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{{for|Pat Dixon (comedian)|Pat Dixon (comedian)}}
{{Infobox person
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
| image        = Pat Dixon (BBC Producer).jpg
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
| alt          = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
[[File:Pat Dixon (BBC Producer).jpg|thumb|200px|right|<div style="text-align: center;">Pat Dixon</div>]]
| caption      =
| birth_name    = Patrick Kenneth Macneile Dixon<!-- only use if different from name -->
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1904|06|15|df=yes}}
| birth_place  =
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1958|10|08|1904|06|15|df=yes}}
| death_place  =
| other_names  =
| occupation    = Radio producer, journalist
| years_active  = 1940–1957
| known_for    = [[The Goon Show]]
| notable_works =
}}
 


'''Patrick Kenneth Macneile Dixon''' (15 June 1904&nbsp;– 8 October 1958) was an English radio producer for [[BBC Radio]].
'''Patrick Kenneth Macneile Dixon''' (15 June 1904&nbsp;– 8 October 1958) was an English radio producer for [[w:BBC Radio|BBC Radio]].


== Biography ==
==Biography==
Dixon was born on 15 June 1904; his parents were Professor [[William Macneile Dixon]]<ref name="Times obit" /> (1891–1946) and Edith (née Wales, ?–1945).<ref name="WMD in WW" /> He was educated at [[Winchester College]] and [[Christ Church, Oxford]].<ref name="Times obit" />
Dixon was born on 15 June 1904; his parents were Professor William Macneile Dixon<ref name="Times obit" /> (1891–1946) and Edith (née Wales, ?–1945).<ref name="WMD in WW" /> He was educated at [[w:Winchester College|Winchester College]] and [[w:Christ Church, Oxford|Christ Church, Oxford]].<ref name="Times obit" />


Dixon worked for a time as a journalist with the [[The Herald (Glasgow)|''Glasgow Herald'']],<ref name="Glasg Hrld" /> and then in the publicity section of [[Gaumont British]] before moving to the advertising agency Mather & Crowther.<ref>{{cite news|last=Meynell|first=Francis|title=Pat Dixon|newspaper=[[The Times]]|date=14 October 1958|author-link=Francis Meynell|location=London|page=13}}</ref> He joined the [[BBC]] in October 1940 as a producer and, in the summer of 1948, produced ''Listen, My Children'', a series which included [[Harry Secombe]] and [[Benny Hill]] in the cast.{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=96}}{{sfn|Secombe|1997|p=166}} At the end of 1948 he produced the radio series ''Third Division'', which was broadcast in early 1949; the shows were written by [[Frank Muir]] and [[Denis Norden]] and the cast included Secombe, [[Michael Bentine]] and [[Peter Sellers]].{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|pp=95-96}} Bentine noted that Dixon was "scholarly and intelligently humorous&nbsp;... and as radical in his approach to comedy as we were",{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=105}} while Muir considered him "a terrific chap, and a rebel&nbsp;... he started all sorts of ideas and shows.{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|pp=105-06}}
Dixon worked for a time as a journalist with the ''Glasgow Herald'',<ref name="Glasg Hrld" /> and then in the publicity section of [[w:Gaumont-British]|Gaumont British]] before moving to the advertising agency Mather & Crowther.<ref>{{cite news|last=Meynell|first=Francis|title=Pat Dixon|newspaper=[[w:The Times|]]|date=14 October 1958|author-link=w:Francis Meynell|location=London|page=13}}</ref> He joined the [[BBC]] in October 1940 as a producer and, in the summer of 1948, produced ''[[Listen, My Children]]'', a series which included [[Harry Secombe]] and [[Benny Hill]] in the cast.{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=96}}{{sfn|Secombe|1997|p=166}} At the end of 1948 he produced the radio series ''[[Third Division]]'', which was broadcast in early 1949; the shows were written by [[Frank Muir]] and [[Denis Norden]] and the cast included Secombe, [[Michael Bentine]] and [[Peter Sellers]].{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|pp=95-96}} Bentine noted that Dixon was "scholarly and intelligently humorous&nbsp;... and as radical in his approach to comedy as we were",{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=105}} while Muir considered him "a terrific chap, and a rebel&nbsp;... he started all sorts of ideas and shows.{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|pp=105-06}}


