Jimmy Logan
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Logan OBE, FRSAMD (4 April 1928 – 13 April 2001), born as James Allan Short, Dennistoun
, Glasgow
, was a Scottish
performer, producer
, impresario
and director.
act, Short and Dalziel. His aunt, from whom he took his stage surname, was Broadway
performer Ella Logan
. His sister is actress and jazz
singer Annie Ross
, and his brother is vocalist Buddy Logan.
, Logan left school at the age of 14. His family, in the 1930s and 1940s, toured the small music halls of Scotland and Northern Ireland
. By 1944 he was in pantomime
when he played the cat in Dick Whittington and His Cat
. His connection with pantomime would continue throughout his life.
Jimmy Logan was involved with The Five Past Eight Show at the Alhambra Theatre
, Glasgow. Logan purchased the Empress Theatre for £80,000 in 1964. He refurbished it, re-opening it as the 'New Metropole'. One of the first events to be staged there was the first Scottish production of the rock musical Hair
.
His first acting role was in the film Floodtide
(1949), a drama set on Clydeside. He also performed in Carry on Abroad
(1972) and Carry On Girls
(1973). His London
stage debut came in The Mating Game
(1973).
He staged an adaptation of Oor Wullie
, the Sunday Post comic strip character, for the Dundee
stage. His one-man musical based on the life of Scottish entertainer Sir Harry Lauder
, was called Lauder
(1976). Logan collected Lauder memorabilia, which is now housed in the Scottish Theatre Archive at the University of Glasgow
.
Other theatrical events included The Entertainer
(1984), Brighton Beach Memoirs
(1989), Bill Bryden
's The Ship, The Comedians
(1991), On Golden Pond (1996) and Death of a Salesman
at the Pitlochry Festival (1992). In 1991 he had a supporting role in the Swedish
comedy film Den ofrivillige golfaren
, which was partly filmed in Scotland.
Logan was awarded an honorary doctorate by Glasgow Caledonian University
(1994), honoured with an Order of the British Empire
(OBE) for "services to Scottish theatre" in 1996, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
in 1998.
Logan's last two performances were at Pitlochry Festival Theatre and the Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre
respectively.
in Clydebank
, West Dunbartonshire
, Scotland, nine days after his 73rd birthday.
Dennistoun
Dennistoun is a district of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated north of the River Clyde in the east end of the city. It is made up of a number of smaller districts - Milnbank to the north, 'The Drives' in the centre of the area and Bellgrove below Duke Street to the south. In a 2004...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
performer, producer
Theatrical producer
A theatrical producer is the person ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The independent producer will usually be the originator and finder of the script and starts the whole process...
, impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
and director.
Family
Logan was part of a family of entertainers beginning with his parents who were the music hallMusic hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
act, Short and Dalziel. His aunt, from whom he took his stage surname, was Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
performer Ella Logan
Ella Logan
Ella Logan was a Scottish-born actress and singer, who appeared on Broadway, recorded and had a nightclub career in the United States and internationally.-Early years:...
. His sister is actress and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer Annie Ross
Annie Ross
Annie Ross is an English jazz singer, and actress, best known as a member of the trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.-Early years:...
, and his brother is vocalist Buddy Logan.
Career
Educated at Gourock High School, InverclydeInverclyde
Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west...
, Logan left school at the age of 14. His family, in the 1930s and 1940s, toured the small music halls of Scotland and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. By 1944 he was in pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
when he played the cat in Dick Whittington and His Cat
Dick Whittington and His Cat
Dick Whittington and His Cat is an English folk tale that has often been used as the basis for stage pantomimes and other adaptations. It tells of a poor boy in the 14th century who becomes a wealthy merchant and eventually the Lord Mayor of London because of the ratting abilities of his cat...
. His connection with pantomime would continue throughout his life.
Jimmy Logan was involved with The Five Past Eight Show at the Alhambra Theatre
Alhambra Theatre Glasgow
The Alhambra Theatre Glasgow opened on 19 December 1910 at the corner of Waterloo Street and Wellington Street, Glasgow under the direction of Sir Alfred Butt and was acknowledged as one of the best equipped theatres in Britain, planned to accommodate 2,800 people.The Theatre was designed by...
, Glasgow. Logan purchased the Empress Theatre for £80,000 in 1964. He refurbished it, re-opening it as the 'New Metropole'. One of the first events to be staged there was the first Scottish production of the rock musical Hair
Hair
Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class....
.
His first acting role was in the film Floodtide
Floodtide
Floodtide is a 1949 British romantic drama film directed by Frederick Wilson and starring Gordon Jackson, Rona Anderson, John Laurie and Jimmy Logan. A young Scotsman becomes a ship designer instead of following the family tradition and entering farming...
