Redcoats Who Made The Big Time Back
Charlie Drake
Written by Rocky Mason
Born Charles Edward Springhall, in London's Elephant and Castle in June 1925. He later 'borrowed' the stage name Charlie Drake from his mother the former Violet Drake.
Little Charlie was only eight when he got his first booking after auditioning for the great top-of-the-bill coster comedian Harry Champion. He sang the masters popular hit "Boiled Beef and Carrots" and promptly won a place in the choir boys chorus backing the star in his grand finale "Any Old Iron". His reward: a six day booking for half a crown (12.5p).
Charlie became a Butlin Redcoat in the summer of 1953 at Filey camp, in Yorkshire. He taught ju-jitsu, boxing and clowned for the kids in a double act with the 6ft 3in Jack Edwards, Charlie was just 5ft 1in tall! The large difference in height made the act look funny before they started, they called themselves "Mick and Montmorency" Charlie had the dubious distinction of being sacked by Billy Butlin personally for fiddling the bingo!
His television career started with an afternoon series on BBC Children's TV and the head of the programme absconded to the newly formed ITV for London Associated - Rediffusion, and took with him Drake and Edwards. The show was christened "Jobstoppers" and started in 1955. Every week the slap-happy pair tried their hands at a different job and each week the show began with "Hello, my darlings!" Within weeks Charlie had created a national catch-phrase!
Charlie's television career now shot ahead in series after series and each one classic slapstick comedy, sadly around this time the tall stalwart Jack Edwardes became a thing of the past. That particular partnership had been suddenly dissolved. This was the first sign of what most people would call a basic flaw in Drakes character, a supreme ego that put himself first in everything he did. But it takes more than supreme self confidence to win in this age of television. No sooner had he been granted a second series of "Progress" and been awarded a fresh team of writers in Sid Green and Dick Hills (Who would prove their worth in scripting for Morcambe and Wise), than he demanded in a showdown the sacking of Green and Hills! Over the years he became a great favourite of the Queen Mother and starred in no less than nine Royal Shows. He performed in the highly popular Charlie Drake Show with the climax in all the Slapstickery coming in 1961 with "Bingo Madness". When colour television arrived on BBC2 in 1968 his series won the Golden Rose of Montreux.
Television led to many top stage shows and pantomimes, a number at the world famous London Palladium. Associated British Films signed him up for several technicolour Extravaganzas. He also had enormous success with records most notably the hilarious "My Boomerang Won't Come Back" His most memorable television series came in 1978 with ATVs "The Worker" He was also the subject in 1961 of Eamonn Andrews "This Is Your Life".
It must be agreed, I think, enormous steps for a little former Butlin Redcoat!
