Tommy Handley - Revision history

Kurt: /* External links */

2022-12-19T22:21:23Z

External links

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:21, 19 December 2022
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	==External links==		==External links==
	~~{{Commons category\|Tommy Handley}}~~
	*{{IMDb name\|0359624}}		*{{IMDb name\|0359624}}

Kurt: clean up

2022-10-22T04:23:26Z

clean up

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:23, 21 October 2022
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	==External links==		==External links==
	{{Commons category\|Tommy Handley}}		{{Commons category\|Tommy Handley}}
	~~{{Portal\|Biography}}~~
	*{{IMDb name\|0359624}}		*{{IMDb name\|0359624}}

	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Handley, Tommy}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Handley, Tommy}}

Kurt: /* BBC */

2022-08-23T20:23:31Z

BBC

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:23, 23 August 2022
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	In 1929 Handley married the actress and singer Jean Allistone (Rosalind Jean Henshall, ''née'' Allistone, 1897–1958) whom he had met at the BBC. She had trained under [[w:Herbert Beerbohm Tree\|Sir Herbert Tree]], appeared in revues and musical comedies and, from 1925, was a pioneer broadcaster.<ref>"Mrs Tommy Handley", ''The Times'', 12 March 1958, p. 13</ref> The couple had no children.<ref name=odnb/>		In 1929 Handley married the actress and singer Jean Allistone (Rosalind Jean Henshall, ''née'' Allistone, 1897–1958) whom he had met at the BBC. She had trained under [[w:Herbert Beerbohm Tree\|Sir Herbert Tree]], appeared in revues and musical comedies and, from 1925, was a pioneer broadcaster.<ref>"Mrs Tommy Handley", ''The Times'', 12 March 1958, p. 13</ref> The couple had no children.<ref name=odnb/>

	Between 1935 and 1949 Handley frequently performed on air with the comedian [[Ronald Frankau]] in a comedy act as [[w:Murgatroyd and Winterbottom\|"Mr Murgatroyd and Mr Winterbottom"]] ("Two minds with not a single thought").<ref name=mw/> Together they wrote and delivered what Took describes as "a sophisticated crosstalk of quickfire word and idea association"; the combination of the [[w:Eton College\|Old Etonian]] Frankau's patrician tones as Murgatroyd and Handley's fast-talking [[w:Scouse\|Scouse]] patter as Winterbottom became one of the BBC's most popular comedy features.<ref>Took, pp. 31–32</ref> Took quotes a typical example of Murgatroyd and Winterbottom's rapid cross-talk, which concludes:		Between 1935 and 1949 Handley frequently performed on air with the comedian [[Ronald Frankau]] in a comedy act as [[Murgatroyd and Winterbottom\|"Mr Murgatroyd and Mr Winterbottom"]] ("Two minds with not a single thought").<ref name=mw/> Together they wrote and delivered what Took describes as "a sophisticated crosstalk of quickfire word and idea association"; the combination of the [[w:Eton College\|Old Etonian]] Frankau's patrician tones as Murgatroyd and Handley's fast-talking [[w:Scouse\|Scouse]] patter as Winterbottom became one of the BBC's most popular comedy features.<ref>Took, pp. 31–32</ref> Took quotes a typical example of Murgatroyd and Winterbottom's rapid cross-talk, which concludes:
	:'''Murgatroyd''': Yes, Mr Winterbottom, we must always study the listener – the Mr and Mrs Everymans		:'''Murgatroyd''': Yes, Mr Winterbottom, we must always study the listener – the Mr and Mrs Everymans
	:'''Winterbottom''': The Jones and Smiths.		:'''Winterbottom''': The Jones and Smiths.

Kurt: /* ITMA */

2022-08-23T18:18:25Z

ITMA

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:18, 23 August 2022
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	===''[[ITMA]]''===		===''[[ITMA]]''===
	[[File:The British comedian Tommy Handley rehearses with actors from his ITMA show and the Royal Marines band during a visit to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow, January 1944. A21269.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.75\|Handley rehearsing with the ''ITMA'' cast and the Royal Marines band during a visit to the Home Fleet at [[Scapa Flow]], January 1944]]		[[File:The British comedian Tommy Handley rehearses with actors from his ITMA show and the Royal Marines band during a visit to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow, January 1944. A21269.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.75\|Handley rehearsing with the ''ITMA'' cast and the Royal Marines band during a visit to the Home Fleet at [[w:Scapa Flow\|Scapa Flow]], January 1944]]

