Humphrey Lestocq

Category: Comedy
Status: Available
Ref: 6208
Price: £15.00
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Humphrey Lestocq
Humphrey Lestocq

Legendary British comedy actor and World war II fighter pilot.

Lestocq shot to fame playing Flying Officer Kyte in the wartime BBC sitcom Merry-Go-Round (1944-1948), which later evolved into Much-Binding-in-the-March.

He later became a huge children’s television star presenting the BBC’s fortnightly Saturday afternoon programme Whirligig (1950-1956) with a puppet called Mr Turnip.

Lestocq’s many films include Angels One Five (1953), Meet Mr Lucifer (1953), Conflict of Wings (1954), Son of Robin Hood (1959), Not A Hope In Hell (1960), Pit of Darkness (1961) and Waltz of the Toreadors (1962).

Lestocq created and popularised the phrase “Goody goody gumdrops

This is a very fine signature in blue ink from his Whirligig days. It is on the reverse of an advertising card (4.25" x 3") promoting the British Televiewers' Rally at Exhibition Hall in London (no date, but certainly the early 1950s).This must have been a "meet the stars" event because also on the card is a "Hank" signature in blue ink.
Hank was "Hank the Cowboy", another star of Whirligig, played by  Francis Coudrill (1914-1989). This programme featured Coudrill in costume, with puppets Silver King (a goofy horse), Mexican Pete the Bandit and  Big Chief Dirty Face. There were simple animated cartoons against a static background and live appearances with comedy, music and songs.
In very good condition (some light album removal scuffing to the  printed side of the card.)