A new pantomime and a new song, By Tracey Vale

It was one of those beautiful, clear days that enhance a belief that there is so much promise in the air. A warm, soft breeze played around us and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky as Daphne Korner, Shirley Summers and I made our way down to the beach for a photo shoot.

On the back of record numbers at the Ranelagh Theatre, Will Hammer had made his announcement that all three of us were to be principals in his popular upcoming pantomime season. I was to play one of my favourite roles as Cinderella at the New Royal in Bournemouth. I had always wanted to play the part and was so excited to have been chosen for it, and especially as it was one of Will Hammer’s productions.

Shirley was chosen for Jack and the Beanstalk, to tour at the Hippodrome in Ipswich and Daphne was to perform in Aladdin, at The Grand Theatre in Croydon. Both had other pantomimes booked in to see them to the end of the year while Paul and I had Chesney Allen continuing to work behind the scenes with new bookings. We were also secure in the knowledge that our roles in new performances, pantomimes and summer shows would continue.

“It’s your versatility,” Chesney kept telling us, whether we needed reminding or not. “Your singing and dancing,” he said, looking at me before continuing. “The puppet act and your abilities as comic feeds.” A number of our friends and colleagues were envious of our continuous work on the stage and I could see that the variety we offered was now an essential component for actors to enjoy a steady stream of work.

"Holiday Highlights" moved on to Knightstone Theatre, Weston-super-mare. We performed here for two weeks, the end of which also marked the end of the summer season. We then began rehearsals with the British War Office, known as Combined Services Entertainment Tours, as organised by Chesney Allen.

The C.S.E. tours usually took a group of five or six actors, singers and/or comedians. Their requirements were for a well-known star, which in this case was Arthur English, a soubrette, a pianist, a classical singer, a comic and a feed. In our case we were able to present the puppet act and I would sing as the soubrette. Both Paul and I would also act as feeds to the comics.

Our first War Office tour was known as the '14000 Miles Tour' in the press write-ups but was officially titled "It's English" and featured the top rated comedian, Arthur English. It was to take in Kenya, Aden and Nairobi, East Africa. We were to leave on October 25, 1956, following two weeks of rehearsals.

British War Office, Whitehall, London.
Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia commons

We stayed in London for the rehearsals, to take place in the British War Office in Whitehall, a beautiful old building of grand architecture. Looking up at it, as we crossed the road for our first rehearsal, I thought it looked magnificent. It was an imposing, five-story building complete with huge turrets and statues of horses appearing to leap out from the top floor. Situated on a corner and taking up most of the block, the building was fitted out with everything a performer could need. We were used to pokey church halls as rehearsal spaces, so these facilities were fantastic to us.

We were ushered upstairs to the practice studios, passing many such rooms as well as others filled with costumes. Finally, we reached the big studio, complete with resplendent grand piano. A man stood hunched, studying a spread of papers fanned across the back of the piano. 

Alistair McHarg looked up from the music sheet he’d been studying and smiled. Walking towards us he extended an arm and introduced himself. “Wonderful to meet you both. I’m Alistair McHarg, the pianist, and I’ll be touring with you,” he said warmly and with a strong Scottish accent that seemed to bellow in the airiness around them.

I didn't know it then, but this first meeting with Alistair McHarg was to change my career as a singer. Having cut my teeth on the cheery songs of pantomime and the related dance items, little did I know that I was inexperienced with the type of performance required of the War Office. It was during these rehearsals that I realised again how much Chesney Allen relied upon and trusted in our versatility and had great faith in our ability to adapt.

“Have you got any songs with you?” Alistair asked, once our introductions were over. Paul had stepped aside, finding a window sill to perch on while we discussed what I could sing.

Spreading my arms and hands out slightly, I said “No,” and explained the types of songs I’d been singing and the performances. He looked a little doubtful and, walking back to his sheet music on the piano, rifled through it before slapping a page back down decisively.

