I’ve just finished watching a documentary about the life of the great comic actor Dick Emery. More than likely unknown now to many people, Dick Emery was famous for creating comic characters that he played himself – both male and female – that made up his television shows that ran from around 1963 up to 1981.
Nowadays it would be classified as not very poltically correct (in fact they probably wouldn’t be aired on television today, without some sort of warning (sigh)), but at the time were watched and enjoyed by many millions of people, men and women alike. I was allowed to watch it (as it was on the BBC) from an early age, and indeed I laughed along with Mum and Dad at the characters and the inevitable catch-phrases that would be spoken for every character, every week. I absolutely loved it right up until 1982, when sadly Emery died and the shows were no more.
Like Morecambe and Wise however, it has to be said that Emery has left a lasting impression (sic) on me. For example, even today, if I ever hear someone say “Good evening madam” I’ll always echo a “Miss” afterwards. Look up Emery’s character “Hettie” on the internet for that reference. It still makes me laugh.
There was, however one thing that never ever failed to make me laugh out loud – and for a long time. And it wasn’t anything big, or done every time. On the odd occasion, Emery’s character of Mandy would do the ritual misunderstanding of the interviewer\official’s question, do the catch=phrase (oooh you are awful, but I like you) and knock the aforementioned interviewer\offcial over with a hefty shove. Then Mandy would mince away – and this is the crucial bit – trip over her own feet and change the walk completely to a bandy-legged gambol. This didn’t last very long on screen, but I thought it was hilarious.
I guess you had to be there.
RIP Richard Gilbert Emery.