Thomas Frederick Cooper (19 March 1921 – 15 April 1984) was a Welsh
prop comedian and
magician. As an entertainer, his appearance was large and lumbering at , and he habitually wore a red
fez when performing. He served in the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...
for seven years, before developing his conjuring skills and becoming a member of
The Magic Circle A magic circle is a ritually defined space in a number of magical traditions.
Magic circle or Magic Circle may also refer to:
* Magic circle (mathematics), an arrangement of natural numbers on circles such that the sum of the numbers on each circl ...
. Although he spent time on tour performing his magical act, which specialised on magic tricks that appeared to fail, he rose to international prominence when his career moved into television, with programmes for
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 ...
and
Thames Television
Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...
.
By the end of the 1970s, Cooper was smoking and drinking heavily, which affected his career and his health, effectively ending offers to front new programmes and relegating him to performing as a guest star on other entertainment shows. On 15 April 1984, Cooper died at the age of 63 after suffering a heart attack live on television.
Early life
Thomas Frederick Cooper was born on 19 March 1921 at 19 Llwyn-On Street in
Caerphilly, Glamorgan.
He was delivered by the woman who owned the house in which the family were lodging. His parents were Thomas H. Cooper, a
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
recruiting sergeant in the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...
and later coal miner, and Catherine Gertrude (''née'' Wright), Thomas's English wife from
Crediton, Devon.
To change from his mining role, that could have had implications for his health in Caerphilly, his father accepted the offer of a new job and the family moved to
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal c ...
, Devon, when Cooper was three. It was in Exeter that he acquired the
West Country accent
West Country English is a group of English language varieties and accents used by much of the native population of South West England, the area sometimes popularly known as the West Country.
The West Country is often defined as encompassin ...
that became part of his act.
As an adult and on a visit to Wales to visit the house where he was born, Cooper was asked if he considered himself to be a Welshman, to which he answered, "Well yes, my father's Welsh... and my mother's from Devon. Actually I was in Caerphilly and left here when I was about a year old, I was getting very serious with a girl", much to the amusement of the BBC interviewer and himself.
When he was eight years old an aunt bought him a
magic set
A magic set or magic kit is a product containing a variety of props materials, and instructions to perform A variety of magic tricks. The tricks included often rely heavily on gimmicked props, and require little skill to perform. In addition to pr ...
and he spent hours perfecting the tricks. In the 1960s his brother David (born 1930) opened D. & Z. Cooper's Magic Shop at 249 High Street in
Slough
Slough () is a town and unparished area in the unitary authority of the same name in Berkshire, England, bordering west London. It lies in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4, ...
, Buckinghamshire. The shop later moved to
Eastbourne
Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the l ...
, East Sussex and was run by David's daughter Sabrina. After school Cooper became a
shipwright
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...
in
Southampton
Southampton () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire, S ...
, Hampshire. In 1940 he was called up as a
trooper in the
Royal Horse Guards
The Royal Regiment of Horse Guards (The Blues) (RHG) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.
Raised in August 1650 at Newcastle upon Tyne and County Durham by Sir Arthur Haselrigge on the orders of Oliver C ...
, serving for seven years. He joined
Montgomery's
Desert Rats in Egypt. Cooper became a member of a
Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) entertainment party, and developed an act around his
magic tricks interspersed with comedy. One evening in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo met ...
, during a sketch in which he was supposed to be in a costume that required a
pith helmet
The pith helmet, also known as the safari helmet, salacot, sola topee, sun helmet, topee, and topi) is a lightweight cloth-covered helmet made of sholapith. The pith helmet originates from the Spanish military adaptation of the native '' salak ...
, having forgotten the prop Cooper reached out and borrowed a
fez from a passing waiter, which got huge laughs.
He wore a fez when performing after that, the prop later being described as "an icon of 20th-century comedy".
Development of the act
Cooper was
demobilized after seven years of military service and took up show business on Christmas Eve 1947. He later developed a popular
monologue
In theatre, a monologue (from el, μονόλογος, from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes a ...
about his military experience as "Cooper the Trooper". He worked in variety theatres around the country and at many night spots in London, performing as many as 52 shows in one week.
Cooper developed his conjuring skills and became a member of
The Magic Circle A magic circle is a ritually defined space in a number of magical traditions.
Magic circle or Magic Circle may also refer to:
* Magic circle (mathematics), an arrangement of natural numbers on circles such that the sum of the numbers on each circl ...
