Spike Milligan

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Career

Milligan returned to jazz in the late 1940s and performed with the Hall trio and other musical comedy groups. He was also trying to break into radio as a comedian or script writer. Derek Roy's debut on radio was as a writer on comedian Derek Roy's show. Milligan, Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, and Michael Bentine, all got off to a rocky start with the Goon Show, a somewhat bizarre comedy show. During its first season, the BBC branded the programme as Crazy People, or in full, The Junior Crazy Gang starring those illustrious characters, the Goons, in an attempt to make the show more palatable to BBC executives by linking it to the popular group of theatre comedians known as The Crazy Gang.

On the BBC Home Service, the first episode was broadcast on May 28th, 1951. Milligan, although he did not do well in the early shows, became a leading performer in nearly all of the Goon Show episodes, portraying a variety of characters including Eccles, Minnie Bannister, Jim Spriggs, and the nefarious Count Moriarty. He was also the primary author of most of the scripts, though he co-wrote several scripts with various collaborators, most notably Larry Stephens and Eric Sykes. The bulk of the early shows were co-written with Stephens (and edited by Jimmy Grafton), but this collaboration fell apart after Series 3. Milligan wrote most of Series 4, but not before from Series 5 (coinciding with the birth of the Milligans' second child, Seán) and most of Series 6, he collaborated with Eric Sykes, a growth that came out of his current corporate collaboration with Sykes in Associated London Scripts. During Series 6, Milligan and Stephens reunited, but Stephens was forced to miss out due to health issues and Milligan briefly worked with John Antrobus at the end of Series 8. Stephens' death from a brain haemorrhage in January 1959 brought the Milligan-Stephens relationship to an end; Milligan later downplayed and disparaged Stephens' contributions.

Milligan would play the trumpet in the audience warm-up session, while Peter Sellers played on the orchestra's drums. For the first few years, the shows were broadcast direct to 16-inch transcription disc, which required the actor to stick closely to the script, but by Series 4, the BBC had switched to magnetic tape. Milligan embraced the opportunities that the latest technology had; the tapes could be edited, allowing the cast to ad-lib freely, while the tapes could also be edited, and the production of groundbreaking sound effects was aided by tape. Milligan's calls for more sophisticated sound effects (or "grams") during the first three series, pushing technology and the BBC engineer's skills to their limits—sometimes requiring the use of four or five turntables running simultaneously. These effects could be made in advance, and BBC engineers were able to produce extremely intricate, tightly edited effects "stings" that would have been impossible (if not impossible) to perform using foley or disc. Several Goon Show "grams" were produced for the series by members of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, one of which being the "Major Bloodnok's Stomach" effect, which was realized by Dick Mills.

Although the Goons elevated Milligan to national prominence, writing and executing the series took a long time. He had the first of many serious mental breakdowns during Series 3, which also marked the onset of a decades-long cycle of manic-depressive disorders. Milligan became irrationally convinced that he needed to kill Sellers in late 1952, perhaps exacerbated by suppressed tensions between the Goons' stars, but he mistakenly walked straight across the plate-glass front door. He was hospitalized, heavily sedated for two weeks, and spent almost two months recovering; fortunately for the show, a backlog of scripts meant that his illness had no effect on production; Milligan later attributed his writer's inability and the failure of his first marriage to the pressure of exhibiting and presenting The Goon Show.

Milligan's involvement in the writer's company Associated London Scripts was a less well known part of his life in the 1950s and 1960s. Milligan married for the first time and started a family. According to reports, this discouraged him from writing so much that he reluctantly accepted Eric Sykes' invitation to share his little office, which led to the establishment of the co-operative agency.

Milligan went from television to television as a writer-performer, in addition to his numerous guest appearances on interview, variety, and sketch comedy series from the 1950s to the 2000s. Peter Sellers' first attempt to translate Goons humour to television was published in the Idiot Weekly, Price 2d (1956), followed by A Show Called Fred and Son of Fred, which were based on 1956 and directed by Richard Lester, who went on to work with the Beatles. On a trip to Australia in 1958, a similar special was created for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, "The Gladys Half-Hour," which also included local actors Ray Barrett and John Bluthal, who would appear in several later Milligan projects. Milligan co-wrote two episodes of the famous sitcom Sykes and a..., co-starring Sykes and Hattie Jacques, and "Spike Milligan Offers a Serie of Unrelated Incidents at Current Market Value" in 1961.

