = {{nowrap\|{{death date and age\|df=yes\|1959\|01\|26\|1923\|07\|16}}}}		\| death_date = {{nowrap\|{{death date and age\|df=yes\|1959\|01\|26\|1923\|07\|16}}}}
	\| death_place = [[St Pancras~~, London\|St Pancras]]~~, London		\| death_place = St Pancras, London
	\| resting_place = \| resting_place_coordinates =		\| resting_place = \| resting_place_coordinates =
	\| residence =		\| residence =
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	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Stephens was born in [[West Bromwich]] and moved to [[Quinton, Birmingham]], when he was four. He attended Quinton Infant and Junior School then Birmingham Central Grammar School.<ref>{{cite web \| url=https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/2020/04/06/tribute-to-writer-larry-stephens-who-shaped-modern-comedy/ \| title=Tribute to writer Larry Stephens who shaped modern comedy }}</ref> Trained as an accountant, Stephens distinguished himself as a [[jazz]] pianist before the onset of [[World War II]]. Following service in the war, during which he served as a Commando captain,<ref name="McCann" /> he returned to England, and began writing for British comedian [[Tony Hancock]] before Hancock became well known, and was Hancock's best man at the comedian's first wedding. In turn Hancock and his new wife Cicely were witnesses at Larry's marriage to Diana Forster a few days later. Both of the brides were models for the French fashion house Lanvin.<ref name="Brown (2002">The Life and Times of Larry Stephens - Finally Revealed, Mike Brown, The Missing Page (the magazine of the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society) Vol.2 Nos. 2 & 3, 2002</ref> Milligan once remarked that "Larry and Tony were like brothers".<ref name="McCann150">McCann, (2006), p.150</ref>		Stephens was born in West Bromwich and moved to Quinton, Birmingham, when he was four. He attended Quinton Infant and Junior School then Birmingham Central Grammar School.<ref>{{cite web \| url=https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/2020/04/06/tribute-to-writer-larry-stephens-who-shaped-modern-comedy/ \| title=Tribute to writer Larry Stephens who shaped modern comedy }}</ref> Trained as an accountant, Stephens distinguished himself as a jazz pianist before the onset of World War II. Following service in the war, during which he served as a Commando captain,<ref name="McCann" /> he returned to England, and began writing for British comedian [[Tony Hancock]] before Hancock became well known, and was Hancock's best man at the comedian's first wedding. In turn Hancock and his new wife Cicely were witnesses at Larry's marriage to Diana Forster a few days later. Both of the brides were models for the French fashion house Lanvin.<ref name="Brown (2002">The Life and Times of Larry Stephens - Finally Revealed, Mike Brown, The Missing Page (the magazine of the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society) Vol.2 Nos. 2 & 3, 2002</ref> Milligan once remarked that "Larry and Tony were like brothers".<ref name="McCann150">McCann, (2006), p.150</ref>

	==Career==		==Career==

	In 1952, he developed a potential radio series for Hancock, which was designed to run for a full half-hour without musical breaks, then usual, called ''Vacant Lot''. Although Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and others were provisionally attached to the project, it was never recorded.<ref name="BCG">{{cite web\|url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/000001940/forgotten_tony_hancock_script_larry_stephens/\|title=Forgotten Hancock script rediscovered\|website=British Comedy Guide\|date=3 November 2015\|accessdate=7 November 2015}}</ref><ref name="ES1">{{cite web\|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/showbiz/2017/10/20/without-larry-comedy-would-be-very-different/\|title=Long-lost Larry Stephens radio scripts to be performed\|website=Express and Star\|date=20 October 2017\|accessdate=20 October 2017}}</ref>		In 1952, he developed a potential radio series for Hancock, which was designed to run for a full half-hour without musical breaks, then usual, called ''Vacant Lot''. Although [[Spike Milligan]], [[Peter Sellers]] and others were provisionally attached to the project, it was never recorded.<ref name="BCG">{{cite web\|url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/000001940/forgotten_tony_hancock_script_larry_stephens/\|title=Forgotten Hancock script rediscovered\|website=British Comedy Guide\|date=3 November 2015\|accessdate=7 November 2015}}</ref><ref name="ES1">{{cite web\|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/showbiz/2017/10/20/without-larry-comedy-would-be-very-different/\|title=Long-lost Larry Stephens radio scripts to be performed\|website=Express and Star\|date=20 October 2017\|accessdate=20 October 2017}}</ref>

