30:
144:
495:
247:
anticipate me, I was equally annoyed because they were too quick. Summing up, I pointed out that if they did not laugh, well, they were losing money, on the other hand, if they indulged too hilariously, they were getting more than they were entitled to get so I invited them to go to the box office and pay up the difference.
116:
246:
I told a joke, and if the audience laughed at it I ridiculed them for being entertained with such consummate ease. If they did not laugh I jeered at their lack of appreciation and inability to observe real humour. When their mirth was not spontaneous I feigned anger at their dilatoriness. Did they
213:
in June 1891. Although he was not an immediate success, he soon gained popularity with his "husky voice, staccato delivery, and
American-style humour." Billed as "The Very Peculiar American", he always appeared in a costume of "a seedy frock coat, battered top hat, and white trousers." He was
237:
He doesn’t give the audience time to catch up with him. It has no sooner seen the point of one joke and begun to laugh boisterously than another is hurled at it, with the result that when the curtain comes down, the comedian leaves both himself and his auditors
275:
of the London
Thespians team, which in 1893 and 1894 was the first to win successive British titles. He also helped form the London Baseball Association, and the "R. G. Knowles Trophy" was established in his honour. In 1896 he co-wrote and published a book,
255:
player, in 1893; she became his manager, and they made their home in London. Knowles became a leading attraction on the music hall stage for over twenty years, and toured around the world, performing in
Britain, the United States, Canada,
851:
190:
He made his first professional appearance in vaudeville in
Chicago in 1878, and appeared in New York the following year. He toured in the United States for some years, and developed his act which
29:
611:
539:
461:
483:
846:
295:
199:
534:
590:
325:
766:
476:
354:
836:
841:
831:
499:
268:
402:
570:
127:(October 7, 1858 – January 1, 1919) was a Canadian-American singer and comedian, who was successful in the British
641:
636:
631:
626:
621:
616:
469:
520:
219:
294:
After returning to the United States, he died on New Year's Day, 1919, aged 60, following a throat operation at the
260:, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere. His most popular songs included "Girly Girly", written by
698:
214:
described as "a neat man with a high forehead, slicked back hair and wide eyes." He had long residencies at the
585:
575:
560:
215:
194:
describes as being "most of it a sustained sarcastic attack on his audience". He toured in a musical comedy,
433:
682:
288:
708:
595:
148:
789:
771:
565:
115:
143:
826:
821:
555:
160:
58:
703:
350:
156:
54:
801:
677:
210:
176:
662:
657:
164:
494:
272:
172:
171:. He left school at the age of 12, after his father died, and worked for a while as a
449:
815:
751:
736:
672:
667:
230:
203:
191:
76:
746:
184:
287:. He retired from the stage in October 1918, with a farewell performance at the
761:
580:
508:
418:
Joe Gray, "Seven More
Individuals Inducted Into British Baseball Hall of Fame",
261:
132:
741:
128:
387:
797:
226:
180:
264:, "Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid", and "On the Bench in the Park".
168:
251:
He married
Winifred Johnson (1871–1931), an American singer and
257:
417:
252:
142:
465:
131:
and internationally in the late 19th and early 20th centuries,
852:
Emigrants from pre-Confederation
Ontario to the United States
285:
A Modern
Columbus: his Voyages, his Travels, his Discoveries
242:
In describing his approach in his autobiography, he wrote:
450:"1894 London Baseball Association Season Pass Ticket",
222:, breaking box office records for a single performer.
691:
650:
604:
548:
527:
515:
187:, and decided to launch a career in entertainment.
183:for his health. There, he discovered a talent for
108:
100:
92:
84:
65:
36:
20:
209:He made his first appearances in London at the
477:
280:, explaining the game to a British audience.
