Arthur Askey
Acting
Biography
Arthur Askey was a diminutive British comedian, born in 1900. He began his professional career as a music hall performer in 1924, but it wasn't until 1938's Band Wagon (which lasted a full five seasons), that he became a household name in England. His film debut was in the 1937 British feature Calling All Stars, but then, in 1939, Band Wagon swooped in again and made him a film star with a film following on from when Arthur and co-star Richard "Stinker" Murdoch were evicted from their beloved flat. Film stardom carried Arthur through to the mid 1940s, but it wasn't till 1956 when he starred in another film, Ramsbottom Rides again. He started his own television show: The Arthur Askey show, where, of course, he was the main player and that carried on till his retirement. He died in 1982. IMDb Mini Biography By: Slick-50
Known For
The Sooty Show is a British children's Puppet series which aired on the BBC from 1955 to 1967 and ITV from 1968 to 1992. It follows the adventures and comedic day to day life of puppets Sooty, Sweep and Soo with their owner Harry Corbett, and in later years, his son Matthew.
The Sooty Show
The story of the big names that have shaped the musical genres, plus an occasional stopgap for the new rock 'n' roll - comedy.
Legends
A short documentary about Alma Cogan's life.
Alma Cogan: The Girl With The Giggle In Her Voice
The programme ran on BBC in 1952-53, returning in '55 after a hiatus. "Before Your Very Eyes" featured comic monologues and simple skits, of the sort which had been popular in English music hall between the wars. Askey was ably assisted by Dickie Henderson, soon to become a major comedian in his own right.
Before Your Very Eyes
Made at a time when David Frost was hosting a chat show in the US and then jetting back to the UK to do three shows over the weekend, called (naturally enough) Frost on Friday, Frost on Saturday and Frost on Sunday. The latter concerned itself with the lighter end of the entertainment spectrum.
Frost on Sunday
Personal anecdotes as told to Dick Hills.
Tell Me Another
The Arthur Askey Show was a short-lived black-and-white British sitcom starring Arthur Askey that ran for six episodes in 1961. It was written by Dave Freeman. It was made for the ITV network by ATV.
The Arthur Askey Show
Jilted by his fiancee, Arthur Pilbeam gets a job as far away from women as possible. Alone in a lighthouse, he soon finds that 12 other people end up living on the tiny island. Thirteen is an unlucky number; and one-by-one they disappear ...
Back-Room Boy
Music variety show from the United Kingdom.
Rising Stars
After being arrested for assaulting a football referee, desperate train driver Bill (Arthur Askey) raids the railwaymen's holiday fund to cover his £55 fine. He knows he's going to be discovered though, leaving him no choice but to get the money back by hook or by crook! His last chance is to run a book on the United v City football derby. If that wasn't tense enough, Bill's son is also making his debut for United. It looks like it's going to be a day to remember - do you dare look? ...The Love Match.
The Love Match
A documentary about the portrayal of Adolf Hitler in popular culture.
Hitler: The Comedy Years
Alf and his family have been moved from their East End home into a high-rise council estate. Alf is not only having trouble coping with his new 'home', but also with the long commute to work, the long walk to the corner pub, his long-suffering wife Else, rebellious daughter Rita, and her philandering, constantly unemployed husband Mike.
The Alf Garnett Saga
Mismatched travellers are stranded overnight at a lonely rural railway station. They soon learn of local superstition about a phantom train which is said to travel these parts at dead of night, carrying ghosts from a long-ago train wreck in the area.
The Ghost Train
Arthur's Treasured Volumes was a black-and-white British television series that aired on ITV in 1960. Starring Arthur Askey, it was written by Dave Freeman and was made for the ITV network by ATV. All episodes are missing having been presumed wiped during the 1960s, although part of the first episode "A Blow In Anger" was recovered by Paul Stroud and shown at the National Film Theatre in November 2003.
Arthur's Treasured Volumes
In this feature-length documentary from 1976, Leslie Mitchell and special guests recall the birth of BBC Television forty years before.
The Birth of Television
Sid Gibson is a soap powder salesman who decides what he really needs is TV advertising. The problem is, he's absolutely broke. He calls upon his friend Arthur Ashton, who arranges to sneak a plug for Sid's suds into a live TV spectacular. The public goes bananas for the product but to maintain sales Sid and Arthur must arrange for ever more outrageous plugs on TV shows. The Ascots races, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo - no show is safe.
Make Mine a Million
No description available.
Raise Your Glasses
Documentary about British comedy legend
Heroes of Comedy: Arthur Askey
Musical review. The messenger carrying the master discs of a season drops them, so Flotsam and Jetsam are sent out to collect the stars concerned. Each star gives an extract from his or her record.
Calling All Stars
A gang of spies held up in a haunted castle gives this team of celebrated British wireless comedians plenty of scope for laughs.