	Elements of ''Vacant Lot'' were later re-written by Stephens and broadcast by the BBC as ''Welcome to Welkham'', but with [[Brian Reece]], instead of Hancock. <ref name="LSTMWNW">BBC Radio 4 Programme: "Larry Stephens, The Man Who Never Was" (originally aired 24 May 2007)</ref>		Elements of ''Vacant Lot'' were later re-written by Stephens and broadcast by the BBC as ''Welcome to Welkham'', but with [[Brian Reece]], instead of Hancock. <ref name="LSTMWNW">BBC Radio 4 Programme: "Larry Stephens, The Man Who Never Was" (originally aired 24 May 2007)</ref>

	The original script for ''Vacant Lot'' re-emerged in 2015.<ref name="BCG"/> After its rediscovery in the BBC Archives by Stephens' biographer Julie Warren, ''Vacant Lot'' was finally premiered in November 2017 - 65 years after its planned broadcast. Staged by [[Birmingham Comedy Festival]] as a live 'script-in-hand' performance with actor and impressionist James Hurn (as Tony Hancock) and [[Janice Connolly]] among the cast, Stephens' "great writing" was noted. <ref name="ES2">{{cite web\|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/theatre-and-comedy/2017/11/06/lost-tony-hancock-scripts-performed-for-first-time-in-wolverhampton/\|title=Lost Tony Hancock Scripts Performed For First Time\|website=Express and Star\|date=6 November 2017\|accessdate=9 November 2017}}</ref>		The original script for ''Vacant Lot'' re-emerged in 2015.<ref name="BCG"/> After its rediscovery in the BBC Archives by Stephens' biographer [[Julie Warren]], ''Vacant Lot'' was finally premiered in November 2017 - 65 years after its planned broadcast. Staged by Birmingham Comedy Festival as a live 'script-in-hand' performance with actor and impressionist [[James Hurn]] (as Tony Hancock) and [[Janice Connolly]] among the cast, Stephens' "great writing" was noted. <ref name="ES2">{{cite web\|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/theatre-and-comedy/2017/11/06/lost-tony-hancock-scripts-performed-for-first-time-in-wolverhampton/\|title=Lost Tony Hancock Scripts Performed For First Time\|website=Express and Star\|date=6 November 2017\|accessdate=9 November 2017}}</ref>

	Stephens wrote for a number of popular shows, comedians and entertainers in the 1950s including [[Arthur Askey]], [[Jon Pertwee]] and [[Dick Emery]],<ref name="bbca">{{cite web\|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8daf421c771a490581644c0b082b804e\|title=Jon Pertwee in PERTWEE'S PROGRESS\|website=BBC Genome\|date=9 November 2017\|accessdate=9 November 2017}}</ref> [[Dickie Valentine]],<ref name="ES1"></ref> [[Kenneth Horne]], [[Derek Roy (comedian)\|Derek Roy]], and [[Charles Hawtrey (actor born 1914)\|Charles Hawtrey]].<ref>BBC Genome, Fables of the Fifties HORACE CLABTROUT AND THE BEANSTALK (1953), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/abf02fdb14244d219e8eaff6fec6bf30</ref>		Stephens wrote for a number of popular shows, comedians and entertainers in the 1950s including [[Arthur Askey]], [[Jon Pertwee]] and [[Dick Emery]],<ref name="bbca">{{cite web\|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8daf421c771a490581644c0b082b804e\|title=Jon Pertwee in PERTWEE'S PROGRESS\|website=BBC Genome\|date=9 November 2017\|accessdate=9 November 2017}}</ref> [[Dickie Valentine]],<ref name="ES1"></ref> [[Kenneth Horne]], [[Derek Roy (comedian)\|Derek Roy]], and [[Charles Hawtrey (actor born 1914)\|Charles Hawtrey]].<ref>BBC Genome, Fables of the Fifties HORACE CLABTROUT AND THE BEANSTALK (1953), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/abf02fdb14244d219e8eaff6fec6bf30</ref>

