Norman Vaughan (comedian)
Encyclopedia
Norman Vaughan was an English comedian
who led a long and successful career in the television
and theatre
, appearing occasionally in the cinema
.
and began a stage career at the age of 14 with a boys' theatrical troupe - the Eton Boys Choir, singing 'D'ye Ken John Peel'. A few years later, he formed a dance trio called 'The Dancing Aces' and toured with it until he was called up to the join the Army in 1945. He served as a sergeant in Italy and the Middle East. During his military service he appeared in Army shows with Spike Milligan
and Harry Secombe
, who were later to form The Goons. In 1951, he appeared with Secombe again, when they performed on the same bill in variety.
After two years of doing variety shows in Australia
, Vaughan returned to Britain to appear in a summer season of shows called 'Twinkle'. By the end of the decade he was the compere of a show starring Cliff Richard
.
's shoes to host Sunday Night at the London Palladium
. At this time, the show was broadcast live and was a national institution, often with 20 million regular viewers. Vaughan overcame his first night nerves to become an instant star, becoming well known for his catch-phrases 'swinging!' and 'dodgy!', which were accompanied by thumbs-up or thumbs-down gestures. He was a popular host for the long-running television programme (1962–1965). He also hosted The Golden Shot
(during 1974), taking over from Bob Monkhouse
. When he finished with the programme he handed over his job to the comedian Charlie Williams
, who failed to make the required impact, after which Monkhouse returned once more to the show. He also appeared in a memorable 1960s TV advertising campaign for Cadbury's Roses
chocolates which included the famous slogan 'Roses Grow On You'.
On television, he was also a regular guest on variety and quiz shows, including Celebrity Squares, Give Us a Clue
and Larry Grayson's Generation Game
, as well as being compere of the BBC
's Pebble Mill Showcase.
, a tour of Calamity Jane
with Barbara Windsor
and the farces A Bedful of Foreigners and No Sex Please, We're British
. He also appeared in a number of pantomimes.
. He made few television or film appearances after 1974 other than appearing as a seaside entertainer in the sex comedy Come Play with Me (1977), plus playing himself in Hear My Song
(1991) and featuring in a TV tribute to Sir Harry Secombe
(2001). He died, aged 79, in the Royal London Hospital
in East London, on 17 May 2002, from injuries sustained in a road accident on 17 April, at Waterloo Bridge
.
Vaughan was married to Bernice, a former dancer, and they had one son, David.
There is a commemorative plaque
for this entertainer at Golders Green Crematorium
in North London
.
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
who led a long and successful career in the television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, appearing occasionally in the cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
.
Early life
Vaughan was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and began a stage career at the age of 14 with a boys' theatrical troupe - the Eton Boys Choir, singing 'D'ye Ken John Peel'. A few years later, he formed a dance trio called 'The Dancing Aces' and toured with it until he was called up to the join the Army in 1945. He served as a sergeant in Italy and the Middle East. During his military service he appeared in Army shows with Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
and Harry Secombe
Harry Secombe
Sir Harry Donald Secombe CBE was a Welsh entertainer with a talent for comedy and a noted fine tenor singing voice. He is best known for playing Neddie Seagoon, the central character in the BBC radio comedy series The Goon Show...
, who were later to form The Goons. In 1951, he appeared with Secombe again, when they performed on the same bill in variety.
After two years of doing variety shows in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Vaughan returned to Britain to appear in a summer season of shows called 'Twinkle'. By the end of the decade he was the compere of a show starring Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
.
Television career
Vaughan was by now making a name for himself as an entertainer and his big break came when he stepped into Bruce ForsythBruce Forsyth
Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson, CBE , commonly known as Bruce Forsyth, or Brucie, is an English TV personality...
's shoes to host Sunday Night at the London Palladium
Sunday Night at the London Palladium
Sunday Night at the London Palladium is a British television variety show produced by ATV for the ITV network, originally running from 1955 to 1967, with a brief revival in 1973 and 1974...
. At this time, the show was broadcast live and was a national institution, often with 20 million regular viewers. Vaughan overcame his first night nerves to become an instant star, becoming well known for his catch-phrases 'swinging!' and 'dodgy!', which were accompanied by thumbs-up or thumbs-down gestures. He was a popular host for the long-running television programme (1962–1965). He also hosted The Golden Shot
The Golden Shot
The Golden Shot is a British television game show produced by ATV for ITV between 1 July 1967 and 13 April 1975, based on the German TV show Der goldene Schuss. It is most commonly associated with host Bob Monkhouse, though, three other presenters also hosted the show during its lifetime...
