The Sheffield Moss Empire Theatre - Page 2

Nigel Womersle · 18-09-2006, 23:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetdexter

Wasn't it "Give him/her the money Mabel"
Mabel being the one from Coronation St.
Can't think of her name either.
On second thoughts maybe it was Barnie.
Mabel being the piano player.
Now what was his show called?

------------------------------

Mabel was Wilfred Pickles' wife - 'Mabel at the table'
The Pianist was Violet Carson, who went on to become Ena Sharples in Coronation Street. The show was called 'Ask Pickles', and Wilfred's catchphrase to couples was 'Are you courtin'?'.

peterw · 19-09-2006, 00:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas

And Peterw, you obviously knew, or had met, Jimmy James. I think anybody with the ability to make people laugh are up there with the best of the human race, and he was the best of all. I remembered his other stooge, Eli Woods, another brilliant fellow. Do you remember that Jimmy James was notorious for not rehearsing, or very loosely at best. A lot of the laughs came from Eli Woods and Roy Castle trying to trip him up.

This is a long story that I’ll ty to keep short. Jimmy was kicking around the Manchesteer film studios (but not working there at that time) when a set was being built for a fight scene in which several professional wrestlers were to throw each other around and hit each other with special chairs made of balsa wood.

Jimmy switched one of those chairs for a real one! The fight began, and one wrestler — a well-known Blackpool man — was knocked cold. John Blakeley, the studio owner and the film’s director, realised there would be hell to play, and guessing that said ‘damaged’ wrestler would be round to look at the ‘takes’ the following morning (they were sent at night to London for processing and arrived back in Manchester by 8.15a.m.) he asked the film editor to ‘cut’ the scene showing who had done the damage. He didn’t want to be responsible for what might happen because he knew that the wrestler who used that real chair was a sworn enemy of the wrestler who was hit with it.

Nobody had any idea that Jimmy had switched the chairs, but anyway the scene had been cut before the wrestler arrived to see the ‘takes’, which by now told him nothing. But for more than a year afterwards that same wrestler — whose name escapes me — went to see that film wherever it was showing, in the vain hope of seeing who had clobbered him!

The Blackpool wrestler’s name escapes me, but this was around 1952-53-54 and he had two sons who became heavyweight boxers and Ah! one was Brian London, buut I still don’t remember the wrestling name of his father. The other wrestler was a Manchester man and a complete nutter. He lived near me, but died some years ago and alas his name escapes me.

peterw · 19-09-2006, 00:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas

And Peterw, you obviously knew, or had met, Jimmy James. I think anybody with the ability to make people laugh are up there with the best of the human race, and he was the best of all. I remembered his other stooge, Eli Woods, another brilliant fellow. Do you remember that Jimmy James was notorious for not rehearsing, or very loosely at best. A lot of the laughs came from Eli Woods and Roy Castle trying to trip him up.

This is a long story that I’ll ty to keep short. Jimmy was kicking around the Manchesteer film studios (but not working there at that time) when a set was being built for a fight scene in which several professional wrestlers were to throw each other around and hit each other with special chairs made of balsa wood.

Jimmy switched one of those chairs for a real one! The fight began, and one wrestler — a well-known Blackpool man — was knocked cold. John Blakeley, the studio owner and the film’s director, realised there would be hell to play, and guessing that said ‘damaged’ wrestler would be round to look at the ‘takes’ the following morning (they were sent at night to London for processing and arrived back in Manchester by 8.15a.m.) he asked the film editor to ‘cut’ the scene showing who had done the damage. He didn’t want to be responsible for what might happen because he knew that the wrestler who used that real chair was a sworn enemy of the wrestler who was hit with it.

Nobody had any idea that Jimmy had switched the chairs, but anyway the scene had been cut before the wrestler arrived to see the ‘takes’, which by now told him nothing. But for more than a year afterwards that same wrestler — whose name escapes me — went to see that film wherever it was showing, in the vain hope of seeing who had clobbered him!

The Blackpool wrestler’s name escapes me, but this was around 1952-53-54 and he had two sons who became heavyweight boxers and Ah! one was Brian London, but I still don’t remember the wrestling name of his father. The other wrestler was a Manchester man and a complete nutter. He lived near me, but died some years ago and alas his name escapes me.

tsavo · 19-09-2006, 10:04

The Barney (as in "give em the money Barney") was Barney Colehan the BBC producer of the programme.

