Jim Dale webchat

jinglbellsfrocks

Oh yes. I used to be a big fan of Jim Dale in the time of this. I had no idea he had done so much after being a pop singer. In fact, I didn't realise he was still alive still active in show biz.

I wonder how he came to meet Laurence Olivier.

Sir Laurence Olivier came to see me in Scapino and Midsummer’s Night Dream in London and he needed someone who had stand up and comedy experience to play one of the lead roles in his play The National Health. He asked me and I simply couldn’t refuse such a gracious offer.

phoenix

My mother maintains that she went out with you in her youth!

Your mother does sound delightful, but I’m afraid I can’t remember. There was another comic called Jim Smith knocking around at the time, so maybe he was the lucky fellow.

Teaandcake

Hi Jim

Congratulations on the show! How do you find living in New York compared to the UK? I've always been tempted by it...

The joy of Manhattan is that you can get everywhere in a 20 minute walk, as the island is so tiny. The great thing is, because it’s an island, it can never get any bigger as there’s no space left. From our lovely balcony you can see The Hudson River from one side and the East River from the other side. Everything you could ever need is between those two rivers – restaurants, shops, theatres and more.

cortina

Hello Jim. You may not remember me but I was in the same form as you at Kettering Grammar School. My name is Syd and I have the same surname as you. Another name from the same class was Henry Bone and he played the trombone. We had a French teacher nick-named Beppo.
Congratulations on your wonderful career, well done and best regards.

That’s lovely of you to get in touch and for bringing back such wonderful memories of childhood. Interestingly, Kettering Grammar School’s astronomy department discovered the SPUTNIK when the Russians put it in the sky. They saw it through their telescope and notified the Government, who realised that there was something up there.

Queenie123

Hi Jim

I would love to know what it was like on set filming Carry On? Was it as hilarious as the films themselves or quite different?

When you have so many talented comic actors in the one place then you get so many more laughs than you would with any other group of people. There were days when something would happen during filming that would have tears rolling down our faces as we laughed and laughed.

Valbeasixties

Hi Jim,

I cannot believe that I may have the opportunity to ask a question of someone whose career I have admired and ... who I have always thought is drop dead gorgeous!

Having enjoyed the 'Carry On....' series immensely, I watch them now with some amazement at the fact that they had a cast of such well known and eclectic actors. I am sure that you must have many memories of your time working on the films but were they as fun to make, as they are to watch.

Good luck with your tour!

Val

Hi Val. Yes, they really were wonderful. There was very little rehearsal and that’s where the true professionalism of all the actors came into play. The Carry On films really were as much fun to make as they still are to watch. The best times we had were the days when we just couldn’t stop laughing. I won’t name names, but there was one time that one of our team had to be carried off set because she was laughing so much at something that happened… it was the most wonderful of places to be.

Newyorker6

Hi Jim,
As a teenager, I went to the Royal Albert Hall to hear one of your gigs, remember Be My Girl?!
Then, more recently in New York, I spotted you at an opening of a Gore Vidal play, but was too shy to go and say hello and mention the Royal Albert Hall! Wish I had not been so shy.
Anne Miner

I did do a charity gala at The Royal Albert Hall a long time ago and I performed the song Trouble from the wonderful musical, The Music Man. I am very pleased to hear that you enjoyed it.

loubell

When did you first realize you could do stand up comedy? And what made you pursue showbiz as a career (being such a fickle industry and all)...

Thank you for the question Loubell. I suppose I first realised that I could do stand up when I was at school. I discovered that I could make the kids laugh and that I enjoyed doing that. Then at the age of 17 I turned that experience into a career as a professional comedian in the old music halls and it quickly became my passion.