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Thomas Reginald Handley (17 January 1892 – 9 January 1949) was an English comedian, best known for the

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radio programme ''

It's That Man Again ''It's That Man Again'' (commonly contracted to ''ITMA'') was a BBC radio comedy programme which ran for twelve series from 1939 to 1949. The shows featured Tommy Handley in the central role, a fast-talking figure, around whom the other ch ...

'' ("''ITMA''") which ran between 1939 and 1949. Born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

, Lancashire, Handley went on the stage in his teens and after military service in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he established himself as a comedian and singer on the music hall circuit. He became nationally known as a pioneer broadcaster. From 1924 onwards he was frequently heard on

...

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

programmes as a solo entertainer and an actor in sketches. In the 1930s Handley frequently performed on air with the comedian

Ronald Frankau Ronald Hugh Wyndham Frankau (22 February 1894 – 11 September 1951) was an English comedian who started in cabaret and made his way to radio and films. Family Frankau was born in London, the third child of Arthur Frankau, son of Joseph Fra ...

in a popular comedy act as " Mr Murgatroyd and Mr Winterbottom". Handley's greatest success came in 1939 with the BBC radio comedy show ''It's That Man Again'', which, after an uncertain start, caught the British public's imagination and reached an unprecedentedly large audience. He starred as the good-natured, fast-talking anchor-man around whom a cast of eccentric comic characters revolved. The show was credited for its important part in keeping up morale in Britain during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. Handley died suddenly in 1949, and ''ITMA'' died with him.

Life and career

Early years

Handley was born at Toxteth Park,

, on 17 January 1892, the son of John Handley and his wife, Sarah Ann, ''née'' Pearson.Took, Barry
"Handley, Thomas Reginald (Tommy) (1892–1949), comedian"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004. Retrieved 11 June 2020 John Handley, who is believed to have run a dairy business, died while Tommy was a baby. After leaving school Handley earned his living as a salesman, but developed a reputation as an amateur singer. He was determined to go into show business and became a professional singer in 1916. He toured briefly in the operetta ''

The Maid of the Mountains ''The Maid of the Mountains'', called in its original score a musical play, is an operetta or "Edwardian" musical comedy in three acts. The music was by Harold Fraser-Simson, with additional music by James W. Tate, lyrics by Harry Graham and ...

'', before being called up in 1917 into the Royal Naval Air Service. During the last two years of the

, he served in a

kite balloon A kite balloon is a tethered balloon which is shaped to help make it stable in low and moderate winds and to increase its lift. It typically comprises a streamlined envelope with stabilising features and a harness or yoke connecting it to the mai ...

section and subsequently in a concert party entertaining the troops. After the war, Handley auditioned for the impresario

Rupert D'Oyly Carte Rupert D'Oyly Carte (3 November 1876 – 12 September 1948) was an English hotelier, theatre owner and impresario, best known as proprietor of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and Savoy Hotel from 1913 to 1948. Son of the impresario and hotelier ...

, and impressed him with his performance of the Major-General's patter song from ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 187 ...

''. Carte wrote to offer him a place in a new D'Oyly Carte touring company, but by the time the invitation arrived Handley was contractually committed elsewhere. He toured in musical comedy and in the music halls as a comedian and singer. He became known in the leading role of the officer in the sketch ''

The Disorderly Room ''The Disorderly Room'' is a musical comedy sketch written by the actor and writer Eric Blore during the First World War. It was first performed at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London, in 1919 and starred Blore, Stanley Holloway, Tom Walls, Leslie ...

'', a parody of military life, written by

Eric Blore Eric Blore Sr. (23 December 1887 – 2 March 1959) was an English actor and writer. His early stage career, mostly in the West End of London, centred on revue and musical comedy, but also included straight plays. He wrote sketches for and appe ...

, in which military disciplinary proceedings were comically set to popular tunes of the day. The sketch remained in his repertory from 1921 to 1941, and according to Handley's biographer

Ted Kavanagh Henry Edward Kavanagh (7 March 1892 – 17 September 1958) was a British radio scriptwriter and producer. Ted Kavanagh was born in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1892. He initially studied medicine in Edinburgh before pursuing a career as a writer. H ...

"it must have been played on every music-hall stage in the country". In 1924 ''The Disorderly Room'' was included in the programme for the

Royal Command Performance A Royal Command Performance is any performance by actors or musicians that occurs at the direction or request of a reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Although English monarchs have long sponsored their own theatrical companies and commis ...

at the

London Coliseum The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the London Coliseum Theatre ...