In 1951 Dixon agreed to a request from [[Spike Milligan]] to record an audition tape which included Milligan, Sellers, Bentine and Secombe; he passed the tape on to the BBC planners and stressed that a series would be an asset to the corporation. They agreed and ''Crazy People'' was produced, which was subsequently re-named ''[[The Goon Show]]'', although Dixon was not the producer.{{sfn|Wilmut|Grafton|1981|p=34}} Dixon had a further impact on the show as he introduced [[Max Geldray]] and [[Ray Ellington]] into the format.{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=114}} Towards the end of the sixth series of ''The Goon Show'', the regular producer, [[Peter Eton]], left the show to work on [[BBC television]]: Dixon became the show's producer for the remaining six episodes.{{sfn|Wilmut|Grafton|1981|p=124}} Dixon was less disciplinarian that Eton in his approach,{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=166}} although there was some friction with Milligan and Eton returned to produce the first two shows of series seven, before Dixon completed the rest of the 25 episode series.{{sfn|Wilmut|Grafton|1981|p=126}}{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=173}} His last ''Goon Show'' was broadcast on 28 March 1957.{{sfn|Wilmut|Grafton|1981|p=126}} During his tenure as ''Goon Show'' producer, Dixon came under pressure from the BBC to ensure no overtly political preferences or jokes were in the script; he resented such coercion, and wrote to the Assistant Head of Variety, "I think it is very dangerous to have these subtle encroachments on free speech".{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|pp=174-75}} Spike Milligan considered that Dixon was, "the only producer&nbsp;... who knows what the ''Goon Show'' is all about".{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=184}}
In 1951 Dixon agreed to a request from [[Spike Milligan]] to record an audition tape which included Milligan, Sellers, Bentine and Secombe; he passed the tape on to the BBC planners and stressed that a series would be an asset to the corporation. They agreed and ''Crazy People'' was produced, which was subsequently re-named ''[[The Goon Show]]'', although Dixon was not the producer.{{sfn|Wilmut|Grafton|1981|p=34}} Dixon had a further impact on the show as he introduced [[Max Geldray]] and [[Ray Ellington]] into the format.{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=114}} Towards the end of the sixth series of ''The Goon Show'', the regular producer, [[Peter Eton]], left the show to work on [[w:BBC television|BBC television]]: Dixon became the show's producer for the remaining six episodes.{{sfn|Wilmut|Grafton|1981|p=124}} Dixon was less disciplinarian than Eton in his approach,{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=166}} although there was some friction with Milligan and Eton returned to produce the first two shows of series seven, before Dixon completed the rest of the 25 episode series.{{sfn|Wilmut|Grafton|1981|p=126}}{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=173}} His last ''Goon Show'' was broadcast on 28 March 1957.{{sfn|Wilmut|Grafton|1981|p=126}} During his tenure as ''Goon Show'' producer, Dixon came under pressure from the BBC to ensure no overtly political references or jokes were in the script; he resented such coercion, and wrote to the Assistant Head of Variety, "I think it is very dangerous to have these subtle encroachments on free speech".{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|pp=174-75}} Spike Milligan considered that Dixon was, "the only producer&nbsp;... who knows what the ''Goon Show'' is all about".{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=184}}