(1949), a drama set on Clydeside. He also performed in Carry on Abroad
Carry On Abroad
Carry On Abroad is the twenty-fourth Carry On film, released in 1972. The film features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw, Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Connor, Peter Butterworth and Hattie Jacques. It was the 23rd and final appearance for Charles Hawtrey. June...
(1972) and Carry On Girls
Carry On Girls
Carry On Girls is the 25th Carry On film, released in Britain in 1973. The film is notable for being the first not to feature either Kenneth Williams or Charles Hawtrey. Williams was appearing in a West End play, My Fat Friend. Hawtrey had been dropped from the series the year before...
(1973). His London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
stage debut came in The Mating Game
The Mating Game
-In Media:The songs "Bittersweet Faith" and "Our Remains" were featured in the film The Devil Wears Prada. The song "Dirty Laundry" has been feautured in commercials for Victoria's Secret and Heineken.-Charts:Album...
(1973).
He staged an adaptation of Oor Wullie
Oor Wullie
Oor Wullie is a Scottish comic strip published in the D.C. Thomson newspaper, The Sunday Post. It features a boy named William, known as Wullie . His trademarks are spiky hair, dungarees and an upturned bucket, which he often uses as a seat...
, the Sunday Post comic strip character, for the Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
stage. His one-man musical based on the life of Scottish entertainer Sir Harry Lauder
Harry Lauder
Sir Henry Lauder , known professionally as Harry Lauder, was an international Scottish entertainer, described by Sir Winston Churchill as "Scotland's greatest ever ambassador!"-Early life:...
, was called Lauder
Lauder
The Royal Burgh of Lauder is a town in the Scottish Borders 27 miles south east of Edinburgh. It is also a royal burgh in the county of Berwickshire. It lies on the edge of the Lammermuir Hills, on the Southern Upland Way.-Medieval history:...
(1976). Logan collected Lauder memorabilia, which is now housed in the Scottish Theatre Archive at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
.
Other theatrical events included The Entertainer
The Entertainer (play)
The Entertainer is a three act play by John Osborne, first produced in 1957. His first play, Look Back in Anger, had attracted mixed notices but a great deal of publicity. Having depicted an "angry young man" in the earlier play, Osborne wrote, at Laurence Olivier's request,about an angry middle...
(1984), Brighton Beach Memoirs
Brighton Beach Memoirs
Brighton Beach Memoirs is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon, the first chapter in what is known as his Eugene trilogy. It precedes Biloxi Blues and Broadway Bound.-Characters:*Eugene Morris Jerome, almost 15...
(1989), Bill Bryden
Bill Bryden
William Campbell Rough Bryden CBE is a British stage- and film director and screenwriter.-Biography:...
's The Ship, The Comedians
The Comedians
The Comedians is a British television show of the 1970s which gave a stage to nightclub and working men's club comedians of the era, including Stan Boardman, George Roper, Paul Melba, Roy Walker, Tom O'Connor, Frank Carson, Jim Bowen, Charlie Williams, Sammy Thomas, Dave Butler, Mike Reid, Duggie...
(1991), On Golden Pond (1996) and Death of a Salesman
Death of a Salesman
Death of a Salesman is a 1949 play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was the recipient of the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. Premiered at the Morosco Theatre in February 1949, the original production ran for a total of 742 performances.-Plot :Willy Loman...
at the Pitlochry Festival (1992). In 1991 he had a supporting role in the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
comedy film Den ofrivillige golfaren
Den ofrivillige golfaren
Den ofrivillige golfaren, also known in English as The Accidental Golfer and The Involuntary Golfer, is a 1991 Swedish comedy film and the fourth installment of the popular Sällskapsresan series directed by Lasse Åberg.-Plot:...
, which was partly filmed in Scotland.
Logan was awarded an honorary doctorate by Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow Caledonian University is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland.The university was constituted by an Act of Parliament on 1 April 1993 as a result of a merger between Glasgow Polytechnic and The Queen's College, Glasgow....
(1994), honoured with an Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(OBE) for "services to Scottish theatre" in 1996, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland...
in 1998.
Logan's last two performances were at Pitlochry Festival Theatre and the Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre
Pavilion Theatre (Glasgow)
-History:One of Glasgow's oldest theatres, the Pavilion Theatre of Varieties opened on 29 February 1904 as a Music hall. The building has remained relatively unchanged in layout, although the sound and lighting systems have been updated over the years...
respectively.
Death
Logan died of cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in Clydebank
Clydebank
Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
, West Dunbartonshire
West Dunbartonshire
West Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. Bordering onto the west of the City of Glasgow, containing many of Glasgow's commuter towns and villages as well as the city's suburbs, West Dunbartonshire also borders onto Argyll and Bute, Stirling, East...
, Scotland, nine days after his 73rd birthday.