Toni Palmer, Freddie Starr & Benny too

[Richard]

Mention of Les Dawson reminds me of an awesome scene where he was in an old time music hall (I don't think it was the Leeds Palace of Varieties,- probably a studio) and all the audience got sploshed with pies and other stuff. Anybody remember details?

[ClownJulie]

..................

[osbaldeston]

Thanks Julie, this is one of my earliest messy memories so have wanted to see it again for years.

[BillShipton]

As I have told Julie many times, this is one of my favourite sketches too. Been trying to find a model who can sing to do our own version!!

[Trouso]

Amazing. Thanks, Julie.

I'm always surprised at how little of Freddie Starr's material has surfaced on Youtube thus far. He was on telly a lot in the eighties.


By the way, I caught the tail end of a clip a few years ago on a 'Best of Freddie Starr' compilation show. All I saw of it was about five seconds during which Starr and an attractive woman – she evidently having been assaulted (all over) with what looked like genuine cream cakes (and by her attire and demeanour, I speculated, was an audience member) – and he, microphone in hand, appeared to have been serenading her, were both laughing hysterically right before the next clip rolled onto the screen.

Despite my best efforts late night ‘channel surfing’ for quite a while after, I never managed to catch it again. Does anyone remember it?

[Devo77]

Wonderful clip Julie! Great find! Thank you for sharing. I love the mess and I also like the part where the orchestra gets involved.

[starbrightnight]

Brilliant, Julie - thanks for posting.

Yes, Bill that would be a great Splosh sketch. The model doesn't have to be able to sing though does she? well, Toni Arthur couldn't. I'd love to see Julie herself doing it, or Hayley - well, I can dream can't I?

[BillShipton]

You really wouldn't want to hear Hayley sing!!!

Incidentally, in my guise as 'man who helps book the acts at our pub's comedy night', we have just signed up Frank Sanazi a half-Hitler/half Sinatra piss take (ironic, I assure you). So at least one person is still doing a comedy Hitler routine (he even has the hair and moustache! Sadly he doesn't come with Toni Palmer (or Toni Arthur - who could sing as fans of Play Away and the folk circuit of yesteryear well know).

[pieclown]

Thanks for the posting Julie.

Bill I think it would be great to try to run this again. Ok Hayley can not sing, but that is why she is deserving a pie or more. It just an idea, but I have seen another comic skit where the clown/comic was to so something straight and the straight man lets him have it. I think Gilly and Sammy did a interview on this line over at the GSH.

[osbaldeston]

What a shame you never replied to Geri Halliwell's application to work on a Splosh! video. Although as you're looking for someone who can sing, that probably wouldn't have helped.

I'm sure amongst the messy models there must be someone who can sing to karaoke standard at least, which is all you need really. There's a lot of potential for pushing the sketch further, such as progressively cutting the singers clothes off instead of the wig!. Maybe one day...

[BillShipton]

We are asking around (Gilly & Sammy are as bad as Hayley) and yes Geri would have been good (who knows we might get her on the way down the fame ladder!). Dolly could sing and her Shirley Temple version of Good Ship Lollypop is on GSH. Will let you know.

[Hayley]

Wooaaa! I go away for the hollibobs only to come back and find my singing being slagged off! I'm no worse than that guy with the odd hair who got thrown off X Factor. Well, okay, maybe I am. As Bill well knows, my problem with doing a sketch like this wouldn't be my dulcet tones, it would be collapsing into giggles. I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face (rather essential for this sketch!). Once the pies start to hit me, I begin to have fun and that usually starts with laughing (you can probably guess what it turns into!).

Anyhoooo, top sketches, Julie (and I enjoyed the Miss Jones film too when I finally got to see it).

Slappy, happy new year, all
Hayley x x x

PS And another thing...Bill's singing is nothing to write home about either! A sort of cheesy crooning. Yuk! Perhaps I should turn the tables and let him do his excruciating version of White Christmas whilst I pie him??? On second thoughts, that doesn't work on many levels....

PPS That bit where she is lying down and Freddie is threatening to pie her...God, that's horny! Sorry!

[mr angry]

Ta Julie, this really is good. I am old enough to remember the 70s and I loved it then, the best bit of my life! comedy was fun then and I did used to watch Freddie Starr although I dont recollect this particular sketch. The PC brigade spoiled it all but, having said that, there was some utter garbage too, I mean every time Tarbuck or Monkhouse came on I had to change channels, and I think it was this kind of stuff that the alternative comics wanted rid off, and I did like "The Young Ones"

I liked Benny Hill too, in particular Hills Angels and do recollect a bit of mess involving the gorgeous Louise English, I think Benny sprayed her with a soda syphon once and also pieing her possibly twice. I actually think that if he had lived a bit longer he would have made a comeback, probably late Friday night on Channel 5 perhaps aimed at the lads mag type TV.

This sketch involving Toni Palmer is my idea of what slapstick is all about, a pretty girl being subjected to indignities and being used as a stooge. The programme "sing if you can" with Keith Lemon I think tried the same idea but didnt deliver, a wasted opportunity.

Finally, would'nt mind seeing Geri Haliwell sploshed, I dont know if its just me but I think 4 out of the 5 Spice Girls look better now than they did in the 90s, the exception is Victoria Beckham who was possibly the most attractive when they started out but now does absolutely nothing for me at all

[osbaldeston]

The programme "sing if you can" with Keith Lemon I think tried the same idea but didnt deliver, a wasted opportunity.

Finally, would'nt mind seeing Geri Haliwell sploshed, I dont know if its just me but I think 4 out of the 5 Spice Girls look better now than they did in the 90s, the exception is Victoria Beckham who was possibly the most attractive when they started out but now does absolutely nothing for me at all

Even though I like the Freddie Starr sketch, curiously I found 'Sing If You Can' rather mean-spirited. You'll probably like the Lithuanian version though (for example http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... LwRmBCfAA0 )

[BillShipton]

Whether you call it being mean-spirited, political correctness or just a change of attitude, there is no doubt that 'comedy humiliation' of this sort is out of fashion (except possibly in Lithuania) though I am sure it will return in some form. Actually I don't see it as humiliating, as many call it, if the participants are in on the joke from the start. For instance, in the Freddie Starr routines, Ms Palmer keeps going and maintains her dignity throughout despite what is being done to her. If she was genuinely humiliated or frightened it wouldn't be funny. Likewise in the Lithuanian clip, although apprehensive, the girl is laughing at her fate not upset by it (btw well done to the director for completely missing the best visual gag by cutting to an audience shot at the wrong time!).

Personally I think it is time that so called celebrities got off their ludicrously high horses and allowed themselves to be seen more often as (to use a wonderfully old fashioned phrase) good sports. If done in the right way (ie keeping their composure) it would do more for their PR than 100 gushing interviews. Think how much Shirley Bassey went up in people's admiration after the Morecambe & Wise Show.