	Towards the end of the 1930s Handley and Kavanagh were, in Took's words, "at a crossroads", in need of "a new direction in which to move and a new stimulus to drive them forward".<ref>Took, p. 22</ref> The new direction and stimulus came with the BBC's need for a replacement for ''[[Band Waggon]]'', an immensely successful hour-long variety programme starring [[Arthur Askey]] and [[Richard Murdoch]].<ref>Burton and Chibnall, p. 194; and Took, p. 21</ref> Askey's career was developing elsewhere, on stage and screen, and the 1939 run of the show was its last.<ref>Took, p. 21</ref> Kavanagh and Handley, together with the BBC producer [[Francis Worsley]], conceived a successor. Instead of the one-off sketches to which Handley and Kavanagh were accustomed, the new show would be 45 minutes in length. The three colleagues agreed to set the series on a [[pirate radio]] ship, with Handley in charge, surrounded by and coping with a cast of miscellaneous oddballs. The title was ''It's That Man Again'' – a phrase borrowed from ''[[The Daily Express]]'' which used it as a headline for an article about [[Adolf Hitler]].<ref>"It's That Man Again... !", ''The Daily Express'', 2 May 1939, p. 1</ref> The series was launched in July 1939, but made little impression before its initial run came to an end shortly before the [[Second World War]] started.<ref>Dibbs, p. 126; and Took, p. 23</ref>		Towards the end of the 1930s Handley and Kavanagh were, in Took's words, "at a crossroads", in need of "a new direction in which to move and a new stimulus to drive them forward".<ref>Took, p. 22</ref> The new direction and stimulus came with the BBC's need for a replacement for ''[[Band Waggon]]'', an immensely successful hour-long variety programme starring [[Arthur Askey]] and [[Richard Murdoch]].<ref>Burton and Chibnall, p. 194; and Took, p. 21</ref> Askey's career was developing elsewhere, on stage and screen, and the 1939 run of the show was its last.<ref>Took, p. 21</ref> Kavanagh and Handley, together with the BBC producer [[Francis Worsley]], conceived a successor. Instead of the one-off sketches to which Handley and Kavanagh were accustomed, the new show would be 45 minutes in length. The three colleagues agreed to set the series on a [[w:pirate radio\|pirate radio]] ship, with Handley in charge, surrounded by and coping with a cast of miscellaneous oddballs. The title was ''It's That Man Again'' – a phrase borrowed from ''[[w:The Daily Express\|The Daily Express]]'' which used it as a headline for an article about [[w:Adolf Hitler\|Adolf Hitler]].<ref>"It's That Man Again... !", ''The Daily Express'', 2 May 1939, p. 1</ref> The series was launched in July 1939, but made little impression before its initial run came to an end shortly before the [[w:Second World War\|Second World War]] started.<ref>Dibbs, p. 126; and Took, p. 23</ref>

	At the outbreak of the war the BBC, knowing that its London headquarters at [[Broadcasting House]] would be a principal target for enemy bombing, put into effect plans to move much of its activity to other locations. Many of the corporation's programmes were broadcast from places such as [[Bristol]] and [[Weston-super-Mare]] in the [[West Country]] and [[Evesham]] and [[Bedford]] in the [[Midlands]].<ref>Longmate, pp. 66–67</ref> The BBC Variety department was moved first to Bristol and, in 1941, to [[Bangor, Gwynedd\|Bangor]] in [[North Wales]]. ''ITMA'' resumed, its running time reduced to 30 minutes, and now Handley and his colleagues caught the public mood with shows that genially satirised many of the irritating features of wartime existence and generated [[catchphrases]] that became common currency. Handley was cast as the Minister of Aggravation and Mysteries at the Office of Twerps, surrounded by a cast of bizarre characters; they included, at various times, the bibulous Colonel Chinstrap, the morose Mona Lott, the incompetent German spy Funf, the formidable charlady Mrs Mopp, the dubious vendor Ali Oop, and the ultra-polite broker's men Claude and Cecil. The supposed locale and the cast of characters changed over the years, but the formula – Handley as the benign master of ceremonies beset by a gallery of comic eccentrics – remained constant.<ref name=odnb/>		At the outbreak of the war the BBC, knowing that its London headquarters at [[w:Broadcasting House\|Broadcasting House]] would be a principal target for enemy bombing, put into effect plans to move much of its activity to other locations. Many of the corporation's programmes were broadcast from places such as [[w:Bristol\|Bristol]] and [[w:Weston-super-Mare\|Weston-super-Mare]] in the [[w:West Country\|West Country]] and [[w:Evesham\|Evesham]] and [[w:Bedford\|Bedford]] in the [[w:Midlands\|Midlands]].<ref>Longmate, pp. 66–67</ref> The BBC Variety department was moved first to Bristol and, in 1941, to [[w:Bangor, Gwynedd\|Bangor]] in [[w:North Wales\|North Wales]]. ''ITMA'' resumed, its running time reduced to 30 minutes, and now Handley and his colleagues caught the public mood with shows that genially satirised many of the irritating features of wartime existence and generated [[catchphrases]] that became common currency. Handley was cast as the Minister of Aggravation and Mysteries at the Office of Twerps, surrounded by a cast of bizarre characters; they included, at various times, the bibulous Colonel Chinstrap, the morose Mona Lott, the incompetent German spy Funf, the formidable charlady Mrs Mopp, the dubious vendor Ali Oop, and the ultra-polite broker's men Claude and Cecil. The supposed locale and the cast of characters changed over the years, but the formula – Handley as the benign master of ceremonies beset by a gallery of comic eccentrics – remained constant.<ref name=odnb/>