Turning back to me, he said, "Alright. I'll need to hear ya so choose a song ya know well and sing it." He sat down on the piano stool to listen.

Without hesitation, I chose one I considered suitable for entertaining the troops. I sang Irving Berlin's  'Top Hat, White Tie and Tails', made famous by Fred Astaire in the 1935 comedy, 'Top Hat'.

"I just got an invitation through the mails:

"Your presence requested this evening, it's formal
A top hat, a white tie and tails"
Nothing now could take the wind out of my sails
Because I'm invited to step out this evening
With top hat, white tie and tails

"I'm puttin' on my top hat
Tyin' up my white tie
Brushin' off my tails...."

At the end of the chorus, Alistair waved a hand in the air and stood up. Walking closer, he said “You’re going to be performing for the troops overseas. They’re not going to want that. Stand there. Listen,” he sat down at the piano and, playing along, sang the soulful, 'I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)', a song written by Roy Turk and made famous by Harry James in 1944, followed by re-releases by Bing Crosby and, later, Shirley Bassey, among others.

"I’ll get by as long as I have you
Though there’ll be rain and darkness too
I’ll not complain, I’ll see it through
Though you may be far away, it’s true
Say, what care I dear, I'll get by as long as I have you..."

“I've never sung anything like that,” I said. It was a new venture for me to not be the ‘song and dance girl’ and was to feel quite different to stand on stage in a ball gown to sing.

“You will be in the next hour!” He said and, with that, we set to work. He chose a number of songs to suit my voice and, from thereon, we became firm friends. He was to teach me so much.

Years later, after my move to Australia, we met again in the Channel 9 Studios.

"Stars on Strings" in Summer Shows By Tracey Vale

Married life was a happy and busy time. We were fortunate to have Chesney Allen as our agent and equally fortunate to have been introduced to Will Hammer. Work was booked in and our way ahead looked rosy and stable, unlike that of many actors struggling against the popularity of the small screen.

I adored Paul and believed that he adored me. We were a team, having made our way back from Number 3 theatres, also known as ‘the dumps’, and continued to work together in a combined goal of stage success. We stayed in cheap theatrical ‘digs’ or caravans in those early years and travelled by train as we didn’t own a car. Many theatricals travelled by train, so it wasn’t unusual to bump into fellow actors while switching trains at Crewe, or similar. We’d wave greetings on passing and continue to haul our basket, loaded to the brim with puppets, costumes and sound equipment, from train to train.

We were not well paid but it didn’t bother us. “We’re very happy poor,” I would say to Paul as I thrust my arms into a bucket of clothes in warm, soapy water in an effort to do our washing. We were doing what we loved and knew that we would eventually ‘make it’.

The first of Will Hammer’s Summer Season, billed as “Holiday Highlights” was held at the Winter Garden Theatre in Eastbourne and was produced by Mildred Challenger. The bill featured Sonny Farrar, “5 feet of fun and a banjo” and the popular comedian, Fred Hugh. Also featured, apart from Paul and myself, were John Griffin, Daphne Korner, Victor Dale, Shirley Summers, Terence Delaney, Eleanor Beam’s Young Ladies and Terry Graves.

Paul and I acted as feeds to the comics in the sketches ‘All Scotch’, ‘Rhythm on the Range’ and ‘Easter Parade’, in which I also danced and sang. During the show I sang a duet with Terry Delaney and, later, Paul and I featured our puppet act ‘Stars on Strings’. It was a full night of fun, laughs and general entertainment and we were all well received by our audience. The show was featured nightly at 8.15, running for a week before moving on to Felixstowe.

The morning after our first night in Eastbourne, the paper ran a glowing review and featured a photo taken of the Easter Parade scene, a lavish tribute to the early 1900s. Paul was always quick to collect the paper and proceeded to read it out to me over our morning coffees.

“’The first edition of “Holiday Highlights” which opened on the Monday evening at the Winter Garden was full of surprises,’” he read, smiling. “’Suddenly, without warning, a highlight would shine out in unexpected fashion and draw rounds of applause.’”

