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Two Titans Pass Away!! Milligan and Tierney Remembered!!
Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
I hate writing these. Father Geek and Harry usually jump on and handle this most regrettable of tasks. I hate it because it means we're never going to see Lawrence Tierney bully anyone again, that mean ole sonofabitch, and we're never going to get to watch the English press overreact to some Spike Milligan off-the-cuff comment again, either.
It means that it's time to dig into the archives here at the Labs and haul out whatever Goon Squad stuff I've picked up over the years so I can remind myself of how significant Spike was to British humor, and just how influential he was on those who came later.
It means it's time to wade into a laundry list of the character work Tierney has done over the years and soak up some of his unforgettable brute charm, starting with the film that introduced most people my age to the guy, Quentin Tarantino's classic RESERVOIR DOGS.
These men both made their marks and will not be forgotten, and I'm sorry I haven't posted something earlier to either of them.
For a personal tribute to tough guy Tierney by Chris Gore, CLICK HERE!!
And I'll leave you with Jim Hill's beautifully written tribute to Spike Milligan:
God, it's been a really lousy week, Harry. Particularly for those of us who love to laugh.
First, animator extraordinaire Chuck Jones dies. Then word came out of the UK that British comic genius Spike Milligan, 83, has passed away from kidney failure.
This news may not mean much to most Americans. But - were you to mention Spike's name to almost anyone in England - you'd inevitably see a sad smile slide across their face. Why? Because this means that Milligan - the father of "The Goon Show" - is finally gone.
And what - pray tell - was "The Goon Show"? It was - quite simply - one of the funniest programs to ever hit the airwaves. Originally called "Crazy People," this half hour long radio show was originally broadcast on the BBC starting in May 1951. And audiences back then (and now) were just dazzled by what they heard.
And what exactly did these folks hear? Well, let's start with the "Goon Show"'s incredible cast. Standing behind the microphone, you had Spike, Peter Sellers, Sir Harry Secombe as well as Michael Bentine. It was on this very program that the world first learned of Sellers' incredible comic gift - listening with amazement as he effortlessly slid from cowardly Colonel Bloodnok to ancient Henry Crun to suave Hercules Grytpype-Thynne to perpetual adolescent Bluebottle. Sometimes all within one scene.
But - arguably - the real star of the show were Spike's scripts.
Milligan churned out most (if not all) of the "Goon Show"'s radio plays during the program's nine year run. And these scripts - which typically detailed some pointless task like constable Neddie Seagoon's dogged pursuit of the dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler - were just crammed with wonderfully surreal gags. Take - for example - this Marx Brothers-esque exchange:
SEAGOON: Major Bloodnok, I must ask you to parade your men.
BLOODNOK: Why?
SEAGOON: I'm looking for a criminal.
BLOODNOK: You find your own - it took me years to get this lot.
Though "The Goon Show" actually went off the air back in January 1960, the program's influence would go on to be felt by generations of British comedians yet to come. How so? Well - if you're a fan of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" - then it's important to remember that that program's creators have always acknowledged the huge debt that that much beloved television program owed to Spike Milligan's surreal "Goon Show" scripts.
"Python" vet John Cleese has often described how - as a 13 year old boy - he was absolutely obsessed with "The Goon Show." How he'd listen to the program every Friday night, writing down the very best of Milligan's gags so that he could share them with his schoolmates come Monday morning. Regarding Spike, Cleese has been quoted as saying "Milligan (was) a great God to all of us. The 'Goon Show' influenced us enormously."
In addition to his work on "The Goon Show," Milligan also wrote several fun plays as well as some flat-out wonderful stories about his grim but incredibly amusing experiences during World War II. If you ever want to know what life is really like in a barracks, pick up a copy of Spike's inspired 1971 memoir, "Adolph Hitler: My Part in His Downfall."
Admittedly, the book is often incredibly gross ... but it's also undeniably funny.
Mind you, Spike's life wasn't always one big yuckfest. The pressures of having to crank out a new "Goon Show" script every single week resulted in Milligan being institutionalized back in 1953. Over the next four decades, Spike would have 10 mental breakdowns.
