Michael Flanders

Variety performer, born in London, UK. He contributed lyrics for such London revues as Air on a Shoestring (1953), and translated Stravinsky's A Soldier's Tale for the Edinburgh Festival (1954). He is best rembered for At The Drop of a Hat (1956) and songs, such as the ‘Hippopotamus Song’, created and performed with Donald Swann.

Michael Henry Flanders (March 1, 1922 – April 14, 1975) was a British actor, broadcaster, and writer and performer of comic songs.

Michael Flanders was born in London on March 1, 1922.

While at Oxford, Flanders started work as a professional actor, but then left Oxford to join the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. Flanders survived the attack.

Unable to return to Christ Church to continue his studies, he found work as a radio broadcaster. A chance meeting with Swann in 1948 led to the start of their professional partnership. They began writing songs for West-End producer Laurier Lister, Swann writing the music and Flanders writing the words. They subsequently wrote two two-man revues, At The Drop Of A Hat and At The Drop Of Another Hat, which they performed all over the world until their partnership ended in 1967.

Outside of his partnership with Swann, Flanders was a versatile librettist, actor and broadcaster. He wrote the words for comic operas such as Three's Company and Christmas Story, and a children's cantata Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo. He appeared on stage in The Soldier's Tale and Ten Years Hard, and in two films, Doctor in Distress (1963) and The Raging Moon (1971).

Michael Flanders died suddenly of an aneurysm on April 14, 1975 while on holiday at Betws-y-Coed, Wales.