Peter Brough
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Peter Brough (February 26, 1916 - June 3, 1999) was an English radio ventriloquist who became a well-known name to audiences in the 1950s. He is associated with the puppet Archie Andrews.
Radio days
Born in Shepherd's Bush, London, Peter began his radio career in 1944 in ventriloquism (audiences didn't mind the fact that you couldn't see him) but he debuted Archie, a mischievous child who domineered his mentor in 1950. Archie's chief characteristics were his Savile Row tailored blazers and manic eyes.
Archie followed in the tradition of the American ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his dummy Charlie McCarthy.
His radio series based around the character - Educating Archie - featured the likes of Dick Emery, Freddie Sales, Benny Hill, Tony Hancock, Hattie Jacques, Bruce Forsyth, Harry Secombe, Bruce Forsyth, Beryl Reid and even a young Julie Andrews as the girlfriend of Archie. The show often averaged 15 million listeners.
TV work
Due to the success of his radio show, he debuted on television in 1956 in the BBC sitcom Here's Archie which co-starred Irene Handl and Ronald Chesney. The show was written by the latter and Ronald Wolfe, who would later team up on classic British sitcoms The Rag Trade and On the Buses.
Two years later, Peter was on ITV in Educating Archie, utilising the same team as before, although Marty Feldman took some of the writing credit as well.
By 1961 Peter decided to retire Archie following the death of his father, also a ventriloquist, and proceeded to take over the family's textile and menswear business. His TV appearances from then on were sporadic.
External links
- IMBD (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0112655/) - filmography.
- Television heaven (http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/archie.htm) - some information on Educating Archie.
- BBCi Guide to Comedy (http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/talent/b/brough_peter.shtml) - list of Peter Brough shows.