Angela Ryder - A Scrapbook
Born in Sheffield, and
having danced from the age of four,
Angela
left
school at sixteen, becoming one of the “Bluebell Girls” . She enjoyed a
career that saw her perform in five West End Musicals, in Summer Seasons,
television and pantomime.
During her career Angela appeared with Xavier Cougat
and his orchestra in South America, toured in a double act in that continent
for a year and a half, performed cabaret in India, Spain, fortunately she
speaks four languages- and in numerous clubs in London’s West End. In
Variety she worked alongside -and frequently acted as stooge- to comedians
such as Dave King, Bob Monkhouse, Benny Hill, Mike and Bernie Winters and
Albert Modley.
In Pantomime Angela worked with 60’s pop idol Billy
Fury, Jean Bayless, Vic Oliver, Al Read and Lauri Lupino Lane among others.
These are just a few items from her scrapbooks. I persuaded Angela that I’d
like to share them on this site, and even though I’ve known this lovely lady
for a good few years , it was a revelation to see some of the shows she’s
been involved with, and the people she has worked alongside.
Puss In Boots
1954
Angela’s first job, as many
dancer singers find today was in panto. At the age of sixteen she joined the
chorus of “Puss
In Boots” at
The
Theatre Royal Birmingham in 1954.
Although her first professional job she understudied the Principal Boy.
This panto starred
Jimmy Jewel and Ben Warris.
They played Gilbert & Gussie the Miller’s sons.
Their Brother, Colin was the Principal Boy played by
Fay
Lenore.
Jewel & Warris
like
Angela were born in Sheffield. They were the most famous double act of the
1940’s and ‘50’s, and were cousins. Jimmy’s Father had been a well known
comedian and a set builder. He built many of Jimmy and Ben’s props and sets
including their “Haunted Bedroom” scenery which was salvaged a few years
back, having been discovered in a hall in East London, and is now at the
Kenneth More Theatre, Ilford.
Jewel and Warris had been established since the mid
1930’s and together appeared in seven Royal Command performances, Summer
Seasons and in Films. Their Radio Series “Up The Pole” ran from 1947 to 1952
making them the highest paid double act of their day.
The Royal in
Birmingham seated 2,200 so the management, Tom Arnold and Emile Littler had
no problems in meeting their salary! They remained together until 1966 when
they went separate ways. Jimmy went on to achieve success in a TV series
with Hylda Baker (they did not see eye to eye, and this came to the boil in
Summer Seasons together where they failed to agree on billing). Jimmy went
on to appear as an actor in plays and television- “Funny Man” was one of his
big successes, and in films and the National Theatre. Jimmy did in 1995
having made a lot of money, and his cousin Ben died virtually penniless two
years before.
Angela’s scrapbook shows a few production shots of
Jimmy and Ben making their entrance, and one atmospheric photograph taken
backstage in the chorus dressing room. Today you’d be lucky to see six girls
in a pantomime chorus, but in 1954 the room is bursting to the seams!
“Puss In Boots” also featured veteran Dame
Fred
Kitchen as The Queen.
Fred Kitchen
(Jnr) was the son of the famous Fred Kitchen who gave Charlie Chaplin a
start in the business, teaching him a lot of his comic technique . Fred’s
Father was one of Fred Karno’s leading comedians, and introduced the walk
that was later to be Chaplin’s trademark in silent film. His son Fred
appeared in this pantomime, and had a career on television through the next
decade. He starred in “Theatre Royal” a TV Series and appeared the following
year in the Norman Wisdom film “One Good Turn”.
“Puss In Boots” cast also included
Ally
Alberta in the role of “Puss” who
transforms into “Puss In Boots” played by
Nanette
Dubray. Ena
Baguley was The Cat Queen, a balletic
role.
Fay Lenore
who played Colin was an English born performer who was very popular in
Scotland. She appeared as “boy” in the Scottish pantomime “A Wish For Jamie”
and was a regular in the Howard & Wyndham “Five Past Eight” shows. Angela
was very shortly to appear in these H&W productions in both Edinburgh and in
Aberdeen.
Five Past
Eight 1955
Angela spent the Summer Season in Scotland joining the popular revues “Five
Past Eight” at the King’s Edinburgh – the revues changed on a Friday, and
were swift and fast moving. The choreography was by
Cherry
Willoughby- Cherry provided the Dancers
and choreographed the Grand Theatre Swansea pantomimes every year from 1964
for nineteen years!
The stars of Howard & Wyndhams “Five Past Eight” shows this season were
Stanley Baxter and
Harry
Gordon. Stanley Baxter of course being
one of the top pantomime Dames in the country, and famous for his television
spectaculars between 1973 and 1886 in which he played most of the roles from
a village postmistress to The Queen!
Interestingly one review of
the show in 1955 warned him “Don’t
Stanley dress up as women too often. They’re good these acts, of course- but
we’d rather see you as Mrs Thingummy-bob’s little boy, or the furniture man.
Don’t try to be suave and polished- London audiences of course would love
it, but until then Stanley, please stay our old Batty Baxter”
Harry Gordon , like Stanley, specialised in
“character studies”, and was said to possess one of the largest collections
of sketches and gags in the country. When Angela appeared with him he was
sixty two, and had been Principal Comic for the Julian Wylie Pantomimes
since 1929. While Stanley Baxter was a rising star aged twenty-nine, it was
Gordon who was the Scots legend at this moment in time.
The revues also featured Hope Jackman and Phyllis
Holden.
