Spike Milligan

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Spike Milligan

Postby Guest » February 27th, 2002, 9:32 am

Died today.02/27/2002.Aged 83. A great line of his was ... "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....wash it out with Optrex." :(

John Pezzullo
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Re: Spike Milligan

Postby John Pezzullo » February 28th, 2002, 1:57 am

Spike Milligan once said that he wanted his tombstone to read:

"I told you I was ill."

May he rest in peace.

[ March 01, 2002: Message edited by: John Pezzullo ]

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Re: Spike Milligan

Postby Guest » February 28th, 2002, 3:07 am

A couple of grat epitaphs "Is that the time already ?"and for an atheist "All dressed up and nowhere to go"

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Pete Biro
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Re: Spike Milligan

Postby Pete Biro » February 28th, 2002, 12:27 pm

At the recent funeral service for Goon "Sir" Harry Seacomb (AKA Neddie Seagoon) Millikan had sent a letter to Seacomb before he passed on. It was brought to Westminster Abbey and read, "Sir Harry, sorry to hear you are ill, but I hope you die first, as I couldn't stand having you sing at MY funeral."

Seabrooke told me Prince Charles nearly wet his pants laughing at this line! :D
Stay tooned.

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Cugel
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Re: Spike Milligan

Postby Cugel » February 28th, 2002, 1:13 pm

Yesterday was a very sad day - I knew this would happen eventually but hoped against hope...

Spike Milligan was my all-time favourite comedian. I grew up with his poetry books for kids and then, later, his books for adults (and bigger kids) and his amazing Q series on television.

To give some US readers a little context - Milligan was an icon in the UK and Australia. (His brother and late mother lived here and he was a frequent visitor to these shores). He was the driving force (and writer) behind the Goon show on BBC radio and without him (and his influential early TV, i.e., "A Show Called Fred") there would be no Monty Python. (I always thought he was better - and less contrived in his surreality - he really WAS a surreal person). For example, he was the first person to prove that a comedic sketch didn't need a beginning or an end - it could just start wherever he wanted it.

He was also a great early supporter of various worthy causes - including preservation of the environment.

If you've never heard of him, check out his hilarious war autobiographies - "Hitler; My Part in his Downfall" and others.

Farewell Spike.

"Follow the gourd!"

Guest

Re: Spike Milligan

Postby Guest » February 28th, 2002, 2:08 pm

Thanks for the background Andrew.

I would like to hear/see Mr. Milligan's old shows as I love good off the wall comedy.

It's always a sad day when great originals leave us. That's why it's up to us to keep their "memory" alive.

Humbly and my sincerest sympathies,

Steve

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Pete Biro
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Re: Spike Milligan

Postby Pete Biro » February 28th, 2002, 4:24 pm

One gag I loved (briefly) A guy tells another he has invented "silent dynamite... only an idiot can hear it, let me set some off." -- several seconds of radio silence-- just then a door bursts open and Eccles (Millikan) bursts into the room and shouts... "What was that noise?" :D :D :D
Stay tooned.

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Matthew Field
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Re: Spike Milligan

Postby Matthew Field » March 4th, 2002, 1:48 pm

Just returned from vacation to read this sad news.

I was a huge fan of the Goon show, and I've read most of the great Milligan's books. His recounting of his war experiences are hilarious.

If you ever get a chance to see "The Case of the Mukkinese Battlehorn," don't miss it.

Milligan was a British institution -- a great and very, very funny man.

Matt Field

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Re: Spike Milligan

Postby Guest » March 5th, 2002, 1:44 am

A series on UK television called Heroes of Comedy had a one-hour program about Spike last Saturday. (It wasn't a hurried reschedule because of his death, it happened to be scheduled anyway.) I was out, so I recorded it, and I watched it yesterday.

There was a lovely moment when at some huge gala event on nationwide television, Spike was being presented with an award, a flattering message from Prince Charles was read out by the presenter, and Spike commented that Charles was a "grovelling little bastard".

The audience erupted with laughter. Nobody but Spike could have said that, nobody but him would have said it, and nobody but him would have got away with it. It was quite unprepared and unscripted - he had no idea that he was going to get that award.

By the way, Spike was also in the excellent and utterly hilarious film "The Bed Sitting Room". I recommend it.

Dave

[ March 05, 2002: Message edited by: Dave Le Fevre ]


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