Texas · 19-09-2006, 18:01

peterw, Jack London is the name you are looking for. He did wrestle a bit after retiring from boxing. He was Brian London's father.
Got to thinking about Jimmy James and company. Did you hear of the time when they got to the end of their act to go into the finale, which was a song,and Jimmy says,' What shall we sing then?' Eli Woods and Roy Castle had decided to say something different to what they had rehearsed, but Eli had forgotten the song, so he said ' A,a,a,a,a,a've l,l,l,ost me Ding Dong'. Jimmy just looked at him for a second, then said 'I didn't know you'd got one'.
Roy Castle had to turn away or he would laughed out loud.

peterw · 19-09-2006, 22:43

Googled for this one which might bring back memories of Jimmy James.

ey! Are you putting it around that I'm barmy?
Jimmy J:
No, no it's not me.
Hutton C:
Well, someone's putting it around that I'm barmy. (Nods in Eli's direction) Is it him?
Jimmy J:
I'll ask him (to Eli) Is it you that's putting it around that he's barmy?
Bretton W:
I don't want any.
Jimmy J:
He doesn't want any.
Bretton W:
How much are they?
Jimmy J:
How much are - no - never mind, it's not him.
Hutton C:
Well somebody's putting it around that I'm barmy.
Jimmy J:
Did you want to keep it a secret? Listen, your face is very familiar - where have I seen you before?
Hutton C:
Oh, I'm out of there now!
Jimmy J:
Oh, that's where I saw you, in there. I didn't know I'd been in. I know I won't be long with you two. No, I've seen you making a political speech somewhere.
Hutton C:
Oh yeah. I'm a member of Parliament.
Jimmy J:
What are you, Conservative, Labour or Democrat?
Hutton C:
Yes.
Jimmy J:
Well it's nice to know we've got one. (To Eli) We've got one.
Bretton W:
Have we?
Jimmy J:
When I look at you, I think we've got two.
Hutton C:
I've been away you know.
Jimmy J:
It doesn't show.
Hutton C:
I've been to Africa, I was very popular in Africa. Just before I came home they gave me a lovely present.
Jimmy J:
What did they give you?
Hutton C:
Two man eating lions.
Jimmy J:
Real lions? Did you fetch'em home? Where do you keep them?
Hutton C:
(indicating box) In this box.
Jimmy J:
(to Eli) Go and get two coffees, one with strychnine in.
Hutton C:
Are you telling him about the lions?
Jimmy J:
Oh yes, you've got two lions in that box. Are they in there now?
Hutton C:
Yes.
Jimmy J:
I thought I heard a rustling. (To Eli) He's got two lions in that box.
Bretton W:
How much are they?
Jimmy J:
He doesn't want to sell them.
Hutton C:
I've been to Nyasaland as well.
Jimmy J:
Ah, they're nice people, the Nyasas. I'll bet they gave you a present.
Hutton C:
They did. They gave me a Giraffe.
Jimmy J:
Did you bring the giraffe home?
Hutton C:
Yes.
Jimmy J:
I don't like to ask him. Where do you keep the giraffe?
Hutton C:
In the box.
Jimmy J:
(To Eli) Get on the phone! Nine-nine-nine - I'll keep him here. Somebody must be looking for him.
Hutton C:
Are you telling him about the giraffe?
Jimmy J:
Yes - he's got a giraffe in that box.
Bretton W:
Is it black or white?
Jimmy J:
Our Eli wants to know what colour the giraffe is.
Bretton W:
No, the coffee I mean.
Jimmy J:
Your mother would have been better off with a set of spoons.
Hutton C:
I've been to India as well.
Jimmy J:
Oh hell, he's been all over! I bet they gave you a good present.
Hutton C:
Yes.
Jimmy J:
What did they give you?
Hutton C:
An elephant.
Jimmy J:
Male or Female?
Hutton C:
No, an elephant.
Jimmy J:
I don't suppose it makes any difference to you whether it's male or female.
Bretton W:
It wouldn't make any d-d-difference to anyone, only another elephant.
Jimmy J:
I'll stop you going to those youth clubs.
Bretton W:
Ask him where he keeps the elephant. Go on.
Jimmy J:
Our Eli wants to know where you keep the elephant. In the box?
Hutton C:
Oh, don't be silly. You couldn't get an elephant in there.
Jimmy J:
(To Eli) Why don't you mind your own damn business? You couldn't get an elephant in there, there's no room!
Bretton W:
You could ask the g-g-giraffe to move over a bit.
Hutton C:
He's crackers.
Jimmy J:
It'd be a photo finish between the two of you.
Hutton C:
I keep the elephant in a cage.
Jimmy J:
In a cage, of course. Where do you keep the cage?
Omnes:
IN THE BOX!

