Call Him CHUMLEY

Radio Record, 7 August 1936, Page 19

Call Him CHUMLEY

English Hi umorist _ | _ Arrives for

} , #6 HAT on earth made you pick on Cholmondeley for a stage name?’ asked the "Radio Record" of Freddy of that ilk when he breezed into the office last. week. "People won’t know whether to call you Chumley, Cholnondeley, or: ‘Plain Freddy." ’ 3 Cholmondeley . grinned. "Maybe that's why I chose it. It gets ’em curious about me, anyway. I’ve a few other aliases-for stage purposes-which I have used from time to time in different work in Australia, particularly in different commercial sessions over the B, stations." Whether you. know. him, then, as "Freddy Cholmondeley, Reggie "Believe-it-or-not" Ripley, one of: the Boon Companions, one of the Tatlers (with Alfred Frith) or anything else, his original name was. Charles Hawthorne, But it’s as Freddy’ Cholmondeley that he is touring the New Zealand national. stations at present. Hé was another of

the sextet of ‘artists on the Wanganella. last’ week, and his first -ap-' pearances from.2YA -on Friday and. Saturday. nights" last gave listeners an immediate introduction to this English humourist. He proved to have a distinctive style of humour-different from those of both Vincent Ryan and Dave Howard. So it is not making a serious error of pro-. gramme arrangement to have the. whole three on the one session. Freddy looks just. as one would imagine he would look after hearing hig wit over the air. But. seeing looks don’t matter much to broadcast artists-at least until television comes-one be forgive him even if he had features of Frankenstein. The © main thing is that he can make one laugh. _ "By the way," broke in Freddy, "you'll have to warn your readers that if they see a Melba tiepin and look upward they might find themselves looking into the face you’ve got in front of von now.’-He wac re-

ferring to the article a couple of weeks ago in the "Radio Record" which mentioned Browning Mummery’s unusual tiepin. "Melba gave me‘a similar pin after I had been her stage director for the Williamson-Melba Grand Opera. season in 1928. Ag far as I know there are four of them, the possessors being Sir Thomas Beecham; Browning Mummery, John Brownlee and myself. " You see, Freddy Cholnondeley-better call, ‘him: Freddy to save ink-isn’t just able to entertain over the air. He . has been actor, stage director and producer at least. He was over in New Zealand seven years ago, playing Shake- | speare with Maurice Moscovitch. He left BEngland for Australia nine, years ago for:six- months’ theatrical. work, and: has. been there since, For the last five years-nearly: all his work has been in broadcasting..-

In ‘England his work took him: on tour frequently, and on one occasion he was one of a. . troupe of seven playing with Leslie Henson, the famous comedian, at -Blackpool Pier. There were the usual people in the pavilionyoung ‘lads and their girls, old ladies knitting, and ‘so on.

But one man in the front row: was rather disconcerting to the players in that he persisted in reading his paper most ostentatiously. © Henson « decided that when he went: on stage he would "tick the fellow o Halfway through his song Henson broke off and said, "There seems, to be more interest for ; flat gentleman. : in * his newspaper than:in what is. going on up. ‘liere." os * .» The. gqitleman: lowered his paper for a moment and exclaimed, ‘"InfiniteIv!

Freddie, too, sometimes found that his work was not altogether appreciated. In one North of England town he went home to his temporary lodgings, and the landlady. soon came in with a tray of supper. "Did you like the show to-night?" he inquired, "Oh, the soprano was all right," came the reply, "but you’ll never set the Thames on fire | with what: you’ re doing!" But Freddy refused: to be discouraged, apparently, for here he is, still turning out his own sketches and ‘songs for a more appreciative audience of listeners. One of his favourite turns is called "Mike Fright," purporting to give the impressions of an entertainer on the air for the first time. Here are a few verses from it: Oh, pity one who stands alone Before 2YA’s microphone; I think of millions whom, I fear, May wish me anywhere. but here. This studio with four blank walls It makes me dream of crowded halls Where once I tried, and wasn’t heard.: To raise a laugh-and got the "bird"! Shall I curse the day I first broadcast? Will this, my first one, be my last? Trying to earn an honest penny, Gagging to listeners-if any. . 4, ’Seuse me. Dunedin’s on the ’phone; =. * What’s that? . "Turn off the gramophone?" I’m willing now to make a bet He hasn’t paid his licence yet. It’s easy to smile when you're sitting in style ‘And 1 overflowing with money. But the folks worth while are the ones ‘who can smile. When the joke that I crack isn’t funny! In Australia this poetic humorist has produced some highly successful. radio shows for the Australian Broadcasting Commission. His."La Poupee," in fact, created a record, being played over national Stations. six- times’ in seven months." There (Continued ‘on next page.)

(Continued from previous page.)

were 20 principals, 80 in chorus, and 60 ia the orchestra. He has also adapted "The Dollar Princess," popular in Lonlon 20 years ago. To keep up-to-date with topicalities is not a particularly easy thing, for a comedian-especially a stranger to the country-because there are so many things which. although+they would make : good "gags," would hurt people's feel-/ ings. So by a process of elimination the writer of. his own stuff has to reduce the possibilities to the bare bones, as it were, and then take a chance on his hits being understood: by a fair proportion of listeners. When Freddy chatted to the "Radio Record" he was itching to be "put right" about this and that in the news, and whether listeners would understand and appreciate his humorous references to various people and things. We helped him all we could, and were _thanked@ for our assistance. If he hadn’t been able to check up with us, he would have had to try someone else, no doubt. From Freddy’s description of the way in which he intended to use his topical hits it sounded as though New Zealanders would have a few laughs ahead of them. But if YOU don’t think ’em funny, please don’t charge the "Radio Record" with being an accessory to the fact-or act!