Peter Sellers on the Origins of Bluebottle
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- Опубліковано 26 сер 2024
- Bluebottle is a comedy character from The Goon Show, a 1950s British comedy radio show. The character was created and performed by Peter Sellers.
Bluebottle is an adenoidal squeaky-voiced Boy Scout from East Finchley (the same neighbourhood of London where Peter Sellers grew up). He was noted for reading his own stage directions out loud, and was often greeted with a deliberate round of applause from the audience ("Enter Bluebottle wearing string and cardboard pyjamas. Waits for audience applause. Not a sausage.") As was common with Goon Show characters, Sellers' Bluebottle was paired with a Spike Milligan character, usually Eccles (the third Goon, Harry Secombe, usually stayed in his alter-ego of Neddie Seagoon throughout the show).
Bluebottle was based on Ruxton Hayward, a Scoutmaster Sellers once met. In an interview with Michael Parkinson, Sellers described trying to keep a straight face while talking with a large red-bearded Scout leader who nevertheless spoke in a falsetto voice and had an ingratiating manner. The identity of the individual was later revealed in The Goons, one of several books featuring memoirs and scripts from The Goon Show. (Wikipedia)
Bluebottle was my Dad's favourite character, he had Alzheimer's but he never forgot Bluebottle. He had everyone in stitches at the home he was in when he did his Bluebottle voice, bless you Dad wherever you are 😊xxxx
I've fallen in the water !!
So bluebottle my faithful little Finchley Boy Scout type thing, do you know the time ?
Ah, luckily I met this fella earlier on and he was wearing a watch, so I asked him if he would write the time down for me on a piece of paper just in case I needed to know the time later on, you know, when he wasn't around to tell me.
_"So what is the time ?"_
[Produces a crumpled little piece of paper from his pocket triumphantly, carefully unfolds it, flattens it out, squints at it and then says _'It's ... uh ...half past seven'._
Sighs, _"I wish I was rich enough to have my very own little piece of paper with the time writted on it."_
*_But what do you do if someone asks you the time and it ISN'T half past seven ?_*
*_Well then I don't show them the piece of paper, do I ?!_*
The scout leader in question happened to be watching this particular episode of Parkinson and up to that point had no idea that he had been the inspiration behind Bluebottle. As he was a big fan of the Goons, when he found out, he was absolutely delighted!
Have seen him when they did a documentary of The goon show and he was as Peter said he was
That’s brilliant! Glad he was happy.
Wonderful! Thanks for telling us! 🙂
Yeeeah that's not quite the whole story though is it... for one - Mr Sellers is on record having performed the 'Bluebottle' voice prior to the meeting with Ruxton Hayward. Oh, and to just to further burst the bubble, the dude was a pedo 😂
Still love the Goons and the Goon Show though.
Harry Secombe's laugh is just priceless.
Naturally good-natured bloke. Hopeless at impressions, but good old naïve, perpetually gullible Neddie was the anchor in nearly every episode, around which the rest of the crazy menagerie of Goon characters revolved.
The laugh that makes you laugh!
Some people seem take great pride in pole-axing Sellers for a variety of reasons these days, but none will ever have 1/1000 of his native comedic brilliance. In spite of his failings or troubles as a man, I'd take one Peter Sellers over the top twenty best comedic actors of the most recent decade. There will never be another like him. A mad, inspired genius and the world is much more dull without him.
There are lots of great comedic talents who weren't horrible people.
Not saying Sellers was even that horrible - evidently he had deep personal issues - but just saying it doesn't have to be extreme.
The one person who WAS the genius was Michael Bentine. It is said that the border between genius and insanity is very thin, and Michael proved that - a man who was a world authority on jade on his normal side to the Bumblies who lived on his kitchen ceiling on the other. Incredible comedian!!
