Collinson and Dean were a British comedy

double act A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases f ...

popular during the 1920s and 1930s. They were Will Collinson (born William Valentine Malivoire; 14 February 1882 – June 1958) and Alfie Dean (born Alfred Corfield; 7 March 1902 – 22 September 1948). London-born Collinson had toured Britain, Australia and America as a

comedy sketch Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and i ...

writer and performer, before he established a working partnership with Alfie Dean in 1925. Dean had started his own career as a juvenile performer in 1915, and the contrast between the pair's ages and height (Collinson was tall, Dean was short) formed part of the basis of their humour. Collinson was a blustery and middle-aged

straight man The straight man is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch comedy, or farce. When a comedy partner behaves eccentrically, the straight man is expected to maintain composure. The direct contribution to the ...

, while Dean goaded him with inane questions, quips, puns and non sequiturs. Unlike many other double acts such as

Flanagan and Allen Flanagan and Allen were a British singing and comedy double act most active during the 1930s and 1940s. Its members were Bud Flanagan (1896 – 1968, born Chaim Weintrop) and Chesney Allen (1894–1982). They were first paired in a Florrie For ...

, the audience never felt that Collinson and Dean had an underlying affection for one another, more that they were obliged to co-exist. Aaron Neathery, "Who are Collinson and Dean?", ''The Third Banana'', 8 November 2005
Retrieved 22 February 2021 The pair featured in many

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

s in the 1930s, several of which are still readily available online. They broadcast regularly on

BBC radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

, and appeared at the

Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...

in 1933. Their partnership ended in 1938, and Dean joined the military at the start of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Collinson continued to perform, as Collinson and Breen, with a new partner, Bobby Breen, who (at about ) was even shorter than Dean. Rather than continuing the format of a succession of jokes, they used the device of Collinson attempting to teach Breen a new skill.Roger Wilmut, ''Kindly Leave the Stage: The Story of Variety 1919-1960'', Methuen, 1985, , pp.55-56 They remained popular, broadcasting through the war into the early 1950s, and appeared regularly in

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

s.Roy Hudd and Philip Hindin, ''Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts'', Robson Books, 1998, , p.32 After the end of the war, Dean worked as a foil to comedian

Sid Field Sidney Arthur Field (1 April 1904 – 3 February 1950) was an English comedy entertainer who was popular in the 1940s. Early years Field was born in Ladywood, Birmingham, Warwickshire, the son of Albert (a candlemaker) and Bertha (a dressmak ...

, and appeared in a second Royal Variety Performance in 1946. He featured in the 1948

Terry-Thomas Terry-Thomas (born Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens; 10 July 19118 January 1990) was an English character actor and comedian who became internationally known through his films during the 1950s and 1960s. He often portrayed disreputable members of th ...

film '' A Date with a Dream'', and in '' London Town'' and ''

Cardboard Cavalier ''Cardboard Cavalier'' is a 1948 British historical comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Sid Field, Margaret Lockwood and Jerry Desmonde. It was the last film for Forde and Field. Field died of a heart attack shortly after the f ...

'' with Sid Field (released after Dean's death, and shortly before that of Field, its star). Alfie Dean filmography, ''BFI''
Retrieved 22 February 2021 In July 1948, Dean suffered serious head injuries when he was hit by a car; although he seemed to be making a recovery, he died two months later from a

blood clot A thrombus (plural thrombi), colloquially called a blood clot, is the final product of the blood coagulation step in hemostasis. There are two components to a thrombus: aggregated platelets and red blood cells that form a plug, and a mesh of c ...

on the brain, aged 46. Collinson died in 1958, aged 76.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Collinson and Dean English comedy duos English male comedians