Walter William Bygraves (16 October 1922 – 31 August 2012), best known by the stage name Max Bygraves (adopted in honour of
Max Miller), was an English comedian, singer, actor and variety performer. He appeared on his own television shows, sometimes performing comedy sketches between songs. He made twenty ''
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 ...
'' appearances and presented numerous programmes, including ''
Family Fortunes
''Family Fortunes'' is a British television game show based on the American game show ''Family Feud''. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 30 December 2002. A celebrity version, ''All Star Family Fortunes'', followed from 2006 to 2 ...
'' between 1983 and 1985. His catchphrase "I wanna tell you a story" became an integral part of his act, although it had originated with comedian
Mike Yarwood
Michael Edward Yarwood, (born 14 June 1941) is an English impressionist, comedian and actor. He was one of Britain's top-rated entertainers, regularly appearing on television from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Early life
Michael Edward Yarwood was ...
impersonating Bygraves.
Early life
Bygraves was born to Henry and Lillian ( McDonnell) Bygraves (who wed in 1919) in
Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe () is a district of south-east London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, as well as the Isle of Dogs ...
in London,
where he grew up in a two-room council flat in Park Buildings, Paradise Street with his five siblings, his parents and a grandparent. His father was a professional flyweight
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to:
* Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing
*Boxer (dog), a breed of dog
Boxer or boxers may also refer to:
Animal kingdom
* Boxer crab
* Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans
* Boxer snipe ee ...
, known as Battling Tom Smith, and a casual dockworker.
Brought up Catholic, he attended St Joseph's School, Paradise Street,
Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe () is a district of south-east London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, as well as the Isle of Dogs ...
, and sang with his school choir at
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It is the largest Catholic church in the UK and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster.
The site on which the cathedral stands in the City of ...
.
He left school at 14, working at the Savoy Hotel in London as a pageboy, but was sacked for being too tall. He later put some of his success as a variety performer down to his lanky physique. He was tall, but weighed only in adult life. He then became a messenger for W S Crawfords, an advertising agency at 233 High Holborn before serving as a fitter in the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
in 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 ...
and working as a carpenter. He changed his name to Max Bygraves in honour of comedian
Max Miller.
Career
After the end of the war, Bygraves worked on building sites, while entertaining in pubs in the evenings. An early variety stage appearance in January 1945 was at the Grand, Clapham with a review stating "A new impressionist. Max Bygraves, is also a lad to be watched. He has a little to learn in the art of showmanship, but not much, but there is no denying the brilliance of his impersonations."
In August 1946, he toured in a
variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical theatre, musical performances, sketch comedy, magic (illusion), magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is ...
with
Frankie Howerd
Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian.
Early life
Howerd was born the son of soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...
, who in turn introduced him to
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 ...
, and they began writing routines together. With Sykes, he also developed the radio show ''
Educating Archie
''Educating Archie'' was a BBC Light Programme comedy show which was broadcast for nearly ten years between June 1950 and February 1960, mostly at lunchtime on Sundays. The programme featured ventriloquist Peter Brough and his doll Archie Andr ...
'', starring
ventriloquist
Ventriloquism, or ventriloquy, is a performance act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) creates the illusion that their voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered prop known as a "dummy". The act of ventriloquism is v ...
Peter Brough
Peter Brough (26 February 1916 – 3 June 1999) was an English radio ventriloquist who became a well-known name to audiences in the 1950s. He is associated with his puppet Archie Andrews.
Early career
Peter Brough’s father, Arthur Brough ...
and his dummy
Archie Andrews
Archibald "Archie" Andrews, created in 1941 by publisher John L. Goldwater and artist Bob Montana in collaboration with writer Vic Bloom, , and featuring Bygraves in the role of Archie's teacher. The idea for the programme came from record producer
Wally Ridley
Wally may refer to:
Music
* Wally (band), British prog rock band
** ''Wally'' (album), a 1974 album by Wally
* ''La Wally'', an opera by Alfredo Catalani
Other uses
*Wally (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*WALLY, a propose ...
, who produced Bygraves' records during the 1950s.
[
In July 1950, he made his first appearance at the ]London Palladium
The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...
supporting Abbott and Costello
Abbott may refer to:
People
*Abbott (surname)
*Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist
* Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act
Places Argentina
* Abbott, Buenos Aires United States
* Abbott, Arkansas ...
, and in 1951 he supported Judy Garland
Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
in her appearance there. Arising from this, she invited him to perform at the Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
in New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
in October 1951.
Bygraves became a successful recording artist with seven top ten hits on 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 ...
between 1952 and 1960. Many were novelty songs
A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and w ...
. One of his most popular recordings, "You Need Hands" in 1958, was written by Bygraves under the pseudonym Roy Irwin (or Erwin), a name picked at random from a telephone directory. He also wrote its follow-up, "Gotta Have Rain". His producer Wally Ridley said of Bygraves:"Max's great talent was that he could punch lines, which was absolutely great for us. We'd give him songs with very short lines and he'd punch them out marvellously. Give him a long line and he would stumble over it, although I just flipped when I was given 'Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen By The Sea'. I thought, 'Fabulous, fabulous, this is a major hit for us.' I took it to Max and his wife, Blossom, said, 'That's no good, what does it mean?'... The song was absolutely perfect for Max and its whole secret was 'What the hell does it mean?"