Sometimes it’s better to appreciate an artist for their work rather than their private life.Sellers was a great comedic actor.Who seemed to have an unfulfilled personal life
The Bluebottle story still makes me laugh every time
Bluebottle is one of my favourites ever. I am ,JUST, 55 and do Bluebottle as often as I can.... He's fallen in the water...
"He's fallen in the water" was said by Little Jim (voiced by Spike), not Bluebottle.
Hello everybody!
I could listen to Sellers for hours, despite all his faults - a legend
I love how Harry Secombe just creases up laughing every time Peter Sellars talks in character ^_^;
The Goon Show never failed to have me in stitches, being able to make people laugh is a wonderful gift.
It's a shame people might dismiss of it because its from the 1950's, don't get me wrong some of the race related humour might have date but the razor sharp wit hasn't. Python before Python and I love Monty!
God bless them all, I loved it.
The Goons were one of those landmark comedies. Even when I couoldn't understand what was being said the voice characterisations and the intonation had me laughing.
Yes, I know what you mean! I grew up a big Monty Python fan through the influence of my brother, but I stumbled upon the Goons by chance because one of our local public radio stations used to play a couple of episodes every week. I couldn't follow everything, and I didn't get all of the jokes, but the energy was absolutely infectious.
Doesn't matter how many times I watch this, i crease up. Pure gold.
The mutual affection Peter Sellars had with Harry Secombe is obvious here; they were obviously great friends. In spite of the fact that much has been said regarding how Sellars had no real personality of his own, he's a very engaging storyteller! And as a masterful mimic/dialectician, I'm in awe of how effortlessly Sellars could switch voices in mid-sentence.
No personality, yet a brilliant storyteller and master of voice charicatures. Maybe he expended all his energy into his voices and entertaining, and had nothing left for casual conversation.
George Harrison on his pal: “When Peter was up, he was the funniest person you could ever imagine; so many voices and characters. But that was his problem: When he wasn’t up, he didn’t know who he was supposed to be.”
Their relationship began during World War II in Africa and Italy and grew during the privations of post-war Britain. They remained friends during the turbulent 1960s and I think came to rely on each other, especially as Spike Milligan had personal problems that grew during that time.
Harry and Spike spent the war in Europe and North Africa, and met there. Peter was off in Sri Lanka ( _née_ Ceylon) during the war, so I think he was only introduced to the others at Jimmy Grafton’s pub.
@lawrencedoliveiro9104 I read that Harry and Spike's first meeting happened at a foxhole in the desert.
Harry: Have you seen a rifle anywhere?
Spike: What colour is it?
Harry just losing it the whole time lol
Secombes giggles are the best 😁
He was always giggling " corpsing" in the shows you can often hear him losing it and giggling.. The shows are currently being aired on Radio 4 extra on the BBC sounds app. All 11 series or more.
Bentine was right - Peter Sellars was a Genius!
I’m a delivery driver here in Sydney, most days I listen to The Goons on YT in my van. I love Blim Bottle YEH HEEE….”thinks?” 😁
You scrawny little nut! *Hits with hammer* i give you the Nutcracker!
Three great characters! Much missed.
The scout master story is true. "You're a genius" was Bentine's code word for we can use his/her voice.
Harry's laugh.. 😂
Hallo! I'm da famous Eccles!!! Love the Goon Show, it could have only come from Spike's mind and could only have created such genius characters as Bluebottle, The Bannisters, Henry Crun, Eccles, Moriarty etc.........Hysterical. You silly twisted boy...........He's fallen in da water!!!
"This man wearing a red football jersey and one white sock.........."
One time in the mid eighties i went to the beach with my then girlfriend, it was a bit out of season and there was no one around so we got down to it behind some rocks. Halfway through i happened to glance up to see Harry Secombe looking down from the (not particularly high) clifftop with a big grin on his face.
He was due to present an episode of 'songs of praise' in a nearby town that weekend and was out walking the SW coastpath beforehand.
