Barry Band: Thanks for all the comedy memories

Eddie Large, who died from the Covid-19 virus, aged 79, appeared with comedy partner Syd Little in six Blackpool seasons over a span of 20 years.

The wider memory is that the stage shows headlined by comedy duos were the liveliest shows. The comics would be seen several times in the show.

The practice of “two pals in comedy” dates back to music hall days - with names few will remember - so let’s just mention the main comedy duos of post-WW2 Blackpool theatre seasons.

The leading double act, with eight seasons, was Jimmy Jewel and Ben Warriss, cousins from Sheffield who made their Blackpool season show debut at the Opera House in 1943.

Radio made their name before they returned as stars of three seasons of Coconut Grove at the Blackpool Hippodrome in 1948, 49 and 50.

A measure of their popularity is that they also starred in three 1950s summer seasons at the Blackpool Opera House - 1955, 57 and 59.

But in those same three years another northern double act was topping the summer bills at the smaller Central Pier theatre, after being in the Winter Gardens Pavilion bill in 1953.

Yes, it was Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, who were soon to take Jimmy and Ben’s comedy crown.

When Jewel and Warriss next appeared in a Blackpool summer show, in 1965, it was as “guest stars” at the Queen’s Theatre while Eric and Ernie were scooping up the laughs at the new ABC (the former Hippodrome).

Morecambe and Wise had also topped the bill in the North Pier’s 1963 summer show.

In this period another comedy duo were finding fame. The brothers Mike and Bernie Winters arrived as the North Pier’s 1964 summer stars and also had the prestigious job that year of compering ITV’s Blackpool Night, televised live on a dozen Sunday nights from the ABC Theatre.

Mike and Bernie also topped the summer season bills at the North Pier in 1968 and the ABC in 1975.

New guys on the summer show scene, Little and Large, starred at the North Pier for 1977 and at the Opera House in 79, while Cannon and Ball topped at the North Pier for the summer of 1980.

Both of those double acts would feature at the Opera House in the 1980s. Syd Little and Eddie Large topped the bill there in 1982; Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball in 1985 and 87.

In the final decade of big comedy-led Blackpool summer season stage shows, both double acts were active.

Little and Large headlined at the Grand Theatre in 1990 and were in Joe Longthorne’s 1993 Opera House season; Cannon and Ball starred at the Opera House in 1994 and the Grand in 1996 and 99.

Little and Large did seasons at the Pleasure Beach’s Paradise Room in 1994 and 95.

There were other double acts, of course. But those listed here were the ones who did multiple Blackpool seasons.

Thanks for the memories Bobby and Tommy, and Syd.