A good watch although so sad to see a dramatisation of someone slowly committing suicide on the booze. Sad, too, that his son died just a few years after him.
Was meant to set this on record but forgot. Will catch up today. I too can remember watching him collapse and everyone laughing, thinking it was all part of his act.
As a small kid, I never liked him. I was obsessed with watching magicians and found it annoying when he (deliberately) got things wrong. Wasn't until I was older that I realised how good he really was............
Painful to watch this. Great drama well done. Tommy Cooper was one of my favourites and I always tried to watch when he was on telly. I think that I will always remember him collapsing on that stage. It was interesting to find out the background to it.
Didnt see the programme last night but recall the curtains closing and them going to an add break when he collapsed on stage - was it Live at the Palladium?
Didnt see the programme last night but recall the curtains closing and them going to an add break when he collapsed on stage - was it Live at the Palladium?
Didnt see the programme last night but recall the curtains closing and them going to an add break when he collapsed on stage - was it Live at the Palladium?
Haven't seen the program yet as not been shown in the States. I'll have to pick it up from somewhere. I always liked Tommy Cooper. A very funny and clever man. I remember that night really well - collapsing on stage and all that. Everyone thought it was part of the act. People in the audience were actually laughing. Ironic that he went on Stage like that.
I enjoyed it, I didn't get the Les Dennis cameo at the end, I guess they found a lookalike and wanted to use him?
There were a lot of funny men in the 70s, and Tommy was the funniest of the lot.
It was just that Les Dennis & Dustin Gee were next on stage and had to come on early and perform in front of the closed curtain. Must have been horrible knowing what was going on behind them.
My company hired him once as caberet at a sales conference. The English crowd loved him, but the look on the faces of the people from Texas was wonderful to behold. I was sitting next to him on a plane once when a guy parachuted down beside the window. Tommy said to him 'I'm not doing that'. The guy said 'please yourself, I'm the pilot'.
Isn't it odd/ironic how it appears that the vast majority of the top comedians appear to have had somewhat sad, flawed lives. You can take all of the top names like Cooper, Milligan, Hancock, Cook, even Chaplin. I guess the fact that their 'public' face is a happy one masks reality. Many have proven to be depressives with disfunctional relationships way beyond the population 'norm' for their profession.
Jimmy Tarbuck tells a great story about going round to Tommy Cooper's house and finding him there hung over with a pool of vomit all over the living room floor.
Almost immediately afterwards Cooper's wife came home from shopping and made straight for the lounge where she sees Cooper and Tarbuck standing over the vomit.
Quick as a flash Cooper says, "Thank God you're back love, Jim's just been sick all over the floor!"
Didnt see the programme last night but recall the curtains closing and them going to an add break when he collapsed on stage - was it Live at the Palladium?
I also remember it. I have spoken to the Ambulance crew who went to him. They were watching it on tv at the local station when they were given the call. They thought at first it was the controller having a laugh with them as they were near, but soon realised it was the real thing.
Tommy is one of the few from that era who, if he were still around, would be just as popular and funny today. I like many remember watching his demise live.
Comments
Good drama, surprised they reenacted his collapse, perfectly done though.
As a small kid, I never liked him. I was obsessed with watching magicians and found it annoying when he (deliberately) got things wrong. Wasn't until I was older that I realised how good he really was............
I love Tommy Cooper!
I enjoyed it, I didn't get the Les Dennis cameo at the end, I guess they found a lookalike and wanted to use him?
There were a lot of funny men in the 70s, and Tommy was the funniest of the lot.
Almost immediately afterwards Cooper's wife came home from shopping and made straight for the lounge where she sees Cooper and Tarbuck standing over the vomit.
Quick as a flash Cooper says, "Thank God you're back love, Jim's just been sick all over the floor!"
The play was a very good watch.