"Hand me that duck and let's get quacking."
That was the catchphrase of music hall turn Gentleman Jack Hardy-Harr, known for cutting edge quips and close to the edge comedy animal abuse.
Still known to be performing in the mid-1970's on the Northern 'chip fat' circuit Gentleman Jack, or Nora Ramsbottom to give her name full disclosure, was a dying breed. Which has a certain irony when you consider the act being performed.
Here's a tribute to Gentleman Jack featuring the iconic 'disembodied hand about to squash a duck' motif alongside some giant circular mirrors, a central part of the act. At the height of Gentleman Jack's fame she would travel with a theatrical backdrop featuring a large, and considerably more graphic, version of the motif - taste was very different back then, and it is hard for us to understand the appreciation or even identify the finer subtleties of the humour.
Anyway, let's raise a mirror bottomed glass and toast Gentleman Jack.*
* This was also part of the act, often featuring a baby rabbit and a toasting fork, and lasting no more than 4 or 5 minutes, much to the dismay of the audience.
For official/internal use only:
7676
0-9
No comments:
Post a Comment