Charlie Higgins (born Charles Robert Higginson; 23 July 1892 – 5 February 1978) was a British comedian. While largely forgotten today, he was one of the most popular British comedians of the early 1930s.
Biography
He was born in
Ancoats,
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
(though some sources erroneously give
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
).
[ Alwyn Turner, "Halloween hits: In the Waxworks Late Last Night", ''Lion & Unicorn'', 30 October 2020]
Retrieved 24 September 2021 His father worked in the iron works, whilst Charlie and his sister both started work in a cotton mill at a young age. After service in the First World War, Charlie became part of a double act with his wartime colleague Charles Robert St Juste, and were known as The King's Jesters. They toured the
music halls, their act including singing, whistling and comedy.
[
The double act broke up in 1925 but Higgins continued to be successful alone, and toured the country in ]revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...
s with a combination of comic acting and singing. A review from the Portsmouth Evening News
''The News'' is the only local paid-for newspaper in Portsmouth, England, and covers a wide area of south Hampshire. It is produced by Johnston Press, owners of Portsmouth Publishing & Printing, at their headquarters in North Harbour, Portsm ...
in 1926 said: "Charlie Higgins is a new type of comedian who does not rely upon jokes of doubtful character to provoke laughter but who abounds in witticisms which are really funny." His most successful revue was ''Out of Work'' in 1926, a show written for him by fellow comedian Billy Bennett, and in which Higgins played a shop worker who lost his job and tried but failed at various other occupations.[
He established himself as a comedian from about 1930, billed as "A fool if only he knew it", and with a distinctive costume of ]top hat
A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditional ...
, plus-fours
Plus fours are breeches or trousers that extend four inches (10 cm) below the knee (and thus four inches longer than traditional knickerbockers, hence the name). Knickerbockers have been traditionally associated with sporting attire sinc ...
and brown boots. He often performed with a sidekick, such as Bert Bray (1886–1938), as a double act. In his day he played the part of someone who is down in their luck. He was a master of facial expressions.
His first recording, "With Me Gloves In Me 'And", was made in 1930.[ He was a popular recording comedian from the early to the mid-1930s. In the 1930s Higgins released at least twenty records, mostly on the Broadcast label and the last few on the Rex label. Despite lack of modern recognition, he was a very successful recording comedian and performed at an All Star Non Stop Variety Show in 1934. He played 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 a ...
three times in the 1930sMill Hill
Mill Hill is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, England. It is situated around northwest of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until 1965, when it became part of Greater London. Its population counted 18,45 ...
, north west London, and died on 5 February 1978.The Stage
''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...
''
Retrieved 24 September 2021
List of songs
*With Me Gloves in Me 'And, me hat on one side (1930) – This was his first record and most successful.
*In The Waxworks Late Last Night (1930)
*Down In The Field Where the Buttercups All Grow (1931)
*Running Up and Down our street (1931)
*The Girls of the old brigade (1931)
*Sh! There's a Ghost In The House (1931)
*Down In The Old Churchyard (1931)
*Charlie's Saxophone (1931)
*I'm a daddy at 63 (1931)
*Charlie In Spain (1931)
*The Day I went to Wembley for the Cup-Tie (1931)
*Maggie and me and the baby (1931)
*With Me Bagful of nuts and Some sweets in my Mouth (1932)
*Jolly Old Uncle Joe (1932)
*Mrs. McGrath and Mrs. O'Rafferty (1932)
*Charlie Goes Shopping on Saturday Night (1932)
*Bumpity Bump Again (1932)
*Round at her mother's on Sunday (1932)
*That's why women were born (1932)
When I was twenty-one (1932)
*Mother's walking around in Father's Trousers (1933)
*Where The Violets are blue-oo and the roses are red (1933)
*Charlie Makes Whoopee! (1933)-Also featuring Bert Bray
*Charlie's Breach and Promise case (1933)-Also featuring Bert Bray
*All Poshed up with me Daises in my hand (1934)
*Navvies' Jazz (1934)
"She's Leading Me Up The Garden" (1934) (Lost)
References
Further reading
Sculthorpe, Derek ''The Lost World of Music Hall'' (2021) Bear Manor Media
External links
Charlie Higgins - All Poshed Up - Windyridge VAR34
*
Listen to 'When I Was Twenty-One'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Higgins, Charlie
English male comedians
1892 births
1978 deaths
Comedians from Manchester
Music hall performers
20th-century English comedians