Fred Karno

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Fred Karno

Frederick John Westcott (March 26, 1866 - September 18, 1941), best known by the stage name Fred Karno, was a theatre

Theatre

Theatre is the branch of the performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one or more actor, isolated in time and/or Theater , present themselves to Audience." By this broad definition, theatre has existed since the dawn of man, as a result of human tendency for story telling....
impresario

Impresario

Impresario, from the Italian language impresa, an enterprise or undertaking, Origin: mid 18th century, from Italian impresa, ?undertaking.? New Oxford American Dictionary. Impresa: enterprise; deed; company....
of the British music hall

Music hall

Music hall is a form of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to# A particular form of variety show entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and #Speciality Acts....
.

Karno was born in Exeter

Exeter

Exeter Exeter was the most south-westerly Roman fortified settlement in Roman Britain and has existed since time immemorial. Exeter Cathedral, founded in 1050 is Anglicanism....
, Devon

Devon

Devon is a large Counties of England in South West England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name, rarely used inside of the county but often indicating a shire....
, England

England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
, in 1866. A slapstick comedy pioneer, Karno is credited with inventing the cream-pie-in-the-face gag. Among the young comedian

Comedian

A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain members of an audience, primarily by making them laughter. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy....
s who worked for him were Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, Jr. Order of the British Empire , better known as Charlie Chaplin, was an Academy Award-winning England comedy film actor and filmmaker....
and Arthur Jefferson

Stan Laurel

Stan Laurel was an English comic actor, writer and director, famous as the first half of the comedy double-act Laurel and Hardy, whose career stretched from the silent films of the early 20th century until post-World War II....
, who would later adopt the name of Stan Laurel
Stan Laurel

Stan Laurel was an English comic actor, writer and director, famous as the first half of the comedy double-act Laurel and Hardy, whose career stretched from the silent films of the early 20th century until post-World War II....
. These were part of what was known as "Fred Karno's Army", a phrase still occasionally used in the UK to refer to a chaotic group or organisation.

With the advent of cinema

Film

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Encyclopedia

Frederick John Westcott (March 26, 1866 - September 18, 1941), best known by the stage name Fred Karno, was a theatre

Theatre

Impresario

Music hall

Exeter

Exeter Exeter was the most south-westerly Roman fortified settlement in Roman Britain and has existed since time immemorial. Exeter Cathedral, founded in 1050 is Anglicanism....
, Devon

Devon

England

Comedian

Charlie Chaplin

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, Jr. Order of the British Empire , better known as Charlie Chaplin, was an Academy Award-winning England comedy film actor and filmmaker....
and Arthur Jefferson

Stan Laurel

Film

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the film industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects....
, the music hall's popularity declined. As a result of this decline, Karno went bankrupt in 1926, and his wife Edith, from whom he had been separated since 1904, died a year later of diabetes - passing away in her sleep on May 24, 1927. Three weeks later, Karno married his longtime mistress, Marie Moore.

He died of diabetes at the age of 75.

His houseboat

Houseboat

A houseboat is a temporary or permanent dwelling, able to float upon water. Generally, houseboats are tethered to land to provide utilities, but are often capable of operation under their own power....
, the Astoria

Astoria (recording studio)

The Astoria is a house boat turned recording studio, which is owned by David Gilmour, guitarist of Pink Floyd. It is moored on the River Thames near Hampton Court....
, on the River Thames

River Thames

The Thames is a major river flowing through southern England. While best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows through several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading, Berkshire and Windsor, Berkshire....
at Hampton

Hampton, London

Hampton is a suburban area, centred on an old village on the north bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in England....
, Middlesex

Middlesex

Middlesex , from the Old English Middelseaxe , is one of the 39 Historic counties of England of England and the List of counties of England by area in 1831....
, is now used as a recording studio

Recording studio

A recording studio is a facility for Sound recording and reproduction. Ideally, the space is specially designed by an acoustics to achieve the desired acoustic properties ....
by Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd are an English Rock music band who initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock and space rock music, and later, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music....
's David Gilmour

David Gilmour

David Jon Gilmour Order of the British Empire , is an England musician, best known as the guitarist, lead singer, and one of the main songwriters in the band Pink Floyd....
.

Fred Karno

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