The 15-minute series The Telegoons (1963), was the first attempt to transplant the Goons to television, this time using puppet versions of the familiar characters. The initial intention was to "visualize" original recordings of 1950s Goon Show episodes, but this proved difficult, due to the BBC's refusal to allow the original audio to be used. Instead, fifteen-minute versions of Maurice Wiltshire's original scripts were used, with Milligan, Sellers, and Secombe reuniting to provide the voices; according to a recent news release, they received the highest fees for 15-minute shows ever paid for 15-minute shows. Two series were produced in 1963 and 1964 (presumably because it was shot on 35mm film rather than video), but the entire series has been preserved in the BBC archives, according to BBC archives.

The World of Beachcomber (1968), made in color for BBC 2, was Milligan's next big television venture, though it is estimated that all 19 episodes have been lost. The three Goons reunited for a televised re-staging of a vintage Goon Show for Thames Television, with John Cleese replacing the late Wallace Greenslade, but no further programmes were released that year.

Milligan appeared in brownface, a situation comedy written and directed by Johnny Speight and starring Milligan's long friend and colleague Eric Sykes in early 1969. Curry and Chips set out to debunk racial attitudes in Britain in a vein that Speight's earlier creation, the hugely popular Till Death Us Do Part, with Milligan 'browning up' to play Kevin O'Grady, a half-Pakistani-half-Irish factory worker. Several viewers filed reports about the series's frequent use of racist epithets and "poor words"—one viewer reportedly complained of counting 59 uses of the word "blood" in a single episode, but it was canceled on the Independent Broadcasting Authority after only six episodes. Milligan was also involved in the ill-fated programme The Melting Pot.

The Other Spike, a filmmaker John Goldschmidt's film, influenced Milligan's tumultuous breakdown in a film for Granada Television, for which Milligan wrote the screenplay and played himself. Later this year, he was asked by the BBC to write and appear in Q5, the first in the BBC's new Q... TV series, and was seen as a crucial precursor to Monty Python's Flying Circus, which premiered several months later. Several years ago, there was a sabbatical before the BBC commissioned Q6 in 1975. Q7 was first released in 1977, Q8 in 1978, Q9 in 1980, and There's a Lot of It About. Milligan later expressed his dissatisfaction with the BBC's cold reception toward the series, claiming that if given the opportunity, he might have produced more programs. A number of episodes of the earlier "Q" series are missing, with some of them thought to have been deleted.

Laura Milligan's daughter, Laura, created and co-wrote The Ratties (1987). The 26 five-minute episodes were narrated by Milligan. He appeared on ITV from 1995 to 1998 as the wildly popular animated series Wolves, Witches, and Giants. Ed Welch, a writer who had appeared on the Q series before, and Spike collaborated on several audio projects produced and directed by Simon & Sara Bor. Wolves, Witches, and Giants were broadcast in more than 100 countries, including Britain and the United States.

Milligan also wrote verse, which was considered to be within literary mishmash. For example, "It's because of pigeons that alight"; Nelson's hat makes it white." Comedian Stephen Fry has described his poetry as "completely immortal—especially in Lear's tradition." In a nationwide poll, one of his poems, "On the Ning Nang Nong," was voted the UK's best comedy poem in 1998, ahead of other nonsense poets, including Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear. This nonsense verse, set to music, became a hit around Australia, following the ABC children's programme Playschool's week. Milligan included it on his album No One's Change Our World in 1969 to support the World Wildlife Fund. According to OFSTED, it was announced in December 2007 that it is one of the ten most commonly taught poems in primary schools in the United Kingdom.

Although ill, he wrote serious poetry, much of which is collected in Open Heart University. Adolf Hitler's Part in His Downfall (1971), "Rommel," he wrote a book Puckoon and a series of war memoirs, including Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (1971).

