Larry Grayson
Encyclopedia
Larry Grayson born William Sulley White, was an English
stand-up comedian
and television presenter of the 1970s and early 80s. He is best remembered for hosting the BBC
's popular series The Generation Game
and for his high camp
and English music hall
humour.
, north Oxfordshire
, in 1923 to unmarried parents (he never met his father). Ten days after he was born, he was adopted by Alice and Jim Hammond, a family in Nuneaton
, Warwickshire
. His adoptive mother died when he was six years old, and he was brought up by his eldest adoptive sister, Flo until his adoptive father remarried latterly. When he was eight, he discovered that his Aunt Ethel was in fact his natural mother, though he always considered Flo as his mother.
He left school at the age of 14 and was soon working professionally under the name of Billy Breen as a supporting drag act on the comedy club circuit. Over the next thirty years, he toured the UK not only in male revues and drag shows, but also in variety show
s. Grayson once toured with Harry Leslie and his Tomorrow Stars, hoping that his chance of fame would come too. He also added stand-up comedy to his act and appeared in London at the Metropolitan.
s with a unique and very gentle anecdotal style of comedy. It was usually based around his various "friends" such as Everard, Apricot Lil, Slack Alice, and the postman Pop-It-In Pete. A lot of this was observational. Grayson's family owned the only telephone in the street when he was a child, and he used to listen to his neighbours using the phone.
Following a hit run of guest spots on ATV variety shows in the 1970s, he was rewarded by Lew Grade
with his own award-winning show, Shut That Door!, in 1972.
to present The Generation Game
in 1978.
Attracting audiences of 24 million each week, the show became even more popular and ran until 1981. Grayson was aided and abetted by Isla St Clair
, whom he always referred to as "my lovely Isla". Despite its popularity, The Generation Game was being beaten in the ratings by its ITV
rival, Game for a Laugh
, and the BBC took the decision to end the series in early 1982. Accepting this decision philosophically, Grayson went into semi-retirement, enjoying time on his own at his bungalow with his beloved dogs, although he did return to television to present the game show "Sweethearts" for ITV in 1987.
He also made two memorable cameo appearances in the Midlands
-based soap opera Crossroads, as a flouncing, difficult customer at the Crossroads Motel and as the chauffeur at the wedding of Meg Richardson (played by his close friend Noele Gordon
). Ironically, Grayson couldn't drive.
Grayson moved with Flo (his adoptive older sister) to Torquay
, Devon
as part of his semi-retirement, but moved back to Nuneaton after just a couple of years.
In 2009, Network DVD released a 3 disc set Shut That Door – Larry Grayson At ITV, which features material from his ITV days, including the one existing episode of his series Shut That Door and both series of The Larry Grayson Show.
However, a permanent tribute to Larry Grayson was opened in April 2009 at the Riversley Park museum, Nuneaton, with a display of personal memorabilia and items from his showbiz career.
The exhibition, in the ground-floor Local History Room, includes his trademark gold bentwood chair, a plaque from the star dressing room at the London Palladium, trophies, gifts and souvenir programmes.
A new Lloyds Bar was opened in May 2010 in Nuneaton, named the William White, Larry's Birthname.
, at the age of 71. Grayson's final public appearance was on 3 December 1994 at the Royal Variety Performance
. During this performance he referred to his hiatus from television, by commenting to the audience, "They thought I was dead!". His last words during the performance were his catchphrase "Shut that door!", followed by "I love you." He is buried alongside other members of his family in his home town of Nuneaton.
Suzi Pritchard wrote in The Guardian
:
Ken Dodd
, comedian, said of Larry Grayson's appeal and warmth:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
stand-up comedian
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
and television presenter of the 1970s and early 80s. He is best remembered for hosting the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's popular series The Generation Game
The Generation Game
The Generation Game was a British gameshow produced by the BBC in which four teams of two competed to win prizes...
and for his high camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
and English music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
humour.
Biography
Grayson was born in BanburyBanbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
, north Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, in 1923 to unmarried parents (he never met his father). Ten days after he was born, he was adopted by Alice and Jim Hammond, a family in Nuneaton
Nuneaton
Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. His adoptive mother died when he was six years old, and he was brought up by his eldest adoptive sister, Flo until his adoptive father remarried latterly. When he was eight, he discovered that his Aunt Ethel was in fact his natural mother, though he always considered Flo as his mother.