But - Milligan being Milligan - he always managed to turn a negative into a positive. After finally being diagnosed with manic depression, Spike then went on to become a vocal supporter of the UK's Manic Depressive Fellowship. He campaigned tirelessly over the next 10 years to make the public aware of this all-too-common mental illness.
These efforts - plus his passionate support of animal rights - lent Spike a certain air of noblity & legitimacy among the uppermost circles of British society. But - being no fan of the pompous class or their hoity-toity ways - Spike would inevitably find a new way to piss these people off.
Folks in the U.K. still talk about the time back in 1994 when Milligan was appearing on live television to recieve a Lifetime Achievement Award for Comedy. As part of the program, a letter from Prince Charles (who was a huge fan of the Goons, by the way) was read aloud. When asked for a comment, Spike referred to the Prince of Wales as that "little groveling bastard ..."
Millions of ITV viewers were horrified by Milligan's seemingly ungrateful outburst. For the record, Charles thought that Spike's ill-mannered poke at the royals was just hilarious. The Prince of Wales then went on to show the press Milligan's follow-up fax to the palace, which asked "I suppose a knighthood is out of the question now?"
When told of Spike's passing today, Prince Charles was said to be deeply saddened. A spokesman for the Prince of Wales said that Charles had known Milligan for a great "many years and had a great affection for him."
The same could be said for the millions of comedy fans worldwide who mourn Milligan's passing. The genius who wrote "The Goon Show." The genuinely crazy guy who changed the face of British Comedy forever.
You want to find out what you've been missing out on? Head on over to Amazon.com (where you'll find that a small selection of Spike's books are currently available) and/or Amazon.uk.co (Where no less than 20 different recordings of "The Goon Show" are now for sale). You can thank me later.Like I said... I hate doing this. Godspeed, Spike Milligan. Godspeed, Lawrence Tierney.
"Moriarty" out.
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It was real and I'll miss the big lug. He left a lot of wonderful movies behind. I think I'm going to watch Devil Thumbs A Ride.
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Mar 02, 2002 8:41:31 AM CST
" Larry (Tierney) went to jail for unloading a firearm into the
by butteredelkmeat
Read that again: "...for unloading a firearm into the apartment next door in which a family lived". We're supposed to give a fuck that this guy died? I don't care what movies this guy was in, we should be glad that an undeniably evil bastard like that is gone.
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Mar 02, 2002 9:15:37 AM CST
next obits? PICTURES, so we dont have these "who the hell was t
by lelon
seriously
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God, I loved quoting that guy!
- "So why am I Mr. Pink?"
- (In gruff Tierney voice) "Cause you're a fucking faggot!"
Heh heh heh. -
I don't believe that the above obituary was meant to paint him to make him to seem like a saint. In fact, just the opposite. To the previous poster (if your information is correct), yes he did a bad thing, and you said he went to jail for it. Well then I say case closed. He paid his debt to society. It's called the judicial system. Should we forget that he committed that crime, ideally yes, but usually that doesn't happen. Should we condemn him for the rest of his life (and after!)? DEFINITELY NOT!!!!! However, I believe that the purpose of your post (which seemed to be filled with much venom) was made not to offer your true opinion, but to rile up talkbackers like myself....... SO YOU OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!!!! How petty and starved for attention can you be!!!!!!
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Funny stuff. I can't say I saw a lot of his work, I am only really familiar with him through Resevoir Dogs, but I may have to check out his John Dillinger movie. Does anyone know if it's on DVD or VHS?
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My parents have tapes of "The Goon Show", and I listened to them endlessly when I was a kid. They are unbelievably hilarious. I know that the idea of just LISTENING to comedy is kind of passe, but - if you ever get a chance to hear any of those tapes, grab it. Get yourself some popcorn, put on the headphones, and just lose yourself in the Goons' insane universe. You won't miss not having visuals, I promise.
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Lary will miss ya. Spike i will have to read some of your work
- The Son of John -
This was pointed out in a talkback on Thursday. Seems to have taken time for someone to actually bother posting this news. You guys are slipping. That and the unreadable posts you put up are leading me to go to one of your rivals (you know, the ones where you're getting all your stories from nowadays).
