The golden years of summer shows which brought Blackpool to life

In the good old days of summer season shows the buzz began in January.

Shows had already been contracted, posters and leaflets were being printed and thousands of booklets of tickets were on order for theatre box offices.

It may puzzle younger generations who take holidays abroad that the star names on Blackpool show bills would bring visitors back several times during the season.

It all began at Easter, when the box offices at a dozen venues would be selling tickets for performances stretching through the summer.

A logistical nightmare, indeed! All resolved 30 years ago by computerised systems.

We’re looking back 60 years to see who was in the summer shows.

The two biggest stars of the 1961 season are still with us. Dame Shirley Bassey has just released her farewell album from her cosy pad in Monaco and Sir Cliff Richard made his 60th anniversary concert video in 2018.

Both Shirley and Cliff - who was with the Shadows - headlined at the Opera House in The Big Show of 1961 - but not both at the same time. Shirley headed the first eight weeks, Cliff the last few weeks.

Artists appearing for the full Opera House season were Richard Hearne (as his Mr Pastry character), Welsh singer Ivor Emmanuel, comedian Tommy Fields, dynamic tap dancers the Clark Brothers, acrobatic dance trio the Lucky Latinos and ballroom pair Harry Smith-Hampshire and Doreen Casey. Plus those tall Tiller Girls.

Across the Floral Hall of the Winter Gardens, Lonnie Donegan was Putting On the Donegan in the Pavilion, with the Dallas Boys, Miki and Griff and Norman Vaughan. And more Tiller Girls.

The Grand Theatre had a summer season comedy, a pop music skit titled What a Racket, starring Arthur Askey, Betty Driver, Beatrice Varley and Bunny May.

All the above shows were produced by George and Alfred Black.

Two 1961 season shows were presented by Bernard Delfont. He advertised “Blackpool’s Biggest Cast” at the North Pier, with Michael Holliday, Stan Sennett, Des O’Connor, Terry Hall with Lenny the Lion, Doreen Hume, and the Allisons.

Bernie’s other offering was The Frankie Vaughan Show at the Palace Theatre, with Arthur Worsley and his Charlie Brown doll, comic Ted Lune and music hall veteran Hetty King.

This was the last stage season at the Palace before demolition.

Another Blackpool theatre, the old Hippodrome, was also due to be knocked down but would rise again as the ABC in 1963.

For its last show the old theatre had the 1920s musical Rose Marie, intended as a career vehicle for pop balladeer David Whitfield, whose name dominated the posters and Press ads.

Not mentioned on the posters was a girl straight out of stage school and heading for a great career. It was Julia Mackenzie in the title role.

The Central Pier’s Let’s Have Fun starred comedian Tommy Trinder, ventriloquist Dennis Spicer, and comedy duo Hope and Keen while the South Pier’s Regal Pavilion had Let’s Go, starring singer Robert Earl, vocal trio the Mudlarks and comedian Billy Raymond.

In the South Pier’s smaller Rainbow Theatre, comedian Joe Crosbie headed the Rainbow Pierrots in morning and afternoon shows while in the evening he headed the Rainbow Revels.

The resort’s other independent theatre, the Queen’s, had Fun and Fancy Free, which starred St Annes comedian Al Read, the singer Yana, and comedian Don Arrol.

At the foot of the Gazette page of entertainment ads, which I’ve used to compile this article, is a tiny entry for the Royal Pavilion’s Folies Striptease, mentioned here a couple of weeks ago.

Several venues had twice nightly Sunday concerts, the best being at the Opera House and the North Pier.

Only two shows were to survive the gradual demise of Blackpool summer season shows; the ever popular Tower Circus and the Ice Parade at the Pleasure Beach.