259:. He also served as the butt of practical jokes by the Gang; at one performance Flanagan and Allen took to the stage each encased in one leg of Brown's trousers while Brown frantically called from the wings trying to get them back. His relationship to the main members was similar to that of Eddie Gray. Another star who worked with the gang was the actor
158:(with some input from Gray). They had all had entertainment success before the Crazy Gang but not of the same magnitude. It was natural for them to get together as they shared a similar style of comedy and worked on the same bills at theatres.
274:– their last was in 1961 – and they also did private performances for the royal family. Perhaps the best remembered of their gags is when an attractive girl in a grass skirt is followed across stage by Bud Flanagan wheeling a lawnmower.
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102:. This caused Black to consider cancelling one of the couples. Nervo and Knox had a technique of entering other acts, and Black was persuaded to overcome the difficulty by letting this happen. The show, which was called
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is often credited with the formation of the Crazy Gang, the start was more complicated. In 1931, three double acts (Nervo and Knox, Naughton and Gold and Billy Caryll and Hilda Mundy) were tentatively booked at the
203:(1940). They kept people entertained during the war years with their irreverent comedy style, and Flanagan and Allen's songs also contributed to their success. All their films were directed by
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Chesney Allen did not regularly perform with the Gang after 1945, with the exception of Royal
Variety Performances, and Eddie Gray rejoined the group in 1956.
240:". Chesney Allen withdrew from live performances in later years due to ill health, though he outlived all the others. The Gang made a television series,
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219:, who was a frequent co-star of Will Hay, often turned up in their films. Eddie Gray, their associate and equally crazy comic, appeared in the later
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opened on 30 November 1931. Other Crazy Weeks followed with
Flanagan and Allen added. The name Crazy Gang was introduced in a show called
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were a group of
British entertainers, formed in the early 1930s. In the mature form the group's six men were
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Among the other acts who worked with The Crazy Gang was the tall and rotund
American percussionist
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Hope-Wallace, Philip (20 December 1956) "These
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77:. The group achieved considerable domestic popularity and were a favourite of the
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513:(online edition, January 2011), Oxford University Press. Retrieved 29 May 2012
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The story and music of the Crazy Gang were featured in the 1981 musical
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features a poster for The Crazy Gang in the cafe scenes.
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197:(1937), and the best remembered was their war-time film
527:"Underneath the Arches – The Guide to Musical Theatre"
146:. Essentially the gang comprised three double acts;
556:Slapstick!: Illustrated Story of Knockabout Comedy
207:, the Frenchman who also directed films starring
166:The gang appeared first in their own stage show
267:when he took time off for contractual reasons.
505:"Allen, (William Ernest) Chesney (1894?–1982)"
191:, they then made several films. The first was
110:at the London Palladium and on tour in 1933.
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510:Oxford Dictionary of National Biographies
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302:– a revue at the London Palladium (1935)
296:– a revue at the London Palladium (1935)
244:, in 1956. The Gang was understudied by
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255:. His speciality was to perform on the
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118:The members of the Crazy Gang were:
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326:– at the London Palladium (1939)
320:– at the London Palladium (1938)
314:– at the London Palladium (1937)
308:– at the London Palladium (1936)
270:The group were asked to do many
372:– at the Victoria Palace (1960)
366:– at the Victoria Palace (1959)
360:– at the Victoria Palace (1956)
354:– at the Victoria Palace (1954)
348:– at the Victoria Palace (1952)
342:– at the Victoria Palace (1950)
1:
595:from the BBC Guide to Comedy
460:and later at the West End's
429:(filmed 1958, released 1960)
284:Life begins at Oxford Circus
458:Chichester Festival Theatre
300:All Alight at Oxford Circus
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604:The Crazy Gang – A tribute
272:Royal Command Performances
22:The Crazy Gang (l. to r.)
599:TVCream's Crazy Gang Page
531:guidetomusicaltheatre.com
456:, first performed at the
294:Round About Regent Street
263:, who often stood in for
554:Staveacre, Tony (1986)
515:(subscription required)
488:The Manchester Guardian
462:Prince of Wales Theatre
619:British comedy troupes
573:Kindly Leave the Stage
503:Goldie, David (2004)
324:The Little Dog Laughed
187:After being signed by
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624:Music hall performers
454:Underneath the Arches
238:Underneath the Arches
189:Gainsborough Pictures
144:'Monsewer' Eddie Gray
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318:These Foolish Things
182:Sherman Fisher Girls
177:These Foolish Things
402:Alf's Button Afloat
358:These Foolish Kings
558:. Harper Collins.
434:In popular culture
346:Ring out the Bells
340:Knights of Madness
148:Flanagan and Allen
108:The Big Crazy Gang
81:, especially King
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410:The Frozen Limits
286:– a revue at the
232:(1958), starring
152:Naughton and Gold
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426:Life Is a Circus
288:London Palladium
261:Stanley Holloway
230:Life Is a Circus
222:Life Is a Circus
172:London Palladium
136:Charlie Naughton
100:London Palladium
71:Charlie Naughton
24:Charlie Naughton
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217:Moore Marriott
180:alongside the
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95:George Black
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79:royal family
55:Bud Flanagan
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32:Bud Flanagan
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575:, Methuen.
352:Jokers Wild
278:Stage shows
253:Teddy Brown
246:Peter Glaze
128:Jimmy Nervo
114:Composition
63:Jimmy Nervo
36:Jimmy Nervo
613:Categories
536:3 November
468:References
168:Crazy Week
140:Jimmy Gold
132:Teddy Knox
104:Crazy Week
75:Jimmy Gold
67:Teddy Knox
51:Crazy Gang
40:Jimmy Gold
28:Teddy Knox
332:– at the
257:xylophone
93:Although
89:Formation
209:Will Hay
571:(1985)
418:Gasbags
200:Gasbags
170:at the
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491:. p. 5
448:Legacy
421:(1941)
413:(1939)
405:(1938)
397:(1937)
336:(1947)
290:(1935)
225:only.
162:Career
154:, and
473:Notes
387:Films
377:Note:
577:ISBN
560:ISBN
538:2017
138:and
73:and
49:The
42:and
228:In
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