	''ITMA'' became an enormous success, popular with all classes of society. By the middle of the war, an unprecedented forty per cent of the British population was tuning in to ''ITMA''.<ref>Took, p. 26</ref> It had the distinction of becoming the first radio show to give a royal command performance: early in 1942 a special edition of ''ITMA'' was performed at [[Windsor Castle]] for [[Elizabeth II\|Princess Elizabeth]]'s birthday. In between seasons on air, Handley and his colleagues took ''ITMA'' on tour in live shows round the country.<ref name=p24>Took, p. 24</ref>		''ITMA'' became an enormous success, popular with all classes of society. By the middle of the war, an unprecedented forty per cent of the British population was tuning in to ''ITMA''.<ref>Took, p. 26</ref> It had the distinction of becoming the first radio show to give a royal command performance: early in 1942 a special edition of ''ITMA'' was performed at [[w:Windsor Castle\|Windsor Castle]] for [[w:Elizabeth II\|Princess Elizabeth]]'s birthday. In between seasons on air, Handley and his colleagues took ''ITMA'' on tour in live shows round the country.<ref name=p24>Took, p. 24</ref>

	The last edition of ''ITMA'' – the 310th – was recorded on 5 January 1949; four days later Handley died suddenly of a [[cerebral haemorrhage]].<ref name=odnb/> His death was announced on air by the Director General of the BBC, [[William Haley\|Sir William Haley]], who insisted on making the announcement himself.<ref>Davalle, Peter. "Fun and fundamentals", ''The Times'', 5 September 1988, p. 21</ref> The King and Queen sent a message of sympathy to Handley's widow.<ref>"The King's Message to Mrs Handley", ''The Times'', 11 January 1949, p. 6</ref> Thousands of people lined the route of Handley's funeral procession from the chapel near his London home to [[Golders Green Crematorium]],<ref>"London Tribute to Mr Handley: Crowds at Funeral", ''The Times'', 14 January 1949, p. 4</ref> and packed memorial services were held in two cathedrals: [[St Paul's Cathedral\|St Paul's]] on 27 January and [[Liverpool Cathedral\|Liverpool]] three days later.<ref>"Memorial service in St Paul's: 'Such as Found Out Musical Tunes'", ''The Times'', 28 January 1949, p. 2; and "Memorial service in Liverpool Cathedral: Civic Tribute to Tommy Handley", ''The Times'', 31 January 1949, p. 2</ref>		The last edition of ''ITMA'' – the 310th – was recorded on 5 January 1949; four days later Handley died suddenly of a [[w:cerebral haemorrhage\|cerebral haemorrhage]].<ref name=odnb/> His death was announced on air by the Director General of the BBC, [[w:William Haley\|Sir William Haley]], who insisted on making the announcement himself.<ref>Davalle, Peter. "Fun and fundamentals", ''The Times'', 5 September 1988, p. 21</ref> The King and Queen sent a message of sympathy to Handley's widow.<ref>"The King's Message to Mrs Handley", ''The Times'', 11 January 1949, p. 6</ref> Thousands of people lined the route of Handley's funeral procession from the chapel near his London home to [[w:Golders Green Crematorium\|Golders Green Crematorium]],<ref>"London Tribute to Mr Handley: Crowds at Funeral", ''The Times'', 14 January 1949, p. 4</ref> and packed memorial services were held in two cathedrals: [[w:St Paul's Cathedral\|St Paul's]] on 27 January and [[w:Liverpool Cathedral\|Liverpool]] three days later.<ref>"Memorial service in St Paul's: 'Such as Found Out Musical Tunes'", ''The Times'', 28 January 1949, p. 2; and "Memorial service in Liverpool Cathedral: Civic Tribute to Tommy Handley", ''The Times'', 31 January 1949, p. 2</ref>