Dixon worked with [[Tony Hancock]], when he produced the first episode of the fifth series of [[Hancock's Half Hour]], ''The New Radio Series''.{{sfn|Webber|2011|p=137}} He also produced the series ''Ignorance is Bliss'' and ''These Foolish Things''.<ref name="Times obit" /> Dixon also worked again with Michael Bentine on the first series of ''Round the Bend in Thirty Minutes''.<!-- https://books.google.com/books?id=1wsbAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Pat+dixon%22+%22round+the+bend%22&dq=%22Pat+dixon%22+%22round+the+bend%22&source=bl&ots=aoMryj-vUh&sig=lSVP1SlvIYR2lNZccw7eIoAFTjs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=eDMvUKTvKdO00QWwo4HoDA&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAQ -->
Dixon worked with [[Tony Hancock]], when he produced the first episode of the fifth series of [[Hancock's Half Hour]], ''The New Radio Series''.{{sfn|Webber|2011|p=137}} He also produced the series ''[[Ignorance is Bliss (radio show)|Ignorance is Bliss]]'' and ''[[These Foolish Things (radio show)|These Foolish Things]]''.<ref name="Times obit" /> Dixon also worked again with [[Michael Bentine]] on the first series of ''[[Round the Bend in Thirty Minutes]]''.<!-- https://books.google.com/books?id=1wsbAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Pat+dixon%22+%22round+the+bend%22&dq=%22Pat+dixon%22+%22round+the+bend%22&source=bl&ots=aoMryj-vUh&sig=lSVP1SlvIYR2lNZccw7eIoAFTjs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=eDMvUKTvKdO00QWwo4HoDA&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAQ -->


He died of cancer on 8 October 1958, aged 54.{{sfn|Wilmut|Grafton|1981|p=63}}<ref name="Times obit" />
He died of cancer on 8 October 1958, aged 54.{{sfn|Wilmut|Grafton|1981|p=63}}<ref name="Times obit" />


== Selected credits ==
==Selected credits==
* ''[[Take It From Here]]'' (Radio)
*''[[Take It From Here]]'' (Radio)
* ''[[It's That Man Again]]'' (Radio, 1941–44)
*''[[It's That Man Again]]'' (Radio, 1941–44)
* ''Tom Arnold's Hoop-La!'' (Radio, 1944–45)
*''[[Tom Arnold's Hoop-La!]]'' (Radio, 1944–45)
* ''It's a Pleasure'' (Radio, 1945)
*''[[It's a Pleasure]]'' (Radio, 1945)
* ''Our Shed'' (Radio, 1946)
*''[[Our Shed]]'' (Radio, 1946)
* ''Ignorance is Bliss'' (Radio, 1947–1949)
*''[[Ignorance is Bliss (radio show)|Ignorance is Bliss]]'' (Radio, 1947–1949)
* ''Night Comes too Soon'' (Film script, 1947)
*''Night Comes too Soon'' (Film script, 1947)
* ''Listen, My Children'' (Radio, 1948)
*''[[Listen, My Children]]'' (Radio, 1948)
* ''Third Division'' (Radio, 1949)
*''[[Third Division]]'' (Radio, 1949)
* ''The Bradens'' (Radio, 1950–1956)
*''[[The Bradens]]'' (Radio, 1950–1956)
* ''Let's Settle For Music with the Baker's Dozen'' (Radio, 1952-?)
*''[[Let's Settle For Music with the Baker's Dozen]]'' (Radio, 1952-?)
* ''In All Directions'' (Radio, 1952–55)
*''[[In All Directions]]'' (Radio, 1952–55)
* ''Starstruck'' (Radio, 1955)
*''[[Starstruck]]'' (Radio, 1955)
* ''Finkel's Café'' (Radio, 1956)
*''[[Finkel's Café]]'' (Radio, 1956)
* ''These Foolish Things'' (Radio, 1956)
*''[[These Foolish Things (radio show)|These Foolish Things]]'' (Radio, 1956)
* ''[[The Goon Show]]'' (Radio, 1956–1957)
*''[[The Goon Show]]'' (Radio, 1956–1957)
* ''Passing Parade'' (Radio, 1957)
*''[[Passing Parade]]'' (Radio, 1957)
* ''Round the Bend in Thirty Minutes'' (1957–58)
*''[[Round the Bend in Thirty Minutes]]'' (1957–58)
* ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]'' (Radio, 1958)
*''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]'' (Radio, 1958)


== Notes and references ==
== Notes and references==


'''Notes'''
'''Notes'''
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<ref name="Glasg Hrld">
<ref name="Glasg Hrld">
{{cite news|title=BBC Variety Producer|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OjY1AAAAIBAJ&pg=3061%2C4899261|newspaper=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|date=9 October 1958|location=Glasgow|page=9
{{cite news|title=BBC Variety Producer|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OjY1AAAAIBAJ&pg=3061%2C4899261|newspaper=[[w:The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|date=9 October 1958|location=Glasgow|page=9
}}
}}
</ref>
</ref>