He left school at the age of 14 and was soon working professionally under the name of Billy Breen as a supporting drag act on the comedy club circuit. Over the next thirty years, he toured the UK not only in male revues and drag shows, but also in variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
s. Grayson once toured with Harry Leslie and his Tomorrow Stars, hoping that his chance of fame would come too. He also added stand-up comedy to his act and appeared in London at the Metropolitan.
Television career
Grayson was one of the first television comedians to suggest an openly gay persona. He did not achieve stardom until he was in his fifties and had his own television show. An early TV appearance in the 1950s had led to many complaints about his act being too outrageous, and Grayson had resigned himself to a career off television. He was very popular in revue and working men's clubWorking men's club
Working men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families.-...
s with a unique and very gentle anecdotal style of comedy. It was usually based around his various "friends" such as Everard, Apricot Lil, Slack Alice, and the postman Pop-It-In Pete. A lot of this was observational. Grayson's family owned the only telephone in the street when he was a child, and he used to listen to his neighbours using the phone.
Following a hit run of guest spots on ATV variety shows in the 1970s, he was rewarded by Lew Grade
Lew Grade
Lew Grade, Baron Grade , born Lev Winogradsky, was an influential Russian-born English impresario and media mogul.-Early years:...
with his own award-winning show, Shut That Door!, in 1972.
The Generation Game
Grayson's popularity peaked when he moved over to the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to present The Generation Game
The Generation Game
The Generation Game was a British gameshow produced by the BBC in which four teams of two competed to win prizes...
in 1978.
Attracting audiences of 24 million each week, the show became even more popular and ran until 1981. Grayson was aided and abetted by Isla St Clair
Isla St Clair
Isla St Clair , is a Scottish singer, actress and former game show co-host.-Early career:Isla St Clair was born in Grangemouth, central Scotland, in 1952. Her family came from North East Scotland and it was here that she spent her early years...
, whom he always referred to as "my lovely Isla". Despite its popularity, The Generation Game was being beaten in the ratings by its ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
rival, Game for a Laugh
Game for a Laugh
Game For A Laugh was a popular British TV light entertainment show which ran for 56 editions and 4 specials between 26 September 1981 and 23 November 1985, made by London Weekend Television for the ITV network.- Origins :...
, and the BBC took the decision to end the series in early 1982. Accepting this decision philosophically, Grayson went into semi-retirement, enjoying time on his own at his bungalow with his beloved dogs, although he did return to television to present the game show "Sweethearts" for ITV in 1987.
He also made two memorable cameo appearances in the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
-based soap opera Crossroads, as a flouncing, difficult customer at the Crossroads Motel and as the chauffeur at the wedding of Meg Richardson (played by his close friend Noele Gordon
Noele Gordon
Noele Gordon was an English film and television actress.- Early life :Gordon's father was an engineer in the Merchant Navy and she was born in East Ham, London. After attending convent school at Forest Gate, she was taught to dance by the late Maude Wells and later spent several years living in...
). Ironically, Grayson couldn't drive.
Grayson moved with Flo (his adoptive older sister) to Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
as part of his semi-retirement, but moved back to Nuneaton after just a couple of years.
In 2009, Network DVD released a 3 disc set Shut That Door – Larry Grayson At ITV, which features material from his ITV days, including the one existing episode of his series Shut That Door and both series of The Larry Grayson Show.
Memorial in Nuneaton
It was said that he had been incensed at an objection by one councillor at a Nuneaton town council meeting to the idea of a monument for Grayson in the town. Apparently, the comments made were unpleasantly homophobic. Grayson asked his family to ensure that no memorial to him was ever to be erected there.However, a permanent tribute to Larry Grayson was opened in April 2009 at the Riversley Park museum, Nuneaton, with a display of personal memorabilia and items from his showbiz career.
The exhibition, in the ground-floor Local History Room, includes his trademark gold bentwood chair, a plaque from the star dressing room at the London Palladium, trophies, gifts and souvenir programmes.
A new Lloyds Bar was opened in May 2010 in Nuneaton, named the William White, Larry's Birthname.