	The radio shows he contributed to included ''Pertwee's Progress'', ''Bumblethorpe'' (with Spike Milligan and Peter Ling),<ref>BBC Genome Project: Robert Moreton in Bumblethorpe (1951), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=0&q=BUMBLETHORPE&media=all&yf=1923&yt=2009&mf=1&mt=12&tf=00%3A00&tt=00%3A00#search </ref> ''The Forces Show'' (with Jimmy Grafton),<ref>BBC Genome: Kenneth Horne, Derek Roy, The Forces Show (1954), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3f63cd8a852e4da8b3b67f3f1b7e48f9 </ref> ''Arthur's Inn'',<ref>BBC Genone, Arthur Askey Arthur's Inn (1954), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f50c7323ef664138828d3da0fbe24c3e </ref> ''Forces All-Star Bill'' (with Spike Milligan) and ''Star Bill'' (with [[Eric Sykes]]),<ref name="thc1">{{cite web\|url=http://www.tonyhancock.org.uk/uploads/docs/PRH%20Sleeve%20Notes/Hancocks%20Half%20Hour%20Collectibles%20Vol%201%20Sleeve%20Notes%20FINAL%20from%20PRH%20Release.pdf\|title=Hancock's Half Hour Collectibles - Notes to Accompany Volume 1\|website=Tony Hancock Appreciation Society\|accessdate=26 March 2018}}</ref> and ''Bring On The Girls''.<ref>BBC Genome, Bring On The Girls (1955), celebrations marking the tenth anniversary of The British Forces Network with Vanessa Lee, Diana Decker, Carole Carr, Irene Handl and Pat Coombs, http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1c1540680bb243988f020acc561204ca</ref>		The radio shows he contributed to included ''[[Pertwee's Progress]]'', ''[[Bumblethorpe]]'' (with Spike Milligan and Peter Ling),<ref>BBC Genome Project: Robert Moreton in Bumblethorpe (1951), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=0&q=BUMBLETHORPE&media=all&yf=1923&yt=2009&mf=1&mt=12&tf=00%3A00&tt=00%3A00#search </ref> ''The Forces Show'' (with Jimmy Grafton),<ref>BBC Genome: Kenneth Horne, Derek Roy, The Forces Show (1954), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3f63cd8a852e4da8b3b67f3f1b7e48f9 </ref> ''Arthur's Inn'',<ref>BBC Genone, Arthur Askey Arthur's Inn (1954), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f50c7323ef664138828d3da0fbe24c3e </ref> ''Forces All-Star Bill'' (with Spike Milligan) and ''Star Bill'' (with [[Eric Sykes]]),<ref name="thc1">{{cite web\|url=http://www.tonyhancock.org.uk/uploads/docs/PRH%20Sleeve%20Notes/Hancocks%20Half%20Hour%20Collectibles%20Vol%201%20Sleeve%20Notes%20FINAL%20from%20PRH%20Release.pdf\|title=Hancock's Half Hour Collectibles - Notes to Accompany Volume 1\|website=Tony Hancock Appreciation Society\|accessdate=26 March 2018}}</ref> and ''Bring On The Girls''.<ref>BBC Genome, Bring On The Girls (1955), celebrations marking the tenth anniversary of The British Forces Network with Vanessa Lee, Diana Decker, Carole Carr, Irene Handl and Pat Coombs, http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1c1540680bb243988f020acc561204ca</ref>

	He wrote for Hancock again on ''[[The Tony Hancock Show]]'' (1956–57), which was screened on ITV by [[Associated-Rediffusion]]. Stephens also wrote for other popular television series too, such as ''[[The Army Game]]'' with Maurice Wiltshire, with whom he also co-wrote three ''Goon Show'' episodes (later, Wiltshire also rewrote an unused Stephens script for the show). Several of his radio scripts for ''The Goon Show'' were later adapted by Wiltshire for the TV puppet version, ''[[The Telegoons]]''.		He wrote for Hancock again on ''[[The Tony Hancock Show]]'' (1956–57), which was screened on ITV by [[Associated-Rediffusion]]. Stephens also wrote for other popular television series too, such as ''[[The Army Game]]'' with [[Maurice Wiltshire]], with whom he also co-wrote three ''Goon Show'' episodes (later, Wiltshire also rewrote an unused Stephens script for the show). Several of his radio scripts for ''The Goon Show'' were later adapted by Wiltshire for the TV puppet version, ''[[The Telegoons]]''.

