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Dick Bentley
Charles Walter "Dick" Bentley (14 May 1907 – 27 August 1995) was an Australian-born comedian and actor of radio, stage and screen. He starred with Jimmy Edwards in '' Take It From Here'' for BBC Radio. He was a staple of and pioneer of radio, having started his career in the medium in the early 1930s. He appeared on screen from the late 1940s until retiring in 1978. Biography Early life and radio Bentley was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. As a child, Bentley learned several musical instruments, and while still in his teens was a staple on the Melbourne cabaret circuit as a comedian and singer, his act consisting of playing a few bars of music deliberately badly, interspersed with jokes and legitimate musical numbers. He made his first appearance on ABC Radio in the early 1930s and by 1938 had become a fairly prominent personality, notably on Wilfrid Thomas's show ''Out of the Bag''. In that year he moved to London, and worked for the BBC. Newly married to Petronell ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metropolitan area known as Greater Melbourne, comprising an urban agglomeration of 31 local municipalities, although the name is also used specifically for the local municipality of City of Melbourne based around its central business area. The metropolis occupies much of the northern and eastern coastlines of Port Phillip Bay and spreads into the Mornington Peninsula, part of West Gippsland, as well as the hinterlands towards the Yarra Valley, the Dandenong and Macedon Ranges. It has a population over 5 million (19% of the population of Australia, as per 2021 census), mostly residing to the east side of the city centre, and its inhabitants are commonly referred to as "Melburnians". The area of Melbourne has been home to Aboriginal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Sundowners (1960 Film)
''The Sundowners'' is a 1960 Technicolor comedy drama film that tells the story of a 1920s Australian outback family torn between the father's desires to continue his nomadic sheep-herding ways and the wife's and son's desire to settle down in one place. ''The Sundowners'' was produced and directed by Fred Zinnemann, adapted by Isobel Lennart from Jon Cleary's 1952 novel of the same name, and starring Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum and Peter Ustinov, with a supporting cast including Glynis Johns, Mervyn Johns, Dina Merrill, Michael Anderson Jr. and Chips Rafferty. The screenplay was adapted by Isobel Lennart from Jon Cleary's 1952 novel of the same name; it was produced and directed by Fred Zinnemann. In 2019, FilmInk cited it among “50 meat pie Westerns”. At the 33rd Academy Awards, it was in the running for Best Picture, while Kerr was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Johns for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Zinnemann for Best Director, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
In The Doghouse (film)
''In the Doghouse'' is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Darcy Conyers and starring Leslie Phillips and Peggy Cummins. Shot in black-and-white, the film was based on the bestselling novel ''It's a Vet's Life'' by Alex Duncan. Producer Hugh Stewart normally made films with Norman Wisdom but Wisdom was working for another producer at this time so Stewart made this money instead. The title refers to the British expression of a person being "in the doghouse" when a person is ostracised usually relating to a husband for domestic bad behaviour, and usually used in the third person e.g. "he is in the doghouse because... " Plot Jimmy Fox-Upton ( Leslie Philips) is an accident prone and less than brilliant veterinary student in his final year of college having already failed his finals 4 times. He unexpectedly passes and his good heart outweighs any academic shortcomings. He takes over an old practice and becomes rivals with a fellow student who opens a very swanky practice around ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Double Bunk
''Double Bunk'' is a British black-and-white comedy film set on a houseboat. It was released in 1961, and stars Ian Carmichael and Sid James. The musical score was composed by Stanley Black, and the title song, sung by Sid James and Liz Fraser, was by Stanley Black, Jack Fishman and Michael Pratt (later better known as the actor Mike Pratt). Plot Facing eviction from their London flat, newlyweds Jack ( Ian Carmichael) and Peggy (Janette Scott) are tricked into buying a rundown houseboat by its current owner Alfred Harper ( Reginald Beckwith) and his put-upon wife (Irene Handl). Mr Watson (Dennis Price), who owns Jack and Peggy’s mooring, soon makes their acquaintance by introducing them to his mooring tariffs and associated surcharges. Jack's used-car-salesman friend Sid (Sid James) helps him rebuild the engine, and the newlyweds take the boat down the River Thames to Ramsgate with Sid and his girlfriend Sandra (Liz Fraser) as passengers. On the way they have trouble wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
And The Same To You
''And the Same to You'' is a 1960 British boxing-themed comedy film directed by George Pollock and starring Brian Rix and William Hartnell. It is based on a stage farce by A.P. Dearsley. Premise Stuck with the nickname "Dreadnought", Dickie Marchant (Brian Rix) feels he has no choice but to pursue a career as a boxer. However, to mollify his uncle (Leo Franklyn), Marchant pretends to be the soul of religiosity, while his tough-talking manager, Walter 'Wally' Burton (William Hartnell), poses as a man of the cloth. Cast * Brian Rix as Dickie 'Dreadnought' Marchant * William Hartnell as Walter 'Wally' Burton * Leo Franklyn as Rev. Sydney Mullett * Tommy Cooper as Horace Hawkins * Vera Day as Cynthia Tripp * Sid James as Sammy Gatt * Miles Malleson as Bishop * Arthur Mullard as Tubby * Renee Houston as Mildred Pomphret * Dick Bentley as George Nibbs * John Robinson as Archdeacon Humphrey Pomphret * Terry Scott as Police Constable * Shirley Anne Field as Iris Collin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Desert Mice