"Gunner Who?

"A Confrontation in the Desert (1974) Monty: His Victory (1976) and Mussolini: My Part in My Downfall (1978) Milligan's seven volumes of memoirs span the years 1939-to- 1950 (his call-up, war service, first crack, time spent in Italy, and his return to the United Kingdom).

Milligan also wrote comedy songs, including "Purple Aeroplane," which was a parody of the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine." In addition, he wrote the lyric to Duncan Lamont's "English Folk Song," a jazz singer who performed on jazz singer Tina May's 2021 album, 52nd Street (and Other Tales). He was the narrator for Lamont's Sherlock Holmes Suite, which was commissioned by the City of London to commemorate Sherlock Holmes' first appearance in The Strand magazine.

In the Mermaid Theatre production of Treasure Island, Bernard Miles gave Milligan his first straight acting role, as Ben Gunn.

Miles described Milligan as:

Treasure Island appeared twice daily during the winter of 1961-62, as well as an annual production at the Mermaid Theatre. Barry Humphries appeared in the film Long John Silver, alongside William Rushton as Squire Trelawney and Milligan as Ben Gunn, as Squire Trelawney and Milligan. Milligan's "best result" must have been as Ben Gunn, as the show went on every night in a makeup that took at least an hour to apply. Spike had already started singing a roar of delight from the children in the audience, but he quickly departed the text as he began a riff of sublime absurdity."

Milligan began speaking to Miles about the possibility that he and John Antrobus were investigating in a dramatized post-nuclear world in 1961–62. This was the one-act play The Bedsitting Room, a one-act play starring Milligan and John Antrobus and premiered at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on February 12, 1962. Miles at London's Mermaid Theatre, adapted to a longer play and staged production, made its debut on January 31, 1963. It was a critical and commercial success, revived in 1967 with a provincial tour before opening at London's Saville Theatre on May 3rd 1967. Richard Lester produced a film version that was out in 1969.

Milligan, who is famous for comedic roles, wanted more serious content. He had read Ivan Goncharov's Oblomov and felt a kinship with the titular character, who had to leave his bed to face the world.

According to Scudamore's biography:

Riccardo Aragno, an Italian writer, had the book adapted for the stage. In early 1964, Aragno's script for Oblomov was purchased by Milligan's production company. Milligan had long aspired to change from comedy to serious drama. Milligan rehearsed for seven weeks with director Frank Dunlop and castmates Joan Greenwood, Bill Owen, and Dyall Valentine at the Lyric Hammersmith, to this extent.

The first preview appeared on October 6, 1964. Milligan was plagued by stage fright and forgot almost all of his lines during this performance. He immediately started making up things to say to the cast, transforming the drama into an impromptu improv session. Milligan canceled the first performance by yelling "Thank God, Milton Shulman's in!" despite the fact that a drama critic who had given rave reviews to Milligan's other stage comedies was in the audience.

In the theatrical press, the play was savaged. However, Oblomov's designers had staged the production into the Lyric for three weeks. Milligan carte blanche on stage, anxious to recoup their investment by any means. Milligan's antics included launching the play while seated with the audience and yelling for his actors to entertain him. As co-star Ian Flintoff, playing Oblomov's doctor, shook Milligan's hand again, he wore a false arm that fell out of his sleeve. When Flintoff told Bill Kerr, a long-time Milligan, that Spike was making a joke of their hard work, Kerr replied, "We have to put up with all the shit, mate, because it pays the rent."

Joan Greenwood, a professional in Olga, later recalled that her husband André Morell thought the first appearance was so sad they should have her Greenwood fired from her job.

According to Scudamore:

The play was still being performed as an improv comedy. This move made the Lyric's box office record broken very quickly. Son of Oblomov was revived after five weeks and moved to the Comedy Theatre in the West End on December 2, 1964. It will be on display for a total of 559 performances. As the game was still relatively new each night, it attracted record numbers of repeat customers.

Queen Elizabeth and her family attended her 39th birthday celebration on April 22, 1965. A group of four latecomers slink to their seats directly in front of the royal family just after the curtain opened. Milligan yelled, "Turn up the house lights!" Milligan yelled "hurn up the house lights!