He continued, but not before glancing over at me as if to say this is our bit. “’The most outstanding of these was Daphne Korner, a coloratura soprano. Then Joan Sharratt, with every suggestion of a lively soubrette, suddenly switched into a puppeteer and, a turn or two later, threw in a few steps of ballet dancing.’” He sped over the rest, giving me a summary of the remainder of the first half of the show, finishing with the mention of several rounds of applause for the Rhythm of the Range act.

“It’s a good review,” I said, smiling back at him as I cleared away the breakfast dishes.

“Wait just a minute—I get a mention here!” He cleared his throat and straightened his back to sit a little taller in the chair. “’After a long interval, Fred Hugh, in charge of a glee party, interrupted by Sonny Farrar, brought back laughter but it was not until Joan and Paul Sharratt produced their singing puppets, culminating with Archie Andrews, that the house was really sitting up again.’” He beamed. “How’s that?”

“Very good. We’ve come a long way from those ‘dumps’!” I kissed him on the top of the head and continued clearing up. “Anything in the other paper?” I asked, seeing that he’d put the first aside, but not before cutting the article and picture out, and had skipped to the entertainment section of the other.

“A small piece—but a good one, all the same,” he answered without looking up. “It reads ‘Last night they were generous to a live, vigorous and slickly produced performance by a company already well-drilled’,” he paused, skipping a few superfluous lines. “’They are in the main a youthful company. Exceptions are the two leading comics Sonny Farrar—an alacritous dwarf of a man with a winsome look and a boxful of mannerisms—and Fred Hugh, his phrenetic foil, who has an extremely successful time in a “single” just before the interval.’”

“Oh and here’s our mention,” he continued. “’A novelty number, skilfully staged and lighted to give a third dimensional effect saw Joan and Paul Sharratt give a charming and evocative display of puppet handling. Especially good was a synchronised dancing routine by three can-can marionettes to a gramophone record.’” He beamed again, before clipping the second article and adding it to the former.

                                      *        *        *        *

“SNAP, RHYTHM AND ZEST ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS” was the headline promoting Will Hammer’s Summer Revue, ‘Holiday Highlights’ with its move to another of his seaside theatres, this time at Ranelagh Theatre in Felixstowe.

The show was to feature our puppet act once again and we’d just received the news that an additional puppet we had ordered was ready for collection. Having already rehearsed the puppet’s part, we were ready to include him in the new show. Our puppets were hand-carved and made by Roy Snowdon. The new puppet was given a mention in the article.

“Billy Daniels, the coloured singer, is a new puppet making his first appearance in Joan and Paul Sharratt’s impressive act, “Stars on Strings”.”

The article and other efforts did much to promote the show, with record numbers achieved. “Well seasoned with fun, music and dancing, the second edition of “Holiday Highlights” at the Ranelagh Theatre should be much to the liking of holiday-makers,” it read. The article went on to describe the music, themes, costumes and lighting, painting a very positive picture.

“One of the outstanding features is the song scene, “Minstrel Memories”. Producer Mildred Challenger’s creative ability has given this number an ingenious modern touch. It has snap and rhythm and altogether is a colourful and exciting presentation in which many of the popular tunes of the South are sung with zest by a well-drilled company, whose enthusiasm soon gets across the footlights to the audience.

“In marked contrast are “Waltztime”, with its quiet charm and graceful movement, and “Romany Rendezvous”, with its gay and romantic gypsy atmosphere. The costumes are most pleasing to the eye and there is good stage lighting to enhance the effect of the imposing sets. Members of the company who sing and dance so engagingly in one or other of these two numbers are Daphne Korner, John Griffin, Shirley Summers, Joan and Paul Sharratt, Terry Delaney and Eleanor Beam’s Six Highlights.”

The show at Ranelagh had a slightly different programme from the previous “Holiday Highlights” at Eastbourne’s Winter Garden. The complete company was on stage for the introduction and second segment. The third, “Romany Rendezvous” featured comedic sketches, singing and dancing from Paul and myself as well as Daphne Korner, John Griffin, Shirley Summers and The Six Highlights.