	According to a [[BBC Radio 4]] programme on Stephens' life, it was while working on the second season of ''The Goon Show'' that Stephens, doubling both as a key contributor and as Milligan's agent, began to drink so heavily it affected his work. McCann (2006) states that Stephens' partnership with Milligan "foundered initially in the early 1950s – when he was drinking more than four bottles of rum and a couple of bottles of whisky each week".<ref name="McCann151">McCann, (2006), p.151</ref> In February 1954, the BBC asserted that Stephens had violated the terms of his contract by failing to deliver scripts for ''The Goon Show'' on time, and that, thereafter, his work would only be considered on spec. Insulted, Stephens refused to have anything further to do with ''The Goon Show''. Two years after the BBC cancelled his contract, Milligan managed to rehire Stephens for ''The Goon Show'' on the condition that Milligan, not the BBC, pay his salary.<ref name="LSTMWNW"/> Per McCann (2006), Stephens was		According to a [[BBC Radio 4]] programme on Stephens' life, it was while working on the second season of ''The Goon Show'' that Stephens, doubling both as a key contributor and as Milligan's agent, began to drink so heavily it affected his work. McCann (2006) states that Stephens' partnership with Milligan "foundered initially in the early 1950s – when he was drinking more than four bottles of rum and a couple of bottles of whisky each week".<ref name="McCann151">McCann, (2006), p.151</ref> In February 1954, the BBC asserted that Stephens had violated the terms of his contract by failing to deliver scripts for ''The Goon Show'' on time, and that, thereafter, his work would only be considered on spec. Insulted, Stephens refused to have anything further to do with ''The Goon Show''. Two years after the BBC cancelled his contract, Milligan managed to rehire Stephens for ''The Goon Show'' on the condition that Milligan, not the BBC, pay his salary.<ref name="LSTMWNW"/> Per McCann (2006), Stephens was
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	Stephens' death has been a subject of surmise and conjecture. Many ''Goon Show'' fans believe that Stephens died while having dinner with Milligan. Another theory, advanced by [[Humphrey Carpenter]] in his biography of Milligan, states that he died in a car while going out to dinner with his wife, Diana, and Milligan.		Stephens' death has been a subject of surmise and conjecture. Many ''Goon Show'' fans believe that Stephens died while having dinner with Milligan. Another theory, advanced by [[Humphrey Carpenter]] in his biography of Milligan, states that he died in a car while going out to dinner with his wife, Diana, and Milligan.

	McCann (2006) states that Stephens and his wife were on their way to dine out with Milligan.<ref name="McCann152">McCann, (2006), p.152. Note: McCann has the date of Stephens' death as 25 January 1959</ref> It was most likely that Stephens' death was the reason that ''The Goon Show'' episode, "Dishonoured – Again" (broadcast on 26 January 1959) was a remake of the show "Dishonoured" (broadcast on 14 December 1954).<ref>[http://www.britcom.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=840 ''The Goon Show Depository forum'']{{dead link\|date=December 2017 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>		McCann (2006) states that Stephens and his wife were on their way to dine out with Milligan.<ref name="McCann152">McCann, (2006), p.152. Note: McCann has the date of Stephens' death as 25 January 1959</ref> It was most likely that Stephens' death was the reason that ''The Goon Show'' episode, "[[Dishonoured – Again]]" (broadcast on 26 January 1959) was a remake of the show "[[Dishonoured]]" (broadcast on 14 December 1954).<ref>[http://www.britcom.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=840 ''The Goon Show Depository forum'']{{dead link\|date=December 2017 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

