Kurt at 03:32, 29 March 2023

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	~~{{Short description\|English comedian}}~~
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=July 2020}}~~
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	~~\| name = Ted Ray~~
	\| image = Comedian_Ted_Ray.jpg		\| image = Comedian_Ted_Ray.jpg
	\| birth_name = Charles Olden		\| birth_name = Charles Olden

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Biography

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	He married showgirl Dorothy Sybil (b. 1909), daughter of mechanical engineer George Henry Stevens;<ref name=odnb/> the couple had two sons: [[Robin Ray]], a well-known television personality in the 1960s and 1970s, who initiated ''[[Call My Bluff (UK game show)\|Call My Bluff]]'' and specialist classical music shows, and [[Andrew Ray]], a child star of the 1950s who had a long career on stage, film and television.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/aug/26/guardianobituaries.film\|title=Obituary: Andrew Ray\|first=Dennis\|last=Barker\|date=26 August 2003\|work=The Guardian}}</ref>		He married showgirl Dorothy Sybil (b. 1909), daughter of mechanical engineer George Henry Stevens;<ref name=odnb/> the couple had two sons: [[Robin Ray]], a well-known television personality in the 1960s and 1970s, who initiated ''[[Call My Bluff (UK game show)\|Call My Bluff]]'' and specialist classical music shows, and [[Andrew Ray]], a child star of the 1950s who had a long career on stage, film and television.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/aug/26/guardianobituaries.film\|title=Obituary: Andrew Ray\|first=Dennis\|last=Barker\|date=26 August 2003\|work=The Guardian}}</ref>

	He was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)\|This Is Your Life]]'' on two occasions: firstly, in October 1955 when he was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]] at the [[BBC Television Theatre]], and secondly in February 1975, when Andrews surprised him on the doorstep of his [[Southgate, London\|Southgate]] home.~~{{Citation needed\|date=September 2021}}~~		He was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)\|This Is Your Life]]'' on two occasions: firstly, in October 1955 when he was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]] at the [[BBC Television Theatre]], and secondly in February 1975, when Andrews surprised him on the doorstep of his [[Southgate, London\|Southgate]] home.

	In 1975, returning home from a day of golfing and alcohol, two of his passions, Ray was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident. The injuries sustained were physically debilitating and left him dependent on crutches; he was convicted of dangerous driving under the influence of alcohol.<ref name=odnb/><ref name=telegraph/>		In 1975, returning home from a day of golfing and alcohol, two of his passions, Ray was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident. The injuries sustained were physically debilitating and left him dependent on crutches; he was convicted of dangerous driving under the influence of alcohol.<ref name=odnb/><ref name=telegraph/>

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clean up

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	* [http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/radio/raysalaugh.htm Whirligig]		* [http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/radio/raysalaugh.htm Whirligig]
	* {{IMDb name\|0713011\|Ted Ray}}		* {{IMDb name\|0713011\|Ted Ray}}

	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, Ted}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, Ted}}

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2A02:C7D:D627:9100:B4D1:260F:5A0C:AD1E at 14:01, 22 April 2022

2022-04-22T14:01:37Z

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{{Short description|English comedian}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ted Ray
| image = Comedian_Ted_Ray.jpg
| birth_name = Charles Olden
| birth_date = {{birth date|1905|11|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Wigan]], [[Lancashire]], England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1977|11|08|1905|11|21|df=y}}
| death_place = [[London]], England
| death_cause =
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates =
| occupation = Comedian
| spouse = Dorothy Sybil Stevens<ref name=odnb>{{cite book |last1=Midwinter |first1=Eric |chapter=Ray, Ted [real name Charles Olden] (1905–1977), comedian |title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |date=6 January 2011 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/64577 }}</ref>
| children = [[Robin Ray]]<br>(1934-1998)<br>[[Andrew Ray]]<br>(1939-2003)
}}
'''Ted Ray''' (born '''Charles Olden'''; 21 November 1905 – 8 November 1977) was an English [[comedian]] of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, on radio and television. His BBC radio show ''Ray's a Laugh'' ran for 12 years.