Start everything again!"

"You's going to pay for your knighthood," the flamboyant foursome cries."Is there a Sellers in the house?" Milligan inquired after being seated between Prince Charles and Princess Margaret, prompted by his presence, "Is there a Sellers in the house?" asked the narrator.

Sellers immediately shouted "Yes!"

With Sellers participating from Prince Phillip's suspensions, Milligan launched a vain attempt against him. Milligan's high-kick, lobbing one of his bedroom slippers at Sellers, virtually missing Prince Phillip's head. Milligan spent the remainder of the performance mocking the Queen for her son's participation in such a racy play once back in bed with co-star Joan Greenwood. Milligan was unable to regain his dignity on stage and begged on the Queen to knight him for his efforts that night. She declined. The performance took place 45 minutes after the original ended. According to reports, Prince Charles appeared five times in the play.

Milligan referred to theatre as "important" in an interview with Bernard Braden in 1988: he said so.

Portrait of a Goon, a Ken Russell short film about and with Milligan. In Paul Sutton's 2012 licensed biography Becoming Ken Russell, the film's development is more complex. In Russell's film In 1971, Milligan played a humble village priest. The scene was removed from the release print and is considered lost, but images from the scene, as well as Murray Melvin's account of the day's filming, are included in Sutton's 2014 book Six English Filmmakers.

Milligan also adlibbed as shown by his appearance in theatre. He also did this on television and television. He was (almost immediately) identified as an ad-libber in one of his last film appearances in Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast, and he was later identified as an ad-libber.

During a trip to Australia in the late 1960s, one of Milligan's ad-lib incidents occurred. He was interviewed live on air and remained in the studio for the following news broadcast (read by Rod McNeil), during which Milligan frequently interrupted by adding his own name to news items. As a result, he was banned from attending any more live appearances on ABC. The ABC also changed its national policy, ensuring that guests had to leave the studio after interview were complete. A tape of the bulletin survives and has been included in an ABC Radio audio compilation as well as the BBC tribute CD Vivat Milligna.

Richard Lester, a film and television producer, recalls that A Show Called Fred, the television series, was broadcast live on television. "I've had very few moments of genius in my life, but Spike and I attended one right after the first show." He had passed around a silent cartoon" and asked Lester if his P.A. was interested in it. I had to go back to the beginning. "She said she did." 'This is fine, but it needs a commentary.' Spike may have only seen it once or twice, if that. The commentary for it was excellent, and he adlibbed it. "I was open-mouthed at the raw comedy creation in front of me."

Milligan contributed occasional cartoons to Private Eye, the satirical magazine. The bulk of jokes were visualisations of one-line jokes. For example, a young boy sees the Concorde and asks his father, "What is it?" "That's a flying groundnut scheme, son," the reply says. Milligan was a voracious painter.

Milligan dressed up in a series of television commercials for British Petroleum in 1967, applying a satirical twist to a trend for the inclusion of Superman-inspired characters in British television commercials. The TV commercials were "funny and effective," according to a young reporter. In a 1973 advertisement for Benson & Hedges, Milligan appeared with Peter Sellers in an advertisement for Benson & Hedges. Milligan requested that his fee be paid to ASH: Action on Smoking and Health. When this was refused, he donated the money to charity instead. The commercial was well-received by the public and has received several industry accolades. He worked for the English Tourist Board from 1980 to 1982, playing a Scot on a tour of England's various regions.

Television commercials for Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and Planters nuts were among other advertising appearances.

Charles Allen wrote a collection of stories from British people's lives in the British Raj, called Plain Tales from the Raj, which was published in 1975. Milligan was India's youngest emperor, reminising about his life under British rule. He mentions the imperial parades in the book:

Milligan developed and orchestrated a Grand Waltz for Brisbane Water in 1988, when visiting his mother in Woy Woy (on the shores of Brisbane Water), and gave it to the symphony orchestra of nearby Gosford. Symphony Central Coast has performed it on occasion since, with a 2020 YouTube video as a COVID-19 isolation project.

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