HAL ROACH:THE COMEDIAN Hal Roach, who has died aged 84, was a showman of the old school whose career spanned six decades. He starred for 26 consecutive seasons in Jury's Cabaret in Dublin, where he was particularly popular with American tourists.
Fellow comedian Brendan O’Carroll, who first saw Roach perform when he was a 17-year-old waiter at the Green Isle Hotel, this week described him as “the Arthur Askey, the Les Dawson, the Eric Morecambe of Irish comedy, all rolled into one”.
Brendan Grace praised his “impeccable” timing, and said he had been an inspiration to himself and many others.
Born in Waterford in 1927, he was christened John and later nicknamed "Hal" after the Hollywood producer of the Our Gang/Little Rascalscomedies.
One of five children, he was the son of a labourer. Times were tough, “not just for me, for everyone”. His schooling ended early. He entered a talent competition, and although he had entered as a boy soprano, he told a joke and was on his way. He went on tour with the Great Bamboozalem, a magician. His parents were not upset at their 12-year-old son leaving home. “It was one less mouth to feed.”
Touring with the "fit-ups" – travelling shows which performed in parish halls and tents – he made himself useful as a magician's assistant, comedian and drummer and also put up the posters to advertise shows. Eventually, in Dublin, he joined the variety circuit. From there he graduated to radio quiz shows. He took part in the Raidío Éireann series Ranch House Revels,and took centre stage in Hal's a Poppin'.
In 1951 he married Mary, daughter of May Burdock of the Dublin fish and chip family; the couple had three daughters and two sons.
With the advent of Telefís Éireann he acted in some early drama productions, and starred in his own variety show in 1966.
In the meantime, he supported the chart-topping Dublin group the Bachelors at the Adelphi in 1965. Also that year he was invited to join the cabaret at Jury's. Gaels of Laughterat the Gaiety became another annual gig.
He first performed in the US in 1970. American audiences were comfortable with his gags, which were clean as a whistle. The Ireland he depicted was a nice place populated by amusing people willing to laugh at themselves.
His jokes were well travelled, but well delivered and repeatedly followed by his catchphrase: “That’s a good one – write it down.” And he regularly paused to say: “I’d love to be down there with you listening to this.”
He enjoyed considerable success abroad. He was popular in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK and US and performed on cruise ships.
He performed for five American presidents and shared the bill with some of the country’s top entertainers, including Frank Sinatra. A performance at Carnegie Hall in 1976 prompted a New York critic to write that he “told jokes the likes of which have not been heard hereabouts for 30 years or so . . . the audience roared”.
However, a review in this newspaper of his Olympia show in Dublin in 1984 noted that while Roach's timing was "immaculate" his manner and material could be "blood-curdling", as in his "moral recitation" Meaning of A Smile.
He thought that many of the new breed of comics relied too much on smut, and found a “coldness” about the performances of what he called the “leaning on the mike-stand school”.
Like many comics, he claimed not to be happy. He described himself as a shy, private person, asking: “What am I – an introverted extrovert or an extroverted introvert?”
He lived for God, family and humour. One of his sons has Down syndrome, and he said: “John has taught all of us a lot. He’s the best person I have ever met.”
He was the subject of a Late, Late Showtribute in 1983, won a National Entertainment Award in 1988 and 10 years later was grand marshal of the St Patrick's Day parade in Washington.
Roach will also be remembered for the immense amount of work he did for charity.
He is survived by his wife Mary, daughters Sandra, Terry and Gráinne and sons John and Shane.
Hal Roach: born November 4th, 1927; died February 28th, 2012