.Williams, W. E
"Handley, Thomas Reginald (1892–1949)"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 1959. Retrieved 11 June 2020 The show was broadcast, and marked the beginning of Handley's radio career.

BBC

Handley was successful on the halls, but he was not a major star. His career took off as a broadcaster. He was a regular performer on the

...
from 1924 onwards – his biographer

Barry Took Barry Took (19 June 192831 March 2002) was an English writer, television presenter and comedian. His decade-and-a-half writing partnership with Marty Feldman led to the television series ''Bootsie and Snudge'', the radio comedy ''Round the Hor ...

calls him "a mainstay of its variety programmes" – as a solo entertainer, an actor in sketches and occasionally a producer. Much of his material was written by Ted Kavanagh, who devised comic monologues for him and worked with him on the broadcast

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

s that paved the way for their greatest success, ''

''. In 1929 Handley married the actress and singer Jean Allistone (Rosalind Jean Henshall, ''née'' Allistone, 1897–1958) whom he had met at the BBC. She had trained under Sir Herbert Tree, appeared in revues and musical comedies and, from 1925, was a pioneer broadcaster. The couple had no children. Between 1935 and 1949 Handley frequently performed on air with the comedian

in a comedy act as "Mr Murgatroyd and Mr Winterbottom" ("Two minds with not a single thought"). Together they wrote and delivered what Took describes as "a sophisticated crosstalk of quickfire word and idea association"; the combination of the

Old Etonian Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

Frankau's patrician tones as Murgatroyd and Handley's fast-talking

Scouse Scouse (; formally known as Liverpool English or Merseyside English) is an accent and dialect of English associated with Liverpool and the surrounding county of Merseyside. The Scouse accent is highly distinctive; having been influenced he ...

patter as Winterbottom became one of the BBC's most popular comedy features. Took quotes a typical example of Murgatroyd and Winterbottom's rapid cross-talk, which concludes: :Murgatroyd: Yes, Mr Winterbottom, we must always study the listener – the Mr and Mrs Everymans :Winterbottom: The Jones and Smiths. :Murgatroyd: The Robinsons and Browns. :Winterbottom: The Gilbert and Sullivans. :Murgatroyd: The Tristan and Isoldes. :Winterbottom: The Hengists and Horsas. :Murgatroyd: The Moodys and Sankeys. :Winterbottom: And the Darbys and Joans. :Murgatroyd: Cut out the Joans and let's think of the Derby. What have you backed? :Winterbottom: My car into a shop window. Joan a car? :Murgatroyd: Cut out the Joan and let's think of the Derby again. Murgatroyd and Winterbottom became so popular that the performers' wives – Jean Allistone and

Renee Roberts Irene Roberts (24 September 1908 – 6 February 1996) better known by her professional name Renee Roberts was an English actress who is best remembered for her portrayal of Miss Ursula Gatsby in ''Fawlty Towers'' in both series in 1975 and 19 ...

– were invited to make several broadcasts of their own as "Mrs Murgatroyd and Mrs Winterbottom"."Murgatroyd and Winterbottom"
BBC Genome. Retrieved 12 June 2020

''ITMA''

Towards the end of the 1930s Handley and Kavanagh were, in Took's words, "at a crossroads", in need of "a new direction in which to move and a new stimulus to drive them forward". The new direction and stimulus came with the BBC's need for a replacement for ''

Band Waggon ''Band Waggon'' was a comedy radio show broadcast by the BBC from 1938 to 1940. The first series featured Arthur Askey and Richard "Stinker" Murdoch. In the second series, Askey and Murdoch were joined by Syd Walker, and the third series added ...

'', an immensely successful hour-long variety programme starring

Arthur Askey Arthur Bowden Askey, (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was an English comedian and actor. Askey was known for his short stature (5' 2", 1.58 m) and distinctive horn-rimmed glasses, and his playful humour incorporating improvisation ...

and

Richard Murdoch Richard Bernard Murdoch (6 April 19079 October 1990) was an English actor and entertainer. After early professional experience in the chorus in musical comedy, Murdoch quickly moved on to increasingly prominent roles in musical comedy and rev ...

. Askey's career was developing elsewhere, on stage and screen, and the 1939 run of the show was its last. Kavanagh and Handley, together with the BBC producer Francis Worsley, conceived a successor. Instead of the one-off sketches to which Handley and Kavanagh were accustomed, the new show would be 45 minutes in length. The three colleagues agreed to set the series on a

pirate radio Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially ...

ship, with Handley in charge, surrounded by and coping with a cast of miscellaneous oddballs. The title was ''It's That Man Again'' – a phrase borrowed from ''

The Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet ...