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Mar 02, 2002 1:34:01 PM CST
"Your not Mr.Purple. Mr. Purple is some guy on another job. Yo
by rabid_republican
Although I wasn't famaliar with his entire career, I remember Lawerence Tierney as having a presence on screen. Tiernery oozed menace in his characters. He ballanced this by being ruthlessly funny. He was also hysterical playing Elaine's dad on Seinfeld. He will be missed.
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For those of you who think you haven't seen Spike Milligan, you may be wrong. He played "Monsieur Rimbaud". the crazy man in the French prison who was trying to free his long-dead bird. According to IMDB, he was also in Python's "Life of Brian", but I haven't seen that one in a while so I can't identify his character.
Having grown up on Brit comedy like Monty Python and the Goodies, I loved Milligan's stuff. It was like watching Jonathan Winters and seeing where Robin Williams got his inspiration.
I'm sad tp hear of Milligan's passing, here's hoping he finds fellow "Goon" Peter Sellers well in the afterworld. -
Sorry, neglected to mention that the Monsieur Rimbaud character Spike played was in Mel Brooks' "History of the World Part I". I'm still waiting for Part II, that preview for "Jews in Space" caught my interest.
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How can he be dead? He is/was the greatest comic of all time. RIP Spike.
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Tierny was awesome.
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Mar 02, 2002 3:34:40 PM CST
Is Gore STILL dining out on that old 'We discovered RESERVOI
by cash bailey
Sorry to sound cynical on a tribute to two great performers, but I know how bitter Gore is about QT's success since then.
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The amazing thing about Lawrence Tierney is he kept getting better as the years rolled by. He graced many a "modern" movie (post-1970) with his unmistakable presence. Even the occasional bad movies he did toward the very end of his career were better for his participation.
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...I'd seen Milligan in Richard Lester's "The Three Musketeers" (still one of my favorites movies) as Racquel Welch's husband. He took a bit part and turned it into one of the most memorable characters in the film. The man was hilarious.
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They just had a tribute (though I think it may have been a repeat) They had Eddie Izzard, Richerd Lester, Robin Williams amongest others basically saying he was a God. Williams in particular asking God to make his fellow Americans more aware of Spikes work.In Life of Brian hes the old Guy that says 'Stop, let us... let us pray. For he come amongth us...' before realising that no-one is there. After watching and listening to clips of the Goon Show, funny is not the word. It is simply too small to describe what he was. Genius is often bandied about to describe some drippy prick who's made one or two films. Milligan simply was one. There will never be one like him again.
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Larry played "Red Deutsch" from the "Tube Bar" in that "Red" video produced some years ago(Larry WAS Red!) which was pretty funny. Highly reccommended. Larry was a tough guy on the outside but a very intelligent man who also wrote poetry. Having personally known the man, I can say he had a unique outlook on life, but a great guy. At 75 when I first met him, he could still kick some ass. I have tons of Larry stories, but my best is when they had a film noir tribute at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and they screened "Born To Kill", directed by Robert Wise. Larry showed up, uninvited and sat in the front row. During the Q and A session, they asked him to sit with Mr. Wise and he declined, not that he had anything against Mr. Wise, but he felt more comfortable in the plush chair. During the course of the talk, Larry had to urinate and not wanting to get up and walk all the way to he restroom, he grabbed a plastic, jumbo-sized "Prince Of Egypt" cup(The Egyptian took about two years to unload these things!), whipped out his Willy and started taking a piss in it. Mr. Wise and the interviewer were stunned and the woman next to Larry looked over at him in shock. Larry turned to her and yelled out, "Whassa matter lady, you never seen a cock before?!" Needless-to-say, Larry was escorted out. Rest well, Larry. You were the best!
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There will never ever be another one like him!
As Einstein was to Physics..Spike was to Comedy!
For my USA friends that probably don't know of him.
Just a few of his one liners.
Silence when you're talking to me.
I was going to read a poem by Shakespeare...but why should I? He doesn't read mine.
Use Contraceptives at every conceivable time.
He fell out with Peter Sellers one night..badly..!