Old King Cole
1955
In
December of 1955 Angela returned to the
Theatre
Royal Birmingham for the pantomime “Old
King Cole”. It was the last time she
would appear there- the theatre only had a short while left before it closed
it doors forever.
This panto was to be the last seen at the historic
“Royal” in New Street Birmingham- after fifty years of pantomime it closed
its doors in December 1956 and was demolished a year later.
The star of the show was
Vic Oliver.
At 56 he was at the height of his career having started as a classical
musician and conductor in the 1920’s and switching to variety and becoming a
comedian. His speciality in variety was his violin, hence the “King Cole”
connection with his “Fiddlers Three”.
Born in Vienna, Vic Oliver starred in several West
End successes at the Hippodrome and the Coliseum, and had his own Radio
series in which he acted as both conductor and comedian. Victor Borge was
greatly influenced by him.
In 1942 Vic Oliver was the first “castaway” to appear
on “Desert Island Discs”.
He appeared in the Royal
Variety Performance in 1945 and in 1948 starred in “Starlight Roof” at the
London Hippodrome. This was the show that introduced the young Julie Andrews
to London audiences. That same year he made his Panto debut in Emile
Littlers “Humpty Dumpty” at the London Casino. (Now the Prince Edward).
By the time Angela was working with him, in 1955 Vic
Oliver had divorced his actress wife, Sarah ten years previously. Sarah
Churchill was the daughter of Winston Churchill, and met Oliver when he
starred in “Follow The Sun” a revue. They married in 1936. Winston Churchill
did not approve of his son-in-law, and in fact despised him. Sarah, an
actress appeared in several films and stage plays with her husband.
In this panto Oliver appeared in a Haunted bedroom
scene, played his violin and performed a piano speciality with Ultra Violet
scenery and costumes. He played a dual role- that of Merry King Cole and his
identical but wicked Brother, Rollo.
The Principal boy, a Gypsy boy called Nemo, was played by
Sylvia
Campbell, and Princess Melissa by
Beryl Foley. With
Vanda Vale
as Fairy.
Margot Field
was the Gypsy Queen with
Ernie Brooks
as Jester. Also in the show were the speciality act
Rayros
Trio and
Shirley
Holmes.
The Dame- Aggie was played by
Harry
Shiels..Born in Edgbaston, Birmingham
he was a local lad and the son of a Music Hall comedian of the same name.
“Dame” Harry made his first appearance in 1928 at the Aston Hippodrome, and
appeared often in his Father’s touring sketch revue “Everyday Life”. His
billing in variety was “The Minister Of Enjoyment”. He was fifty years old
in this production.
Mary Forbes
was playing a Lady In Waiting
and doubling as Princess Mary. A week into
the run Angela was asked to take over the two roles, and stepped out of the
chorus and in to a principal part and also understudying The Fairy.
 |
Variety and Summer Season The
1950’s and ‘60’s were a time when foreign holidays and trips abroad
were few and far between. The Great British public did what the
Government today seem keen for us all to do- they stayed and played
at home! While the likes of Stephen Fry and Julie Walters are on
television adverts showing the delights of the Lake District or
Bridlington, in the late 1950’s the public needed no such
enticement. Holidays were spent at Scarborough, Whitby, Morecambe
and most especially Blackpool! When I began doing Summer Season in the mis
to late 1970’s the death knell was already sounding. Britons were
off to Spain and the sunnier climes when I did my Summer seasons (30
weeks often) in Scarborough, Filey and Rhyl.
A co-incidence
I’ve known Angela for many years, but
never had the pleasure of working alongside her. We did share a few
friends and business associates in common without realising it
though. Only when I was looking through the scrapbooks did I spot
the name
William Dickie
in a programme for a summer season at Eastbourne that Angela was in. Bill Dickie was Principal Baritone at Covent
Garden Opera House, and at the Vienna State Opera and Sadlers Wells,
and his Brother Murray Dickie was at La Scala Milan.
Bill Dickie appeared in variety and
pantomime up until the time he became an Operatic Baritone in the
great Opera Houses, and then returned to his roots to become a
variety agent, joining
Richard Stone in his agency.
It was Bill Dickie who got Angela a Summer
Season job in the 1972 in a show presented by his great friend
Paul Elliott-
“The Pig And Whistle” revue in
Margate, and it was Bill Dickie who got me my Summer Season in
Scarborough and Filey
in 1978.
When Angela worked with Bill in Pantomime the Musical Director was
Mary Dickie-
Bill’s wife, and both Mary and her talented daughter
Paddy Dickie costumed the
summer show I did. Paddy Dickie was to become the top pantomime
costumier. She became the first choice of Dames such as Terry Scott,
Stanley Baxter and Billy Dainty when it came to translating the
designs of Terry Parsons into magical costumes. Bill, Mary and Paddy
are all very sadly missed in this business.
George & Alfred Black’s “Summer Showboat” 1956
Angela joined this
summer season company at the Palace Theatre Blackpool. By this time
she was Head Girl,aged 17
and
in charge of the large chorus, as well as taking part in sketches
and routines. The headliner for this show was the hugely popular
veteran comic
Albert Modley. Albert Modley was
always billed as
“Lancashire’s
favourite Yorkshireman”, and made famous his catchphrase “Eeeh,
intit grand when you’re daft?” He was daft- gloriously daft, and was
one of the most popular radio comedians of the time. He appeared in
variety and in films during this period- titles like “Up For The
Cup”, “Take Me To Paris” and “Bob’s Your Uncle”. He was a true
comedians comedian, a close rival to Frank Randle. Albert was for many years the star of the
Bradford Alhambra Pantomimes (see our article on Francis Laidler) as
well as countless radio shows. His famous story of the night he
appeared in front of Royalty is true. Apparently the Opera House
Blackpool at that time didn’t have a Royal Box. Just two blank
walls. A Royal Box was built on one side, with an unoccupied one the
other side. All the artistes made their formal bows to the Royal
box. Not Albert.