==Biography==
Ray was born '''Charles Olden'''<ref name="Clarke" /> in [[Wigan]], [[Lancashire]], England, to comic singer and mimic Charles Olden (who used the stage-name Charlie Alden) and his wife Margaret Ellen (née Kenyon).<ref name=odnb/> His parents moved to [[Liverpool]] within days of his birth, and Liverpudlians regard him as a local. He was educated at Anfield council school and [[Liverpool Collegiate School]], and as a youth wished to become a footballer.<ref name=odnb/> As a comedian of the 1940s and 1950s, he demonstrated his ad-libbing skills in his weekly radio show ''Ray's A Laugh'' from 1949 until 1961.<ref name="Stevens">{{cite book
|last= Stevens
|first= Christopher
|title= Born Brilliant: The Life of Kenneth Williams
|publisher= John Murray
|year= 2010
|isbn = 1-84854-195-3
|page=371
}}</ref>
A [[music hall]] comedian, Ray usually played [[violin]] badly as part of his act—first as Hugh Neek, then "Nedlo the Gypsy Violinist".<ref name="Clarke">{{Cite book|title=Pseudonyms|author=Joseph F. Clarke|publisher=BCA|date=1977|page=137}}</ref> He also played comedy roles in several British films—notably as the headmaster in ''[[Carry On Teacher]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1958/film/reviews/carry-on-teacher-1200419408/|title=Carry on, Teacher|work=Variety|date=1 January 1959}}</ref>

He is best remembered for the [[BBC Radio]] show ''Ray's a Laugh'', a domestic comedy in which Kitty Bluett played his wife.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007js9f|title=BBC Radio 4 Extra – Ray's a Laugh, From 01/04/1954|publisher=BBC}}</ref> Other actors and actresses who featured on the show included [[Peter Sellers]], [[Fred Yule]], [[Patricia Hayes]], [[Kenneth Connor]], [[Pat Coombs]] and [[Graham Stark]]; Sellers' earliest appearances predated ''[[The Goon Show]]'' by a couple of years. In 1949 and 1950, Ray was King Rat of the [[Grand Order of Water Rats]].<ref>{{cite web |title=past king rats, gowr.co.uk |url=http://www.gowr.co.uk/our-history/past-king-rats-1890-1965/ |website=Grand Order of Water Rats |access-date=7 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gowr.co.uk/all-water-rats/v/199|title=Biography of a Water Rat|website=gowr.co.uk}}</ref>

Ray was an accomplished [[golf]]er, frequently playing with professional sportsmen. Later in his career, he appeared with [[Jimmy Edwards]], [[Arthur Askey]] and [[Cyril Fletcher]] in the comedy radio panel game ''[[Does the Team Think?]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/43a770eda8ba4c0f8b3cb81fa133aedf|title=Does the Team Think?|date=23 November 1967|issue=2298|pages=70|via=BBC Genome}}</ref>

Ray appeared on television, reading on ''[[Jackanory]]'', a children's programme, in the 1960s and 1970s.<ref name=odnb/> In 1974, he presented a radio show on [[BBC Radio 2]], ''The Betty Witherspoon Show'', with [[Kenneth Williams]], [[Miriam Margolyes]] and [[Nigel Rees]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mx2z9|title=BBC Radio 4 Extra – The Betty Witherspoon Show, From 22/06/1974|publisher=BBC}}</ref> He was also involved in ''[[Jokers Wild (TV series)|Jokers Wild]]'', an ITV celebrity comedy game show (1969–74) which was chaired by [[Barry Cryer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Joker%27s_Wild|title=Joker's Wild – UKGameshows|website=ukgameshows.com}}</ref> [[Arthur Askey]] was another regular on the show.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/oct/11/broadcasting.gayrights|title=Obituary: Ray Martine|first=Gavin|last=Gaughan|date=11 October 2002|work=The Guardian}}</ref>

