What a great story about Jackie Gleason , But lets not forget our own very own Len Gibson who can ad-lib with the best of them , Forum members Len & Freda Gibson The George Burns & Gracie Allen of Dovercourt Bay .....!!
Would you say Lena & Harry that Ted Ray was one our top ad-libbers ? .
So many so called ad-libs are scripted these days !
Liza May Minnelli
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Lena & Harry Smith
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Hi Anne and David, that sounds great. We haven't had the pleasure of hearing Len's ad-libbing but that would certainly be something to look forward to at some point. 
""Burns and Allen of Dovercourt Bay huh. well Burns and Allen were a clever duo, and yes Ted Ray was a master at ad-libbing , a great stand up comedian who appeared on TV, but perhaps more remembered for his own radio series "Ray's A Laugh," in those far off days when Radio had so many good weekly comedy shows, and yes...we can remember and sing all the introductory tunes to most of them. 
""Burns and Allen of Dovercourt Bay huh.
well Burns and Allen were a clever duo, and yes Ted Ray was a master at ad-libbing , a great stand up comedian who appeared on TV, but perhaps more remembered for his own radio series "Ray's A Laugh," in those far off days when Radio had so many good weekly comedy shows, and yes...we can remember and sing all the introductory tunes to most of them. 
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Lena & Harry Smith
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Yes, all great shows to listen to. others ... Monday Night At Eight O' clock..oh cant you hear the chimes, "The Navy Lark.".. "Palace Of Varieties" , open doors this way and of course "Educating Archie" featuring Peter Brough with his wooden doll Archie... the worlds worst ventriliquist ever.. Good job he was on radio.
"The Navy Lark.".. "Palace Of Varieties" , open doors this way and of course "Educating Archie" featuring Peter Brough with his wooden doll Archie... the worlds worst ventriliquist ever.. Good job he was on radio. -
Lena & Harry Smith
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Was it in Capitals Marian or joined up letters. 
We have a photograph amongst our memorabillia ( just looked it out )of Peter Brough and Archie Andrews both smartly attired at the bedside of a sick lady actress in hospital. She's got a smile on her face, probably waiting for him to say Be Brave, Battle on, Get Better soon and Be Back in the theatre so we can chant Break A Leg.
We have a photograph amongst our memorabillia ( just looked it out )of Peter Brough and Archie Andrews both smartly attired at the bedside of a sick lady actress in hospital. She's got a smile on her face, probably waiting for him to say Be Brave, Battle on, Get Better soon and Be Back in the theatre so we can chant Break A Leg. -
Lena & Harry Smith
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Ha Ha Ha Ha Yeah Marian, a Gottle of Geer might have gone down a treat. All we know about that suffering lady actress was her name was Doreen.
Peter Brough began as a comedian delivering a line of patter that needed a willing stooge to deliver the appropriate punch lines. After having no luck with this he thought of a dummy but unfortunately he couldn't easily control his lip movements and try as he might, couldn't grasp the mechanics of working the dummy. Bit of a disaster really. specially when the show was transferred to television, and they tried to disguise his lack of lip movement skill with camera techniques even with the technician himself working the puppet.
After he retired he absent mindedly left the Archie Andrews doll in a railway carriage . We think it was deliberate, although It was eventually recovered.
Peter Brough began as a comedian delivering a line of patter that needed a willing stooge to deliver the appropriate punch lines. After having no luck with this he thought of a dummy but unfortunately he couldn't easily control his lip movements and try as he might, couldn't grasp the mechanics of working the dummy.
Bit of a disaster really. specially when the show was transferred to television, and they tried to disguise his lack of lip movement skill with camera techniques even with the technician himself working the puppet.After he retired he absent mindedly left the Archie Andrews doll in a railway carriage . We think it was deliberate,
although It was eventually recovered.
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Terence Lee
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Liza Liza!
Thank you Mark for bringing Liza back into her thread!