“So the Queen and Duke were in this box
and there’s another box at the other side of the theatre, built to
balance things, and everyone comes on and bows to Her Majesty, but I
don’t.I bows to the wrong box, and then I look up and say, Have they
gone? “ Here is a sample of one of the great man’s
gags: |
This photograph show Angela Ryder and the chorus with
him onstage at Blackpool.
Also on the bill was “Lancashire’s own”
Edna
Savage, and a (then) lesser known
comedy double act, in the mould of Jewel and Warris called
Mike and
Bernie
Winters.
Pip Hinton, later to present BBC’s
“Crackerjack” was soubrette. “Paulette and her Trained Poodle, Renee” was a
speciality. You don’t get many of those acts today!
On the subject of animal
acts,
Barbara Newman
appeared in sketches and routines.
Barbara Newman is forever
in the Panto Hall Of Fame as being one of
the two principal “skin artistes” to play
Goose in all the major theatres. Barbara, along with Kaye Lyle were both
known as “The Goose Lady” and were employed every panto season in “Mother
Goose”.
That season Angela and the other girls were earning
about £7 to £8 a week for the Summer Season. Fortunately for Angela she was
chosen along with other dancers from this show and other Blackpool shows to
take on an extra job.
“Sunday Night At Blackpool” was on Television live
every week, as it had been at the London Palladium, and Tommy Trinder
brought the popular game “Beat The Clock” to the stage every Sunday.
Television, as it always has done pays higher wages
than theatre, so Angela got paid £11.11s for each Sunday night- bringing her
weekly wage to nearly £20! A princely sum in 1956.
At one point Angela won a lot more than that- one
evening when her Parents and Brother Peter were in to see the Sunday show
the jackpot had risen to £1,200 for “Beat The Clock”. All the contestants
from the audience failed in the game, so it was thrown open to the cast!
Angela stepped forward and managed to bat the ball into the basket enough
times to win the jackpot. By prior consent the money went to charity, and
she was presented with a portable radio!
Stars of the televised Sunday show included Ronnie
Caroll, Hylda Baker, Frankie Vaughan, Alma Cogan and Eve Boswell. Angela
kept one night’s Television running order in her scrapbook. Timed to the
second!
The London
Hippodrome 1956
Later in 1956 Angela didn’t
do Pantomime, she was appearing in the West End for the first time at The
London Hippodrome. This theatre in Leicester Square is currently being
restored, but has had a
fascinating past life.
Originally
built in 1900 it saw Charlie Chaplin’s early appearances alongside Music
Hall star Little Tich. By 1909 the famous architect Matcham rebuilt the
theatre and it became home to major musicals and revue. Julie Andrews made
her West End debut here.
Between 1949 and 1951
the Hippodrome was the home of sequins and feathers- London’s version of The
Folies Bergere, and when Angela arrived here to appear in
The Dave
King show in 1956 its life as a theatre
complete with auditorium and proscenium arch
had only two years to run.
In 1958 the
beautiful Matcham interior was partially demolished as the Hippodrome became
a supper club,” The Talk Of The Town.”. cabaret floorshows with glamorous
settings and stunning costumes were the order of the day. Angela’s friend
Isobel Hurll appeared here for several seasons in floorshows that featured
the biggest stars of the day. Dusty Springfield, Shirley Bassey, Ethel
Merman, Engelbert Humperdink, Tom Jones and Judy Garland all made
appearances here.
Isobel recalls
that the theatre walls and ceiling- the Matcham designs were boarded over,
and that mostly the circle was used for “Talk Of The Town” with the former
stalls and proscenium removed to take the cabaret stage which rose on a
hydraulic lift, and would descend at the end of the show to become a dance
floor.
During the seasons Isobel performed there for The
Delfont organisation
she earned £13 a week for twelve shows. At
the end of the second show she would set off for Winston’s Club, or the
Savoy and appear in their 1am floorshows, earning a further
£12 a week.
Eighteen shows a week! The wages were good, but the hours were long.
At the present
time the Hippodrome is being restored. Through the Eighties it was a
nightclub, originally owned by Peter Stringfellow. It became “Cirque at The
Hippodrome” presenting Burlesque in 2004 and closed its doors once again in
2005. Restored to as much of its Matcham glory as is possible it re-opens in
May 2012 as a Casino/theatre.
The Dave King
Show 1956
Angela came to the Hippodrome in a show that starred one of the top comics
of the day-
Dave King.
There was a time in the late ‘fifties and ‘sixties when he seemed to be in
everything on TV, with his own show, or guesting on someone else’s show- he
was Entertainment gold.
Moss Empires Head Quarters
were at the Hippodrome, and this was one of many shows presented by George &
Alfred Black . It was directed by Alec Shanks, who also designed much of the
scenery and costumes, and Joan Davis. Twice nightly- at 6.15 and 8.45 Dave
King appeared alongside
Shani Wallis.
Shani Wallis was 23 years
old when she appeared with Dave King. Already the veteran of
two major West End musicals- “Wonderful
Town” in 1952 and “Call Me Madam” at the Coliseum Theatre in 1953 she was
the star of revue and musical. She appeared in pantomime at Manchester with
Tommy Cooper, and at Streatham with Hughie Green.