<ref name="Times obit">
<ref name="Times obit">
{{cite news|title=Obituary: Mr. Pat Dixon|newspaper=[[The Times]]|date=10 October 1958|location=London|page=89
{{cite news|title=Obituary: Mr. Pat Dixon|newspaper=[[w:The Times|]]|date=10 October 1958|location=London|page=89
}}
}}
</ref>
</ref>


<ref name="WMD in WW">
<ref name="WMD in WW">
{{cite web|title=Dixon, William Macneile|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U224724|work=[[Who's Who (UK)|Who's Who]]|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|access-date=16 August 2012|location=Oxford
{{cite web|title=Dixon, William Macneile|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U224724|work=[[w:Who's Who (UK)|Who's Who]]|publisher=[[w:Oxford University Press|]]|access-date=16 August 2012|location=Oxford
}} {{subscription}}
}} {{subscription}}
</ref>  
</ref>  
}}
}}


== Bibliography ==
==Bibliography==
{{refbegin|30em}}
{{refbegin|30em}}


* {{cite book|last=Carpenter|first=Humphrey|author-link=Humphrey Carpenter|title=Spike Milligan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dF9zDXmpsI0C&pg=PP1|publisher=[[Hodder & Stoughton]]|location=London|year=2004|isbn=978-0-340-82612-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Carpenter|first=Humphrey|author-link=w:Humphrey Carpenter|title=Spike Milligan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dF9zDXmpsI0C&pg=PP1|publisher=[[w:Hodder & Stoughton|Hodder & Stoughton]]|location=London|year=2004|isbn=978-0-340-82612-6}}
* {{cite book|last= Secombe|first= Harry |author-link=Harry Secombe|title=Arias and Raspberries: An Autobiography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yiFCb4oecMIC&pg=PA3|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers|Pan Macmillan]]|location=London|year=1997|isbn=978-0-330-35463-9}}
* {{cite book|last= Secombe|first= Harry |author-link=Harry Secombe|title=Arias and Raspberries: An Autobiography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yiFCb4oecMIC&pg=PA3|publisher=[[w:Macmillan Publishers|Pan Macmillan]]|location=London|year=1997|isbn=978-0-330-35463-9}}
* {{cite book|last= Webber |first= Richard |title= Fifty Years of Hancock's Half Hour |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=c3-gxwTNLaIC&pg=PP1 |publisher=[[Random House]]|location=London|year=2011|isbn=978-1-4464-0998-5 }}
* {{cite book|last= Webber |first= Richard |title= Fifty Years of Hancock's Half Hour |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=c3-gxwTNLaIC&pg=PP1 |publisher=[[w:Random House|Random House]]|location=London|year=2011|isbn=978-1-4464-0998-5 }}
* {{cite book|last1=Wilmut|first1=Roger| last2=Grafton|first2=Jimmy|authorlink1=Roger Wilmut|authorlink2=Jimmy Grafton|title=The Goon Show Companion: A History and Goonography|publisher=[[Anova Books|Robson Books]]|location=London|year=1981|isbn=0-903895-64-1}}
* {{cite book|last1=Wilmut|first1=Roger| last2=Grafton|first2=Jimmy|authorlink1=Roger Wilmut|authorlink2=Jimmy Grafton|title=[[The Goon Show Companion]]: A History and Goonography|publisher=[[w:Anova Books|Robson Books]]|location=London|year=1981|isbn=0-903895-64-1}}


{{refend}}
{{refend}}


== External links ==
==External links==
* {{BFI|4ce2bb3a25162|name=Pat Dixon}}
*{{BFI|4ce2bb3a25162|name=Pat Dixon}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Dixon, Pat}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dixon, Pat}}
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[[Category:British radio producers]]
[[Category:British radio producers]]
[[Category:The Goon Show]]
[[Category:The Goon Show]]
[[Category:Goon Show producers]]

Latest revision as of 07:44, 6 February 2023

Pat Dixon
Pat Dixon (BBC Producer).jpg
Born
Patrick Kenneth Macneile Dixon

(1904-06-15)15 June 1904
Died8 October 1958(1958-10-08) (aged 54)
Occupation(s)Radio producer, journalist
Years active1940–1957
Known forThe Goon Show


Patrick Kenneth Macneile Dixon (15 June 1904 – 8 October 1958) was an English radio producer for BBC Radio.

