| Against all adversity Norman Spencer
got the show on air. He was so tense he threw up in the rubbish bin 5 mins
before airtime. |
|
Bob
Crosby
|
| Star of the show was Bob Crosby,
who was famous for his band "The Bob Cats" - he was the brother Bing Crosby. |
|
|
|
Bob Crosby with brother Bing
|
| Bob Crosby was born as George Robert
Crosby, 25 Aug. 1913, Spokane, Washington, USA. For most of his early career,
Crosby was inevitably overshadowed by his older brother, Bing Crosby. Nevertheless,
he achieved modest success thanks to a pleasant voice |
|
| and a matching personality. He joined
the Tommy Dorsey band. In 1935 a new group formed and needed a front man,
they approached Bob, the band was to |
| become Bob Crosby and the Bobcats.
They folded in 1942 |
|
| but Crosby continued to make films
and personal appearances, sometimes as leader of reconstituted dixieland-style
bands, sometimes more contemporary sounding. Crosby died in1993 at age
80. |
|
Jimmy
Edwards
|
| Jimmy Edwards was one of British
comedy’s biggest stars in the post-war era. A former distinguished RAF
pilot, he first appeared at Soho’s |
|
| infamous Windmill Theatre ,
soon finding stardom, first with his "trombonolgy" act, then onto
radio and television. Along with the Goons, Frank Muir and Denis Norden,
the writing partnership, they would reinvigorate British |
|
|
| comedy. Appearing on hit radio
shows such as "Take It From Here" as Pa Glum and starring in televisions
"Whack-O!" as the cane-happy headmaster of a minor public school,
"Professor" Jim Edwards’ popular persona was largely a reflection of the
private man. Jimmy was a keen polo |
| player, on one occasion, during one
match when the Duke of Edinburgh was playing on the opposite side and after
having just been ridden |
|
| off the ball by the Queen’s husband,
he is reported to have yelled out: "Stay close to me, Sir, and you’ll
get your face in the newspapers!" Later he starred in Lionel Bart’s
hit musical, based on Oliver Twist. In his later days he lived between
Perth Australia and England. Jimmy Edwards died in 1988. He had travelled
the world and entertained millions. |
|
Raymond
Burr
|
| In the early days of the Teletheater
Raymond Burr appeared on a special show. He may be best |
|
| remembered for his part in "Perry
Mason" in the 1950s and 60s. Burr began his career typecast as a motion
picture |
|
villain in such films as Alfred Hitchcock's
"Rear
Window". As intensely private as he was talented, Raymond Burr was
an often anonymous philanthropist and foster parent. Born Raymond William
Stacey Burr May 21st, 1917 in British Columbia. Burr was with a Toronto
based repertory theatre, which teamed during its summer season with players
from a British touring company. Among the company's players was a young
Scottish actress, Annette Southerland, with whom Burr eloped in England.
The couple lived in England and France, Burr became a popular nightclub
singer in Paris, in 1942 they had a son Michael Evan Burr. Burr and his
family returned to America ahead of the worst of WW II. Burr eventually
scored a hit in the 1943 show "Duke In Darkness". On the eve
of Burr's professional triumph personal tragedy struck:  |
|
|