In 1956 It would be another twelve years before she
would appear on the Ed Sullivan Show in America, and was “spotted” for the
role she made famous- Nancy in the 1968 film of “Oliver!” starring alongside
Ron Moody, Harry Secombe and Olver Reed.
Shani Wallis now resides
in the States, and has made a major contribution to her industry. She has
appeared in Film, on television and several musicals ranging from “42nd
Street”, “Irma La Douce” and “Finian’s Rainbow” through to her last
appearance in a London musical as Wallis Simpson’s Aunt Bessie in the ill
fated “Always” which had a mercifully short run at the Victoria Palace in
1996.
Children today
can hear the voice of Shani Wallis if they watch Disney’s “Pocahontas 2” or
“Basil The Great Mouse Detective” on DVD.
In this show Shani appeared in several “scenas” like
“Clowns In Clover” with The George Mitchell Singers, Pat Dahl, The
Ballerinas and The Showladies. There was an “Eastern Magic” scene, an
acrobatic turn by The Los Gatos Trio, and a spectacular scene involving
Currie’s “Fountain Of Trevi”,a huge water effect before the interval.
Dave King appeared in two sketches and appeared in
his own spot in both halves. Frank Winter designed some UV headdresses (he
supplied Peter Robbins and myself with our first “Sister” headdresses in
1981) and the Russian/French designer Erte created the finale “Symphony In
Pink”.
Dave King
had
a lot going for him in the mid 1950’s. When his show opened at the
Hippodrome he had already had a very successful series on the BBC the year
before, and had several hit records in the charts. Four hit singles in fact.
He would change over to ITV in 1958 and star in “The Dave King Show” series
before setting off to America where he hosted the Kraft Music Hall no less
than 19 times. Among his writers was Mel Brooks.
A comedian
popular on both sides of the Atlantic, recording contracts and further trips
to the States, he had his own series “The Dave King Show” in the USA in
1959. Upon his return he found that comedy styles had changed. By 1964 his
ITV series “Dave’s Kingdom” was not as successful, and his style of singing
had been overtaken by The Beatles.
Dave King
forged yet a further career as a straight actor, appearing in films such as
“The Ritz”, a comedy set in a New York bath house, and as a gangster in “The
Long Good Friday” in 1980, and in “Reds” and “Revolution”.
He appeared in
many TV shows such as “Heartbeat”, “Bergerac” and “Rumpole”. He made a big
impression in the series of “Bleak House” in the late 1980’s and became
known as Clifford Duckworth in “Coronation Street” in the mid ‘90’s
Angela notes in her scrapbook that during the times Dave King had to leave
the show to do television work, he was replaced by a comedian called
Benny Hill.
Benny, like Dave before him was to find success in both Britain and America
in later years. During the run there were times when Dave King was not
appearing- Hylda Baker took over the lead for a week.
Angela
recalls that the management had problems with the comic’s use of swearwords
during his act. He was given warnings about swearing o stage repeatedly, and
a final warning- that was ignored, that if he continued the notice would be
put up. He didn’t, they did and the show closed!
Light Up The
Town 1957
Angela spent the summer of ’57 at the Royal
Hippodrome Eastbourne in “Light Up The Town”, a show presented by Bernard
Delfont starring Graham Stark and Billy Burden.
Graham
Stark was a very familiar face to
Television viewers at the time, and had a long pedigree in Radio Comedy
stretching back to the War years. He appeared with Tony Hancock on Radio’s
“Happy-Go-Lucky”, “Rays a Laugh” with Ted Ray and two years in “Educating
Archie”, the curious radio series fronted by a not very good ventriloquist,
Arthur Brough and his doll, Archie Andrews. Of course on radio Archie was
hugely popular and Arthur was superb- it was when Archie left Radio and went
onto the Television that the public realised Arthur simply wasn’t very good
at not moving his lips! The show made stars of many of its regulars,
including the comedian Graham Stark.
He was a close friend of Peter Sellers, and appeared
in Seller’s TV shows, and with Benny Hill. He got his own series seven years
after this Summer Show on the BBC. As a film actor he made countless film
appearances between 1939 and his last in 1998.
Fans of “The Pink Panther” films would remember him
as playing a different role in every one of the series.
Billy
Burden played a “Yokel”
character in variety and on television
for most of his career. He made a huge hit on Kenneth Horne’s show “Camera
One”, and appearances with fellow comedian Bill Maynard on TV’s “Mostly
Maynard” in the 1950’s,
Each year for over six years he appeared with
Clarkson Rose in his Summer Show “Twinkle” at Eastbourne. Clarkie as he was
known was of course one of the country’s leading Pantomime Dames. Billy’s
spot in this show was his usual “Country Yokel”, with a backcloth of fields
and a five bar gate to lean on. He also appeared in sketches and routines
with Graham Stark.
Billy was
quite a character, and I’m sure there are many funny stories about him, and
stories of his “careful” ways with money. My “Billy” story dates back to the
early 1980’s. Peter Robbins and I were in “Hansel and Gretel”, a touring
show we did often for Barrie Stacey.
By chance we
were “at home”, at the Kenneth More Theatre one week. I was busy. While
Peter played my Father “Ernst” each day at 10am and at 2pm then went home, I
remained in the theatre to do a variety show in the evening, finally leaving
the building at 10.30pm.
I think the
Variety Show starred John Hanson, but it may have starred Tommy Trinder-
either way Billy Burden did his Yokel act in the second half of the show,
and went on at about 9.15pm. I did my piano act in the first half.