At 3 am Sellers knocked on his door dressed only in a trilby and shoes and asked " Do you know a good Tailor?"
The Goons will always live on! -
The funniest thing I ever saw from Spike Milligan was on Q9, sometime in the early eighties. This would be round about the time the concept of PC was coming in, Dick Emery was about to go out of a job because of all his racist impressions, Jim Davidson and all the old "blue" comics were about to get banished back to the workingmen's clubs.. the face of comedy was changing, and there was a lot of stuff you weren't allowed to laugh at any more. So Spike did a dull sketch, set in some nightclub, which was going nowhere, and someone asked him a question. His reply was "ten little nigger boys". At that point the whole SET tipped sideways, klaxons sounded, red lights flashed and people ran about in Titanic-style sou'westers yelling "PREPARE TO ABANDON RACIALLY MOTIVATED SKETCH!" Maybe you had to be there, but the humour was razor sharp, spot on, and took a risk to make a point, mostly to other, lesser clowns. Spike (who never picked on a minority in his life) will be missed.
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He came on the Eamonn Andrews Show dressed in a smock!
Eamonn Andrews a very respected BBC Announcer at the time.
Anyway Spike led him across the studio floor..and cocked his legs over an imaginary object..Andrews did the same and asked " What was that"?
Spike said " I don't know .. but you can't be too careful"!
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All fans of Milligan, let's do that here so that those who may not have heard of him will be moved to discover his remarkable genius. Spike was always such an obviously loveable loon that he could get away with saying almost anything. He was outrageous in the best possible way, but not to be in any way hurtful or gratuitous. He was a true iconoclast who just couldn't help taking the mickey out of everything .....or even himself. To try and picture Spike, at least in his latter years, imagine a lean and impish-looking gentleman whose ancient eyes held a perpetually child-like twinkle and a thin mouth that seemed to be always wrestling with itself to prevent from breaking out into a silly grin. Yet Spike, like all truly great clowns, had his darker side and his countenance often held a hint of the sadness within him. I got into Spike during his post-"Goon" phase - a prolific period which included autobiographical novels, children's books, poetry and his "Q" t.v. sketch comedy series. It's a difficult thing to dilute one's favourite moments of such a creative giant down to a few brief recollections, but I would not be doing Spike justice if I didn't share some of these here and now. These are not his definitively best moments, they are just ones that I thought funny at the time. "Doctor: I'm sorry to tell you Sir, but you've got elephants./ Patient: Oh dear./ Doctor: Worst still, you've got them low down, where they're most expensive". Other great "Q" show sketches include "The Irish Atom Bomb" and "Pakistani Daleks"...seriously! A book I was particularly fond of as a boy was "William McGonagall: The Truth at Last". McGonagall apparently was a notorious ham of a theatrical actor who turned everything he did into an absurd disaster. Spike's extremely surreal nonsense-biography of the man, who encounters Gandhi in prison and gets stranded on a desert island with horny natives, among other things, made me laugh so much that my parents held grave concerns for my state of mind. In recent years we were treated to "The Old Testament, according to Spike", a sly wink at the travails of man and his relationship with his Creator. I wonder if Spike was preparing himself for his most recent and challenging journey into the realm of Legend. His comic legacy will always live on in my memory, and I hope in many others to come.
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Spike Milligan, you'll be missed. I'be been laughing myself sick at your stuff, right from childhood onwards. Ah min min min min min.
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I first saw Spike Milligan when he did a hilarious appearance on the old Muppet Show. My most vivid memory of that show is when, in the midst of a non-sequitur laden speech, he suddenly grabbed a nearby chicken and exclaimed, "All right, out with it - WHICH CAME FIRST?!!" I also had the great good fortune to hear some of his early recordings of "The Goon Show" on a local public radio station about 12 years ago (anyone else remember the national anthem of Yakabakul?). Without him there would have been no Monty Python, and certainly a lot less laughter. The mind reels at the collaborations that await in heaven between him and Mr. Jones. Thanks for the memories, however brief, Mr. Milligan.