, but there are various stories about how and when he developed his delivery of "failed" magic tricks:
*He was performing to his shipbuilding colleagues when everything went wrong, but he noticed that the failed tricks got laughs.
*He started making "mistakes" on purpose when he was in the Army.
*His tricks went wrong at a post-war audition, but the panel thoroughly enjoyed them anyway.
To keep the audience on their toes Cooper threw in an occasional trick that worked when it was least expected.
Career
Cooper was influenced by
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo ...
,
[John Fisher, ''Tommy Cooper: Always Leave Them Laughing'', Harper Collins, 2006, p. 137] Will Hay,
Max Miller,
Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...
,
and
Robert Orben.
In 1947 Cooper got his big break with Miff Ferrie, at that time trombonist in a band called The Jackdaws, who booked him to appear as the second-spot comedian in a show starring the
sand dance
Wilson, Keppel and Betty formed a popular British music hall and vaudeville act in the middle decades of the 20th century. They capitalised on the fashion for Ancient Egyptian imagery following the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. The "ecc ...
act Marqueeze and the Dance of the Seven Veils. Cooper then began two years of arduous performing, including a tour of Europe and a stint 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-speakin ...
, playing one of
Cinderella
"Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
's ugly sisters. The period culminated in a season-long booking at the
Windmill Theatre, where he doubled up doing cabaret. In one week he performed 52 shows. Ferrie remained Cooper's sole agent for 37 years, until Cooper's death in 1984. Cooper was supported by a variety of acts, including the vocal percussionist
Frank Holder.
Cooper rapidly became a top-liner in variety with his turn as the conjurer whose tricks never succeeded, but it was his television work that raised him to national prominence. After his debut on the
BBC talent show ''New to You'' in March 1948 he began starring in his own shows, and was popular with audiences for nearly 40 years, notably through his work with
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 ...
from 1968 to 1972 and with
Thames Television
Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...
from 1973 to 1980. Thanks to his many television shows during the mid-1970s he was one of the most recognisable comedians in the world.
John Fisher writes in his biography of Cooper: "Everyone agrees that he was mean. Quite simply he was acknowledged as the
tightest man in show business, with a pathological dread of reaching into his pocket." One of Cooper's stunts was to pay the exact taxi fare and when leaving the cab slip something into the taxi driver's pocket, saying, "Have a drink on me." That something would turn out to be a tea bag.
By the mid-1970s alcohol had started to erode Cooper's professionalism and club owners complained that he turned up late or rushed through his show in five minutes. In addition he suffered from chronic
indigestion,
lumbago,
sciatica
Sciatica is pain going down the leg from the lower back. This pain may go down the back, outside, or front of the leg. Onset is often sudden following activities like heavy lifting, though gradual onset may also occur. The pain is often described ...
,
bronchitis
Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi ...
and severe circulation problems in his legs. When Cooper realised the extent of his maladies he cut down on his drinking, and the energy and confidence returned to his act. However, he never stopped drinking and could be fallible: on an otherwise triumphant appearance with
Michael Parkinson he forgot to set the safety catch on the
guillotine illusion into which he had cajoled Parkinson, and only a last-minute intervention by the
floor manager A floor manager or floor director is a member of the crew of a television show.
The floor manager is responsible for giving information from the director in the control room, to the crew on the studio floor, and then back to the director.
Duties
...
saved Parkinson from serious injury or worse.
Cooper was a heavy cigar smoker (up to 40 a day) as well as an excessive drinker. He experienced a decline in health during the late 1970s, suffering a heart attack in 1977 while performing a show in Rome. Three months later he was back on television in ''Night Out at the
London Casino''.
By 1980 his drinking meant that
Thames Television
Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...
would not give him another starring series, and ''Cooper's Half Hour'' was his last. He did continue to appear as a guest on other television shows, however, and worked with
Eric Sykes
Eric Sykes (4 May 1923 – 4 July 2012) was an English radio, stage, television and film writer, comedian, actor, and director whose performing career spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and performed with many other leading com ...
on two Thames productions in 1982.
Death
On 15 April 1984, Cooper collapsed from a heart attack in front of millions of television viewers, midway through his act on the
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 ...
variety show ''
Live from Her Majesty's'', transmitted live from
Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, ...
in
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buck ...
, London.
An assistant had helped him put on a cloak for his sketch, while
Jimmy Tarbuck, the host, was hiding behind the stage curtains waiting to pass him different props that he would then appear to pull from inside his gown.