He married showgirl Dorothy Sybil (b. 1909), daughter of mechanical engineer George Henry Stevens;<ref name=odnb/> the couple had two sons: [[Robin Ray]], a well-known television personality in the 1960s and 1970s, who initiated ''[[Call My Bluff (UK game show)|Call My Bluff]]'' and specialist classical music shows, and [[Andrew Ray]], a child star of the 1950s who had a long career on stage, film and television.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/aug/26/guardianobituaries.film|title=Obituary: Andrew Ray|first=Dennis|last=Barker|date=26 August 2003|work=The Guardian}}</ref>

He was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' on two occasions: firstly, in October 1955 when he was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]] at the [[BBC Television Theatre]], and secondly in February 1975, when Andrews surprised him on the doorstep of his [[Southgate, London|Southgate]] home.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

In 1975, returning home from a day of golfing and alcohol, two of his passions, Ray was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident. The injuries sustained were physically debilitating and left him dependent on crutches; he was convicted of dangerous driving under the influence of alcohol.<ref name=odnb/><ref name=telegraph/>

On 16 June 1977, he recorded a half-hour interview talking about his life, which was broadcast on 25 July 1977. This was repeated on [[Radio 4 Extra]]'s ''It's a Funny Business'' series on 3 November 2013.

On 8 November 1977, he suffered a fatal [[heart attack]].<ref name="telegraph">{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/stars-carry-happened-next/ted-ray/|title=Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Williams, and the cast of Carry On: what happened next?|date=6 May 2017|work=The Telegraph}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f5925ed|title=Ted Ray|website=BFI}}</ref>

==''Ray's a Laugh'' (1949–61)==
Ted Ray's alter ego, Nedlo, the Gypsy Violinist, started his own variety show in 1949 and made a success of it. ''Ray's a Laugh'' did not include Nedlo's name in the credits, however, nor indeed that of Charlie Olden (Ray's real name). Nedlo/Olden was, by 1949, calling himself Ted Ray (after [[Ted Ray (golfer)|the golfer]]);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007jpy4|title=BBC Radio 4 Extra – How Tickled Am I?, Series 2, Ted Ray|publisher=BBC}}</ref> this was how he billed himself for his radio series.

''Ray's a Laugh'' was a domestic comedy, with Ray's wife played by Kitty Bluett. Fred Yule played his brother-in-law. Patricia Hayes also appeared, as did [[Kenneth Connor]] as Sidney Mincing. In later series Ray had left the Cannon Enquiry Agency and joined the ''Daily Bugle'' as a reporter. [[Jack Watson (actor)|Jack Watson]] and Charles Leno joined the cast and new characters included Mrs Dipper and Roger Curfew, the paying guest with songs by [[John Hanson]] and the King's Men.

Another early member was [[Peter Sellers]], then 23 and billing himself as an impressionist. He appeared as Soppy, a small boy criticised by the nation's watchdogs for his catchphrase, "Just like your big red conk!" Another of his characters was a strange woman, Crystal Jollibottom ("Stop it you saucebox!" he would cry in a crazy [[falsetto]]). Laidman Browne, as Ray's boss Mr Trumble, [[Pat Coombs]] as Ursula Prune, Charles Leno and [[Graham Stark]] were also present. [[Percy Edwards]], the animal impersonator, played Gregory the chicken.

There was the glamour girl who would do anything, but "Not until after six-o'clock!" Songs came from the Beaux and the Belles, and [[Bob and Alf Pearson]] provided the musical interlude – "We bring you melodies from out of the sky, my brother and I!" Bob also played the little girl, Jennifer who, asked her name, would coyly reply: "Jen-ni-fer!"

The show was no real departure from tradition, even in its catch-phrases. There was Ivy's (Ted Ray) devotion to Mrs Hoskins, for instance: "You're a lovely woman, Mrs Hoskins!" And it was she to whom Mrs Hoskins would remark weakly: "It was agony, Ivy!" Whenever Ivy felt poorly, Mrs Hoskins would say, "I'll have to send for young Dr Hardcastle", to which Ivy would reply, "He's lovely, Mrs Hoskins, He's loooooovely!" This role was also played by Bob Pearson.

