Alongside a raft of "names" including HM The Queen Victoria, Patti LaBelle, Jim Broadbent, Lilli Palmer, Kristin Scott Thomas, Gene Anthony Ray, Bob Dylan, Alfred Molina, Jean-Paul Marat, Prince Buster, Priscilla Presley, Eric Cantona, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Mai Zetterling, Jan Smuts, Rosanne Cash, Steven Norris and - opportunely, given the heatwave in London - Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, inventor of the Fahrenheit scale...
...today marks the centenary of the birth of the fantabulosa Stanley Baxter [who only died last year]!
By way of a respite from the (officially-designated) heatwave [even I - "part-man, part-lizard", who loves basking in the sun - needed to get out of it mid-afternoon], here's another couple of classic sketches from the great man himself:
He was great, and is greatly missed!
Stanley Livingstone Baxter (24th May 1926 – 11th December 2025)
He was, indeed, a great performer; he even got a laugh out of being mistaken for Stanley Baker!
ReplyDeleteUnlike some famous comedians, he always appeared to be quite a cheery chap off-stage as much as on it - despite the fact he hid his homosexuality from the world until finally coming out at the age of 94!
DeleteI watched the BBC4 programme last night, Stanley was the best!
ReplyDeleteSx
I missed that! Jx
DeleteYes he was one of the best. Fast forward to 2026 and what have we got Mrs Brown's Boys. A friend of mine does a cracking impression of Rosie Jones she has us in fits which can't be said of the real Rosie.
ReplyDeleteMrs Brown's Boys is a mystery. Total and utter unfunny shit, yet keeps getting new series. I have never heard of Rosie Jones. Even looking her up on Google, I don't know her. Jx
DeleteRosie has been on QI several times. meh.
DeleteI gave up on QI not long after Stephen Fry left. Jx
DeleteI saw the Cher jamboree the other night on the BBC the above videos just reminded me. Turned it off when that man with the teeth started interviewing her.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch any of the tributes on telly. There is a special programme that they keep promoting on Radio 2 that I might listen to. I'm quite fond of Rylan Clark, but I wouldn't want to have to look at him for too long without sunglasses. His teeth are stupidly white. Jx
DeleteHe was funny and an exceptional impersonator, although Miss Chop Suey would thankfully be cut from the repertoire these days.
ReplyDeleteThere's an awful lot of comedy we'll never get to see again thanks to the PC brigade, always wringing their hands and banning stuff. Jx
DeleteWell, some with good reason. Those in the minority are often grateful.
DeleteI understand - but erasing history for its own sake carries a huge risk. Put a warning sticker on it, by all means, but most people outside the braying hordes of "pretend outrage" social media are adults and understand that this kind of thing was perceived as harmless mickey-taking at the time it was created. It wouldn't be created now. Jx
DeleteI have just closed the paysho doors and curtain now that the sun has moved around. I could still do with "Liberace's" encore to cool off, though.
ReplyDeleteYou need a good squirt, Mr DeVice. Jx
Delete“Izzat a marra on yer barra, Clara?”
ReplyDeleteParliamo Glasgow! Jx
DeleteHe was extra special. When there was news of an up and coming new Stanley Baxter TV extravaganza the nation waited with excitement. we all tuned in and talked about it for weeks.
ReplyDeleteI remember it well. His show was always circled in the Xmas and New Year TV Times. Jx
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