In the bar
afterwards I was standing next to Billy when the stage manager came over to
remind me that the show the next day was earlier- 9.45am in case I’d
forgotten.
Next morning
at 9.45am shivering in my lederhosen, Peter and I were standing in the wings
about to go on and sing “How Do You Do, Good Morning” . The overture was
playing Disney hits when we bumped into Billy in full Yokel smock, make-up
and a straw in his mouth.
In his broad Dorset accent he said “I don’t
recognise this music. Have they changed it?” In the nick of time Peter and I
stopped him going onstage, and
ran on to do our opening number. I rushed
back to the green room and explained to Billy that there were TWO shows
daytime before “our” variety show that night.
He sat all day
in the Green Room. Full costume. Full make-up. He sat from 10am until he
went on at 9.15pm. “Billy”, I said “Why on earth don’t you go back to your
digs? Or maybe go around the shops. At least take your make-up off?”
“Take it Orff? Take it Orff?”
there was a pause as he sputtered.
“ Oh deary
me no. Costs a fortune this stuff does!”
Peter and I
would sometimes be in the middle of putting on our “Sister Slap” years and
years later, and one of us would suddenly cry out “Costs a fortune this
stuff does!”
Angela noted in her
scrapbook that during the run of “Light Up The Town” in 1957
Billy’s Mother died suddenly, and while he
left the show to sort out her affairs, he was replaced by
Gordon and
Bunny Jay.
Panto enthusiasts will know that Gordon and Bunny
played virtually every theatre in pantomime, including the London Palladium
as Robbers, Chinese Policemen, As “Sisters”, and Gordon continued to direct
for Paul Holman until he and his Brother Bunny retired a short while ago.
I was fortunate to be in Summer Season at
Scarborough and Filey with them, and will forever be indebted to Gordon for
everything he taught me about comedy. He and Bunny were supreme masters of
timing, discipline and sticklers for tradition. The management who sent me
to that Summer Season in Scarborough
twenty years after they appeared in
Eastbourne, was William (Bill) Dickie. He too was appearing in “Light Up The
Town”.
As mentioned
earlier Bill was later to set up an agency with Richard Stone, part of
Delfont’s original agency and looked after many top variety turns. His own
company for Butlins Seasons was called “SADFU” and he presented the shows,
directed often by Gordon Jay, and costumed by Paddy and Mary Dickie. A
joyous family affair run from Netheravon Road in Chiswick!
The other featured performer in Angela’s Eastbourne show other than
William
Dickie was
Cherry
Lind, a musical comedy performer and
regular BBC broadcaster,
Bernard
Riley, Norman Richards and Vola Vandere.
London’s
Nightlife
It seems hard to believe today that at one time
London was bursting to the seams with nightclubs, supper clubs and cabaret
venues. Performers would finish their West End shows and head straight to a
nightclub, where at midnight they would appear in revue and cabaret before
heading home around 4am!
Angela appeared in nightclubs and in cabaret
throughout her career- in India, in the far east and in South America, and
in the many clubs in London.
To get a taste of what
London Night life was like in the 1960’s take a look at the
“Spotlight
On Danny La Rue” article here on the
site. Angela didn’t appear at Danny’s club in Hanover Street, but
interestingly she appeared in his rival’s club- the American artiste
Ricky
Renee’s club in Russell Street, Covent
Garden. The revue starred the Miami born female impersonator, six days a
week starting at 1am. The cast included Angela, Maria Charles, Melvin Hayes,
Teddy Green and Anne Hamilton.
The clubs are mostly gone, although a few remain. In
the ‘60’s you could visit The Embassy, The Stork Room, - where Angela took
over as leading lady with Peta Pelham- The Continental, The Garrick, The
Bagatelle, or call in for a drink and a show at the Celebrite, The Pink
Elephant, The Colony, The Boulogne Club. In the wee small hours you could
visit “Youngs” , L’Hirondelle, Murrays, The Establishment, or Pigalle,, The
Georgian, for a quick drink and on to The Latin Quarter, Churchill’s or
Danny La Rue’s club. This is to name but a few of the top clubs at the time!
Angela was leading The
Astor Girls at the Astor Club, and a regular performer at “Embassy Follies”
with the comedian Davy Kaye. In 1965 on a night out in London you might have
seen Lynda Baron at “The Talk Of The Town”, Barry Cryer and Ronnie Corbett,
and Toni Palmer
at Danny La Rue’s, and the Clarke Brothers
at Churchills.
In 1966 Angela
“led The Glamour Parade” at the Embassy
Follies with Jackie Sands, and appeared in cabaret through the country until
the mid 1970’s in theatres , including The Famous City Varieties, and in
clubs.
Aladdin 1965
“Aladdin”
at the Oxford New Theatre was produced by Tom Arnold and had
Billy Fury
as top of the bill. In 1965 Billy Fury
was one of the top popstars- his recording of “Halfway to Paradise” had
spent 20 weeks in the charts, and his hits included “Jealousy” and “I’d
never find another you”. A regular on “ Oh Boy! ”TV’s weekly pop show- the
forerunner to “Top Of The Pops”, he was the pop idol of his day, with the
looks and singing voice to match.
For more on Billy Fury and the rise of the popstar ,
take a look at our article “Popstars In Panto”
on this site.
Angela had a leading role in this pantomime- she was the character usually
known as Slave Of The Ring- Scheherazade. The Genie Of The Lamp was played
by
Darryl Stewart.
One of pantomime Royalty played Dame.
Lauri
Lupino Lane was Widow Twankey. The
Lupino Lane family, like The Grimaldi family, had long associations with
pantomime and variety. There had been Lupinos in British theatre from 1663.
