 |
Chic Murray, one of Scotland's greatest comedians, was born Charles Thomas McKinnon Murray in Greenock, in 1919. He began an apprenticeship in engineering at Kincaid's shipyard in 1934 whilst employing his musical talents in amateur groups such as The Whinhillbillies and Chic and His Chicks. He formed a double-act with his wife, Maidie Dickson. Billed as "The Tall Droll with the Small Doll" their combination of jokes and songs made them a popular attraction on television and in theatres throughout the country. The peak of their success was in 1956 when they appeared in the Royal Variety Show at the London Palladium. Later, working as a solo act, with a forbidding expression and omnipresent "bunnet", Chic offered a comic vision of the world that was absurd, surreal and absolutely unique. Much mimicked and much loved by his fellow professionals, he acted in films such as Casino Royale (1967), appeared as the headmaster in Gregory's Girl (1980) and played Liverpool Football Club manager Bill Shankly in the musical play You'll Never Walk Alone (1984). He died in Edinburgh in 1985 at the age of sixty-five.
"Chic Murray was brought up in the land of sugar, ships and showers. He got a lot of his tales from the Tail of the Bank - joiners, platers, plumbers in the yard, were his main source of supply. A very funny man, originality in style was the keynote. He toured the halls both as a double act with his 4 feet 11 inches high wife Maidie - a clever wee lass, as a feed, a singer and accordionist.
Chic's fun was plucked from life. He perhaps combined the humour of two of his mates and the character that emerged was a riot. The two workmen, who were the subject of his impersonation, probably didn't twig it but they certainly enjoyed the result.
A typical Chic Murray joke "I met this chap at the Olympics. I said to him, "Excuse me but are you a pole vaulter?", he replied,"No, I'm German, but how did you know my name was Walter."
Latterly Chic was making films all over the world. In fact when one bumped into him in Glasgow and asked him what he was doing - "doing" he would repeat indignantly "I suppose because you don't see me at the theatre or on the local TV you think I'm not working. Listen fellah I can't do half the work I'm offered. I arrived from Germany this morning. I'm making a film out there - they like me there you know - and flying out to Hollywood on Tuesday for another film. Back here I've got two jobs to do for Bill Forsyth - I like him. Yes it's busy, busy, I'm thinking of doing the love life of a lamplighter - ha ha !" He was a big success in a cameo part in Bill Forsyth's 'Gregory's Girl' where he played a headmaster and was ideal for the role but a few eyebrows were raised when he gave a girl permission to play in the boy's football team."
Archie McCulloch
CHIC MURRAY
Goodbye from Archie
|
|