George Formby: Difference between revisions

[[George Formby]] [[Knight Fever|OBE]] was a [[Oop North|Lancastrian]] singer-songwriter, comic and film star who had his biggest hits in [[The Thirties]]. Real name George Hoy Booth, he inherited the stage name from his father, who was a music hall comic. He often mixed comedy into his songs together with a healthy dose of [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]. His signature musical instrument was the ukulele, or 'uke' for short.

 

 

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* [[Chinese Launderer]]: Mr Wu started out as owning a Chinese Laundry in Limehouse (a district of London where many Chinese immigrants settled in the 19th and early 20th centuries and where such laundries were associated with) but later moved on to greater things.

* [[Dawson Casting]]: Referenced in "The Window Cleaner":

''When I'm cleaning windows!'' }}

* [[Double Entendre]]: Constantly. Probably the most blatant examples are in "With My Little Ukulele In My Hand" and "With My Little Stick Of Blackpool Rock". The latter was actually ''banned by [[The BBC]]'' in 1937 for its suggestive lyrics.

* [[Fair for Its Day]]: The "Mr Wu" songs have some dodgy lyrics for today, but at the time nobody else would have made songs about a Chinese immigrant--at least not portraying him in a sympathetic light. Especially noteworthy as the original "Mr Wu" was a [[Yellow Peril]] villain from a play in the 1910s who was taken up as a recurring character in music hall; Formby used the name for the recognition, but not much else.

* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]: Legendarily so. For example, in "The Window Cleaner":

I'd rather have his job than mine, when I'm cleaning windows!" }}

* [[Inherently Funny Words]]: One reason why he often mentioned his ukulele in the words of his songs.

You ought to see it wobble when he's ironing ladies'...blouses" }}

** Another example:

The wife said "Where've you been?" and I said "You can go to...bed!" }}

* [[I Meant to Do That]]: "Sitting On The Ice In The Ice Rink" is based on this trope--it's George insisting that, no, he hasn't fallen while skating, he ''likes'' sitting on the ice in the ice rink with his skates on.

* [[Medley]]: His "British Isles Medley", which is a medley of patriotic and regional songs from across the United Kingdom (such as "Ilkley Moor Bah T'at" for Yorkshire and "Men of Harlech" for Wales). He later did an "American Medley" that did the same thing for the United States.

* [[Patriotic Fervour]]: Sort of averted, as he made patriotic songs during [[World War II]] but they were just as comedic as his usual fare.

* [[Richard Nixon the Used Car Salesman]]: Formby appears in the [[Thursday Next]] novels, having led the British Resistance after the Nazi invasion ([[Alternate History]]) and, after the liberation, becoming President-for-Life of England. "When I'm Cleaning Windows" becomes the new national anthem.

* [[Sequel]]: Many of his songs have sequels, most notably the 'Mr Wu' series.

* [[Sound Effect Bleep]]: One of the first to do the musical version:

But up to now it's been like h('''LOUD NOTE''')! Mother what'll I do now?" }}

 

[[Category:George Formby]]

[[Category:Music]]