Catchphrases
- "Shut that door!" (Directed off-stage; his most famous catchphrase, said to have been coined accidentally while playing a draughty theatre in Redcar)
- "What a gay day!" (An exclamation after something risqué or innuendo-laden had been said or done)
- "Isla, the scores on the doors..." (To Isla St Clair on The Generation Game; her reply was "The names in the frames...")
- "Seems like a nice boy!" (Directed to the audience after meeting a male to suggest questionable sexuality)
- "Look at the muck on 'ere!" (After running his finger across the top of the back of a chair or another stage prop)
- "Fancy!" (An exclamation after something risqué or innuendo-laden had been said or done)
- "Why was I given this information?" (On The Generation Game; directed off-stage after reading out a mundane fact about a contestant)
- "The place is alive" (whilst feigning disgust about imaginary infestations of his current surroundings. May have been non-imaginary in his early career?)
- Non-verbal: Cheeks sucked in, mouth puckered, staring into camera for several seconds then quickly looking away; to feign shock or disgust
Characters
His characters were based on real people.- Slack Alice
- Apricot Lil, who works in the jam factory
- Pop-It-In-Pete, the postman ("The things I've had through my letterbox!")
- Self-Raising Fred, the baker
- Everard Farquharson, Larry's "close friend"
- Top-it-Up Ted, the petrol station attendant
Television Appearances
- Saturday Variety — 1971 — television show appearances.
- The Leslie Crowther Show — 1971 — television show appearances.
- Shut That Door! — 1972–1973 — television show host.
- Crossroads — 1973 — guest appearance on the Boxing Day episode as an irate customer.
- The Larry Grayson Hour of Stars — 1974 — television show host.
- Look Who's Talking — 1974–75 — television show host.
- Crossroads — 1975 — guest appearance as the chauffeur of the wedding car in the episode when Meg married Hugh Mortimer.
- Larry Grayson's Generation Game — 1978–1981 — television game show host.
- At Home with Larry Grayson — 1983 — television show host.
- If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them — 1983 — television game show host. Based on an original idea by John DeaconJohn DeaconJohn Richard Deacon is a retired English multi-instrumentalist and song writer, best known as the bassist for the rock band Queen. Of the four members of the band, he was the last to join and also the youngest, being only 19 years old when he was recruited by the other members of the band...
of the rock band Queen (Band)Queen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
. - Late Night Larry — 1983 — radio music show host.
- Sweethearts — 1987 — television panel game host.
Death
On New Year's Eve 1994, Grayson was rushed into hospital. The diagnosis was that he had suffered from a perforated appendix. After being allowed home from hospital, Grayson died on 7 January 1995 in NuneatonNuneaton
Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for...
, at the age of 71. Grayson's final public appearance was on 3 December 1994 at the Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
. During this performance he referred to his hiatus from television, by commenting to the audience, "They thought I was dead!". His last words during the performance were his catchphrase "Shut that door!", followed by "I love you." He is buried alongside other members of his family in his home town of Nuneaton.
Obituaries
JournalistJournalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Suzi Pritchard wrote in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
:
"His camp, deliciously naughty humour was never crude or vulgar. The gentle ambivalence of his humour made him attractive to an extraordinarily diverse range of people. But his real appeal was that of a valued neighbour perceptively observing the details of every day life and commenting on it across the garden fence, creating an emotional intimacy in a society starting to fragment."
Ken Dodd
Ken Dodd
Kenneth Arthur Dodd OBE is a British comedian and singer songwriter, famous for his frizzy hair or “fluff dom” and buck teeth or “denchers”, his favourite cleaner, the feather duster and his greeting "How tickled I am!", as well as his send-off “Lots and Lots of Happiness!”...
, comedian, said of Larry Grayson's appeal and warmth:
"He loved everybody and he wanted them to love him in return and yes, they did, they all loved Larry".
External links
- Larry Grayson – h2g2, Look at the Muck on 'Ere! – Part One
- Larry Grayson – h2g2, Look at the Muck on 'Ere! – Part Two
- Larry Grayson – h2g2, Look at the Muck on 'Ere! – Part Three
- Knitting Circle – Larry Grayson biographical article
- BBC Coventry article – Shut that door with Larry Grayson
- Shut That Door! Larry Grayson at ITV, DVD review and biographical background