Talk about a surreal experience.😂
Ohhhhhhh! 😮😮😂😂😂
You can follow the originals of comedy though the ages listing to The Goons - Beyond the Fringe - Monty Python’s Flying circus, because without these three we wouldn’t have the comedy we have had for the last 20/30 years
I can't stop watching this. It is amazing 👍🤪
Ruxton Hayward, you are certainly a genius.
“The eccentric ex-comedian who inspired Sir Harry Secombe’s character, Bluebottle, was exposed in court yesterday as a paedophile. Ruxton Hayward cut out photos of infants as young as three months to mount them on to pictures of other children in sex acts. At Horseferry Road magistrates court, London, Hayward, dressed in a green Scoutmaster’s outfit, pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs of children under 16.” 16 September 1999 Herald Scotland
Michael Parkinson, a peerless interviewer and chat show host. The Goons, anarchic comedy far ahead of Monty Python. All sadly missed.
Thanks for posting this sketch, so funny
What a fabulous talent was Peter Sellars ; left us far too early .
Love this to bits. Thanks to my Dad I grew up with a Milligoon sense of humour and love the Goons even now. It was always commented on how Sellers would just drop into character and also seem to change height and stature at the time, so to see him dropping into Willum is very splendid indeed. "Sir, the gentlemen of the Press is here, I tried to stop 'em but they burst through by putting money in me 'ands" (Scarlet Capsule)
All GREATS , gone but treasured still !!!.
Excellent! Thanks for uploading. I’ve been after this for ages.
Rehearsals in Jimmy Grafton's attic were reportedly a hoot.
I can scarcely understand Bluebottle for the most part, but that voice is just hilarious all the same
I am just old enough to remember the goons, iespecially loved eccles.
Ruxton Haywood a legend worthy of blue bootle…….
Are you aware of the court proceedings including on 15 September 1999 when he was revealed to be a paedophile? I posted a link in a comment above.
Three letter words like "cat" and "dog" and "it" :)
Peter Sellars was a genius
Great stuff, thanks for posting...............lol
The scout bloke was called Ruxton Hayward. If you type that into YT you will get to see he is exaclty as Sellers describes him lol
Who would have thought that Bluebottle was based on a real man! 😂😂
Bloody hysterical 😂
The entire interview is on yt.
Brilliant.
How’s the size of the knot in Parkie’s tie!
As painful as it must've been to be Peter Sellers, I bet he amused the hell out of himself a lot of the time.
Damn, he was brilliant.
George Harrison, a friend and a fan, said about him: “When Peter was up, he was the funniest person you could ever imagine; so many voices and characters. But that was his problem: When he wasn’t up, he didn’t know who he was supposed to be.”
Genius.
Soooo funny
❤
Did the scout leader see this show?
I wonder...
Yes he did. He had no idea until that point that he'd been the inspiration for Bluebottle. It made him embark on a rather unsuccessful show business career of his own.
@@RickTransit He gave it a go. Good on him.
Somebody explain to me, the hats under the table?
Peter would try on a couple and improvise something.
@@markschildberg1667
Hats off to Peter comic genius
@@biggusdickkus2956 love the username eheheh
Does anyone else see Jamie Oliver?
Elvis put more weight on than I thought
And when did you both first realise you were fantastically funny gush fawn?
Why does the thumbnail of Harry Secombe look like Jamie Oliver…?
The goons would be cancelled no,glad I have the shows on tape
I doubt The Goons would offend anyone today.
@@TrevorMoses312There's lots of sexism, racism and homophobia.
They're still regularly broadcast on Radio 4 Extra, albeit usually with a comment that they "reflect attitudes and language of the time"
@@jasonchambers4495yeah feel free to point out anything that actually qualifies. You are aware Ray Ellington is black, and Max Geldry is a half Native American Jew. Go looking for actual genuine racism in the Goons, we'll wait while you waste perfectly good comedy trying to be offended by something
@@RJSRdgah yes the BBC being giant douchebags for a quick buck. Hasnt changed since the Goons really