Playing Silly Buggers
Sir Harry Secombe, CBE
Peter Sellers, CBE
Spike Milligan, KBE
All giants on their own in the entertainment world, but combined were the three funniest bastards on the planet. The Goons.
America, you've given the rest of the world... ENDLESS cultural influence. You lot are inescapable. I continue to be amazed that such a seminal show as the Goon Show never really made it to America.
It ended nearly fifty years ago, but it's still one of the greatest comedy shows ever made and arguably the greatest radio comedy EVER. All British comedy as you know it can be traced back to these guys.
I introduced my Midwestern husband to the Goon Show ten years ago and he loved it instantly. He can now impersonate Eccles, Bluebottle, Henry Crun and Bloodnok dead-on(I have to do Neddie and Minnie ;))
Ying tong iddle eye po.
3 comments:
The only way I could explain The Firesign Theatre to my British husband was to cite the tremendous influence of The Goons on their comedy. Fortunately, he's a big Goons fan...
Americans don't know the Goons? Oh you dirty swine--you've deaded me!
Back at the height of Pythonmania in the mid-70s, the local PBS radio station began playing the Goon Show, and I was hooked for the brief time they aired it. There were 2-episode LPs available, but I never bought any.
I bought "The Goon Show Companion" recently (eBay, used, 99 cents). I haven't done more than flip through it, but did you know that before Bluebottle's official introduction, Sellers used the same voice and personality using a different character's name?
And that name was--Ernie Splutmuscle!
ITS IN A BOOK , LOOK IT UP!
I have the exact same book, Bill ;)
Got it for 30 cents at a library cast-off sale.
Well I know YOU know the Goons, because you are a connoisseur-y type person when it comes to comedy.
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