'' which used it as a headline for an article about

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

. The series was launched in July 1939, but made little impression before its initial run came to an end shortly before the

started. At the outbreak of the war the BBC, knowing that its London headquarters at Broadcasting House would be a principal target for enemy bombing, put into effect plans to move much of its activity to other locations. Many of the corporation's programmes were broadcast from places such as

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

and

Weston-super-Mare Weston-super-Mare, also known simply as Weston, is a seaside town in North Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. It includes the suburbs of Mead Vale, Milton, Oldmix ...

in the

West Country The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is a loosely defined area of South West England, usually taken to include all, some, or parts of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and, less commonly, Wiltshire, Glo ...

and Evesham and

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...

in the Midlands. The BBC Variety department was moved first to Bristol and, in 1941, to Bangor in

North Wales North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia N ...

. ''ITMA'' resumed, its running time reduced to 30 minutes, and now Handley and his colleagues caught the public mood with shows that genially satirised many of the irritating features of wartime existence and generated

catchphrases A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...

that became common currency. Handley was cast as the Minister of Aggravation and Mysteries at the Office of Twerps, surrounded by a cast of bizarre characters; they included, at various times, the bibulous Colonel Chinstrap, the morose Mona Lott, the incompetent German spy Funf, the formidable charlady Mrs Mopp, the dubious vendor Ali Oop, and the ultra-polite broker's men Claude and Cecil. The supposed locale and the cast of characters changed over the years, but the formula – Handley as the benign master of ceremonies beset by a gallery of comic eccentrics – remained constant. ''ITMA'' became an enormous success, popular with all classes of society. By the middle of the war, an unprecedented forty per cent of the British population was tuning in to ''ITMA''. It had the distinction of becoming the first radio show to give a royal command performance: early in 1942 a special edition of ''ITMA'' was performed at

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original c ...

for Princess Elizabeth's birthday. In between seasons on air, Handley and his colleagues took ''ITMA'' on tour in live shows round the country.Took, p. 24 The last edition of ''ITMA'' – the 310th – was recorded on 5 January 1949; four days later Handley died suddenly of a cerebral haemorrhage. His death was announced on air by the Director General of the BBC, Sir William Haley, who insisted on making the announcement himself. The King and Queen sent a message of sympathy to Handley's widow. Thousands of people lined the route of Handley's funeral procession from the chapel near his London home to

Golders Green Crematorium Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000 (the equivalent of £135,987 in 2021), ...

, and packed memorial services were held in two cathedrals: St Paul's on 27 January and

three days later.

Reputation

Handley and the ''ITMA'' team were widely credited with boosting morale during the war, and were unmissable listening for millions. A member of the Royal Household said that if the war were to end between 8.30 and 9 p.m. on a Thursday night none of the household would dare to tell the King until ''ITMA'' had finished. Although Handley was a leading star in Britain, his material in ''ITMA'' was so topical and local, and delivered at such speed, that it was incomprehensible to many outside the UK. Nonetheless, it was popular in Australia:Grahame, Charles. "The master of the rapid-fire radio show", ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 27 November 1976, p. 15 a writer in ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory ...

'' commented that Handley's "roguish Liverpudlian twang could have made a stock-exchange report sound funny". A Canadian newspaper quoted an American who heard the show: "I can't understand a word the guy is saying, but it sure sounds like great radio".Thompson, Ernest Chisholm. "Britain Still Mourns Its Jester", ''The Gazette'', 3 February 1949, p. 8 It was said that

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...

, though British-born, found ''ITMA'' "too fast" for him. Haley said of Handley, "He was not only broadcasting's greatest but also its most natural comedian. … He was a true original ndthere will never be anyone quite like That Man again"."Tommy Handley: An Appreciation by Sir William Haley", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 14 January 1949, p. 5 In Took's words:

Filmography

* ''

'' (1943) * ''

Time Flies Time Flies may refer to: * '' Tempus fugit'', a Latin phrase usually translated as "time flies"; an admonition against procrastination Film * ''Time Flies'' (1944 film), a British comedy directed by Walter Forde * ''Time Flies'' (2013 film), a ...

'' (1944)

Notes and sources

Notes

Sources

* * * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Handley, Tommy 1892 births 1949 deaths English male comedians Royal Naval Air Service personnel of World War I British radio personalities Comedians from Lancashire Comedians from Liverpool Golders Green Crematorium 20th-century English comedians British male comedy actors