	A [[biography]] of Stephens has been written by his cousin Julie Warren. The book is entitled ''It's All In The Mind: The Life and Legacy of Larry Stephens''. <ref>[http://unbound.com/books/goons ''It's All In The Mind'']</ref>		A biography of Stephens has been written by his cousin Julie Warren. The book is entitled ''It's All In The Mind: The Life and Legacy of Larry Stephens''. <ref>[http://unbound.com/books/goons ''It's All In The Mind'']</ref>

	==Filmography (as writer)==		==Filmography (as writer)==
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			[[Category:The Goon Show]]

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{{about||the American football player|Larry Stephens (American football)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Larry Stephens
| image = Larry Stephens.jpg
| image_size = | caption =
| birth_name = {{nowrap|Lawrence Geoffrey Stephens}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1923|07|16}}
| birth_place = [[West Bromwich]], England
| death_date = {{nowrap|{{death date and age|df=yes|1959|01|26|1923|07|16}}}}
| death_place = [[St Pancras, London|St Pancras]], London
| resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =
| residence =
| nationality = British
| other_names = .
| known_for = | education = | employer =
| occupation = Scriptwriter
| title = | salary = | networth =
| height = | weight =
| term = | predecessor = | successor = | party =
| boards = | religion =
| spouse = | partner = | children = | parents = | relatives = | signature =
| website = | footnotes =
}}

'''Lawrence Geoffrey Stephens''' (16 July 1923<ref>GRO Register of Births: SEP 1923 6b 1497 W.Bromwich, Lawrence G. Stephens, mmn = Hughes</ref><ref name="McCann">{{cite book |last=McCann |first=Graham |title=Spike & Co: Inside the House of Fun, with Milligan, Sykes, Galton & Simpson |year=2006 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton |location=London |isbn=0-340-89809-7}}p.149</ref>{{spaced ndash}}26 January 1959)<ref>GRO Register of Deaths:MAR 1959 5d 624 PANCRAS – Lawrence G. Stephens, aged 35</ref> was a BBC radio scriptwriter, best remembered for co-writing ''[[The Goon Show]]'' with [[Spike Milligan]]. Stephens was a regular writer of the show for the first two years, and then returned to ''The Goon Show'' to assist Milligan. From his association with Milligan, Stephens became involved with [[Associated London Scripts]] (ALS),<ref name="McCann" /><ref name="Scudamore">{{cite book | last= Scudamore | first= Pauline | title= Spike Milligan: A Biography | year= 1985 | publisher= Granada | location= London | isbn= 0-246-12275-7}}</ref> and was said to have been "one of the most eye-catching characters, in the earliest days of the company...he played a significant cameo role in the first phase of success for ALS".<ref name="McCann" />

==Early life==
Stephens was born in [[West Bromwich]] and moved to [[Quinton, Birmingham]], when he was four. He attended Quinton Infant and Junior School then Birmingham Central Grammar School.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/2020/04/06/tribute-to-writer-larry-stephens-who-shaped-modern-comedy/ | title=Tribute to writer Larry Stephens who shaped modern comedy }}</ref> Trained as an accountant, Stephens distinguished himself as a [[jazz]] pianist before the onset of [[World War II]]. Following service in the war, during which he served as a Commando captain,<ref name="McCann" /> he returned to England, and began writing for British comedian [[Tony Hancock]] before Hancock became well known, and was Hancock's best man at the comedian's first wedding. In turn Hancock and his new wife Cicely were witnesses at Larry's marriage to Diana Forster a few days later. Both of the brides were models for the French fashion house Lanvin.<ref name="Brown (2002">The Life and Times of Larry Stephens - Finally Revealed, Mike Brown, The Missing Page (the magazine of the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society) Vol.2 Nos. 2 & 3, 2002</ref> Milligan once remarked that "Larry and Tony were like brothers".<ref name="McCann150">McCann, (2006), p.150</ref>

==Career==

In 1952, he developed a potential radio series for Hancock, which was designed to run for a full half-hour without musical breaks, then usual, called ''Vacant Lot''. Although Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and others were provisionally attached to the project, it was never recorded.<ref name="BCG">{{cite web|url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/000001940/forgotten_tony_hancock_script_larry_stephens/|title=Forgotten Hancock script rediscovered|website=British Comedy Guide|date=3 November 2015|accessdate=7 November 2015}}</ref><ref name="ES1">{{cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/showbiz/2017/10/20/without-larry-comedy-would-be-very-different/|title=Long-lost Larry Stephens radio scripts to be performed|website=Express and Star|date=20 October 2017|accessdate=20 October 2017}}</ref>