Biography

Dixon was born on 15 June 1904; his parents were Professor William Macneile Dixon[1] (1891–1946) and Edith (née Wales, ?–1945).[2] He was educated at Winchester College and Christ Church, Oxford.[1]

Dixon worked for a time as a journalist with the Glasgow Herald,[3] and then in the publicity section of [[w:Gaumont-British]|Gaumont British]] before moving to the advertising agency Mather & Crowther.[4] He joined the BBC in October 1940 as a producer and, in the summer of 1948, produced Listen, My Children, a series which included Harry Secombe and Benny Hill in the cast.[5][6] At the end of 1948 he produced the radio series Third Division, which was broadcast in early 1949; the shows were written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden and the cast included Secombe, Michael Bentine and Peter Sellers.[7] Bentine noted that Dixon was "scholarly and intelligently humorous ... and as radical in his approach to comedy as we were",[8] while Muir considered him "a terrific chap, and a rebel ... he started all sorts of ideas and shows.[9]

In 1951 Dixon agreed to a request from Spike Milligan to record an audition tape which included Milligan, Sellers, Bentine and Secombe; he passed the tape on to the BBC planners and stressed that a series would be an asset to the corporation. They agreed and Crazy People was produced, which was subsequently re-named The Goon Show, although Dixon was not the producer.[10] Dixon had a further impact on the show as he introduced Max Geldray and Ray Ellington into the format.[11] Towards the end of the sixth series of The Goon Show, the regular producer, Peter Eton, left the show to work on BBC television: Dixon became the show's producer for the remaining six episodes.[12] Dixon was less disciplinarian than Eton in his approach,[13] although there was some friction with Milligan and Eton returned to produce the first two shows of series seven, before Dixon completed the rest of the 25 episode series.[14][15] His last Goon Show was broadcast on 28 March 1957.[14] During his tenure as Goon Show producer, Dixon came under pressure from the BBC to ensure no overtly political references or jokes were in the script; he resented such coercion, and wrote to the Assistant Head of Variety, "I think it is very dangerous to have these subtle encroachments on free speech".[16] Spike Milligan considered that Dixon was, "the only producer ... who knows what the Goon Show is all about".[17]

Dixon worked with Tony Hancock, when he produced the first episode of the fifth series of Hancock's Half Hour, The New Radio Series.[18] He also produced the series Ignorance is Bliss and These Foolish Things.[1] Dixon also worked again with Michael Bentine on the first series of Round the Bend in Thirty Minutes.

He died of cancer on 8 October 1958, aged 54.[19][1]

Selected credits

Notes and references

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Obituary: Mr. Pat Dixon". [[w:The Times|]]. London. 10 October 1958. p. 89.
  2. ^ "Dixon, William Macneile". Who's Who. Oxford: [[w:Oxford University Press|]]. Retrieved 16 August 2012. (subscription required)
  3. ^ "BBC Variety Producer". The Herald. Glasgow. 9 October 1958. p. 9.
  4. ^ Meynell, Francis (14 October 1958). "Pat Dixon". [[w:The Times|]]. London. p. 13.
  5. ^ Carpenter 2004, p. 96.
  6. ^ Secombe 1997, p. 166.
  7. ^ Carpenter 2004, pp. 95–96.
  8. ^ Carpenter 2004, p. 105.
  9. ^ Carpenter 2004, pp. 105–06.
  10. ^ Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 34.
  11. ^ Carpenter 2004, p. 114.
  12. ^ Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 124.
  13. ^ Carpenter 2004, p. 166.
  14. ^ a b Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 126.
  15. ^ Carpenter 2004, p. 173.
  16. ^ Carpenter 2004, pp. 174–75.
  17. ^ Carpenter 2004, p. 184.
  18. ^ Webber 2011, p. 137.
  19. ^ Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 63.

Bibliography

External links

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