Lauri, who often teamed up with George Truzzi in
pantomime was the son of Lupino Lane, the performer who had a huge hit in
“Me and My Girl” in the West End, and introduced “The Lambeth Walk” to the
public. A relative of Lauri’s was the Hollywood actress Ida Lupino.
When Angela appeared with Lauri in this panto he was
44 years old, unusually young for a Dame, but like his Father before him, he
had been performing since early childhood.
Five years
later in 1970 he was at the London Palladium in “Aladdin” recreating one of
his Father’s famous “slosh” routines which he had perfected. He appeared in
one Carry On Film, and in the stage version “Carry On London” at the
Victoria Palace, which opened in 1973.
The role of Princess was played by
Cheryl
Kennedy. aged eighteen. At the age of
fifteen she had made a big impression in “What A Crazy World” at Stratford
East Theatre, London. Later she would appear in a musical with another pop
star, this time Tommy Steele in “Half A Sixpence”, and later still in
“Flowers For Algernon” with Michael Crawford. In 1973 she would marry the
actor Tom Courtney, later divorced and continued her career as a teacher of
drama and a producer. She presented shows across the country, and
in recent times was responsible for
presenting the prestigious Cannizaro Open Air Festival at Wimbledon.
Billy Fury played Aladdin and his brother, Wishee Washee was played by
comedian and impressionist,
Ray Fell.
Ray Fell
appeared in the TV series “The Comedians” and two years after this panto he
achieved success in “Three Of A Kind” in 1967. It was a song and sketch show
starring Ray Fell, Lulu and Mike Yarwood. Ray also made records, and
recorded for Fontana in the ‘60’s.
A
pop group, who recorded with Fury, “The
Gamblers” from Newcastle appeared as
the Chinese Police force,
Sid Plummer
was Abanazar,
Peter Dixon the Vizier and
Ron
Richards Emperor of China.
The Pan
Yue Jen juggling troupe completed the
line up.
The orchestra was led by
Jack Morgan.
In that orchestra was rehearsal pianist, violinist and sometime artist
Gilbert Sommerlad. Early on in the run
he made some caricature sketches from his seat in the orchestra pit, got
them signed by some of the principals and, thanks to a donation to the
Victoria & Albert Museum his sketch of those artistes are preserved in their
store. Here, with thanks to the V&A’s excellent online collection, is that
sketch from December 1965!
A
change of cast in Peking!
Very soon into the pantomime run it became apparent
that Billy Fury, inexperienced in stage performing, was having problems. In
the days before radio microphones and sophisticated sound systems it was
essential for the performers to project. It still is, in fact- although some
people rely more heavily on the mikes than they should- but in Billy’s case
he was having trouble being heard in that big barn of a theatre and was
suffering from a hacking cough.
Billy,
Angela recalls was the nicest man in the world, but was already suffering
both from inexperience and ill health. He had contracted rheumatic fever as
a child, and this led to heart conditions during his lifetime, and
operations in the 1970’s. When he asked Angela for advice about being heard,
she got him to face front more during scenes to project. As the pantomime
progressed he was struggling with health problems. Rather than continue with
a problem that would get worse as the gruelling twice daily schedule
continued over a lengthy run, the management decided to release Billy Fury
from the panto, and bring in another star. A female star to play the same
role of “Aladdin”- with very little chance of full stage rehearsal, and
watching the pantomime from “out front” several times-
Enter
Jean Bayless.
Ten years previously Jean Bayless had taken over from
Julie Andrews in “The Boy Friend” on Broadway, playing Polly Browne, and
played the role on Broadway and on tour in America for eighteen months.
Jean Bayless was the star of “The Sound Of Music”. In
fact she was the first British actress to play Maria at the Palace Theatre
for two years, through 1961 and ’62. The role on Broadway was created by
Mary Martin. This year, 1965 was the year that Julie Andrews was to star in
the film version.
When she took over the role of “Aladdin” here at
Oxford she had already appeared in ”Humpty Dumpty” at the London Palladium
in 1951 as Princess Miranda . She would return to the Palladium Panto in
three years time to star in “Jack and The Beanstalk” with Arthur Askey as
Dame and Jimmy Tarbuck.
Jean’s singing talents were to the fore in
productions like “Lilac Time”, and in her tours of Korea and the Far East.
She appeared and toured with with John Hanson in “The Words And Music of
Ivor Novello”
In 1985 I had
the pleasure of working with Jean. She and Simon Ward starred in the tour of
“Perchance To Dream”. I designed the costumes. In fact, years later I bought
them back for the Kenneth More theatre and to this day I have the Jean
Bayless collection! As Lady Charlotte she was superb- a tiny very
fashionable lady it was a joy to costume her- and she had many costumes. I
have the list in front of me: Coral velvet dress and cape, Bronze lace
Regency, Claret and black chiffon gown then Victorian Gunmetal poult gown,
Yellow and Black lace, Mauve shot silk crinoline- I’m surprised she had time
to breathe in that show between changing costumes!
Jean became known to millions of viewers in the
1970’s as a regular in the original “Crossroads” Motel for ATV. She played
Cynthia Cunningham from 1971 to 1974 opposite the star of the show, and
another Musical Comedy icon, Noelle Gordon.
During the “How do you solve a problem like Maria”
television quest, Jean Bayless was courted for her opinions about the role.