peterw · 20-09-2006, 11:25

And here’s one for the REAL theatre-goers. Before and during the second world war Sheffield could only boast three top-line artistes but only two were Sheffielders; the other seemingly ‘adopted’. Two of those artistes topped the bill at the Empire while the other topped the bill continuously at a seaside resort. Who were they? To give you a clue, one was always said to had lived at Parson Cross but actually lived in London and is all but forgotten among the ‘greats‘, one did live at Nether Edge and the other was a College Lecturer. All three did Radio.

I love this thread!

tsavo · 20-09-2006, 15:31

The only three I can think of would be Jewel & Warris and Stainless Stephen. Jimmy Jewel lived in Crookes. (Cobden View Rd?) Stainless Stephen taught my father at Crookes Endowed School. Shot off to London every friday night to do his radio show apparently.

tsavo · 20-09-2006, 15:33

Sorry sent this twice.

Texas · 20-09-2006, 18:10

I'll go along with tsavo and say Jimmy Jewel and Ben Warris, and Stainless Stephen. Albert Modley perhaps?
You've reminded me now peterw, Roy Castle's 'stooge' name was Hutton Conyers and Eli Woods was Bretton Woods. Thing is, both names are of actual places, there's a Hutton Conyers in Yorkshire somewhere, and I think Bretton Woods is somewhere in Massachusetts, in the good old U.S.of A.
Thanks for the reminder of the 'matchbox routine', that's a classic.

peterw · 20-09-2006, 18:45

You’ve found one of the three — Stainless Stephen. Only two to go. Jewel and Warris came later.

peterw · 20-09-2006, 18:49

P.S. The one all but forgotten was actually born in Grenada but for some reason Sheffielders spread it around that he was a Sheffielder born and bred. One of the greatest cabaret artistes ever, and coloured. Does that ring any bells?

tsavo · 20-09-2006, 21:35

Had a job remembering the name, but how about Leslie Hutchinson, he was from Grenada.

peterw · 21-09-2006, 00:21

Well done that man! One more to go.

tsavo · 21-09-2006, 08:19

Don't want to Google, but I don't thing I'm going to get the third!

tsavo · 21-09-2006, 08:22

Just had a thought with my morning cuppa. Reginald Dixon was born just above Walkley library. Was thinking of comics too much.

milted · 21-09-2006, 09:36

NO itwas'nt Mabel give him the money It was ,give himthe money Barney
Barney Colehan was the producer of the show

peterw · 21-09-2006, 13:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsavo

Just had a thought with my morning cuppa. Reginald Dixon was born just above Walkley library. Was thinking of comics too much.

Well done again that man! That’s the third. During the war Reg Dixon lived on a very hilly road — can’t remember its name — just off Brincliffe Edge Road in Nether Edge. Third or fourth house on the left going down. Early in the war I was delivering his morning paper — until his dog started wandering down for it. There was a newsagents at the bottom of the hill and if he didn’t fancy the walk down and back up he’d send his dog, and believe me — there was never any chance of getting any newspaper off him!

peterw · 21-09-2006, 13:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by buck

I went to the Empire to see Wilfred Pickles on that show where they " Gave em the money, Barnie " with Ena Sharples ( Can't remember her real name ).

Buck, you may not remember this but Wilfred Pickles was the first Yorkshireman to read the news on radio. If my memory serves me, practically the whole of Yorkshire was listening to the Midnight news when the great day arrived, and as usual when the news had been completed he said “Good Night, everyone” — but then added “And to them in Yorkshire, Good Neet! The BBC took a dim view of it — they didn’t like accents at that time — and shortly afterwards it was “Good Neet” Wilfred!

tsavo · 21-09-2006, 14:42

Believe this was during the war when they were afraid that German imitators of news readers might be used to confuse the populace during an invasion.