	==Reputation==		==Reputation==

Kurt: /* BBC */

2022-08-23T15:34:47Z

BBC

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:34, 23 August 2022
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	===BBC===		===BBC===
	Handley was successful on the halls, but he was not a major star.<ref name="p24"/> His career took off as a broadcaster.<ref name=dnb/> He was a regular performer on the [[w:BBC\|BBC]] from 1924 onwards – his biographer [[Barry Took]] calls him "a mainstay of its variety programmes" – as a solo entertainer, an actor in sketches and occasionally a producer.<ref name=odnb/><ref>[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e08748c6bc984b03959d7bf2aaf4ae05 "The Disorderly Room"], and [https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/2b743bbb666346999fe9a9a56040e186"Dan Rolyat"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 12 June 2020</ref> Much of his material was written by Ted Kavanagh, who devised comic monologues for him and worked with him on the broadcast [[revue]]s that paved the way for their greatest success, ''[[It's That Man Again]]''.<ref>"Mr Ted Kavanagh: The Making of ''ITMA''", ''The Times'', 18 December 1958, p. 16</ref>		Handley was successful on the halls, but he was not a major star.<ref name="p24"/> His career took off as a broadcaster.<ref name=dnb/> He was a regular performer on the [[w:BBC\|BBC]] from 1924 onwards – his biographer [[Barry Took]] calls him "a mainstay of its variety programmes" – as a solo entertainer, an actor in sketches and occasionally a producer.<ref name=odnb/><ref>[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e08748c6bc984b03959d7bf2aaf4ae05 "The Disorderly Room"], and [https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/2b743bbb666346999fe9a9a56040e186"Dan Rolyat"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 12 June 2020</ref> Much of his material was written by Ted Kavanagh, who devised comic monologues for him and worked with him on the broadcast [[w:revue\|revue]]s that paved the way for their greatest success, ''[[It's That Man Again]]''.<ref>"Mr Ted Kavanagh: The Making of ''ITMA''", ''The Times'', 18 December 1958, p. 16</ref>

	In 1929 Handley married the actress and singer Jean Allistone (Rosalind Jean Henshall, ''née'' Allistone, 1897–1958) whom he had met at the BBC. She had trained under [[w:Herbert Beerbohm Tree\|Sir Herbert Tree]], appeared in revues and musical comedies and, from 1925, was a pioneer broadcaster.<ref>"Mrs Tommy Handley", ''The Times'', 12 March 1958, p. 13</ref> The couple had no children.<ref name=odnb/>		In 1929 Handley married the actress and singer Jean Allistone (Rosalind Jean Henshall, ''née'' Allistone, 1897–1958) whom he had met at the BBC. She had trained under [[w:Herbert Beerbohm Tree\|Sir Herbert Tree]], appeared in revues and musical comedies and, from 1925, was a pioneer broadcaster.<ref>"Mrs Tommy Handley", ''The Times'', 12 March 1958, p. 13</ref> The couple had no children.<ref name=odnb/>

Kurt: /* BBC */

2022-08-23T15:34:20Z

BBC

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:34, 23 August 2022
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	===BBC===		===BBC===
	Handley was successful on the halls, but he was not a major star.<ref name="p24"/> His career took off as a broadcaster.<ref name=dnb/> He was a regular performer on the [[BBC]] from 1924 onwards – his biographer [[Barry Took]] calls him "a mainstay of its variety programmes" – as a solo entertainer, an actor in sketches and occasionally a producer.<ref name=odnb/><ref>[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e08748c6bc984b03959d7bf2aaf4ae05 "The Disorderly Room"], and [https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/2b743bbb666346999fe9a9a56040e186"Dan Rolyat"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 12 June 2020</ref> Much of his material was written by Ted Kavanagh, who devised comic monologues for him and worked with him on the broadcast [[revue]]s that paved the way for their greatest success, ''[[It's That Man Again]]''.<ref>"Mr Ted Kavanagh: The Making of ''ITMA''", ''The Times'', 18 December 1958, p. 16</ref>		Handley was successful on the halls, but he was not a major star.<ref name="p24"/> His career took off as a broadcaster.<ref name=dnb/> He was a regular performer on the [[w:BBC\|BBC]] from 1924 onwards – his biographer [[Barry Took]] calls him "a mainstay of its variety programmes" – as a solo entertainer, an actor in sketches and occasionally a producer.<ref name=odnb/><ref>[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e08748c6bc984b03959d7bf2aaf4ae05 "The Disorderly Room"], and [https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/2b743bbb666346999fe9a9a56040e186"Dan Rolyat"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 12 June 2020</ref> Much of his material was written by Ted Kavanagh, who devised comic monologues for him and worked with him on the broadcast [[revue]]s that paved the way for their greatest success, ''[[It's That Man Again]]''.<ref>"Mr Ted Kavanagh: The Making of ''ITMA''", ''The Times'', 18 December 1958, p. 16</ref>

	In 1929 Handley married the actress and singer Jean Allistone (Rosalind Jean Henshall, ''née'' Allistone, 1897–1958) whom he had met at the BBC. She had trained under [[Herbert Beerbohm Tree\|Sir Herbert Tree]], appeared in revues and musical comedies and, from 1925, was a pioneer broadcaster.<ref>"Mrs Tommy Handley", ''The Times'', 12 March 1958, p. 13</ref> The couple had no children.<ref name=odnb/>		In 1929 Handley married the actress and singer Jean Allistone (Rosalind Jean Henshall, ''née'' Allistone, 1897–1958) whom he had met at the BBC. She had trained under [[w:Herbert Beerbohm Tree\|Sir Herbert Tree]], appeared in revues and musical comedies and, from 1925, was a pioneer broadcaster.<ref>"Mrs Tommy Handley", ''The Times'', 12 March 1958, p. 13</ref> The couple had no children.<ref name=odnb/>