There is a lovely photograph of Jean, with Julie Andrews and Connie Fisher
at the 02 attending Dame Julie’s show there recently. She has talked about
the operation she had to her throat eighteen years ago that resulted in her
voice not being what it once was. Dame Julie of course had a similar
operation, and Jean commented that she had a similar result. Ironically very
recently Connie Fisher too has suffered throat problems and received
treatment. These three “Marias” have had very similar experiences and all
survived with charm and humour.
Jean now lives in Birmingham and still helps out at
her son’s shop in the centre of the city leading a very active and busy
life.
During the summer of 1967 Angela
spent the season
in The
Mike and Bernie Winters
show before taking her principal role in panto.
“Aladdin”
1967
A Tale Of Two
Cities- Doncaster & Hanley
Angela Ryder was offered the title role in the pantomime this year-
Principal Boy- playing
Aladdin for
Kennedy Street Productions.
The Pantomime was in two parts- Two weeks in
Doncaster and Two weeks in Hanley.
The production opened at the Gaumont Cinema,
Doncaster, which made use of the panto season to stage a live production for
the fortnight, before the entire show packed up and transferred to the
Theatre Royal, Hanley.
The pantomime starred
Al Read and
Clinton Ford. They played Wishee Washee
and The Emperor Krispee Noodle respectively.
Born in Salford 1909,
Al Read was
one of the UK’s most popular radio comedians. He debuted at the BBC in 1950
and “The Al Read Show” was listened to by up to 35 million people a week!
His catchphrase- “Right Monkey!” can still be heard
today. He created characters on the radio that can still be enjoyed by
looking him up on youtube.
By the time he was appearing in “Aladdin” in 1967 he
had recently appeared on ITV in his “Al Read says What A Life” series, and
appeared in two Royal Variety Performances.
Born in 1931
Clinton Ford
began his career as vocalist to the Kenny Ball Jazz Band in 1961. He became
well known for a catalogue of music hall and thirties songs that he revived
and made hits from- “Fanlight Fanny” was a good example. It had been a hit
for George Formby in the 1930’s, almost forgotten, and then reintroduced by
Ford in the ‘60’s. His version of “The Old Bazaar in Cairo”, (co-written
with comedian Charlie Chester) was
a staple for Panto Musical Directors
throughout the 1960’s and ‘70’s- especially in “Aladdin” when it could be
used for “The Sand Dance” with the comic and dame.
Clinton Ford appeared in so many radio broadcasts
that at one point there was an investigation and he found himself dropped
for a few months! He made several appearances on BBC’s “The Good Old Days”,
toured with Ken Dodd, and appeared on TV in Billy Cotton’s show and “Stars
and Garters”.
In this “Aladdin” Clinton
Ford sang “Run To The Door” ,which was in the charts that year,
“The Carnival Is Over”, “Fanlight Fanny”
and “Memories that never die”.
He also took part in the Comedy Balloon Ballet which was performed here by
the double act Chinese policemen,
Clayton and Walker. Clinton Ford
continued touring into the 1990’s and died at his home on the Isle Of Man in
2009.
Widow Twankey, Angela’s Mother was played by
George
Moon. That very same year his daughter
Georgina was in Oxford Pantomime with comedian Dickie Henderson.
She
was aged eighteen, and would later achieve fame as an actress appearing in
the UFO series, and in “Up Pompeii” with Frankie Howerd, and appearances
with Liberace in his Televised stage show in the UK. She appeared in the
West End musical “You’re a good man Charlie Brown” alongside Brian Godfrey
in 1969.
George Moon was appearing in the film “Half A
Sixpence” this year, and had several film roles to his credit. Audiences
would have known him as Ginger Smart in the TV series “Shadow Squad” and “Skyport”.
He would later appear in two Carry On Films, and countless television and
stage appearances.
The posters claim that
Tsai Chin was
“The girl who killed James Bond!” the year this panto opened Tsai Chin was
seen in the pre title credits of the Bond Film “You Only Live Twice” as
Ling. Her character is used in the staging of Bond’s fake death.
Tsai Chin who played
opposite Angela as Princess had
had
studied at RADA and starred in “The World Of Suzie Wong” on stage in London,
in the London production of “South Pacific” and is well known to movie fans
as the daughter of Dr. Fu Manchu in the series of films starring Christopher
Lee. She was later to appear in her second Bond film, “Casino Royale”. She
was 30 years old at the time “Aladdin” was at Doncaster.
Jo Scott
choreographed the dancers and played Slave of the Ring,
Virginia Lave played handmaiden
So-Shi”, with
Robert Scott
as Abanazar. The Grand Vizier and slave was played by
John
McCombe.
The panto transferred to Stoke on Trent and played
the final two weeks at Hanley’s Theatre Royal.
During the mid
1960’s Angela continued to work in Summer Seasons, a great deal of cabaret,
on tour and in theatre. She made appearances on television throughout her
career- these included early “Z Cars”, ATV’s “Sam & Janet” with John Junkin,
and in Thames TV’s “The Best Of Enemies” with Tim Barrett, Derek Guyler and
Robert Coote. She appeared in “Sultan’s Delight”, and “The Morecambe & Wise
Show”, appeared with Ian Carmichael in “Batchelor Father”, in “Alcock and
Gander”, and “Men of Affairs” with Brian Rix and Warren Mitchell.
The West End
From being a regular on the
West End cabaret circuit, Angela entered the late 1960’s with a series of
appearances in West End
Theatre- Musicals.
She had toured, and understudied the secretary, and a comedy part in a 1963
production of “How
To Succeed In Business Without
Really
Trying. The show had been in London for
a year and was sent out on tour afterwards.