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spike will be greatly missed.the single most influencial comedian of the post war era.without spike theres no python,young ones,chris morris etc.the list is pretty endless.
most americans dont know him which is a shame.you'd find out how much of his act robin williams has ripped off over the years. -
this talkbalk pulled itself out of the slough of its early ignorance and finally came up with a few people who knew who Milligan was, namely the creator of all modern surrealist comedy.
Another quote:
Bloodnock: You know they say that Caesars wife is above suspicion?
Neddy: Yes.
Bloodnock: (lecherously) Well, I put an end to all that nonsense.. -
I want to apologize to everyone for the post I made on Saturday morning. On friday night, me and my friends were attacked, in my friend's own house, by thugs with knives. Needless to say, the next morning I was not in a very good mood, and I took out my anger on a dead guy -- someone unable to even defend himself. I want to give a big thank you to "Skippy" for calling me on this. I contacted him by email, to express some of my thoughts, and I realize that I fucked up. Once again, I offer my apologies to everyone in talkback, and to those involved with AICN. I'm sorry I dirtied up the place.
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i registered here just to write this. Spike was a f**king genius and i can't remember ever having felt so sad at someone's passing. The world is a much duller place without him. I would like to remind the author of the above eulogy that spkie's breakdowns were not caused by his script writing (though he did say it was stressful) but directly linked to the trauma of being shelled in the war, he had his first breakdown in italy and suffered periodic attacks for the rest of his life. Basically, shell shock. Dammit, i love you spike, all the best, rip.
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I'm sure no-one will read this far down, but hey... Just wanted to put on the talkback one of the finest gags to appear on TV, which of course was one of Spike's. In the middle of a sketch set in a cigatette shop, David Rappaport (one of the dwarves from Time Bandits) walks in. As he goes to the counter, he's saying "1...2...3...4...5.." He gets to the counter and turns round and walks straight back "6...7...8...9...10..." At this point Spike looks straight to camera and says "It's the little things that count." Cracks me up every time.
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Its official, brittish comedy is now dead.... Spike was just incomparable. There is no one as funny as he was in the world today, and I doubt greatly anyone will match him for his pure genius with writing, characters and surealism... can you think of ANYONE who comes close? On that "Heroes of Comedy" program, they had Robin Williams doing all the voices. It just wasnt funny. If Robin Williams is the Milligan of today then I weep for tommorow. Robin Williams does SILLY voices, while Milligan actually did FUNNY voices, and theres a world of difference. Id say the only shows that even comes close to the brilliance of "The Goons" is the Simpsons and Monty Python, but I doubt they would be here (or at least, not as funny) if it wernt for this great man. What an enourmous pity the BBC didnt appreciate him, and that the majority of the world are unaware of his work and enourmous talent. Support Milligans work today! Pass on the humor and the legend to those who dont know of him! Because it really is their loss!
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...is surely playing Taps for this genius of a comedian as we speak.
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...but I loved Milligan. I own most of the Goon Shows on tape, as well as most of his books. He was a genius, all right. It's gonna be a while before I can listen to them again. The whole Goon crew is gone, now...Peter, Harry, Spike, Mike, Wallace...Anybody know of the whereabouts of Ray Ellington, Max Geldray, Wally Stott, or George Chisolm? It bothers me that I can't find out if these guys are gone too. I tell ya, between Milligan and Chuck Jones, I'm just about ready to hang it up...We shall not see their like again. Farewell, fellas. The afterlife (if there is one) is a much, much funnier place now. *sigh*
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I won't destroy the man's verse by posting it without formatting here, but if you want to know what message Spike will take into his afterlife, go to http://www.fireflycafe.org/spike/serious.html and look up the poem, "Me". If you need a laugh after that, goto http://www.fireflycafe.org/spike/spikequotes.html
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...for not knowing Spike Milligan well enough. It's apparent that if you had the slightest inkling who he was, that he'd have a Talk Back section devoted to him, not shared with - and with all due respect - a C-list actor who will be remembered for 2 or 3 television roles, and 2 film roles. Milligan pioneered everything that makes us laugh nowadays. The Goon Show was the most radical post-WW2 comedy show, and changed the nature of it forever. Have a bit of posthumous respect and read his books, watch his shows, discover his genius - the give him the respect that he so rightly deserves.
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