8:
720:
484:
470:
462:
225:His style was later compared with that of
28:
17:
341:
339:
337:
271:, setting up games in London, and became
436:SABR's Baseball Cards Research Committee
367:
365:
363:
726:British Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
373:British Music Hall: A story in pictures
321:
319:
317:
315:
313:
311:
307:
283:In 1918 he published an autobiography,
202:, and in 1888-89 worked as an actor in
229:, and influenced the English comedian
434:"R.G. Knowles 1901–02 Ogden’s Tabs",
383:
381:
347:The Oxford Companion to Popular Music
7:
371:Raymond Mander and Joe Mitchenson,
278:Baseball - The Oval Series of Games
206:'s theatrical company in New York.
14:
349:, Oxford University Press, 1991,
135:as "The Very Peculiar American".
493:
114:
500:Baseball in the United Kingdom
375:, Studio Vista, 1965, pp.92-93
1:
847:People from Hamilton, Ontario
455:. Retrieved 25 September 2020
440:. Retrieved 25 September 2020
424:. Retrieved 25 September 2020
393:. Retrieved 24 September 2020
390:History of Australian Theatre
331:. Retrieved 24 September 2020
267:A keen athlete, he promoted
198:, worked for some time with
521:British Baseball Federation
407:, Random House, 2013, p.229
220:Tivoli Theatre of Varieties
868:
784:
732:
723:
719:
699:1938 Amateur World Series
506:
113:
27:
452:Vintage Sports Collector
216:Empire, Leicester Square
837:Canadian male comedians
683:Western Park, Leicester
289:Victoria Palace Theatre
842:Comedians from Ontario
405:Funny Way To Be A Hero
249:
240:
233:. One reviewer wrote:
152:
125:Richard George Knowles
41:Richard George Knowles
832:Music hall performers
790:Irish baseball system
244:
235:
146:
328:The Music Hall Guild
211:Trocadero Music Hall
167:, but was raised in
155:Knowles was born in
269:baseball in Britain
200:Haverly's Minstrels
179:, before moving to
149:G. F. Scotson-Clark
800: •
153:
809:
808:
780:
779:
704:MLB London Series
438:, 3 November 2019
388:"R. G. Knowles",
326:"R. G. Knowles",
296:Memorial Hospital
122:
121:
101:Years active
859:
796:Related sports:
721:
678:West Ham Stadium
516:Governing bodies
498:
497:
486:
479:
472:
463:
456:
447:
441:
431:
425:
422:, 9 October 2012
415:
409:
400:
394:
385:
376:
369:
358:
343:
332:
323:
177:department store
147:Illustration by
118:
96:Singer, comedian
72:
50:
48:
32:
18:
867:
866:
862:
861:
860:
858:
857:
856:
812:
811:
810:
805:
794:
776:
728:
715:
687:
663:Clapton Stadium
658:Baseball Ground
646:
600:
544:
523:
511:
502:
492:
490:
460:
459:
448:
444:
432:
428:
416:
412:
401:
397:
386:
379:
370:
361:
345:Peter Gammond,
344:
335:
324:
309:
304:
165:British subject
141:
104:1878–1918
80:
74:
70:
69:January 1, 1919
61:
52:
51:October 7, 1858
46:
44:
43:
42:
23:
12:
11:
5:
865:
863:
855:
854:
849:
844:
839:
834:
829:
824:
814:
813:
807:
806:
802:Welsh baseball
793:
792:
785:
782:
781:
778:
777:
775:
774:
769:
764:
759:
754:
749:
744:
739:
733:
730:
729:
724:
717:
716:
714:
713:
712:
711:
701:
695:
693:
689:
688:
686:
685:
680:
675:
670:
665:
660:
654:
652:
648:
647:
645:
644:
639:
634:
629:
624:
619:
614:
