Four Clowns

I love the Chuckle Brothers. They have that supreme talent; they can make children laugh. And their simple like-ability factor is so high, it is hard not to also enjoy them as an adult.

So how many Chuckle Brothers are there ? Easy. Two. But, looking at it a slightly different way, it could be argued there are four. As a stage act, the Chuckle Brothers consists of two real life brothers, Barry and Paul (real surname Elliott). However, there is another act called The Patton Brothers which is made up of two entertainers called Jimmy and Brian ( real surname Elliott). Yes, they are in fact the older brothers (in real life) of The Chuckle Brothers. And although the two acts are without doubt separate, they have worked together as a foursome in pantomimes, and on television where both Jimmy and Brian have appeared on Barry and Paul's very popular ChuckleVision. The Patton Brothers have been working the pantomime circuit for the last 48 years in fact and during that time also had spots on shows like Sunday Night At The London Palladium and 3-2-1.

This clip shows all four brothers together on the stage of Leeds City Varieties, home of the BBC TV production The Good Old Days between 1953 and 1983. The host was Leonard Sachs, and both he and the live shows achieved great acclaim. It showcased variety acts in a Victorian/Edwardian music hall style. The audience played their part, both dressing in appropriate costume and singing along. It is said that tickets for the dressed section were virtually impossible to purchase without joining a waiting list of fifteen years. The players included the very best entertainers who all, I am sure, relished a return to the stage; Ken Dodd, Roy Hudd, Les Dawson and Arthur Askey were all regulars. Over 2000 acts are said to have appeared over the 30 years including many who were household names.

Here we see Barry, Paul, Jimmy and Brian in a Wilson, Keppel and Betty style piece. It is simple clowning. Very old fashioned, but classically funny.