Weak willed and easily lead, Mrs Shufflewick was a red-nosed, drunken old cockney who liked nothing better than to prop up the bar of her local while sipping large gin and tonics, Guinness, port and lemon or anything else that came to hand. She would tell outrageous stories about her private life to anyone who cared to listen and invariably, at the end of a disastrously alcoholic evening, would end up stark naked - all but her hairnet - on top of a 29 bus.In real life, Mrs Shufflewick was the glorious creation of Rex Jameson, a music hall great and one of radio and TV's most original and brilliant comics. Shy, difficult, bisexual and alcoholic, his private and public life often reached spectacular highs and appalling lows. In this candid and incisive biography, Patrick Newley, who managed Jameson's later career, examines the life of the man who was lionised by comedians such as Bob Monkhouse, Barry Cryer, Danny La Rue and Barry Humphries. 'Rex was a comic genius,' said Roy Hudd. 'Even in his cups he was gloriously funny.' "The Amazing Mrs Shufflewick" pays tribute to Jameson's talent.
Weak willed and easily lead, Mrs Shufflewick was a red-nosed, drunken old cockney who liked nothing better than to prop up the bar of her local while sipping large gin and tonics, Guinness, port and lemon or anything else that came to hand. She would tell outrageous stories about her private life to anyone who cared to listen and invariably, at the end of a disastrously alcoholic evening, would end up stark naked - all but her hairnet - on top of a 29 bus.In real life, Mrs Shufflewick was the glorious creation of Rex Jameson, a music hall great and one of radio and TV's most original and brilliant comics. Shy, difficult, bisexual and alcoholic, his private and public life often reached spectacular highs and appalling lows. In this candid and incisive biography, Patrick Newley, who managed Jameson's later career, examines the life of the man who was lionised by comedians such as Bob Monkhouse, Barry Cryer, Danny La Rue and Barry Humphries. 'Rex was a comic genius,' said Roy Hudd. 'Even in his cups he was gloriously funny.' "The Amazing Mrs Shufflewick" pays tribute to Jameson's talent.
Introduction 9Childhood 15The Gang Show 21Happy Hour 25The Birth of Mrs Shufflewick 27The Windmill 32Television 40The Slippery Slope 46The Waterman's Arms 50On the Move 57Clubs 58Meeting Mrs Shufflewick 61Getting to Know Rex 65Getting 'down and dirty' 69The Comeback 71Mates and Models 77Rex ... the cook 79Pure Corn 80Sunday Lunch at The Black Cap 84Drag Pubs 89The Toupee 90Private Life 92The Icon 96Ups and Downs 98Here's to Rex ... 101Acknowledgements 107Bibliography 108Recordings 109Index 111
PATRICK NEWLEY is a longstanding contributor to both The Times and The Stage newspapers. He has also written for The Daily Express and many other publications. A frequent broadcaster for the BBC he was press agent for the writers Quentin Crisp and Robin Maugham. He managed the later careers of both the legendary revue artiste Douglas Byng and the comedian Rex Jameson (Mrs Shufflewick).
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