Paul featured in the eighth segment, a comedy routine, where he rudely interrupted Sonny Farrar. They are also accompanied by Fred Hughes before the complete company goes on stage once again for the musical number “Minstrel Memories”.

A number of segments followed the interval including our “Stars on Strings”, complete with the new addition. The segment “Waltztime” also featured the entire company.

The comic performances were also included in the article to entice potential audiences. “There is a strong vein of comedy running throughout the show, and a high spot is reached with “Phun in a Pharmacy”. Fred Hugh is seen as a chemist experimenting with original ideas of salesmanship, which produce most disconcerting consequences for Sonny Farrar as his long-suffering victim, who has to demonstrate the efficacy of a whole range of cures from a mud pack to castor oil!”

Two days before the show was to begin, we were approached by a newspaper to feature us and our puppet act in the entertainment section titled ‘Echoes of the week’. Naturally, we agreed and were duly interviewed. In other interviews I’d noticed Paul subtly taking over, even where the questions were directed at me. His other trick, as had happened more than once before, was to mislead, exaggerate or lie in some way so as to promote himself. He would wink at me afterwards and say “All in the name of marketing” or “It’s all about business and perceptions” or some such similar wording.

On this occasion, the interviewer began by asking us about the puppets themselves, who they were modelled after and what part they would play in the performance. The article began in this vein.

“The Beverley Sisters will be appearing at the Ranelagh Theatre next week. Not in person, let me hasten to add, but through the medium of puppetry. The sisters are among a number of famous personalities in the entertainment world who are being introduced by Joan and Paul Sharratt to the patrons of “Holiday Highlights” this Summer. Billy Daniels, the coloured singer, Alf and Bob Pearson and Max Bygraves and Archie Andrews are included among their ‘Stars on Strings’.”

Paul then went into great detail about the technical difficulty and skill required when the interviewer asked about the technique of manipulating the puppets. This resulted in the article reporting that “no fewer than 20 strings have to be pulled to bring Max Bygraves and Archie Andrews to “life” in their song and tap dance number”. On average, nine to 10 strings were attached to each puppet.

Further to this, he exaggerated about the number of puppets we had lined up for the show and that we had 100 puppets to choose from. The article then stated “Paul and Joan have quite an impressive “family” of puppets and some 30 of these will take to the stage at the Ranelagh this summer”. The truth was that we could only afford the few puppets we had and almost all of these were to be in the show—a total of eight with a couple of spares. This didn’t sit well with me as surely he could see that the proof was in the show—there were nowhere near 30 puppets featured in our act—but, alas, I kept quiet and went along with it as I always had. It meant keeping the peace and maintaining that equilibrium of mood and happiness for the other person or people involved, something I had learned as a child and something which had become a larger part of my self conscious than I may have realised.

It was Paul’s voice that continued to dominate the article, a bleating of his ability and knowledge and, in so doing, my part or presence was considerably overshadowed and left primarily in the background. I didn’t mind this so much at the time as I loved to see him happy and felt comfortable in my own experience and ability to date. In short, I wasn’t the type to ‘brag’. However, there still remained an ounce of discomfit that I kept to myself.

The wording of the continuing article made it sound, thanks to Paul, as though I had been the pupil while he was the one to lead us to a certain level of popularity. He would never allow it to be known that this was the other way around and that I had adapted to his idea of a puppet show in order to encourage him and to lead the way into co-working on the stage.

“Of course, audiences in theatres all over the country have already met the puppets and many thousands saw them “over the air” when they were televised from the Radio Show at Earl’s Court last year. Paul told me this week,” the article read, following this description of our popularity that we really had no way of knowing. “That he learned the rudiments of working puppets while at school and taught Joan the art when, after having previously been on the stage as individual artistes, they “went into partnership” in 1952.”