His last words seemed to be "Thank you, love," to the assistant seconds before collapsing. The assistant smiled at him as he slumped down, believing that it was part of the act.
Likewise, the audience laughed as he fell backwards.
As Cooper lay dying on the floor, the audience continued to laugh at him believing it was part of an act. Cooper then began snorting and snoring, and died after. Around this time, Jimmy Tarbuck, Alasdair MacMillan (the director of the television production), and the crew behind the curtain who witnessed the incident realised that what was happening to him was not part of the act.
After realising what had happened, Alasdair MacMillan cued the orchestra to play music for an unscripted commercial break (noticeable because of several seconds of blank screen while LWT's
master control contacted regional stations to start transmitting advertisements)
and Tarbuck's manager tried to pull Cooper back through the curtains.
It was decided to continue with the show.
Dustin Gee
Gerald Harrison (24 June 1942 – 3 January 1986), who performed under the name Dustin Gee, was a British impressionist and comedian, best known for his double act with Les Dennis.
Early life and career
Born Gerald Harrison in York, on Wednes ...
and
Les Dennis
Leslie Dennis Heseltine (born 12 October 1953) is an English television presenter, actor, and comedian. He presented '' Family Fortunes'' from 1987 until 2002.
Early life
Dennis was born Leslie Dennis Heseltine on 12 October 1953 in the Liverpo ...
were the act that had to follow Cooper, and other stars proceeded to present their acts in the limited space in front of the curtains. While the show continued, efforts were being made backstage to revive Cooper. It was not until a second commercial break that paramedics moved his body to
Westminster Hospital, where he was pronounced
dead on arrival. His death was not officially reported until the next morning, although the incident was the leading item on the news programme that followed the show. Cooper was cremated at
Mortlake Crematorium in London.
The video of Cooper's heart attack on stage has been uploaded to numerous
video-sharing websites. YouTube drew criticism from a number of sources when footage of the incident was posted on the website in May 2009. John Beyer of the pressure group
Mediawatch-UK
Mediawatch-UK, formerly known as the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association (National VALA or NVLA), was a pressure group in the United Kingdom, which campaigned against the publication and broadcast of media content that it viewed as harm ...
said: "This is very poor taste. That the broadcasters have not repeated the incident shows they have a respect for him and I think that ought to apply also on YouTube."
On 28 December 2011 segments of the ''Live From Her Majesty's'' clip, including Cooper collapsing on stage, were included in the
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
programme ''The Untold Tommy Cooper''.
Personal life
Cooper married Gwen Henty in
Nicosia, Cyprus, on 24 February 1947. She died in 2002. They had two children: Thomas, who was born in 1956, became an actor under the name
Thomas Henty
Thomas Henty (born Thomas John Cooper 19January 195613August 1988) was an English actor, and the son of the magician and prop comedian Tommy Cooper. He attended Sutton Court Primary School in Chiswick, and Latymer Upper School, Hammersmith fro ...
and died in 1988; and Victoria.
From 1967 until his death, Cooper also had a relationship with his personal assistant, Mary Fieldhouse, who wrote about it in her book, ''For the Love of Tommy'' (1986).
Cooper's will was proved via
probate
Probate is the judicial process whereby a will is "proved" in a court of law and accepted as a valid public document that is the true last testament of the deceased, or whereby the estate is settled according to the laws of intestacy in the sta ...
on 29 August 1984, at £327,272.
On Christmas Day 2018, the documentary ''Tommy Cooper: In His Own Words'' was broadcast on
Channel 5. The programme featured Cooper's daughter, Vicky, who gave her first television interview following years of abstaining "because of the grief".
Legacy and honours
A statue of Cooper was unveiled in his birthplace,
Caerphilly, in 2008 by Sir
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...
, who is patron of the
Tommy Cooper Society
Tommy may refer to:
People
* Tommy (given name)
* Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Tommy'' (1975 f ...
. The statue, which cost £45,000, was sculpted by James Done.
In 2009, for
Red Nose Day, a charity Red Nose was put on the statue, but the nose was stolen.
Cooper was a member of the
Grand Order of Water Rats.
In a 2005 poll, The Comedians' Comedian, comedians and comedy insiders voted Cooper the sixth greatest comedy act ever. He has been cited as an influence by
Jason Manford and
John Lydon.