608:
606:
602:
601:
599:
598:
593:
588:
583:
578:
573:
568:
563:
558:
552:
550:
546:
545:
543:
542:
537:
531:
529:
528:National teams
525:
524:
519:
517:
513:
512:
507:
504:
503:
491:
489:
488:
481:
474:
466:
458:
457:
442:
426:
410:
395:
377:
359:
333:
306:
305:
303:
300:
273:player-manager
173:window dresser
140:
137:
120:
119:
111:
110:
106:
105:
102:
98:
97:
94:
90:
89:
86:
82:
81:
75:
73:(aged 60)
67:
63:
62:
53:
40:
38:
34:
33:
25:
24:
21:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
864:
853:
850:
848:
845:
843:
840:
838:
835:
833:
830:
828:
825:
823:
820:
819:
817:
804:
803:
799:
791:
788:Plays in the
787:
786:
783:
773:
770:
768:
765:
763:
760:
758:
757:R. G. Knowles
755:
753:
752:Ross Kendrick
750:
748:
745:
743:
740:
738:
737:Josh Chetwynd
735:
734:
731:
727:
722:
718:
710:
707:
706:
705:
702:
700:
697:
696:
694:
692:Hosted events
690:
684:
681:
679:
676:
674:
673:Goodison Park
671:
669:
668:Finsbury Park
666:
664:
661:
659:
656:
655:
653:
649:
643:
640:
638:
635:
633:
630:
628:
625:
623:
620:
618:
615:
613:
610:
609:
607:
603:
597:
594:
592:
589:
587:
584:
582:
579:
577:
574:
572:
569:
567:
564:
562:
559:
557:
554:
553:
551:
547:
541:
538:
536:
533:
532:
530:
526:
522:
518:
514:
510:
505:
501:
496:
487:
482:
480:
475:
473:
468:
467:
464:
454:
453:
446:
443:
439:
437:
430:
427:
423:
421:
414:
411:
408:
406:
403:John Fisher,
399:
396:
392:
391:
384:
382:
378:
374:
368:
366:
364:
360:
356:
355:0-19-311323-6
352:
348:
342:
340:
338:
334:
330:
329:
322:
320:
318:
316:
314:
312:
308:
301:
299:
298:in New York.
297:
292:
290:
286:
281:
279:
274:
270:
265:
263:
259:
254:
248:
243:
239:
234:
232:
231:Tommy Trinder
228:
223:
221:
217:
212:
207:
205:
204:Augustin Daly
201:
197:
193:
192:Peter Gammond
188:
186:
182:
178:
174:
170:
166:
162:
158:
150:
145:
138:
136:
134:
130:
126:
117:
112:
107:
103:
99:
95:
93:Occupation(s)
91:
87:
83:
78:
77:New York City
68:
64:
60:
56:
39:
35:
31:
26:
22:R. G. Knowles
19:
16:
795:
772:Lefty Wilson
756:
747:Roland Gladu
725:
451:
445:
435:
429:
419:
413:
404:
398:
389:
372:
346:
327:
293:
284:
282:
277:
266:
250:
245:
241:
236:
224:
208:
195:
189:
185:storytelling
154:
124:
123:
71:(1919-01-01)
15:
827:1919 deaths
822:1858 births
767:John Moores
762:Francis Ley
509:WBSC Europe
420:Baseball GB
291:in London.
262:Jerry Cohan
238:breathless.
161:Canada West
129:music halls
85:Nationality
59:Canada West
816:Categories
742:John Devey
586:Manchester
561:Birmingham
302:References
218:, and the
47:1858-10-07
596:Sheffield
576:Edinburgh
196:Mam’zelle
139:Biography
109:Signature
798:Rounders
591:Richmond
227:Bob Hope
181:Colorado
157:Hamilton
55:Hamilton
605:Seasons
571:Croydon
556:Belfast
357:, p.320
169:Chicago
88:British
79:, U. S.
651:Venues
581:London
566:Bolton
353:
258:Ceylon
151:, 1899
133:billed
549:Clubs
540:Women
253:banjo
175:in a
709:2019
642:2024
637:2023
632:2019
627:2018
622:2017
617:2016
612:1890
351:ISBN
163:, a
66:Died
37:Born
535:Men
818::
380:^
362:^
336:^
310:^
159:,
57:,
485:e
478:t
471:v
49:)
45:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