Further still, the article went on to say that Paul had made most of the puppets himself. I don’t know why he felt it necessary to lie about this but I could hardly correct him in front of the reporter. “Incidentally,” it read, “Paul has made several of the puppets himself but in some cases the heads and hands of the “little people” are the work of a Rochester artist.”

An additional programme also featured at the Ranelagh Theatre, known as the ‘third edition’ of the show. This one featured 20 segments compared to the previous 17. Paul featured in one of the additional segments, “What’s Yours?”, along with Fred Hugh, Terry Delaney, Sonny Farrar and Daphne Korner.

As in the first edition of the show in Eastbourne, I was featured in a duet with Terry Delaney, singing “There’s Something in That”. The pianist, Victor Dale, featured in a solo, as does Daphne Korner. Our “Stars on Strings” were again featured in the second half of the show and both Paul and I also featured with the cast in the musical segment, “In Lilac Time”.

Following the first night of this programme, Paul had already cut out a new review and was bursting with enthusiasm to read it out to me when I sat down to breakfast. “It’s another good review,” he said, smiling and taking a sip of his tea before beginning to read the short article.

“Good Holiday Fun at Felixtowe,” he read the title with flourish. “Paris and London are the settings for two effective numbers in the new edition of this spirited summer show. There are colourful and tuneful scenes, pleasing both to the eye and ear.

“The Parisian number is gay and vivacious, a highlight being the saucy song and dance by Shirley Summers assisted by the Eleanor Beam’s Young Ladies.

“”The London We Love” ranges effectively from the romantic to the boisterous and mirrors several facets of London life, including the flower girl, costers, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and the Teddy Boy with a spot of good fun from Sonny Farrar as a pert barrow boy and Fred Hugh as a jovial policeman.”

At this point, Paul raised his eyebrows and looked at me with a happy smirk before reading on. “In their engaging puppet act, “Stars on Strings” Joan and Paul Sharratt introduce Eartha Kitt and the Beverley Sisters. Songs by Daphne Korner and John Griffin prove very popular with the audience and Terence Delaney is joined by Joan Sharratt in an appealing song and dance “There’s Something in That”.

“Victor Dale, the show’s pianist, takes the stage for a solo spot while Sonny Farrar shows how expert he is on the banjo with Rimsky Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumble Bee”.

“Altogether the show is bright and entertaining holiday fare and is strong in comedy with several well presented sketches.”” He finished, beaming. “Now, let’s get down to the beach and meet the others.” He got up from the table and dropped his plate noisily into the sink, before rinsing his hands and waiting expectantly for me to finish and ‘jump to’.

It was wonderful to be performing in these seaside locations. The beach featured enormously in our ‘off time’ and was also used for photography shoots for the local papers. Today, we were heading down for some company, fun and relaxation with the rest of the cast from the show. It was a vast pebbled beach with sandy areas just at the point where the waves broke onto the shore and was to be the scene, a few weeks later, for a photo shoot following Will Hammer’s announcements of his new principals in his upcoming pantomimes.

William Hammer By Tracey Vale

William Hammer, formerly known as William Hind, had taken over the West Cliff Theatre in Clacton on Sea in 1934, also the same year he invested in film. This is where we were to perform in the next Summer Season. He owned a number of seaside theatres, as well as assorted businesses, and directed the troupe Will Hammer’s Players. As a former comedian, he had a passion for the stage and for theatre entertainment.

Reading about him in a theatre paper, I discovered that he was born in Hammersmith, where he still resides, it said, and took his stage name from his birthplace. The paper went on to say that he owned 12 live theatres, mainly in seaside towns, and was Chairman of three film companies. His other business interests include jewellery, a business once shared with his brother until it was divided, and four cycle shops as well as other areas of retail including barber shops.

He had always enjoyed cycling and had gained a couple of cycling records in his youth. Reading on, I discovered that he was often seen organising cycle races at dawn and his leisure time was spent playing golf or relaxing on his property, where he has a kennel of 14 Borzois dogs and a stable of six horses.

