Jimmy Edwards / Eric Sykes

Jimmy Edwards and Eric Sykes in Melbourne, Australia, 1974

Jimmy Edwards and Eric Sykes were in Melbourne during 1974, performing their popular stage production ‘Big Bad Mouse’ at the Comedy Theatre. My client, John Gill Advertising, handled the account of leading retailer Walsh’s Menswear. They decided to use Jimmy and Eric in a full-page newspaper advertisment, appearing to be in an airliner.

Tullamarine Airport allowed us to use their flight simulator for the picture, which had to be shot at 8:00 a.m., before the simulator was in normal use for the day. For portability, I lit the picture with a single flash-head bounced out of a white umbrella. The art director got to hold that rig wherever I told him to aim it.

Jimmy and Eric arrived, with Jimmy well-primed for the day. He muttered something about having had a few scotches for breakfast, and seemed quite peeved at having to be up so early. Despite his grumbling, when it came time to hit the shutter, both men turned on the charm, and we had our shots within twenty minutes.

Both men had a background in Vaudeville, dating back to the post WW11 years, having each served with the RAF during the war. Jimmy, born in London in 1920, had grown his trademark handlebar moustache to disguise facial injuries sustained during the crash-landing of a Douglas Dakota he was piloting. He was awarded a DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) for his service to England. His stage career started at the Windmill Theatre, in 1946, as well as his early radio comedy appearances. He had great success as ‘Pa Glum’ in ‘Take It From Here’ with Dick Bentley. He went on to appear in a great number of comedy films, such as ‘The Bed Sitting Room’, and radio and stage productions. He died in 1988.

Eric Sykes, the quieter man of the duo, was born in Oldham, England in 1923. He would become a prolific writer of comedy material, collaborating with Spike Milligan on scripts for the Goon Show, as well as serious acting roles and directing. He has 74 acting credits to his name, including a late-life role in ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ (2005). Winner of many awards for his work with luminaries such as Tony Hancock, Sid James, and Hattie Jacques, he was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 1986, which was promoted to CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2005, for his services to drama. He died in 2012.

Jimmy and Eric worked on the classic comedy film ‘The Plank’ (1967), and toured many English theatres together.

N.B. Until such time as I can establish who owns the copyright in this image, no prints will be available.