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Comedian Charlie Drake died

 
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mark occomore



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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Location: UK

PostPosted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:05 am    Post subject: Comedian Charlie Drake died Reply with quote

Last of the slap stick Comedians Charlie Drake has died at the age 81.
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Aww, bless him Sad I'm sorry to hear that.
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John W



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Location: Warwickshire, UK

PostPosted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I remember Charlie Drake very well, and there was another character in his shows, Mr Pugh, can't remember that actor's name.

Charlie had a catch phrase, and a hit pop record, 'Hello My Darling'




John W
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marietta honeybun



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 12:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's sad news. I remember him from the early 50's when he appeared on BBC tv in a children's programme called "Mick and Montmorency".
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mark occomore



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 12:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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Number Six



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 4:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

John W wrote:
I remember Charlie Drake very well, and there was another character in his shows, Mr Pugh, can't remember that actor's name.

Charlie had a catch phrase, and a hit pop record, 'Hello My Darling'




John W


If I remember correctly Mr Pugh was played by Henry McGee who was also Benny Hill's straight man. Charlie was alson a good straight actor earning credits for his performance as Smallweed in Bleak House.

Coincidence time. Acoording to a report in MOS a month or two ago Charlie was in the same nursing home as dear old Fluff Freeman
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John W



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 5:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks numbersix,

I didn't bother googling but yes Henry McGee of Benny Hill shows, he was also an occasional on other shows with Frankie Howerd and Ain't Half Hot Mum and Carry On films.

Charlie Drake's first series was black and white maybe 1960ish, the second one might have been colour but don't think I saw much of that one.

John W
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RockitRon



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PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 12:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Most of Charlie's TV comedy series passed before we got a set, so I missed out, but I do remember the odd slapstick sketch on the Royal Variety Shows (he did 15 of them, apparently).

His name has come up two or three times fairly recently on the old BBC Music boards, usually when discussing comedy, novelty or rare records. Produced by George Martin, he had a few hits in the early 60s - his catchphrase Hello My Darlings, coupled with a cover of Bobby Darin's Splish Splash, childrens' favourites Mr Custer and My Boomerang Won't Come Back, and an odd version of Volare.

EMI released a Best of... CD a couple of years ago; it's currently deleted, but I'm sure they'll reissue it in the New Year. Most of the rest of the 24 tracks are variations on the hits, and comedy fillers, but there is one standout track which demonstrates a sharper, surreal, almost subversive streak to his sense of humour, and it's way ahead of his time as well. Entitled Drakes Progress (after the title of one of his TV series) it's him in his guise as The Worker (an electrician) who turns up to do a job at No 9 Downing Street. With a classical tune, the identity of which escapes me for the moment, tinkling in the background, we hear him muttering and musing while he's wiring something up. There are references to the "strange usurpent" in the building, a previous job in Pakistan, heavy water and fallout, the "Once more unto the breach..." quotation from Henry V, and then, when he's finished he presses a button and there's a huge explosion, followed by the punchline "Ma chandelle est morte".

Almost worthy of Python.
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iknewdavidjacobsmum



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PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 7:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My Brother got a copy of "My boomerang won't come back" when he was trying to dump his Australian girlfriend. Every time she came to the house he would play it. I knew the words by heart. Charlie was more than a comedian to us.
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SantaFefan



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PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 8:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I remember watching one of his shows on tv which was live, and he knocked himself out crashing through a shelf unit! the rest of the cast didn't know what to do when Charlie didn't get up off the floor!

Did he also record "Who puts the lighty on?" or was that somebody else! Rolling Eyes
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pickle



Joined: 10 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:32 pm    Post subject: Charlie Drake Reply with quote

Tommy Steele recorded 'Who Put The Lighty On?'

I've asked on the 6 Music messageboards if Stuart Maconie will play Drake's 'You Never Know' on 'The Freak Zone', as it was a composition by Peter Gabriel and Martin Hall that Drake did for Charisma Records, before Gabriel released his first solo album.
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RockitRon



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PostPosted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 2:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know you've mentioned "You Never Know" before, but there's currently no trace of it anywhere in any of the listings when searching on the net. Unless the Beeb do keep a copy of absolutely everything, you may have to hunt the record sales and send him a copy to play.
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