大象传媒

This story is taken from an interview with Roy Irvine, and has been added to the site with their permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions. The interview was by Walter Love, and transcription was by Bruce Logan.
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[Tommy Handley was on the wireless in the 1940s]

For something light-hearted, it was the wireless shows that were on. 鈥淚t鈥檚 that man again鈥�
And don鈥檛 forget all the catch-phrases that were on.
鈥滳an I do you now, sir?鈥� 鈥� that was Mrs Mop the Cleaning Lady.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 mind if I do鈥� 鈥� that鈥檚 Colonel Chinstrap.
鈥淚t鈥檚 being so cheerful that keeps me going鈥� 鈥� that鈥檚 Mona Lott.
鈥淶is is Funf speaking鈥� was the German spy.
And people used to say 鈥淎fter you, Claude.鈥�
鈥淣o, after you, Cecil.鈥�
The programmes went on from July 1939 to July 1949, when Tom 鈥�

[In the early days of the war you weren鈥檛 allowed to make Comic references to Hitler. It was still the time of Appeasement. But 3 days into the war, Tommy Handley appeared in a live programme called 鈥淲ho is that man who looks like Charlie Chaplin?鈥漖

鈥淣ow we鈥檝e seen a lot of pictures of the people in the news.
And we鈥檝e got to know a lot of them by sight.
Chamberlain with his umbrella, Churchill with his hats.
Hore-Belisha, well we know him quite alright.
But there鈥檚 one whose lovely photograph we鈥檝e seen for years and years.
And we ask ourselves this question every time his face appears.
Who is this man who looks like Charlie Chaplin?
What makes him think that he can win a war?
It can鈥檛 be the moustache. That only makes us laugh!
And Charlie鈥檚 done it better, and before.
If it wasn鈥檛 for the boots and cane and trousers,
You couldn鈥檛 tell the 2 of them apart.
But the whole idea鈥檚 absurd. Charlie鈥檚 never said a word!
And Adolf couldn鈥檛 play a silent part!

Imagine Adolf starring in 鈥淭he Gold Rush鈥�.
He hasn鈥檛 got a half of Charlie鈥檚 charm.
But he gives a lot of troubles
To his film director doubles
When he plays the leading part in 鈥淪houlder Arms鈥�.
He鈥檚 amusing when he tries to play the villain.
It鈥檚 bound to get a laugh in every clime.
I believe it鈥檚 all a fake-up,
And in spite of all the makeup
We鈥檙e convinced it鈥檚 Charlie Chaplin all the time!

Supposing Charlie Chaplin got the fever.
A war would be a comedy, Pro Tem.
Imagine Adolf getting skittish,
Signing pacts with Rome and British,
And dropping custard pies on MGM.
Charlie Chaplin would be bigger, louder, funnier.
With him in charge the battles would be fun.
And the chief of his Gestapo
Wouldn鈥檛 be Groucho Marx, but Harpo,
And he鈥檇 soon have Shirley Temple on the run!

If Adolf was in pictures he鈥檇 try soft stuff.
East Lynn would be his story as a start.
Little Eva, played by Goering, would be a trifle boring,
I鈥檇 sooner see Charles Laughton in the part!
But don鈥檛 let us be too hard on poor old Adolf,
He鈥檚 a god-send to the comics, he鈥檚 sublime.
Cartoonists love his make-up, but one morning we shall wake up
And find it鈥檚 Charlie Chaplin all the time!

[Roy, 1 band was very popular in the wartime]

The Glen Miller band. Everyone remembers it. Many bands today still play in the same style.

They came here in Aug 44 and played at 2 places - Langford Lodge and the Plaza Ballroom, which was the American Red Cross. The band was hugely popular. The civilian band, 1939 with 鈥淢oonlight Serenade鈥� and 鈥淚n the Mood鈥�. These tunes were carried on into his military band, his 鈥渂and of the American Expeditionary force鈥�.

[He disappeared shortly after visiting NI]

No-one knows what he would have done after the war. very sad, that part.

鈥淒on鈥檛 sit under the apple tree (with anyone else but me)鈥�

There were so many of them.
鈥淲hen they sound the last all-clear.鈥�
鈥淲hen the lights go on all over the world.鈥�
People were fed up with the war. They were hoping 鈥渆nd of the war, soon鈥�.

[Izzy Bum came to Belfast]

He was a comedian on radio with 鈥淰ariety Band-Box鈥�. He recorded 鈥淪hine on Victory Moon鈥� [6 months before VE day].

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