In addition, there was the adenoidal "If you haven't been to Manchester, you haven't lived" from Tommy Trotter (Graham Stark).

''Ray's a Laugh'' ran from 1949 until January 1961, eventually dropping the musical items.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishclassiccomedy.co.uk/classic-radio-comedy-with-ted-ray-in|title=Ray's A Laugh, 1949|date=3 September 2015}}</ref> Ray also showed his skill at ad-libbing (together with [[Jimmy Edwards]], [[Arthur Askey]] and [[Cyril Fletcher]]) in ''Does the Team Think?''<ref name=odnb/>

==''The Ted Ray Show'' (1955–59)==
The first series accented variety, with international guests; the second and third series had greater emphasis on stand-up comedy; the fourth featured domestic routines (with [[Kitty Bluett]] as Ted Ray's wife and [[Kenneth Connor]] as "that interfering brother-in-law"); the fifth and six—with new writers—concentrated on sketch comedy and were branded 'New Edition' and '1959 Edition' to underline the difference.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1950s/ted-ray-show-the/|title=Ted Ray Show, The | Nostalgia Central}}</ref>

===Cast===
* Ted Ray
* [[Kenneth Connor]] – (series 4)
* Kitty Bluett – (series 4)

===Crew===
* [[Sid Colin]] – Writer (series 1–4)
* [[Talbot Rothwell]] – Writer (series 1–4)
* George Wadmore – Writer (series 1–4)
* [[John Junkin]] – Writer (series 5 & 6 and special)
* [[Terry Nation]] – Writer (series 5 & 6 and special)
* [[Dave Freeman (British writer)|Dave Freeman]] – Additional Material (3 shows)
* George Inns – Producer (series 1–5)
* Bill Ward – Producer (2 shows)
* Ernest Maxin – Producer (1 show)
* Barry Lupino – Producer (1 show)

===Transmission details===
* Number of episodes: 29 • Length: 28 × 60 mins • 1 × short special
* Series One (4) 21 May – 13 Aug 1955 • monthly Saturday mostly 9.15 pm
* Series Two (4) 28 Apr – 21 July 1956 • monthly Saturday mostly 9.15 pm
* Series Three (8) 19 Jan – 3 Aug 1957 • monthly Saturday mostly 8 pm
* Series Four (5) 25 Jan – 10 May 1958 • monthly Saturday 8 pm
* Series Five (3) 27 Sep – 22 Nov 1958 • monthly Saturday 8 pm
* Short special • part of ''[[Christmas Night with the Stars]]'' 25 Dec 1958 • Thu 6.25 pm
* Series Six (4) 31 Jan – 2 May 1959 • monthly Saturday mostly 7.30 pm

==Filmography==
* ''[[Meet Me Tonight]]'' (1952)
* ''[[Escape by Night (1953 film)|Escape by Night]]'' (1953)
* ''[[My Wife's Family (1956 film)|My Wife's Family]]'' (1956)
* ''[[Please Turn Over]]'' (1959)
* ''[[The Crowning Touch]]'' (1959)
* ''[[Carry On Teacher]]'' (1959)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/radio/raysalaugh.htm Whirligig]
* {{IMDb name|0713011|Ted Ray}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, Ted}}
[[Category:1905 births]]
[[Category:1977 deaths]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:Comedians from Lancashire]]
[[Category:Comedians from Liverpool]]
[[Category:People educated at Liverpool Collegiate Institution]]
[[Category:People from Wigan]]
[[Category:English male comedians]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century English comedians]]
[[Category:British male comedy actors]]

Ted Ray (comedian) - Revision history

Kurt at 03:32, 29 March 2023

Kurt: /* Biography */

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Kurt: 1 revision imported

2A02:C7D:D627:9100:B4D1:260F:5A0C:AD1E at 14:01, 22 April 2022