(during 1974), taking over from Bob Monkhouse
Bob Monkhouse
Robert Alan "Bob" Monkhouse, OBE was an English entertainer. He was a successful comedy writer, comedian and actor and was also well known on British television as a presenter and game show host...
. When he finished with the programme he handed over his job to the comedian Charlie Williams
Charlie Williams (comedian)
Charles Adolphus Williams MBE was a mixed-race English professional footballer , and later became Britain's first well-known black stand-up comedian.He became famous from his appearances on Granada Television's The Comedians and ATV's The Golden Shot, delivering...
, who failed to make the required impact, after which Monkhouse returned once more to the show. He also appeared in a memorable 1960s TV advertising campaign for Cadbury's Roses
Cadbury's Roses
Cadbury Roses are a selection of individually wrapped chocolates currently made by Cadbury. Introduced in 1938, they are named after the English packaging equipment company "Rose Brothers" , that manufactured and supplied the machines that wrapped the chocolates.Roses are inexpensive chocolates,...
chocolates which included the famous slogan 'Roses Grow On You'.
On television, he was also a regular guest on variety and quiz shows, including Celebrity Squares, Give Us a Clue
Give Us A Clue
Give Us a Clue is a British televised game show version of charades which was broadcast on ITV from 1979 to 1992. The original host was Michael Aspel from 1979 to 1983, followed by Michael Parkinson from 1984 to 1992. The show featured two teams, one captained by Lionel Blair and the other by Una...
and Larry Grayson's 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...
, as well as being compere of 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 Pebble Mill Showcase.
Theatre career
Vaughan had already launched a successful career as an actor too. His stage appearances include In Order of Appearance at the Chichester Festival TheatreChichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre, located in Chichester, England, was designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, and opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin in 1962. Subsequently the smaller and more intimate Minerva Theatre was built nearby in 1989....
, a tour of Calamity Jane
Calamity Jane
Martha Jane Cannary Burke , better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, and professional scout best known for her claim of being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok, but also for having gained fame fighting Native Americans...
with Barbara Windsor
Barbara Windsor
Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE , better known by her stage name Barbara Windsor, is an English actress. Her best known roles are in the Carry On films and as Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders....
and the farces A Bedful of Foreigners and No Sex Please, We're British
No Sex Please, We're British
No Sex Please, We're British is a British comedic play written by Alistair Foot and Anthony Marriott, first staged in London's West End in 1971. It was unanimously panned by critics, but still ran for nearly a decade to packed audiences...
. He also appeared in a number of pantomimes.
Later years
Vaughan devised the television game show Bullseye (1981), which was presented by Jim BowenJim Bowen
Jim Bowen is an English stand-up comedian and TV personality. He is best known as the host of the ITV gameshow Bullseye, which he hosted between 1981 and 1995.-Early life:...
. He made few television or film appearances after 1974 other than appearing as a seaside entertainer in the sex comedy Come Play with Me (1977), plus playing himself in Hear My Song
Hear My Song
Hear My Song is a 1991 film, written by the actors Peter Chelsom and Adrian Dunbar , based on the story of Irish tenor Josef Locke...
(1991) and featuring in a TV tribute to Sir Harry Secombe
Harry Secombe
Sir Harry Donald Secombe CBE was a Welsh entertainer with a talent for comedy and a noted fine tenor singing voice. He is best known for playing Neddie Seagoon, the central character in the BBC radio comedy series The Goon Show...
(2001). He died, aged 79, in the Royal London Hospital
Royal London Hospital
The Royal London Hospital was founded in September 1740 and was originally named The London Infirmary. The name changed to The London Hospital in 1748 and then to The Royal London Hospital on its 250th anniversary in 1990. The first patients were treated at a house in Featherstone Street,...
in East London, on 17 May 2002, from injuries sustained in a road accident on 17 April, at Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, England between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge. The name of the bridge is in memory of the British victory at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815...
.
Vaughan was married to Bernice, a former dancer, and they had one son, David.
There is a commemorative plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
for this entertainer at Golders Green Crematorium
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, and was opened in 1902 by Sir Henry Thompson....
in North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
.