Frank Randle

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Frank Randle
Frank Randle.jpg
Born
Arthur Hughes

(1901-01-30)30 January 1901
Aspull, England
Died7 July 1957(1957-07-07) (aged 56)
Blackpool, England
OccupationComedian/Comic actor
SpouseMay Annie Victoria Douglas

Frank Randle (born Arthur Hughes, also known as Arthur McEvoy or Arthur Twist; 30 January 1901 – 7 July 1957) was an English comedian. [1] A contemporary of fellow Lancastrians George Formby and Gracie Fields, he was regarded as more subversive, perhaps explaining why the immense popularity he enjoyed during his lifetime has not survived him. [2]

Contents

Life and career

Randle was born in Aspull, near Wigan, Lancashire, to unmarried domestic servant Rhoda Heathcote Hughes (1879-1965); his father was unrecorded. [3] He left school aged 13 and worked in menial jobs until two years later when he joined an acrobatic troupe. [4] He took the name Arthur McEvoy after his mother married mechanic Richard McEvoy in 1913. [5] In 1928, Randle began to tour as a comedian, principally in Lancashire and Northern England. [6] Randle appeared on stage carrying a red warning lamp, similar to the type found around road works, declaring "Look what some dam'd fool left in’t road". [7] He developed his own show, Randle's Scandals, which in the 1950s featured Roy Castle. [8]

Randle's mischievous wit led to a running conflict with Harry Barnes, a police chief constable of the Lancashire seaside resort of Blackpool, who frequently banned him from performing in the town's venues. He was prosecuted in 1952 on four charges of obscenity and fined £10 on each count. [9] Randle responded to his critics in robust fashion, frequently throwing his false teeth into the audience and once bombarding Blackpool from an aeroplane with toilet rolls (according to an episode of Rude Britannia, broadcast by the BBC on 15 June 2010, the toilet roll bombardment actually took place over Accrington, not Blackpool). [10] Randle's police charge sheet is lodged with Lancashire Archives. [11]

On the outbreak of the Second World War, having failed his medical to join the RAF, Randle joined the Home Guard and established a career in film. His iconoclastic portrayal of the underdog, flouting authority and disrupting the establishment, found a ready audience in a population suffering the privations of war. He took equity in John E. Blakeley's Manchester-based Mancunian Film Studios, appearing in eight of its productions. In his last film, It's a Grand Life (1953), his co-star was Diana Dors. [12]

Frank Randle's grave Frankrandle'sgrave.jpg
Frank Randle's grave

Although he was reportedly taking £1,000 a week [at the box office] at Hulme Hippodrome in 1950, [13] with the decline of Variety in the 1950s Randle's career declined. Pressed by debts and tax arrears, and suffering from the consequences of a life of alcohol abuse, he reportedly owed the Inland Revenue £56,000 in 1954 [13] was made bankrupt by the tax authorities in 1955. [2]

He married May Annie Victoria Douglas, known as Queenie, in 1928 in Greenwich, London. There were no children but Manchester artist Arthur Delaney was alleged to be Randle's illegitimate son by fellow performer Genevieve Delaney (also known as Eve Delaney).

Randle's comedy achievement was celebrated in "Grin up North", a major touring exhibition that looked at the unique Northern sense of humour. He was most recently featured in an episode of BBC 4's Rude Britannia shown in June 2010. [2]

In 2007, a celebratory plaque paid for by members of the Cuthbert Club was unveiled to Randle on Blackpool's North Pier. [14] In 2010, the same organisation paid for the refurbishment of Randle's gravestone, which was unveiled in July 2010.

Filmography

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<i>Its a Grand Life</i> 1953 British film by John E. Blakeley

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Holidays with Pay is a 1948 British second feature ('B') comedy film directed by John E. Blakeley and starring Frank Randle, Tessie O'Shea and Dan Young. It was written by Randle, Blakeley, Mavis Compston and Harry Jackson. The film follows the Rogers family as they go on holiday to Blackpool and enjoy a series of adventures.

Somewhere in England is a 1940 British comedy film directed by John E. Blakeley and starring Frank Randle, Harry Korris and Winki Turner. It follows the adventures of an anti-authoritarian private stationed in a military camp in the North of England during the Second World War. It was the first in the Somewhere film series, followed by its sequel Somewhere in Camp in 1942.

<i>Somewhere in Camp</i> 1942 British film

Somewhere in Camp is a 1942 British comedy film directed by John E. Blakeley and starring Frank Randle, Harry Korris and Robbie Vincent. The film continues the adventures of Private Randle from the 1940 film Somewhere in England. It was followed in 1943 by Somewhere on Leave.

<i>Somewhere on Leave</i> 1943 British film by John E. Blakeley

Somewhere on Leave is a 1943 British comedy film directed by John E. Blakeley and starring Frank Randle, Harry Korris and Dan Young. It was written by Roney Parsons and Anthony Toner and was the third in the series of Somewhere films following Private Randle and his comrades. It was followed by Somewhere in Civvies (1943).

<i>Somewhere in Civvies</i> 1943 British film by Maclean Rogers

Somewhere in Civvies is a 1943 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Frank Randle, George Doonan and Suzette Tarri. Private Randle is discharged from the army and finds it difficult to adjust to civilian life. It was followed in 1948 by Somewhere in Politics.

<i>Somewhere in Politics</i> 1948 British film by John E. Blakeley

Somewhere in Politics is a 1948 British comedy film directed and produced by John E. Blakeley and starring Frank Randle, Tessie O'Shea and Josef Locke. It was written by Harry Jackson.

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Harry Korris was a Manx-British comedian and actor. He was a star of the hit BBC radio show Happidrome, and of the 1943 film version. He also appeared in several Frank Randle films.

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References

  1. "Frank Randle". Archived from the original on 22 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "COMEDY / Perfectly Frank: Frank Randle eschewed the stereotyped comedy". The Independent. 16 February 1994.
  3. Richards, Jeffrey (2004). "Randle, Frank [real name Arthur Hughes; known as Arthur McEvoy] (1901–1957), music-hall comedian and film actor". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/64583. ISBN   978-0-19-861412-8.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. "Frank Randle & Josef Locke".
  5. Old Time Variety: An Illustrated History, Richard A. Baker, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2011
  6. "mislaid-comedyheroes".
  7. Mather (2003), p. 19
  8. "Leave 'em Laughing: The Roy Castle Story – BBC Radio 4 FM – 13 March 2005 – BBC Genome". 13 March 2005.
  9. Kynaston, David (2009). Family Britain 1951-7. London: Bloomsbury. p. 109. ISBN   9780747583851.
  10. Moore, Charles (28 June 2010). "A largely academic view of British bawdy". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  11. Lancashire Archives, PLA, accession 6401
  12. "It's a Grand Life (1953) – John E. Blakeley – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related – AllMovie".
  13. 1 2 Thornber, Robin (12 November 1988). "Scandals (review)". The Guardian. p. 36.
  14. "Frank Randle blue plaque".

Bibliography and further reading