In this long overdue and affectionate salute, celebrated comedy historian Robert Ross pays tribute to some of the finest, funniest and most fascinating names in comedy from both sides of the Atlantic. Monty Python’s Terry Jones wrote the foreword.
With the passionate input of such comics as Tim Brooke-Taylor, Hattie Hayridge, Roy Hudd, Michael Palin, Ross Noble, Chris Addison and Bernard Cribbins, Ross honours these legends of humor who, for a variety of reasons, didn’t quite reach the heady heights of stardom or, once they had, couldn’t cope with the pressures.
Whether it is a favorite from the distant smoke- and ale-stained world of the Music Hall like the great George Robey, or the downbeat poetry of Hovis Presley, who dropped disenchanted bombs on the late 1990s, Forgotten Heroes of Comedy will finally elevate them to the Hall of Fame where they belong. Forgotten, no longer.
UK
Joe Baker UK
Eric Barker UK
Alfie Bass UK
Michael Bates India (to English parents)
David Battley UK
Michael Bentine UK
Harold Berens UK
Wilie Best USA
Alec Bregonzi UK
Michael Ward UK
Douglas Byng UK
Marti Caine UK
Esma Cannon Australia (but moved to UK)
Patrick Cargill UK
Jimmy Clitheroe UK
Danny Ross UK
Billy Dainty UK
Janet Davies UK
Florence Desmond UK
Jerry Desmonde UK
Eddie Leslie UK
Maidie Dickson UK
Charlie Drake UK
Jimmy Edwards UK
Gus Elen UK
Ray Ellington UK
Dick Emery UK
Pierre Etaix France
Barry Evans UK
Mario Fabrizi UK
Doug Fisher UK
Ronald Frankau UK
Leslie Fuller UK
Dustin Gee UK
Peter Glaze UK
Tommy Godfrey UK
Harry Locke UK
Ken Goodwin UK
Bernard Gorcey Russia (died USA)
Bert Gordon USA
Monsewer’ Eddie Gray UK
Raymond Griffith USA
Deryck Guyler UK
Brian Hall UK
Lloyd Hamilton USA
Arthur Haynes UK
Richard Hearne UK
Dickie Henderson UK
Gerard Hoffnung Germany (died UK)
Shemp Howard USA
Nat Jackley UK
Rex Jameson UK
Spike Jones USA
John Junkin UK
Dave King UK
Roy Kinnear UK
Dennis Kirkland UK
Patsy Knox USA
Debbie Linden UK
Hugh Lloyd UK
Malcolm Mc Fee UK
Moore Marriott UK
Graham Moffatt UK
Ray Martine UK
Zeppo Marx USA
Glenn Melvyn UK
Eric Merriman UK
Christopher Mitchell UK
Albert Modley UK
Robert Moreton UK
Gladys Morgan UK
Lily Morris UK
Richard Murdoch UK
Tom E. Murray USA
David Nixon UK
Larry Noble UK
Ole Olsen USA
Chic Johnson USA
Ken Platt UK
Sandy Powell UK
Vince Powell UK
Hovis Presley UK
Cardew Robinson UK
Joe E. Ross USA
Patsy Rowlands UK
Derek Roy UK
Derek Royle UK
Leslie Sarony UK
Larry Semon USA
Ronald Shiner UK
Johnnie Silver USA
Dennis Spicer UK
Larry Stephens UK
Jake Thackray UK
Thelma Todd USA
Jack Train UK
Karl Valentin Germany
Liesl Karlstadt Germany
Norman Vaughan UK
Tom Walls UK
Ralph Lynn UK
Elsie and Doris Waters UK
Rita Webb UK
John Wells UK
George and Kenneth Western UK
Gordon Wharmby UK
Bert Wheeler USA
Robert Woolsey USA
Albert Whelan Australia (died UK)
Robb Wilton UK
Mike and Bernie Winters UK
Georgie Wood UK
Dolly Harmer UK
Harry Worth UK
Mario Zampi Italy (died UK)
Circa l’autore
Robert Ross is the leading authority on the history of British comedy. His sixteen books include The Monty Python Encyclopedia, The Carry On Story, Sid James – Cockney Rebel, The Complete Terry-Thomas and official BBC celebrations of Fawlty Towers, Last of the Summer Wine and Steptoe and Son. His latest book is a critically-acclaimed biography of Marty Feldman.
He is a frequent guest on radio and his many television credits include interviews for What’s A Carry On?, Top Ten: Comedy Records, Will the Real Basil Fawlty Please Stand Up?, What the Pythons Did Next, Richard & Judy and BBC News. He lives in Buckinghamshire. www.robertross.co.uk
