George Formby - Career, Trivia, Selected Songs, Filmography, In the Thursday Next series

Entertainer, born in Wigan, Greater Manchester, NW England, UK. He developed an act in music halls throughout England that was subsequently transferred to film. In a series of low-budget, slapstick comedies he portrayed a shy young man with an irrepressible grin and ever-ready ukelele to accompany his risqué songs. From Boots Boots (1934) to George in Civvy Street (1946) he was one of Britain's most popular film stars.

George Formby (May 26, 1904 – March 6, 1961) was an English singer and comedian who became a major star of both cinema and music hall.

Career

George was born in Wigan, Lancashire, as George Hoy Booth, the eldest of seven surviving children (four girls and three boys). His father (born James Booth) was George Formby (Senior) (1876-1921) one of the great music hall comedians of his day, fully the equal of his son's later success.

On the death of his father in 1921, George abandoned his career as a jockey and started his own music hall career using his father's material. He originally called himself George Hoy (George Hoy was also his father in-laws name).

George Formby endeared himself to his audiences with his cheeky Lancashire humour and folksy Northern England persona.

What made George stand out, however, was his unique and often mimicked musical style.

He made his first successful record (he had been making records as early as 1926) in 1932 with the Jack Hylton Band, and his first sound film Boots!

Between 1934 and 1945 George was the top box-office attraction in British cinema. His most popular film, and still regarded as probably his best, is the espionage comedy Let George Do It, in which he is a member of a concert party, takes the wrong ship by mistake during a blackout, and finds himself in Norway as a secret agent.

George suffered his first heart attack in 1951.

Trivia

One of his most popular films is No Limit and is shown every year in the Isle of Man TT week. George rides a 'Shuttleworth Snap' (disguised Ariel) in the film and it is said to be most amusing. Before his father George Formby (Senior) died, he had intended to retire from music-hall and buy some horses, employing George to train them.

Selected Songs

"Auntie Maggie's Remedy" "Chinese Laundry Blues" "The Isle of Man" "The Window Cleaner"/"When I'm Cleaning Windows "Leaning on a Lamppost" "With my Little Ukulele in my Hand" "With my Little Stick of Blackpool Rock" "Mother What'll I do Now" "Mr Wu's A Window Cleaner Now" "Mr Wu's An Air Raid Warden Now" "Our Sergeant Major" "My Grandad's Flanalette Night Shirt"

Filmography

By the Shortest of Heads Boots! Boots! Off The Dole The Song That Made A Star No Limit Keep Your Seats Please Feather Your Nest Keep Fit I See Ice It's In The Air Trouble Brewing Come On George Let George Do It Spare A Copper Turned Out Nice Again South American George Much Too Shy Get Cracking He Snoops To Conquer Bell Bottom George I Didn't Do It George in Civvy Street

In the Thursday Next series

A fictional George Formby appears in the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. In the "Nextiverse", Formby was part of the resistance during the Nazi occupation of England, broadcasting inspirational songs and jokes to the occupied English on "Wireless Saint George" (essentially the opposite of Lord Haw-Haw).

Following the collapse of the occupation, Formby was appointed President-for-Life, to replace the (presumed defunct) Royal Family as an inspirational figurehead for the country (and unlike the Royal Family, was genuinely beloved by the vast majority of his subjects).