	Between 1935 and 1949 Handley frequently performed on air with the comedian [[Ronald Frankau]] in a comedy act as [[Murgatroyd and Winterbottom\|"Mr Murgatroyd and Mr Winterbottom"]] ("Two minds with not a single thought").<ref name=mw/> Together they wrote and delivered what Took describes as "a sophisticated crosstalk of quickfire word and idea association"; the combination of the [[Eton College\|Old Etonian]] Frankau's patrician tones as Murgatroyd and Handley's fast-talking [[Scouse]] patter as Winterbottom became one of the BBC's most popular comedy features.<ref>Took, pp. 31–32</ref> Took quotes a typical example of Murgatroyd and Winterbottom's rapid cross-talk, which concludes:		Between 1935 and 1949 Handley frequently performed on air with the comedian [[Ronald Frankau]] in a comedy act as [[w:Murgatroyd and Winterbottom\|"Mr Murgatroyd and Mr Winterbottom"]] ("Two minds with not a single thought").<ref name=mw/> Together they wrote and delivered what Took describes as "a sophisticated crosstalk of quickfire word and idea association"; the combination of the [[w:Eton College\|Old Etonian]] Frankau's patrician tones as Murgatroyd and Handley's fast-talking [[w:Scouse\|Scouse]] patter as Winterbottom became one of the BBC's most popular comedy features.<ref>Took, pp. 31–32</ref> Took quotes a typical example of Murgatroyd and Winterbottom's rapid cross-talk, which concludes:
	:'''Murgatroyd''': Yes, Mr Winterbottom, we must always study the listener – the Mr and Mrs Everymans		:'''Murgatroyd''': Yes, Mr Winterbottom, we must always study the listener – the Mr and Mrs Everymans
	:'''Winterbottom''': The Jones and Smiths.		:'''Winterbottom''': The Jones and Smiths.
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	:'''Winterbottom''': My car into a shop window. Joan a car?		:'''Winterbottom''': My car into a shop window. Joan a car?
	:'''Murgatroyd''': Cut out the Joan and let's think of the Derby again.<ref>''Quoted'' in Took, pp. 31–32</ref>		:'''Murgatroyd''': Cut out the Joan and let's think of the Derby again.<ref>''Quoted'' in Took, pp. 31–32</ref>
	Murgatroyd and Winterbottom became so popular that the performers' wives – Jean Allistone and [[Renee Roberts]] – were invited to make several broadcasts of their own as "Mrs Murgatroyd and Mrs Winterbottom".<ref name=mw>[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?order=asc&q=Murgatroyd+Winterbottom#search "Murgatroyd and Winterbottom"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 12 June 2020</ref>		Murgatroyd and Winterbottom became so popular that the performers' wives – Jean Allistone and [[w:Renee Roberts\|Renee Roberts]] – were invited to make several broadcasts of their own as "Mrs Murgatroyd and Mrs Winterbottom".<ref name=mw>[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?order=asc&q=Murgatroyd+Winterbottom#search "Murgatroyd and Winterbottom"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 12 June 2020</ref>

	===''[[ITMA]]''===		===''[[ITMA]]''===

Kurt at 15:32, 23 August 2022

2022-08-23T15:32:43Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:32, 23 August 2022
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	Born in [[w:Liverpool\|Liverpool]], Lancashire, Handley went on the stage in his teens and after military service in the [[w:First World War\|First World War]] he established himself as a comedian and singer on the [[w:music hall\|music hall]] circuit. He became nationally known as a pioneer broadcaster. From 1924 onwards he was frequently heard on [[w:BBC\|BBC]] [[w:variety show\|variety]] programmes as a solo entertainer and an actor in sketches. In the 1930s Handley frequently performed on air with the comedian [[Ronald Frankau]] in a popular comedy act as "[[w:Murgatroyd and Winterbottom\|Mr Murgatroyd and Mr Winterbottom]]".		Born in [[w:Liverpool\|Liverpool]], Lancashire, Handley went on the stage in his teens and after military service in the [[w:First World War\|First World War]] he established himself as a comedian and singer on the [[w:music hall\|music hall]] circuit. He became nationally known as a pioneer broadcaster. From 1924 onwards he was frequently heard on [[w:BBC\|BBC]] [[w:variety show\|variety]] programmes as a solo entertainer and an actor in sketches. In the 1930s Handley frequently performed on air with the comedian [[Ronald Frankau]] in a popular comedy act as "[[w:Murgatroyd and Winterbottom\|Mr Murgatroyd and Mr Winterbottom]]".