He also occasionally worked as an actor, appearing in British films including ''Bless 'Em All
"Bless 'Em All", also known as "The Long and the Short and the Tall" and "Fuck 'Em All", is a war song. The words have been credited to Fred Godfrey in 1917 set to music composed by Robert Kewley, however, early versions of the song may have ex ...
'' (1948) and ''Tom Brown's Schooldays
''Tom Brown's School Days'' (sometimes written ''Tom Brown's Schooldays'', also published under the titles ''Tom Brown at Rugby'', ''School Days at Rugby'', and ''Tom Brown's School Days at Rugby'') is an 1857 novel by Thomas Hughes. The stor ...
'' (1951). Bygraves appeared as himself in the 1954 British film musical ''Harmony Lane'' directed by Lewis Gilbert, and 'What Now, Davros!', with Helen Ball. He portrayed the title character in the 1956 film ''Charley Moon
''Charley Moon'' is a 1956 British musical film directed by Guy Hamilton. It stars Max Bygraves, Dennis Price and Shirley Eaton. The screenplay and lyrics are by Leslie Bricusse. The story is based on Reginald Arkell's backstage novel of the sam ...
'' and starred in the 1961 drama '' Spare the Rod''.[ In 1959, Bygraves bought the past and future rights to the ]Lionel Bart
Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 – 3 April 1999) was a British writer and composer of pop music and musicals. He wrote Tommy Steele's "Rock with the Caveman" and was the sole creator of the musical '' Oliver!'' (1960). With ''Oliver!'' and his work ...
musical ''Oliver!
''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens.
It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...
'' for £350 at a time when Bart was experiencing severe financial difficulties. Bygraves later sold them for £250,000.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Bygraves appeared as a guest on several television variety programmes, both in the UK and United States. These included Ed Sullivan
Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York ...
, Jack Benny
Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with ...
and Jackie Gleason
John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...
, in America. He was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1961 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews
Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...
while rehearsing his new show, '' Do Re Mi'' at London's Prince of Wales Theatre
The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...
. He appeared in several TV series including the sitcom ''Roamin' Holiday'' and the variety shows ''Max'' and ''Max Bygraves at the Royalty''.[ From 1983 to 1985, Bygraves hosted '']Family Fortunes
''Family Fortunes'' is a British television game show based on the American game show ''Family Feud''. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 30 December 2002. A celebrity version, ''All Star Family Fortunes'', followed from 2006 to 2 ...
'', taking over from his friend and fellow comedian Bob Monkhouse
Robert Alan Monkhouse (1 June 1928 – 29 December 2003) was an English comedian, writer and actor. He was the host of television game shows including ''The Golden Shot'', ''Celebrity Squares'', ''Family Fortunes'' and '' ''Wipeout'.
Early ...
. He would later be succeeded as host in 1987 by 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 Liverpoo ...
.
From 1972, Bygraves recorded a series of albums, ''Sing Along With Max'' (later ''Singalongamax''), in which he sang medleys of familiar songs aimed at an older audience. The albums, for Pye Records
Pye Records was a British record label. Its best known artists were Lonnie Donegan (1956–1969), Petula Clark (1957–1971), the Searchers (1963–1967), the Kinks (1964–1971), Sandie Shaw (1964–1971), Status Quo (1968–1971) and Brotherhoo ...
, sold millions of copies and led to spinoff shows and more recordings.[ In 1977, UK publishing house W. H. Allen published Bygraves' comic novel ''The Milkman's on His Way''.
Bygraves' catchphrase was said to be: "I wanna tell you a story". It was actually ]Mike Yarwood
Michael Edward Yarwood, (born 14 June 1941) is an English impressionist, comedian and actor. He was one of Britain's top-rated entertainers, regularly appearing on television from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Early life
Michael Edward Yarwood was ...
who made up that phrase, from Bygraves' "I want to tell you a joke", though Bygraves adopted Yarwood's version as the title of his own memoirs. Another well-known phrase of his was "That's a good idea, son!".[
]
Honours
In 1982, Bygraves was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(OBE).
Personal life
Bygraves married WAAF WAAF may refer to:
* w3af, (short for web application attack and audit framework), an open-source web application security scanner
* Women's Auxiliary Air Force, a British military service in World War II
** Waaf, a member of the service
* WAAF (AM ...
sergeant Gladys "Blossom" Murray in 1942. The couple had three children. Bygraves also had three other children from extramarital affairs.
On 9 August 1974, Bygraves became stuck on a cliff near his house in Westbourne, Bournemouth, when a kite flown by his grandson Michael became trapped beneath the edge of the cliff. He suffered friction burns on his hands and was in shock when police and firefighters helped him to safety. In 1999, Bygraves underwent treatment for an ear disorder, having cancelled a number of performances on his doctor's advice.
