Goodbye Goodbye

[meganiwish]

This will really be for the Brits alone, I suspect.  RIP Gordon Kaye.  Mum's dotage is lightened by 'Allo 'Allo, and for the pleasure he gave her I salute Gordon Kaye.

[Shyheels]

The humour was never my cup of tea, but I recognise the iconic stature of the program and of Gordon Kaye himself.

[nyenor]

We got to see this show 'down under'. Certainly one of the funnier shows of the period.

[Puffer]

6 hours ago, meganiwish said:

This will really be for the Brits alone, I suspect.  RIP Gordon Kaye.  Mum's dotage is lightened by 'Allo 'Allo, and for the pleasure he gave her I salute Gordon Kaye.

Unusually, he spelled it 'Gorden'.   Never come across that variant before ['I'll spell it this way only once'];apparently, it was a typo on the part of Equity (actors' union).   Some years ago, he suffered bad head injuries when hit by debris during a storm; he may well have had some lasting weakness.

[meganiwish]

16 hours ago, Puffer said:

Unusually, he spelled it 'Gorden'.   Never come across that variant before ['I'll spell it this way only once'];apparently, it was a typo on the part of Equity (actors' union).   Some years ago, he suffered bad head injuries when hit by debris during a storm; he may well have had some lasting weakness.

Yes, I know.  My mistake came to me during the day (you stupid woman) and has pursued me since.  Thank you for your bit in italics.  Class.

Did you ever see Secret Army?

[Puffer]

7 hours ago, meganiwish said:

Yes, I know.  My mistake came to me during the day (you stupid woman) and has pursued me since.  Thank you for your bit in italics.  Class.

Did you ever see Secret Army?

I've now read that Gorden's name was also mis-spelled thus early in his career during a hospital visit.   He said that the two mistakes prompted him to stick with the name as it was a good omen - or perhaps 'emon'!

Yes, I watched Secret Army - a good series if perhaps a little strung-out, in the sense that the fundamental concept was beginning to run out of steam before the series ended.

[meganiwish]

16 hours ago, Puffer said:

Yes, I watched Secret Army - a good series if perhaps a little strung-out, in the sense that the fundamental concept was beginning to run out of steam before the series ended.

True, but it tried to be groundbreaking, and that's what made 'Allo 'Allo so funny.  They tried to show what languages were being spoken, so a German speaking to a German would use an English accent to show that they were both speaking German, while a German speaking to a French person would speak in a German accent to show he was speaking French.  Confused?  You will be.  No, that's another programme.  Few things are funnier than the Englishman masquerading as a gendarme saying, 'Good moaning,' and Gorden Kaye looking exasperated.  Few things are funnier than a sane man exasperated that he's powerless against the lunatics around him.

As an aside, 'Allo 'Allo also showed that there's no noun in English that can't be made funny by preceding it with the adjective 'gestapo'.  I shall observe it through my gestapo binoculars.  My favourite piece of dialogue anywhere is Herr Flick's apology for invading a private party.  'Please do not let ze fact that I am a senior officer in ze gestapo who was not invited to your gathering spoil your enjoyment of a jolly evening.'