	Handley's greatest success came in 1939 with the BBC radio comedy show ''It's That Man Again'', which, after an uncertain start, caught the British public's imagination and reached an unprecedentedly large audience. He starred as the good-natured, fast-talking anchor-man around whom a cast of eccentric comic characters revolved. The show was credited for its important part in keeping up morale in Britain during the [[Second World War]].		Handley's greatest success came in 1939 with the BBC radio comedy show ''It's That Man Again'', which, after an uncertain start, caught the British public's imagination and reached an unprecedentedly large audience. He starred as the good-natured, fast-talking anchor-man around whom a cast of eccentric comic characters revolved. The show was credited for its important part in keeping up morale in Britain during the [[w:Second World War\|Second World War]].

	Handley died suddenly in 1949, and ''ITMA'' died with him.		Handley died suddenly in 1949, and ''ITMA'' died with him.

Kurt at 15:32, 23 August 2022

2022-08-23T15:32:13Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:32, 23 August 2022
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	\| birth_name = Thomas Reginald Handley		\| birth_name = Thomas Reginald Handley
	\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1892\|01\|17\|df=y}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1892\|01\|17\|df=y}}
	\| birth_place = [[Toxteth\|Toxteth Park]], [[Liverpool]], Lancashire, England		\| birth_place = [[w:Toxteth\|Toxteth Park]], [[w:Liverpool\|Liverpool]], Lancashire, England
	\| death_date = {{death date and age\|1949\|01\|09\|1892\|01\|17\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{death date and age\|1949\|01\|09\|1892\|01\|17\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = London, England		\| death_place = London, England
	\| occupation = Comedian}}		\| occupation = Comedian}}
	'''Thomas Reginald Handley''' (17 January 1892 – 9 January 1949) was an English comedian, best known for the [[BBC]] radio programme ''[[It's That Man Again]]'' ("''ITMA''") which ran between 1939 and 1949.		'''Thomas Reginald Handley''' (17 January 1892 – 9 January 1949) was an English comedian, best known for the [[w:BBC\|BBC]] radio programme ''[[It's That Man Again]]'' ("''ITMA''") which ran between 1939 and 1949.

	Born in [[Liverpool]], Lancashire, Handley went on the stage in his teens and after military service in the [[First World War]] he established himself as a comedian and singer on the [[music hall]] circuit. He became nationally known as a pioneer broadcaster. From 1924 onwards he was frequently heard on [[BBC]] [[variety show\|variety]] programmes as a solo entertainer and an actor in sketches. In the 1930s Handley frequently performed on air with the comedian [[Ronald Frankau]] in a popular comedy act as "[[Murgatroyd and Winterbottom\|Mr Murgatroyd and Mr Winterbottom]]".		Born in [[w:Liverpool\|Liverpool]], Lancashire, Handley went on the stage in his teens and after military service in the [[w:First World War\|First World War]] he established himself as a comedian and singer on the [[w:music hall\|music hall]] circuit. He became nationally known as a pioneer broadcaster. From 1924 onwards he was frequently heard on [[w:BBC\|BBC]] [[w:variety show\|variety]] programmes as a solo entertainer and an actor in sketches. In the 1930s Handley frequently performed on air with the comedian [[Ronald Frankau]] in a popular comedy act as "[[w:Murgatroyd and Winterbottom\|Mr Murgatroyd and Mr Winterbottom]]".