Elements of ''Vacant Lot'' were later re-written by Stephens and broadcast by the BBC as ''Welcome to Welkham'', but with [[Brian Reece]], instead of Hancock. <ref name="LSTMWNW">BBC Radio 4 Programme: "Larry Stephens, The Man Who Never Was" (originally aired 24 May 2007)</ref>

The original script for ''Vacant Lot'' re-emerged in 2015.<ref name="BCG"/> After its rediscovery in the BBC Archives by Stephens' biographer Julie Warren, ''Vacant Lot'' was finally premiered in November 2017 - 65 years after its planned broadcast. Staged by [[Birmingham Comedy Festival]] as a live 'script-in-hand' performance with actor and impressionist James Hurn (as Tony Hancock) and [[Janice Connolly]] among the cast, Stephens' "great writing" was noted. <ref name="ES2">{{cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/theatre-and-comedy/2017/11/06/lost-tony-hancock-scripts-performed-for-first-time-in-wolverhampton/|title=Lost Tony Hancock Scripts Performed For First Time|website=Express and Star|date=6 November 2017|accessdate=9 November 2017}}</ref>

Stephens wrote for a number of popular shows, comedians and entertainers in the 1950s including [[Arthur Askey]], [[Jon Pertwee]] and [[Dick Emery]],<ref name="bbca">{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8daf421c771a490581644c0b082b804e|title=Jon Pertwee in PERTWEE'S PROGRESS|website=BBC Genome|date=9 November 2017|accessdate=9 November 2017}}</ref> [[Dickie Valentine]],<ref name="ES1"></ref> [[Kenneth Horne]], [[Derek Roy (comedian)|Derek Roy]], and [[Charles Hawtrey (actor born 1914)|Charles Hawtrey]].<ref>BBC Genome, Fables of the Fifties HORACE CLABTROUT AND THE BEANSTALK (1953), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/abf02fdb14244d219e8eaff6fec6bf30</ref>

The radio shows he contributed to included ''Pertwee's Progress'', ''Bumblethorpe'' (with Spike Milligan and Peter Ling),<ref>BBC Genome Project: Robert Moreton in Bumblethorpe (1951), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=0&q=BUMBLETHORPE&media=all&yf=1923&yt=2009&mf=1&mt=12&tf=00%3A00&tt=00%3A00#search </ref> ''The Forces Show'' (with Jimmy Grafton),<ref>BBC Genome: Kenneth Horne, Derek Roy, The Forces Show (1954), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3f63cd8a852e4da8b3b67f3f1b7e48f9 </ref> ''Arthur's Inn'',<ref>BBC Genone, Arthur Askey Arthur's Inn (1954), http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f50c7323ef664138828d3da0fbe24c3e </ref> ''Forces All-Star Bill'' (with Spike Milligan) and ''Star Bill'' (with [[Eric Sykes]]),<ref name="thc1">{{cite web|url=http://www.tonyhancock.org.uk/uploads/docs/PRH%20Sleeve%20Notes/Hancocks%20Half%20Hour%20Collectibles%20Vol%201%20Sleeve%20Notes%20FINAL%20from%20PRH%20Release.pdf|title=Hancock's Half Hour Collectibles - Notes to Accompany Volume 1|website=Tony Hancock Appreciation Society|accessdate=26 March 2018}}</ref> and ''Bring On The Girls''.<ref>BBC Genome, Bring On The Girls (1955), celebrations marking the tenth anniversary of The British Forces Network with Vanessa Lee, Diana Decker, Carole Carr, Irene Handl and Pat Coombs, http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1c1540680bb243988f020acc561204ca</ref>

He wrote for Hancock again on ''[[The Tony Hancock Show]]'' (1956–57), which was screened on ITV by [[Associated-Rediffusion]]. Stephens also wrote for other popular television series too, such as ''[[The Army Game]]'' with Maurice Wiltshire, with whom he also co-wrote three ''Goon Show'' episodes (later, Wiltshire also rewrote an unused Stephens script for the show). Several of his radio scripts for ''The Goon Show'' were later adapted by Wiltshire for the TV puppet version, ''[[The Telegoons]]''.

