James Casey (variety artist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Casey
Born	James Casey (1922-08-16)16 August 1922 Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England
Died	23 April 2011(2011-04-23) (aged 88) Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England
Occupation	Stage comedian, BBC Radio scriptwriter and producer
Spouse(s)	Joan, son David Casey, daughter Sue Casey

James Casey (born August 16, 1922 – died April 23, 2011) was a very talented person. He was known as Jim Casey. During his long career, he worked as a comedian on stage. He also wrote scripts for BBC Radio shows. Later, he became a top producer for BBC Radio.

James was the son of a famous comedian, Jimmy James. His cousin, Eli Woods, was also a comedian. In the 1940s, James and Eli performed in their father's act, called Jimmy James and Co. After James retired from the BBC in the 1980s, he brought the act back. He toured with Eli Woods for 25 years.

While working at BBC Radio in Manchester (1954-1982), James discovered many stars. These included comedians Jimmy Clitheroe, Les Dawson, and Ken Dodd. He also found the comedy duo Hinge and Bracket. James helped all of them start their own BBC radio series.

His most successful radio show was The Clitheroe Kid. James created, produced, and helped write it. The show starred the small comedian Jimmy Clitheroe. It ran for 16 years (1957-1972) on the BBC Light Programme and BBC Radio 2. James met Jimmy Clitheroe by chance in 1952.

During World War II, James served in the army. He was in the Royal Armoured Corps from 1941. From 1944, he was an officer in the Durham Light Infantry. He landed on the Normandy beaches on D-Day in 1944. This was with the 9th Battalion DLI. He shared his war stories with the Imperial War Museum.

James Casey's Early Life and Career

James Casey was born in 1922 in Stockton-on-Tees, England. His father was the comedian Jimmy James. When James's children were young, he moved to London. A few years later, his wife's aunt became very ill. So, the family moved to Liverpool to care for her.

It was in Liverpool that James started writing comedy. He sent scripts to BBC Radio's North Region. He used the pen name Cass James, which was his stage name then. His scripts were very popular. For the next 26 years, he traveled between Crosby and BBC Broadcasting House in Manchester.

Growing Up in Show Business

James Casey grew up surrounded by theater. He often stayed in a wicker basket backstage. His parents would take turns watching him while the other performed. If both were on stage, he stayed in his basket in the wings.

As he got older, his father did not want him to act. His father hoped James would become a lawyer. This was because a stage career could be uncertain.

However, James did not become a lawyer. After the war, he left the Army. He tried to help his father with money problems. His father, Jimmy James, had faced financial difficulties several times. Before his father died in 1965, he was earning a lot of money.

Starting His Own Comedy Path

In the late 1940s, James Casey joined his father's act. They performed sketches with three people. His father was in the middle, with James and his cousin, Jack Casey (later known as Eli Woods), on either side. James soon found he was better at writing the sketches.

When his father started working in radio, James Casey wrote everything. He wrote for his father and other comedians. For the radio show Northern Variety Parade, he wrote for stars like Norman Evans. He also wrote for his father's radio shows, The Mayor's Parlour and Home James. These shows were very popular. Because of this, James was offered a job as a BBC producer.

Discovering and Producing Stars

James Casey worked closely with Jimmy Clitheroe. Jimmy was only 4 feet 3 inches tall. Before he became famous, Jimmy pretended to be a dummy for a ventriloquist. In 1955, James encouraged Jimmy Clitheroe to appear in Call Boy. This was a radio variety show.

James mainly wrote the first sketches for Jimmy Clitheroe. These were short, about 8 minutes long. Within three years, they became the full-length comedy show The Clitheroe Kid. James Casey wrote and produced this show under his real name.

The Success of The Clitheroe Kid

James's clever scripts and Jimmy Clitheroe's cheeky character were a perfect match. The show had a great cast. Patricia Burke played the mother, and Peter Sinclair was the grandad. Diana Day played Jimmy's older sister, Susan. Her clumsy boyfriend, "Daft Alfie," was played by Danny Ross. Tony Melody played their neighbor, Mr. Higginbottom.

Sometimes, the scripts arrived very late. This meant there was not much time for practice. But the actors were very professional. They rarely missed a line or came in too early. Sometimes, they would try to hide their laughter. This happened when Jimmy made funny comments or Danny Ross got tongue-tied.

Launching Les Dawson and Ken Dodd

Two very famous comedians owe their careers to James Casey. He discovered, helped, and promoted them. When he saw Les Dawson perform in Manchester, he knew Les was very talented. It took five years to convince the BBC to let Les try radio. When they did, James wrote jokes for Listen with Les for 12 years. Les Dawson said the jokes were "more like him than he was himself."

James also spotted Ken Dodd at the Sunderland Empire. The BBC first thought Ken was only good for television. Much later, David Hatch asked James to produce Ken Dodd on radio again. Ken Dodd trusted James the most. James recorded several long live shows with Ken. He then edited them over 24 days to create a successful series.

Ken Dodd was often late for rehearsals. To fix this, James made everyone else arrive at noon. Ken was asked to come at 10 AM. Ken still thought he was two hours late, but it no longer stopped the production. However, once Ken found out, James had to stop this trick.

Other Comedy Stars

Another successful comedy show James produced was Hinge and Bracket. At first, he thought they were two real old ladies. Another BBC producer, Mike Craig, told him they were actually two young men in drag. The show's credits called James Gentleman James Casey. This was a special compliment in the North of England.

James also worked with Mike Yarwood and the young Morecambe and Wise. They benefited from his clever scripts. He also worked with Eddie Braben, who later wrote for Morecambe and Wise on TV. This was for the comedy show The Worst Show on the Wireless. James's son, David Casey, and his cousin, Eli Woods, were also in this show.

James produced Roy Castle on radio in Castle's on the Air. Roy Castle had started his career with Jimmy James and Co. James also discovered and promoted a young actress named Alison Steadman. She was also in The Worst Show on the Wireless.

Retirement and Return to the Stage

In 1982, James Casey retired from the BBC. Just before he left, Ken Dodd wanted him to produce more radio shows. After retiring from radio, James brought back his father's old stage act. He performed it with Roy Castle and Eli Woods on The Michael Parkinson Show in 1982.

Because of that TV appearance, they were asked to perform in the Royal Variety Performance that year. After this, James and Eli Woods performed the act in theaters for the next 25 years. Many famous stars joined them as the "second stooge" in the act. These included Roy Castle, Les Dawson, and Roy Hudd.

You can still listen to The Clitheroe Kid, Listen to Les, and Hinge and Bracket on BBC Radio 4 Extra.