	Handley's greatest success came in 1939 with the BBC radio comedy show ''It's That Man Again'', which, after an uncertain start, caught the British public's imagination and reached an unprecedentedly large audience. He starred as the good-natured, fast-talking anchor-man around whom a cast of eccentric comic characters revolved. The show was credited for its important part in keeping up morale in Britain during the [[Second World War]].		Handley's greatest success came in 1939 with the BBC radio comedy show ''It's That Man Again'', which, after an uncertain start, caught the British public's imagination and reached an unprecedentedly large audience. He starred as the good-natured, fast-talking anchor-man around whom a cast of eccentric comic characters revolved. The show was credited for its important part in keeping up morale in Britain during the [[Second World War]].
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	==Life and career==		==Life and career==
	===Early years===		===Early years===
	Handley was born at [[Toxteth\|Toxteth Park]], [[Liverpool]], on 17 January 1892, the son of John Handley and his wife, Sarah Ann, ''née'' Pearson.<ref name=odnb>Took, Barry. [https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-33682 "Handley, Thomas Reginald (Tommy) (1892–1949), comedian"],''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004. Retrieved 11 June 2020 {{ODNBsub}}</ref> John Handley, who is believed to have run a dairy business, died while Tommy was a baby.<ref name=odnb/> After leaving school Handley earned his living as a salesman, but developed a reputation as an amateur singer.<ref name=odnb/> He was determined to go into show business and became a professional singer in 1916.<ref name=dnb/> He toured briefly in the operetta ''[[The Maid of the Mountains]]'', before being called up in 1917 into the [[Royal Naval Air Service]]. During the last two years of the [[First World War]], he served in a [[kite balloon]] section and subsequently in a [[Concert party (entertainment)\|concert party]] entertaining the troops.<ref name=odnb/>		Handley was born at [[w:Toxteth\|Toxteth Park]], [[w:Liverpool\|Liverpool]], on 17 January 1892, the son of John Handley and his wife, Sarah Ann, ''née'' Pearson.<ref name=odnb>Took, Barry. [https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-33682 "Handley, Thomas Reginald (Tommy) (1892–1949), comedian"],''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004. Retrieved 11 June 2020 {{ODNBsub}}</ref> John Handley, who is believed to have run a dairy business, died while Tommy was a baby.<ref name=odnb/> After leaving school Handley earned his living as a salesman, but developed a reputation as an amateur singer.<ref name=odnb/> He was determined to go into show business and became a professional singer in 1916.<ref name=dnb/> He toured briefly in the operetta ''[[w:The Maid of the Mountains\|The Maid of the Mountains]]'', before being called up in 1917 into the [[w:Royal Naval Air Service\|Royal Naval Air Service]]. During the last two years of the [[w:First World War\|First World War]], he served in a [[w:kite balloon\|kite balloon]] section and subsequently in a [[w:Concert party (entertainment)\|concert party]] entertaining the troops.<ref name=odnb/>

	After the war, Handley auditioned for the impresario [[Rupert D'Oyly Carte]], and impressed him with his performance of the [[Major-General's Song\|Major-General's patter song]] from ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]''. Carte wrote to offer him a place in a new [[D'Oyly Carte Opera Company\|D'Oyly Carte]] touring company, but by the time the invitation arrived Handley was contractually committed elsewhere.<ref>Bailey, pp. 432–433</ref> He toured in musical comedy and in the [[music hall]]s as a comedian and singer. He became known in the leading role of the officer in the sketch ''[[The Disorderly Room]]'', a parody of military life, written by [[Eric Blore]], in which military disciplinary proceedings were comically set to popular tunes of the day.<ref>[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e621cf2a5d4749339a9b7827517acff0 " Tommy Handley and Company: The Disorderly Room"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 12 June 2020</ref> The sketch remained in his repertory from 1921 to 1941, and according to Handley's biographer [[Ted Kavanagh]] "it must have been played on every music-hall stage in the country".<ref name=odnb/> In 1924 ''The Disorderly Room'' was included in the programme for the [[Royal Variety Performance\|Royal Command Performance]] at the [[London Coliseum]].<ref name=dnb>Williams, W. E. [https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/odnb/9780192683120.001.0001/odnb-9780192683120-e-33682 "Handley, Thomas Reginald (1892–1949)"], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 1959. Retrieved 11 June 2020 {{ODNBsub}}</ref> The show was broadcast, and marked the beginning of Handley's radio career.<ref>[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e8563f6e49974da49b61596c73972e2c "Palace of Varieties"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 12 June 2020</ref>		After the war, Handley auditioned for the impresario [[w:Rupert D'Oyly Carte\|Rupert D'Oyly Carte]], and impressed him with his performance of the [[w:Major-General's Song\|Major-General's patter song]] from ''[[w:The Pirates of Penzance\|The Pirates of Penzance]]''. Carte wrote to offer him a place in a new [[w:D'Oyly Carte Opera Company\|D'Oyly Carte]] touring company, but by the time the invitation arrived Handley was contractually committed elsewhere.<ref>Bailey, pp. 432–433</ref> He toured in musical comedy and in the [[w:music hall\|music hall]]s as a comedian and singer. He became known in the leading role of the officer in the sketch ''[[w:The Disorderly Room\|The Disorderly Room]]'', a parody of military life, written by [[w:Eric Blore\|Eric Blore]], in which military disciplinary proceedings were comically set to popular tunes of the day.<ref>[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e621cf2a5d4749339a9b7827517acff0 " Tommy Handley and Company: The Disorderly Room"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 12 June 2020</ref> The sketch remained in his repertory from 1921 to 1941, and according to Handley's biographer [[w:Ted Kavanagh\|Ted Kavanagh]] "it must have been played on every music-hall stage in the country".<ref name=odnb/> In 1924 ''The Disorderly Room'' was included in the programme for the [[w:Royal Variety Performance\|Royal Command Performance]] at the [[w:London Coliseum\|London Coliseum]].<ref name=dnb>Williams, W. E. [https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/odnb/9780192683120.001.0001/odnb-9780192683120-e-33682 "Handley, Thomas Reginald (1892–1949)"], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 1959. Retrieved 11 June 2020 {{ODNBsub}}</ref> The show was broadcast, and marked the beginning of Handley's radio career.<ref>[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e8563f6e49974da49b61596c73972e2c "Palace of Varieties"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 12 June 2020</ref>