In
1969 Angela travelled to The Alhambra
Glasgow with a Hollywood Movie Star to open in a brand new show.
The show was called “The
Piecefull Palace”, the first version
had been called “Go For Your Gun”, (staged in Manchester in 1961) and
re-written . The show opened, strange to tell on April Fool’s day 1969. The
star was the legendary
Betty Grable.
Betty Grable was 52 years
old. Her fellow Hollywood star Ginger Rogers had made a great success in
London with “Mame”, and
very hastily a show was put together to
cash in on the success. When the Musical was in rehearsal there wasn’t yet a
fixed West End
Theatre for it to go into. The backers
didn’t even like the name of the show. There was scant time to arrange the
massive publicity that had heralded the “tried and true” production of “Mame”,
and hardly any publicity began until Betty Grable flew in from Los Angeles.
This Western Musical had characters from The Wild West book of legend. Betty
Grable played Belle Star, saloon owner of the “Palace”, with
Ray
Chiarella as Jesse James,
Blayne Barrington as Billy The Kid,
Valerie Walsh as Calamity Jane and
Michael Hawkins as “Killer” Malone.
Angela’s character was named “Big Buttes”!
Included in the cast was
Peter Honri, Marc Urquhart, Maggie Vickers
and
Mostyn
Evans.
The show changed its name to “Belle
Star” when it arrived in London at the
Palace Theatre. It was a spectacular flop. Opening on April 30th
it closed at the end of its second week.
Betty
Grable
said “the
critics killed the show, but they have a right to their own opinion…Some of
the things I had to say were absolutely embarrassing, jokes in very bad
taste… but I want to get across I have never seen anyone work harder than
the kids who form the cast. Any of them can be a star in his or her right”.
Angela has nothing but praise too for Betty Grable,
who she describes as “Absolutely lovely and charming”, a true professional
who worked non stop to try and save this show.
Angela did not have long to wait in the West End without a show. Like buses,
another came along. This time it starred
Dudley
Moore. The Musical –
“Play It
Again Sam” by Woody Allen.
The show opened at
The Globe Theatre
on September 11th
1969 having previewed at the Arts Theatre Cambridge for two weeks during
August.
A
bevy of beautiful actresses were cast as Dudley’s character, Allan Felix’s
fantasies. The show also starred
Bill Kerr
as Humphrey Bogart, with
Terence Edmond, Patricia Brake, Lorna Heilbron,
Jennifer Clulow, Angela Ryder playing
Vanessa,
Anne
De Vigier, Juliette
Kempson
and , a year after leaving The Aida Foster Stage school, the young
Vicki Michelle.
Dudley Moore was another true professional in
Angela’s eyes, and she describes him as a “lovely man, extremely generous on
stage . “ She was devastated at his final years and the personal and health
problems that beset this hugely talented performer.
Pig & Whistle
1972
After Summer seasons and
variety and cabaret tours, Angela appeared in 1972
in
a
Paul Elliott and Duncan Weldon Summer
Season in Margate- “The Pig & Whistle” at the Winter Gardens-Queen’s Hall.
This fast moving variety show starred
Tom
Mennard and
Angela
Ryder with
Richard
Avon, George May,
Jean
Combie, Jacqui Lewis, Janet Date and Sheila Simpson.
Angela had been suggested to Paul Elliott by her former fellow actor William
Dickie, now with the Richard Stone Agency. The show was directed and
choreographed by
Johnny Greenland.
Angela returned the following year in 1973 with
George
Reibbit and
Roy Sone.
The Wizard Of
Oz 1972 Victoria Palace
Paul Elliott remembered
Angela later
that year when casting “The
Wizard Of Oz” at London’s Victoria
Palace. Prior to the West End the show toured, and played through the Panto
season in the West End.
Angela played The Sorceress Of The North and Virago, A Witch in this
production. The Scarecrow was
Frank
Marlborough, The Tin Man,
Sam Kelly
with
Geoffrey Hughes
as The Lion and
Diane Raynor
as Dorothy.Tony
Sympson played The Wizard.
Bordello:
Queens Theatre 1974
Angela appeared in one more West End show before she left to marry, bring up
children and add to the enormous collection of antique dolls that she’d been
collecting. This show was called “Bordello”
and opened on April 18th
at
The Queen’s Theatre in 1974.
Based on the life and loves of the artist Toulous Lautrec, it starred
Henry Wolf.
Angela sang one of the show’s hit numbers- “Simple Pleasures”. The cast
included
Lynda Bellingham,
Norma Dunbar and
Stella
Moray,
Liz
Whiting, Judy Cannon and Jacqui Toye.
If you’d like to explore all things Musical in the
West End, take a look at my brother Vivyan Ellacott’s website
www.overthefootlights.co.uk
for a wealth of information on not just
musicals, but theatres!
Mother Goose
1974
That same year Angela appeared as Principal Boy in her final Pantomime:
“Mother
Goose”
in Southwark at the Civic Centre. She
played Jack, son of Mother Goose . The cast included
Len Keyes, Bobby Kingswell, Gina Caron, Derek
Tobias and
Terence
Cowling.
Scrapbooks are
treasured things- I am very grateful to Angela Ryder for allowing me to
share her twenty years in “Show Business” here on IBY. Glimpses of
pantomimes in the 50’s and 60’s with photographs not seen before of stars
like Jewel & Warris, Al Read, Billy Fury and Lauri Lupino Lane, and a look
at the five West End shows Angela was involved in- a brief look at the world
of cabaret and the club circuit of London’s West End- its been a great
journey. Thanks!
This page was last updated 10th May 2012