According to a [[BBC Radio 4]] programme on Stephens' life, it was while working on the second season of ''The Goon Show'' that Stephens, doubling both as a key contributor and as Milligan's agent, began to drink so heavily it affected his work. McCann (2006) states that Stephens' partnership with Milligan "foundered initially in the early 1950s – when he was drinking more than four bottles of rum and a couple of bottles of whisky each week".<ref name="McCann151">McCann, (2006), p.151</ref> In February 1954, the BBC asserted that Stephens had violated the terms of his contract by failing to deliver scripts for ''The Goon Show'' on time, and that, thereafter, his work would only be considered on spec. Insulted, Stephens refused to have anything further to do with ''The Goon Show''. Two years after the BBC cancelled his contract, Milligan managed to rehire Stephens for ''The Goon Show'' on the condition that Milligan, not the BBC, pay his salary.<ref name="LSTMWNW"/> Per McCann (2006), Stephens was

<blockquote>
Logical, perceptive and clever, he could capture Milligan's quick little ideas before they shot straight out of sight and then place them into a relatively coherent structure. His own keen visual sense – he would even illustrate his scripts with vivid little drawings of certain goons – helped sharpen some of Milligan's characterisations and stimulated his already rich and lively imagination. Milligan would throw out all kinds of hit-or-miss suggestions; Stephens would retrieve the ones most likely to work. Milligan would sometimes get distracted or paralysed by all of the comic possibilities; Stephens would often find the most effective way to get him back on track and moving forwards.<ref name="McCann151">McCann, (2006), p.151</ref>
</blockquote>

Stephens was probably at his busiest during 1955 and 1956, during which time, apart from co-writing ''The Goon Show'', he also supplied the story and helped shape the screenplay for ''[[The Case of the Mukkinese Battle Horn]]'' (1956), and made countless last-minute re-writes of various comedians' scripts, innumerable gags for a wide range of variety shows and quite a few unofficial edits of troublesome television scripts.<ref name="McCann151">McCann, (2006), p.151</ref> Stephens' heavy drinking had aggravated his high blood pressure, and he died on 26 January 1959; the official cause of death was a cerebral haemorrhage brought about by chronic hypertension.<ref name="LSTMWNW"/>

==Death==
Stephens' death has been a subject of surmise and conjecture. Many ''Goon Show'' fans believe that Stephens died while having dinner with Milligan. Another theory, advanced by [[Humphrey Carpenter]] in his biography of Milligan, states that he died in a car while going out to dinner with his wife, Diana, and Milligan.

McCann (2006) states that Stephens and his wife were on their way to dine out with Milligan.<ref name="McCann152">McCann, (2006), p.152. Note: McCann has the date of Stephens' death as 25 January 1959</ref> It was most likely that Stephens' death was the reason that ''The Goon Show'' episode, "Dishonoured – Again" (broadcast on 26 January 1959) was a remake of the show "Dishonoured" (broadcast on 14 December 1954).<ref>[http://www.britcom.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=840 ''The Goon Show Depository forum'']{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

A [[biography]] of Stephens has been written by his cousin Julie Warren. The book is entitled ''It's All In The Mind: The Life and Legacy of Larry Stephens''. <ref>[http://unbound.com/books/goons ''It's All In The Mind'']</ref>

==Filmography (as writer)==
*''[[The Case of the Mukkinese Battle Horn]]'' (1956) Film
*''[[The Tony Hancock Show]]'' (1956–57)
*''[[The Army Game]]'' (1957) TV Series
* ''[[The Telegoons]]'' (1963-1964) TV Series

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=0827086|name=Larry Stephens}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Larry}}
[[Category:1923 births]]
[[Category:1959 deaths]]
[[Category:British Army Commandos officers]]
[[Category:British radio writers]]
[[Category:English comedy writers]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Staffordshire]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:British Army officers]]