	===BBC===		===BBC===

Kurt: /* Filmography */

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Filmography

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	==Filmography==		==Filmography==
	* ''[[It's That Man Again (film)\|It's That Man Again]]'' (1943)		* ''[[It's That Man Again (film)\|It's That Man Again]]'' (1943)
	* ''[[Time Flies (1944 film)\|Time Flies]]'' (1944)		* ''[[w:Time Flies (1944 film)\|Time Flies]]'' (1944)

	==Notes and sources==		==Notes and sources==

Kurt: /* Reputation */

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Reputation

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:27, 23 August 2022
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	==Reputation==		==Reputation==
	Handley and the ''ITMA'' team were widely credited with boosting morale during the war, and were unmissable listening for millions.<ref>Took, p. 25</ref> A member of the Royal Household said that if the war were to end between 8.30 and 9 p.m. on a Thursday night none of the household would dare to tell the King until ''ITMA'' had finished.<ref name=gra/> Although Handley was a leading star in Britain, his material in ''ITMA'' was so topical and local, and delivered at such speed, that it was incomprehensible to many outside the UK. Nonetheless, it was popular in Australia:<ref name=gra>Grahame, Charles. "The master of the rapid-fire radio show", ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 27 November 1976, p. 15</ref><ref name=chis/> a writer in ''[[The Age]]'' commented that Handley's "roguish Liverpudlian twang could have made a stock-exchange report sound funny".<ref>K.S.I. "A Morale Builder: Tommy Handley and ITMA", ''The Age'', 4 February 1950, p. 8</ref> A Canadian newspaper quoted an American who heard the show: "I can't understand a word the guy is saying, but it sure sounds like great radio".<ref name=chis>Thompson, Ernest Chisholm. "Britain Still Mourns Its Jester", ''The Gazette'', 3 February 1949, p. 8</ref> It was said that [[Bob Hope]], though British-born, found ''ITMA'' "too fast" for him.<ref>Rawling, P. C. "It's That Man – No Longer", ''The Province'', 2 March 1949, p. 4</ref>		Handley and the ''ITMA'' team were widely credited with boosting morale during the war, and were unmissable listening for millions.<ref>Took, p. 25</ref> A member of the Royal Household said that if the war were to end between 8.30 and 9 p.m. on a Thursday night none of the household would dare to tell the King until ''ITMA'' had finished.<ref name=gra/> Although Handley was a leading star in Britain, his material in ''ITMA'' was so topical and local, and delivered at such speed, that it was incomprehensible to many outside the UK. Nonetheless, it was popular in Australia:<ref name=gra>Grahame, Charles. "The master of the rapid-fire radio show", ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 27 November 1976, p. 15</ref><ref name=chis/> a writer in ''[[w:The Age\|The Age]]'' commented that Handley's "roguish Liverpudlian twang could have made a stock-exchange report sound funny".<ref>K.S.I. "A Morale Builder: Tommy Handley and ITMA", ''The Age'', 4 February 1950, p. 8</ref> A Canadian newspaper quoted an American who heard the show: "I can't understand a word the guy is saying, but it sure sounds like great radio".<ref name=chis>Thompson, Ernest Chisholm. "Britain Still Mourns Its Jester", ''The Gazette'', 3 February 1949, p. 8</ref> It was said that [[w:Bob Hope\|Bob Hope]], though British-born, found ''ITMA'' "too fast" for him.<ref>Rawling, P. C. "It's That Man – No Longer", ''The Province'', 2 March 1949, p. 4</ref>

	Haley said of Handley, "He was not only broadcasting's greatest but also its most natural comedian. … He was a true original [and] there will never be anyone quite like That Man again".<ref>"Tommy Handley: An Appreciation by Sir William Haley", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 14 January 1949, p. 5</ref> In Took's words:		Haley said of Handley, "He was not only broadcasting's greatest but also its most natural comedian. … He was a true original [and] there will never be anyone quite like That Man again".<ref>"Tommy Handley: An Appreciation by Sir William Haley", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 14 January 1949, p. 5</ref> In Took's words:

	{{blockindent\|He was so much the keystone and embodiment of the actual performance that ''ITMA'' died with him. Undoubtedly the greatest British radio comedian of his generation, Tommy Handley was as unique in radio comedy as [[Charlie Chaplin]] was in silent film.<ref name=odnb/>\|}}		{{blockindent\|He was so much the keystone and embodiment of the actual performance that ''ITMA'' died with him. Undoubtedly the greatest British radio comedian of his generation, Tommy Handley was as unique in radio comedy as [[w:Charlie Chaplin\|Charlie Chaplin]] was in silent film.<ref name=odnb/>\|}}

	==Filmography==		==Filmography==