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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 Lancastrians George Formby and Gracie Fields, he was regarded as more subversive, perhaps the reason that the immense popularity he enjoyed during his lifetime has not survived him.

Born in Aspull, near Wigan, Lancashire, to an unmarried Rhoda Hughes, he left school aged 13 and worked in a variety of menial jobs until two years later he joined an acrobatic troupe. He took the name Arthur McEvoy after his mother married Richard McEvoy. In 1928, he began to tour as a comedian, principally in Lancashire and the North, developing his own show, Randle's Scandals, which in the 1950s featured Roy Castle. He took equity in John E. Blakeley's Manchester-based Mancunian Film Studios and appeared in eight of its productions. In his last film It's a Grand Life, made in 1953, his co-star was Diana Dors.

Randle's mischievous wit led to a running conflict with Harry Barnes, police chief of Lancashire seaside resort Blackpool, who frequently banned and censored his material. 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 the Lancashire Constabulary collection, cared for by Lancashire County Museums.

On the outbreak of World War II, having failed his medical to join the RAF, Randle joined the Home Guard and started to establish a career in films that even overtook that of Formby. His iconoclastic portrayal of the underdog, flouting authority and disrupting the establishment found a ready audience in a population suffering the privations of war.

With the decline of the music halls in the 1950s, Randle's popularity faded. Pressed by debts and tax arrears and suffering from the consequences of a life of alcohol abuse, he was made bankrupt by the tax authorities in 1955. He died in Blackpool of gastroenteritis in 1957 and is buried in Carleton Cemetery, Blackpool.

He had married May Annie Victoria, known as Queenie, in 1924. There were no children but Manchester artist Arthur Delaney was alleged to be Randle's illegitimate son by fellow performer Genevieve Willis (also known as Eve Delaney).

A detailed biography of Frank Randle and his career can be found at CP Lee essay on Frank Randle and also see Photographs, memorabilia and more information on Frank Randle

A new 232 page biography, Wired to the Moon: Frank Randle - A Life, was published in November 2006.

Randle's comedy achievement was celebrated in Grin up North, a major touring exhibition which looked at the unique Northern sense of humour.

Randle 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

References

Birth GRO: Volume 8c page 17, March 1901, Wigan.

Marriage of mother GRO: Volume 8c Page 1897, June 1913 Fylde.

Bibliography

Nuttall, J. (1978) King Twist
Fisher, J. (1973) Funny Way to be a Hero
Band, B. (1995) Blackpool's Comedy Greats
Richards, J. (1994) Stars in our Eyes
Montgomery, J. (1954) Comedy Films
Mellor, J.G. (1982) They Made us Laugh
Williams, Philip Martin & David L. (2006) Wired to the Moon: Frank Randle - A Life

External links

Template:Persondata

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 '''Frank Randle''' (born Arthur Hughes, also known as '''Arthur McEvoy''' or '''Arthur Twist'''; 30 January 1901 – 7 July 1957) was an [[United Kingdom|English]] [[comedian]]. A contemporary of fellow [[Lancashire|Lancastrians]] [[George Formby, Jr.|George Formby]] and [[Gracie Fields]], he was regarded as more subversive, perhaps the reason that the immense popularity he enjoyed during his lifetime has not survived him.
-Born in [[Aspull]], [[Lancashire]], to an unmarried Rhoda Hughes, he left school aged 13 and worked in a variety of menial jobs until two years later he joined an [[acrobatics|acrobat]]ic troupe. He took the name Arthur McEvoy after his mother married Richard McEvoy. In 1928, he began to tour as a comedian, principally in Lancashire and the [[Northern England|North]], developing his own show, ''Randle's Scandals'', which in the 1950s featured [[Roy Castle]]. He took equity in [[John E. Blakeley]]'s [[Manchester]]-based [[Mancunian Film Studios]] and appeared in eight of its productions. In his last film ''It's a Grand Life'', made in 1953, his co-star was [[Diana Dors]].
+Born in [[Aspull]], near [[Wigan]], [[Lancashire]], to an unmarried Rhoda Hughes, he left school aged 13 and worked in a variety of menial jobs until two years later he joined an [[acrobatics|acrobat]]ic troupe. He took the name Arthur McEvoy after his mother married Richard McEvoy. In 1928, he began to tour as a comedian, principally in [[Lancashire]] and the [[Northern England|North]], developing his own show, ''Randle's Scandals'', which in the 1950s featured [[Roy Castle]]. He took equity in [[John E. Blakeley]]'s [[Manchester]]-based [[Mancunian Film Studios]] and appeared in eight of its productions. In his last film ''It's a Grand Life'', made in 1953, his co-star was [[Diana Dors]].
-Randle's mischievous wit led to a running conflict with Harry Barnes, police chief of Lancashire [[seaside resort]] [[Blackpool]], who frequently banned and censored his material. 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 the [[Lancashire Constabulary]] collection, cared for by Lancashire County Museums.
+Randle's mischievous wit led to a running conflict with Harry Barnes, police chief of Lancashire [[seaside resort]] [[Blackpool]], who frequently banned and censored his material. 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 the [[Lancashire Constabulary]] collection, cared for by Lancashire County Museums.
 On the outbreak of [[World War II]], having failed his medical to join the [[Royal Air Force|RAF]], Randle joined the [[British Home Guard|Home Guard]] and started to establish a career in [[film]]s that even overtook that of Formby. His iconoclastic portrayal of the underdog, flouting authority and disrupting the establishment found a ready audience in a population suffering the privations of war.
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 [[Image:frankrandle'sgrave.jpg|thumb|right|Frank Randle's grave]]
-With the decline of the music halls in the 1950s, Randle's popularity faded. Pressed by [[debt]]s and [[tax]] arrears and suffering from the consequences of a life of [[alcohol abuse]], he was made [[bankrupt]] by the tax authorities in 1955. He died in Blackpool of [[gastroenteritis]] in 1957 and is buried in [[Carleton Crematorium, Blackpool|Carleton Cemetery, Blackpool]].
+With the decline of the [[music hall]]s in the 1950s, Randle's popularity faded. Pressed by [[debt]]s and [[tax]] arrears and suffering from the consequences of a life of [[alcohol abuse]], he was made [[bankrupt]] by the tax authorities in 1955. He died in Blackpool of [[gastroenteritis]] in 1957 and is buried in [[Carleton Crematorium, Blackpool|Carleton Cemetery, Blackpool]].
 He had married May Annie Victoria, known as ''Queenie'', in 1924. There were no children but [[Manchester]] [[artist]] [[Arthur Delaney]] was alleged to be Randle's illegitimate son by fellow performer Genevieve Willis (also known as Eve Delaney).
@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 A new 232 page biography, '''Wired to the Moon: ''Frank Randle - A Life''''', was published in November 2006.
-Randle's comedy achievement was celebrated in Grin up North, a major touring exhibition which looked at the unique Northern sense of humour.
+Randle's comedy achievement was celebrated in Grin up North, a major touring exhibition which looked at the unique [[Northern England|Northern]] sense of humour.
 Randle 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, Blackpool|North Pier]]. In 2010, the same organisation paid for the refurbishment of Randle's gravestone which was unveiled in July 2010.
+In 2007 a celebratory plaque paid for by members of the Cuthbert Club was unveiled to Randle on Blackpool's [[North Pier, Blackpool|North Pier]]. In 2010, the same organisation paid for the refurbishment of Randle's gravestone which was unveiled in July 2010.
 ==Filmography==