Jimmy Clitheroe
| James Robinson Clitheroe | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 December 1921 Clitheroe, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 6 June 1973 (aged 51) Blackpool, Lancashire |
| Cause of death | Overdose of sleeping tablets |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Comedian |
James Robinson Clitheroe (24 December 1921 – 6 June 1973) was a British comic entertainer. He never grew any taller than 4 feet 3 inches, and could easily pass for an 11-year-old boy, the character he played in The Clitheroe Kid.[1]
Clitheroe was also where he was born, in Lancashire, England, the son of James Robert Clitheroe and Emma Pye, who married in 1918. Jimmy was named after Emma's brother James Robinson Pye (who was born in Clitheroe in 1894 and killed in WW1), and was raised in Blacko, near Nelson. He started out in variety and theatre, but moved into records, films and then pantomime and radio, and finally television. His long-running radio programme on the BBC, The Clitheroe Kid, is still being repeated on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
He never married, and lived quietly with his mother in Blackpool. He died from an overdose of sleeping pills on the day of her funeral, aged 51. His funeral was held at Carleton Crematorium, Blackpool, where he is commemorated by a plaque attached to memorial tree No.3.
The Buzz Hawkins creation for radio Billy Bradshaw is based on Jimmy Clitheroe's schoolboy.
Molly Sugden (Mrs Slocombe in the TV series Are You Being Served?) played Jimmy's mother on stage and in his ITV shows.
The title of the 1970s BBC TV sitcom starring Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, was based on the catchphrase "Don't some mothers 'ave 'em", used by Jimmy at the end of his radio shows.
[edit] Selected filmography
- Much Too Shy (1942)
- Stars in Your Eyes (1956)
- Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon (1967)
[edit] References
Caustic bards Half Man Half Biscuit refer to Jimmy in their song 99% Of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd, from their album Back in the DHSS.