''Desert Mice'' is a 1959 British comedy film featuring Alfred Marks, Sid James, Dora Bryan, Irene Handl, John Le Mesurier and Liz Fraser. A group of ENSA entertainers with the British army in the North Africa desert during the Second World War thwart a Nazi plan. The title is a play on the Desert Rats. Plot An ENSA group tours around North Africa entertaining British troops. One night, Bert hears the tune (with no words) for "Lily Marlene". He sets about writing a variety of lyrics to the tune. Attached to an intelligence unit they realise that when singing their words to the well-known tune some in the audience are singing in German, exposing them as spies. Cast * Alfred Marks as Major Poskett * Sid James as Bert Bennett * Dora Bryan as Gay Bennett * Dick Bentley as Gavin O'Toole * Joan Benham as Una O'Toole * Reginald Beckwith as Fred * Irene Handl as Miss Patch * Kenneth Fortescue as Peter * Patricia Bredin as Susan * Liz Fraser as Edie * Marius Goring as German Ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was published on Saturday 26 March 2016, leaving only the online edition. The newspaper was controlled by Tony O'Reilly's Irish Independent News & Media from 1997 until it was sold to the Russian oligarch and former KGB Officer Alexander Lebedev in 2010. In 2017, Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in it. The daily edition was named National Newspaper of the Year at the 2004 British Press Awards. The website and mobile app had a combined monthly reach of 19,826,000 in 2021. History 1986 to 1990 Launched in 1986, the first issue of ''The Independent'' was published on 7 October in broadsheet format.Dennis Griffiths (ed.) ''The Encyclopedia of the British Press, 1422–1992'', London & Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1992, p. 330 It was pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems with language, disorientation (including easily getting lost), mood swings, loss of motivation, self-neglect, and behavioral issues. As a person's condition declines, they often withdraw from family and society. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death. Although the speed of progression can vary, the typical life expectancy following diagnosis is three to nine years. The cause of Alzheimer's disease is poorly understood. There are many environmental and genetic risk factors associated with its development. The strongest genetic risk factor is from an allele of APOE. Other risk factors include a history of head injury, clinical depression, and high blood pre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' is a British sitcom broadcast on BBC1, created and written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice. It was first broadcast in 1973 and ran for two series, including two Christmas specials in 1974 and 1975. After a three-year absence, the programme returned for a third series in 1978 and again in 2016 for a one-off special. The series regularly garnered 25 million viewers and was broadcast in 60 countries. The series follows the accident-prone Frank Spencer and his tolerant wife Betty through Frank's various attempts to maintain a job, which frequently end in disaster. The sitcom was noted for its stunt work, performed by Crawford himself, and it featured several well-known and much-lampooned catchphrases that have become part of British popular culture. In the 2004 series ''Britain's Best Sitcom'', ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' placed 22nd in the list of all British sitcoms. Title The series was originally conceived unde ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Private Eye
''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satirical and current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely recognised for its prominent criticism and lampooning of public figures. It is also known for its in-depth investigative journalism into under-reported scandals and cover-ups. ''Private Eye'' is Britain's best-selling current affairs magazine, and such is its long-term popularity and impact that many of its recurring in-jokes have entered popular culture in the United Kingdom. The magazine bucks the trend of declining circulation for print media, having recorded its highest ever circulation in the second half of 2016. It is privately owned and highly profitable. With a "deeply conservative resistance to change", it has resisted moves to online content or glossy format: it has always been printed on cheap paper and resembles, in format and content, a comic as much as a ser ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barry McKenzie
Barry McKenzie (full name: Barrington Bradman Bing McKenzie)Rebecca Coyle and Michael Hannan, La Trobe University, 2005 is a fictional character created in 1964 by the Australian comedian Barry Humphries (but suggested by Peter Cook) for a comic strip, written by Humphries and drawn by New Zealand artist Nicholas Garland in the British satirical magazine ''Private Eye''.Macnab, GeoffreyBazza turns 30 ''The Age'', 23 March 2003 He was subsequently portrayed by Australian singer Barry Crocker in two films in the 1970s. Background One of Humphries' early stage characters was a surfer named Buster Thompson, who served as a prototype for Barry McKenzie. Humphries has noted that after Peter Cook heard a recording of Thompson in New York in 1962, he invited him to devise a similar character for ''Private Eye''. The comic strip about a "randy, boozy Australian rampaging through Swinging London" was very popular, but Eye editor Richard Ingrams eventually dropped it on account of Humphries� ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barry McKenzie Holds His Own
''Barry McKenzie Holds His Own'' is the 1974 sequel to the 1972 Australian comedy film '' The Adventures of Barry McKenzie''. Returning from the original film is Barry Crocker in the title role, as well as Barry Humphries in the role of Barry's aunt, Edna. Also returning in the director's chair is Bruce Beresford. The then Prime Minister of Australia, Gough Whitlam, along with his wife Margaret Whitlam, made cameo appearances as themselves. Barry Humphries contends that ''Barry McKenzie'' was an inspiration for the later film '' Crocodile Dundee''. Plot The film continues directly where '' The Adventures of Barry McKenzie'' ended with Barry McKenzie (Barry Crocker) and his aunt Edna returning home to Australia from England. During the flight two henchmen of Count Plasma ( Donald Pleasence) (a Dracula-type Minister of Culture from the People's Republic of Transylvania) mistake Edna for the Queen of the United Kingdom and kidnap her during their brief stopover in Paris, beli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
