Show 27

"Handsome Harry Secombe and the Lost Million"
The Goon Show episode
Episode: no.	Series: 2 Episode: 10
Written by	Spike Milligan Larry Stephens
Produced by	Dennis Main Wilson
Music	Harry Secombe: My Heart and I Max Geldray: Tea for Two Ellington Quartet: Cry
Editing by	Jimmy Grafton
Recording Number	SLO 5380
First broadcast	1 April 1952 (1952-04-01)

The series 2 shows didn't have 'official' episode names per se, but for ease of reference using the show number and Handsome Harry sketch name is to differentiate them.

The show had now changed its name from Crazy People to "The Goon Show, featuring those crazy people…"

Show 27 (aka Handsome Harry Secombe and the Lost Million) is an episode from The Goon Show. It is the tenth show in the second series.

Harry Secombe's musical section was recorded separately from the main show session at 6pm on Sunday, 30 March 1952 (SLO 5380a). The main show recording session commenced later that Sunday, 30 March 1952 at 9pm. Both recording sessions were recorded at Aeolian I, 135–137 New Bond Street, London.

The first British public broadcast was on the Home Service on Tuesday, 1 April 1952 at 9.45pm (except Northern Ireland). It reached a peak listenership of 1.5m.

The show's repeat was broadcast the following Thursday at 7.30pm, 3 April 1952 on the Light Programme to an audience of 4.7 million listeners.

Sketches

• Handsome Harry Secombe and the Lost Million: Threatened Harry discovers that his safe has been robbed;
• Pureheart: Finds the Captain telling Tim about how he proposed a tunnel under the English Channel to the Permanent Under Secretary of State for Large Holes;
• The Grand National: Offers Michael Bentine and Raymond Goondenning’s commentary ahead of next Saturday’s race;
• Major Von Bloodnok – German Secret Agent’ has the military historian relating the tale of Oberleutenant Von Bloodnok, the first German agent parachuted into Britain from Zeppelin in the 14-18 war.

Music

• Harry Secombe sang My Heart and I (Richard Tauber/Fred Tysh).
• Max Geldray performed Tea for Two (Vincent Youmans).
• The Ray Ellington Quartet (pays tribute to Johnnie Ray with) Cry (Churchill Kohlman).

Show Trivia

In this show Spike's Miss Bannister appeared as ‘Auntie Bannister’ to Captain Pureheart while in the commentary for the Grand National – due to be run the following Saturday – Peter appeared again as Raymond Goondenning (spoofing Raymond Glendenning). This edition aired in the later slot of 9.45pm on April Fool’s Day because of the discussion Governing London. It also gained a substantial audience when repeated in a new slot on the Light Programme at 7.30pm on Thursday 3 April; almost five million listeners had tuned in for The Goon Show when it replaced Anything Goes, while ballet music was placed in its vacated slot at Saturday lunchtime.

Technical

Originally recorded on SLO 5380 (Secombe's pre-recording session on SLO 5380a). (33⅓ rpm, coarse-groove 16" disk recorded at Broadcasting House).