Stainless Stephen
Encyclopedia
Arthur Clifford Baynes (November 30, 1892–1971) was an English
teacher and comedian
from the steel-making city of Sheffield
, Yorkshire
, who performed under the stage name Stainless Stephen.
Never quite in the front rank of British music hall
comedians, he would appear dressed in a smart tuxedo, a bowler hat with a steel band around it, a rotating bow tie, and a stainless steel vest. Perhaps third on the bill, this may explain why he did not give up his day job at Crookes Endowed School, which he joined in 1922 after his demobilisation. That is until 1935, when he moved to London to be nearer the BBC
. His first stage appearance was at the Palace, Luton
, in 1921.
His speciality was that during his intoned
monologue, he would interrupt the flow by supplying the punctuation, thus:
Closing a broadcast on March 22, 1941, he said:
He is said to have based the idea on a radio course he did while doing military service. Stainless Stephen appeared in Radio Parade (1933), a film of (then) current music hall acts. He supported Will Hay
at the Victoria Palace
in 1944, and appeared on the bill at the London Palladium
's Royal Command Performance
in 1945.
As a postscript to his career Stainless Stephen appeared as a guest on Frost on Saturday
on ITV
on 15th November 1969. This edition was dedicated to the history of British Broadcasting to mark the first evening of colour TV transmissions on ITV. In the show the comedian gave the television audience a sample of his somewhat unusual comedy routine. This programme survives intact in the ITV archives and is available on DVD.
In his younger days, Baynes was a racing cyclist and continued to have an interest in cycling
throughout his life.
His cycle racing medals are on display in the Sheffield United FC museum together with other Sharrow cycling club trophies.
He died in Leeds
, Yorkshire in 1971.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
teacher and comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
from the steel-making city of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, who performed under the stage name Stainless Stephen.
Never quite in the front rank of British music hall
Music 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...
comedians, he would appear dressed in a smart tuxedo, a bowler hat with a steel band around it, a rotating bow tie, and a stainless steel vest. Perhaps third on the bill, this may explain why he did not give up his day job at Crookes Endowed School, which he joined in 1922 after his demobilisation. That is until 1935, when he moved to London to be nearer the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. His first stage appearance was at the Palace, Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
, in 1921.
His speciality was that during his intoned
Intonation (linguistics)
In linguistics, intonation is variation of pitch while speaking which is not used to distinguish words. It contrasts with tone, in which pitch variation does distinguish words. Intonation, rhythm, and stress are the three main elements of linguistic prosody...
monologue, he would interrupt the flow by supplying the punctuation, thus:
This is Stainless aimless brainless Stephen, semi-colon, broadcasting semi-conscious at the microphone semi-frantic.
Closing a broadcast on March 22, 1941, he said:
And so, countrymen, semi-colon, all shoulders to the wheel, semi-quaver, we'll carry on till we get the Axis semi-circle, and Hitler asks us for a full stop!
He is said to have based the idea on a radio course he did while doing military service. Stainless Stephen appeared in Radio Parade (1933), a film of (then) current music hall acts. He supported Will Hay
Will Hay
William Thomson "Will" Hay was an English comedian, actor, film director and amateur astronomer.-Early life:He was born in Stockton-on-Tees, in north east England, to William R...
at the Victoria Palace
Victoria Palace Theatre
Victoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, opposite Victoria Station.-Origins:The theatre began life as a small concert room above the stables of the Royal Standard Hotel, a small hotel and tavern built in 1832 at what was then 522 Stockbridge...
in 1944, and appeared on the bill at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
's Royal Command Performance
Royal Command Performance
For the annual Royal Variety Performance performed in Britain for the benefit of the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund, see Royal Variety Performance...
in 1945.
As a postscript to his career Stainless Stephen appeared as a guest on Frost on Saturday
David Frost
Sir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...
on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
on 15th November 1969. This edition was dedicated to the history of British Broadcasting to mark the first evening of colour TV transmissions on ITV. In the show the comedian gave the television audience a sample of his somewhat unusual comedy routine. This programme survives intact in the ITV archives and is available on DVD.
In his younger days, Baynes was a racing cyclist and continued to have an interest in cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
throughout his life.
His cycle racing medals are on display in the Sheffield United FC museum together with other Sharrow cycling club trophies.
He died in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Yorkshire in 1971.