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Frank Randle (born Arthur Hughes, also known as Arthur McEvoy or Arthur Twist; 30 January 1901 – 7 July 1957) was an English comedian. A contemporary of fellow Lancashire George Formby and Gracie Fields, he was regarded as more subversive, perhaps explaining why the immense popularity he enjoyed during his lifetime has not survived him.
Randle's mischievous wit led to a running conflict with Harry Barnes, a police chief constable of the Lancashire seaside resort of Blackpool, who frequently banned him from performing in the town's venues. He was prosecuted in 1952 on four charges of obscenity and fined £10 on each count. (2026). 9780747583851, Bloomsbury. ISBN 9780747583851 Randle responded to his critics in robust fashion, frequently throwing his false teeth into the audience and once bombarding Blackpool from an aeroplane with toilet rolls (according to an episode of Rude Britannia, broadcast by the BBC on 15 June 2010, the toilet roll bombardment actually took place over Accrington, not Blackpool). Randle's police charge sheet is lodged with Lancashire Archives.Lancashire Archives, PLA, accession 6401
On the outbreak of the Second World War, having failed his medical to join the RAF, Randle joined the Home Guard and established a career in film. His iconoclastic portrayal of the underdog, flouting authority and disrupting the establishment, found a ready audience in a population suffering the privations of war. He took equity in John E. Blakeley's Manchester-based Mancunian Films, appearing in eight of its productions. In his last film, It's a Grand Life (1953), his co-star was Diana Dors.
Although he was reportedly taking £1,000 a week at at Hulme Hippodrome in 1950, with the decline of music hall in the 1950s Randle's career declined. Pressed by debts and tax arrears, and suffering from the consequences of a life of alcohol abuse, he reportedly owed the Inland Revenue £56,000 in 1954 was made bankrupt by the tax authorities in 1955.
He married May Annie Victoria Douglas, known as Queenie, in 1928 in Greenwich, London. There were no children but Manchester artist Arthur Delaney was alleged to be Randle's illegitimate son by fellow performer Genevieve Delaney (also known as Eve Delaney). This has been verified by DNA as incorrect.
Randle's comedy achievement was celebrated in "Grin up North", a major touring exhibition that looked at the unique Northern sense of humour. He was most recently featured in an episode of BBC 4's Rude Britannia shown in June 2010.
In 2007, a celebratory plaque paid for by members of the Cuthbert Club was unveiled to Randle on Blackpool's North Pier. In 2010, the same organisation paid for the refurbishment of Randle's gravestone, which was unveiled in July 2010.
Filmography
Bibliography and further reading
(2026). 9780951801253, History on Your Doorstep. ISBN 9780951801253
(2026). 9780951801277, History on Your Doorstep. ISBN 9780951801277
External links
Categories: 1901 Births, 1957 Deaths, People From Aspull, English Male Comedians, English Male Stage Actors, English Male Film Actors, English Male Screenwriters, 20th-century English Male Actors, 20th-century English Comedians, 20th-century English Screenwriters, 20th-century English Male Writers, British Home Guard Soldiers, Comedians From Lancashire, Male Actors From Lancashire, Military Personnel From The Metropolitan Borough Of Wigan, Actors From The Metropolitan Borough Of Wigan
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