Will Hay: Graham Rinaldi
MENTION the name Will Hay to the person in the street and the following responses are generally given: The schoolmaster film comedian; he made funny films with an old man and a fat boy; and the railway film, Oh, Mr Porter!” writes Graham Rinaldi in his meticulously researched and richly entertaining biography of one of the most popular and influential comedians Britain has ever produced.
Rinaldi traces how Hay graduated from the music halls to become Britain’s number one film star in the late Thirties.
His comic persona was the bumbling and slightly seedy authority figure who was always out of his depth whether as a schoolmaster, police sergeant or, as in his most famous film Oh, Mr Porter! a station master.
His hilarious performances delighted millions: among his legion of fans was the Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII.
Hay was a man of extraordinary talents. A keen astronomer and a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Association, he discovered a white spot on Saturn in 1933.
He was a skilled pilot who competed in air pageants and who once took Amy Johnson for a joy ride. He spoke several languages fluently and was a brilliant engineer.
Yet while we marvel at Will Hay’s many accomplishments, it’s harder to warm to him as a person. He could be aloof and gave little encouragement to those who worked with him.
Notoriously mean, he once gave a lift to a struggling young actor and then asked him to pay for his half of the car hire.
He was also a serial womaniser, whose long-suffering wife finally filed for judicial separation after she discovered that Hay had stayed with his secretary, a former chorus girl, in two hotels while he was on tour.
But such character flaws are easier to forgive in a man who, through his brilliantly observed comedy performances, brought so much pleasure to so many people.
Tony Hancock was just one of many comedians inspired by Hay.
Jimmy Perry, the creator of Dad’s Army, decided on the combination of a pompous man, a young “stupid” boy and an old man for his classic sitcom after watching Hay and his regular sidekicks Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriot in Oh, Mr Porter!
The only regret on reading Rinaldi’s wonderful book is that Hay’s films are rarely shown on television today. It’s high time a new generation were able to enjoy the work of a true comic genius.
Tomahawk Press, £17.99