Jerome Flynn has toured with his own tribute show to Cooper called ''Just Like That''.
In February 2007 ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...
'' reported that
Andy Harries, a producer of ''
The Queen'', was working on a dramatisation of the last week of Cooper's life. Harries described Cooper's death as "extraordinary" in that the whole thing was broadcast live on national television. The film subsequently went into production over six years later as a television drama for
ITV. From a screenplay by
Simon Nye, ''
Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This'' was directed by Benjamin Caron and the title role was played by
David Threlfall. It was broadcast 21 April 2014.
In 2010 Cooper was portrayed by
Clive Mantle
Clive Andrew Mantle (born 3 June 1957) is an English actor. He played general surgeon Mike Barratt in the BBC hospital drama series '' Casualty'' and ''Holby City'' in the 1990s, and Little John in the 1980s fantasy series '' Robin of Sherwoo ...
in a stage show, ''
Jus' Like That! A Night Out with Tommy Cooper'', at the
Edinburgh Festival. To train for the role Mantle mastered many of Cooper's magic tricks, studying under
Geoffrey Durham for several months.
In 2012 the
British Heart Foundation
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is a cardiovascular research charity in the United Kingdom. It funds medical research related to heart and circulatory diseases and their risk factors, and runs influencing work aimed at shaping public policy ...
ran a series of advertisements featuring Cooper to raise awareness of heart conditions. These included posters bearing his image together with radio commercials featuring classic Cooper jokes.
''Being Tommy Cooper'', a new play written by Tom Green and starring Damian Williams, was produced by Franklin Productions and toured the UK in 2013.
In 2014, with the support of The Tommy Cooper Estate and Cooper's daughter Victoria, a new tribute show, ''Just Like That! The Tommy Cooper Show'', commemorating 30 years since the comedian's death was produced by Hambledon Productions. The production moved to the Museum of Comedy in Bloomsbury, London, from September 2014 and continues to tour extensively throughout the UK.
In May 2016 a blue plaque in memory of Cooper was unveiled at his former home in Barrowgate Road,
Chiswick
Chiswick ( ) is a district of west London, England. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth; Chiswick House, a neo-Palladian villa regarded as one of the finest in England; and ...
. In August it was announced that the
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and ...
had acquired 116 boxes of Cooper's papers and props, including his "gag file", in which the museum said he had used a system to store his jokes alphabetically "with the meticulousness of an archivist".
On 5 March 2021
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's Flagship (broadcasting), flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News ...
aired the 30-minute documentary ''Tommy Cooper at the BBC'', looking at his best performances, including his appearance on the ''
Parkinson'' show where he almost killed
Michael Parkinson with a trick
guillotine
A guillotine is an apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secured with stocks at t ...
. The programme, which celebrated the centenary of his birth, was presented by Sir
Lenny Henry
Sir Lenworth George Henry (born 29 August 1958) is a British actor, comedian, singer, television presenter and writer.
Henry gained success as a stand-up comedian and impressionist in the late 1970s and early 1980s, culminating in '' The Le ...
.
Filmography
Recordings
*"Don't Jump Off the Roof Dad" (1961), words and music by
Cy Coben
Seymour "Cy" Coben (4 April 1919 – 26 May 2006) was an American songwriter, whose hits were recorded by bandleaders, country singers, and other artists such as The Beatles, Tommy Cooper and Leonard Nimoy.
Biography Early life
Coben was born ...
, single, Palette Records PG 9019 (reached Number 40 in the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
)
*"Ginger" – 7" single
*"Happy Tommy" – 7" single
*"Just Like That" 7" single
*"Masters of Comedy" – CD
*"No Arms Will Ever Hold You" – 7" single
*"Sweet Words of Love" – 7" single
*"Tommy Cooper Very Best Of" – CD, DVD
*"Walkin' Home From School" – 7" single
*"We'll Meet Again" – 7" single
UK VHS/DVD releases
Bibliography
*
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Tommy Cooper - Almost a Magician- archived link
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Tommy
1921 births
1984 deaths
20th-century British comedians
20th-century British male actors
British Army personnel of World War II
British clowns
British magicians
British male comedians
British male television actors
Welsh male comedians
Deaths onstage
Filmed deaths from natural causes
Filmed deaths of entertainers
Music hall performers
People educated at Mount Radford School
People from Caerphilly
Welsh people of English descent
Actors from Exeter
Prop comics
Royal Horse Guards soldiers