He and Blossom Bygraves moved from Bournemouth to Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, Australia, in 2008. She died there in 2011 at the age of 88.
Death
Bygraves was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2010, and he died from complications of this illness at his daughter's home in Australia on the evening of 31 August 2012.
Television
*''Whack-O!
''Whack-O!'' is a British sitcom TV series starring Jimmy Edwards, written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden, and broadcast from 1956 to 1960 and 1971 to 1972.
The series (in black and white) ran on the BBC from 1956 to 1960 and (in colour) from 19 ...
'' (1960)
*''The Royal Variety Performance'' (1961; 1963 etc.)
*''The Jack Benny Program'' (1963, season 13, episode 13)
*''It's Sad About Eddie'' (1964)
*Max Bygraves meets The Black and White Minstrels (1965, 1 episode)
*''Max'' (1969–74)
*''Max Bygraves Says "I Wanna Tell You a Story"'' (1976–77)
*''Singalongamax'' (1978–80)
*''Max Bygraves - Side by Side'' (1982)
*''Family Fortunes
''Family Fortunes'' is a British television game show based on the American game show ''Family Feud''. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 30 December 2002. A celebrity version, ''All Star Family Fortunes'', followed from 2006 to 2 ...
'' (1983–85)
*''The Mind of David Berglas'' (1986)
*''Call Up the Stars'' (1995)
*''Against the Odds RAF Documentary'' (2001)
Partial filmography
* ''Bless 'Em All
"Bless 'Em All", also known as "The Long and the Short and the Tall" and "Fuck 'Em All", is a war song. The words have been credited to Fred Godfrey in 1917 set to music composed by Robert Kewley, however, early versions of the song may have ex ...
'' (1948)
* ''The Nitwits on Parade'' (1949)
* ''Skimpy in the Navy'' (1949)
* ''Tom Brown's Schooldays
''Tom Brown's School Days'' (sometimes written ''Tom Brown's Schooldays'', also published under the titles ''Tom Brown at Rugby'', ''School Days at Rugby'', and ''Tom Brown's School Days at Rugby'') is an 1857 novel by Thomas Hughes. The stor ...
'' (1951)
* ''Charley Moon
''Charley Moon'' is a 1956 British musical film directed by Guy Hamilton. It stars Max Bygraves, Dennis Price and Shirley Eaton. The screenplay and lyrics are by Leslie Bricusse. The story is based on Reginald Arkell's backstage novel of the sam ...
'' (1956)
* ''A Cry from the Streets
''A Cry from the Streets'' is a 1958 British drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert. It was entered into the 1st Moscow International Film Festival, and Vernon Harris's screenplay received a BAFTA nomination.
Plot
When a man is hanged for murder ...
'' (1958)
* ''Bobbikins
''Bobbikins'' is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Robert Day (director), Robert Day and starring Shirley Jones and Max Bygraves. It was made in CinemaScope and released by 20th Century Fox. It was produced by the British subsidiary of 20t ...
'' (1959)
* '' Spare the Rod'' (1961)
* ''The Alf Garnett Saga
''The Alf Garnett Saga'' is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Warren Mitchell, Dandy Nichols, Paul Angelis and Adrienne Posta. The film was the second spin-off from the BBC TV series ''Till Death Us Do Part''. It st ...
'' (1972)
* ''The Jigsaw Man
"The Jigsaw Man" is a science fiction short story by American writer Larry Niven, set in the ''Known Space'' universe. The story was first published in Harlan Ellison's anthology '' Dangerous Visions'', and is included in Niven's collections ''A ...
'' (1983) Uncredited cameo appearance (policeman)
Discography
Chart singles
Albums
* ''Show Stoppers'' (1962)
* ''Sing Along with Max'' (1972) No. 4
* ''Sing Along with Max Vol. 2'' (1972) No. 11
* ''Singalongamax Vol. 3'' (1973) No. 5
* ''Singalongamax Vol. 4'' (1973) No. 7
* ''Singalongapartysong'' (1973) No. 15
* ''You Make Me Feel Like Singing a Song'' (1974) No. 39
* ''Singalongaxmas'' (1974) No. 21
* ''100 Golden Greats'' (1976) No. 3
* ''Lingalongamax'' (1978) No. 39
* ''Discolongamax'' (1979) No. 47
* ''The Song and Dance Men'' (1978) No. 67
* ''Singalongawaryears'' (1989) No. 5
* ''Singalongawaryears Volume 2'' (1989) No. 33
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bygraves, Max
1922 births
2012 deaths
Male actors from London
Deaths from Alzheimer's disease
Neurological disease deaths in Queensland
English comedy musicians
English expatriates in Australia
English game show hosts
English male film actors
English male singers
English male television actors
English Roman Catholics
Military personnel from London
Pye Records artists
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
People from Dagenham
Musicians from Bournemouth
Royal Air Force personnel of World War II
Singers from London
20th-century English comedians
21st-century English comedians
British novelty song performers
Royal Air Force airmen
Decca Records artists
Philips Records artists
Actors from Bournemouth