It was to this property that Paul and I were invited to spend a couple of weekends during the first season of Cinderella. Will hammer was a delightful, almost shy man who took a liking to Paul and I. Members of the cast that he liked would be invited to his mansion and servants would greet us and tell us we were in the blue room or the red room and so on. It was just fantastic. He was so kind and so generous. 

It was a beautiful mansion of unbelievable luxury surrounded by manicured gardens and situated in the country. Will Hammer also leased two mansions on the River Thames, one of which became his premiere studios for his horror movies.

It was also in 1934 that Will established the film company, Hammer productions, based in a three-room suite of offices in Regent Street, London. His first film, The Public Life of Henry the Ninth, concluded production in January the following year.

It was around this time that he met the Peruvian-born Argentinean, Enrique Carreras, a former cinema owner, leading to a joint partnership and the establishment of Exclusive Films, a film distribution company.

Hammer produced four films between 1936 and 1937 , all distributed through Exclusive, but soon faced bankruptcy with a slump in the British film industry. Exclusive continued to distribute films for surviving companies.

At the time of our involvement with Will Hammer, he’d been working successfully on horror films. Following demobilisation, William’s son, Anthony and Enrique’s son, James, were working with him. James had resurrected Hammer Film Productions following World War Two with a number of short ‘fill in’ film segments. Hammer Film Productions was thus now the film branch of Exclusive.

In the horror genre, Hammer found overwhelming success with the film The Quatermass Experiment in 1955, soon to be followed by its sequel, Quatermass 2 in 1957. Between the fifties and sixties, Hammer Film Productions was to dominate the genre with considerable financial success and backing from U.S. sponsors, including Warner Bros. Films were to include various adaptations and sequels of Frankenstein, including The Curse of Frankenstein and The Revenge of Frankenstein, as well as variations of Dracula and more. The company was to continue with horror films into the eighties.

Also just prior to the time of our introduction to William Hammer, he was involved with the film noir genre, predominantly featuring American stars. Between 1952 and 1955 Hammer Productions had produced well over a dozen films in the category.

*        *        *        *

Pat Hammer

A weekend spent on the Hammer estate was like stepping back in time. Travelling down a long, sweeping driveway amidst equally sweeping lawns and landscaped gardens, we were greeted by the grand mansion ahead of us. Once at the door, a maid met us, leading us into an airy hall. After introducing our arrival to her employers, she ushered us into the ‘blue room’. Our luggage was taken to our rooms and my meagre selection was unpacked. My one evening gown, to be worn at dinner, was freshly ironed and hung, waiting for me.

Meals were of generous extravagance, with waiting staff to serve and whisk away our dishes in readiness for the next course. Mornings were easy-going, with no expectations on early rising. We made our way to the dining room, once ready, and were greeted by a huge spread of hot and cold dishes, fresh fruit and juice, coffee or tea.

The days were spent languorously on the estate, spending time with Will, his wife, Pat, and their young daughter, Susan. We walked the grounds and wondered at how life would be to live in such grandeur and with so much beauty and space.

Susan Hammer

On one particular weekend at the Hammer estate, we had all lost track of time until one of us realised that we would surely be late for curtain call. We scurried to gather our belongings, with the help of the maid. The theatre was some considerable distance from the estate and we were accompanied by Pat in one of Hammer’s cars, knowing that we couldn’t make it before the understudy was called upon to get dressed in my steed.

It is a requirement that theatre actors must be in the theatre 30 minutes before curtain call. If absent, the actor was replaced by an understudy. Disembarking from the car, we high-tailed it into the theatre, racing down the corridor to the dressing rooms. We were so late that there would barely be time for me to dress and prepare before I had to be on the stage.

To my dismay, my understudy was dressed and ready to go on. The stage door man, a stickler for the rules, was ready to report us when Pat Hammer, who had followed us in, spoke up behind us. “Joan and Paul have been our guests,” she said, authoritatively. With that, all was restored and I made haste to be ready in time.