More about Max
The one and only

Max Miller, Britain's top comedian in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, was born in Brighton, on the south coast of England in 1894. He excelled as a stand-up comic playing to large audiences in variety theatres, where his skill was such that he could hold an audience in the palm of his hand. He was master of the double entendre. He was mischievous, brash and quick-witted; he dressed over the top and he certainly lived up to the name the Cheeky Chappie. Even the poorest jokes got a laugh; his timing and delivery were legendary.

Max Miller left school at 12 and, after drifting from job to job, was called up by the army to serve in the First World War. During the war he acquired a taste of entertaining whilst performing to his fellow soldiers and, after the war, he pursued his show-business ambition starting with the occasional gig in pubs and halls. His first break came about when he joined a concert party on the Brighton sea front as a song and dance man. It was good training for the future and, from time to time, he would get the chance to tell a gag or two. The occasional booking in a London theatre followed this. His talent developed and soon he excelled as a solo performer writing his own material and composing his own songs. He rose to fame and, in the 1930s, reached the top of the bill playing all the major variety theatres including the most famous of them all, the London Palladium.

 

Max Miller would come on stage dressed in a flower-patterned suit with plus fours, co-respondent shoes and trilby hat, slightly tilted, to the sound of the orchestra playing his most famous song and signature tune Mary from the Dairy. There would be expectancy and excitement in the audience. Would he go too far this time with his gags? Having complete control of his audience, he knew when to stop and, when they were screaming  for more, he would finish his act with a song. His recording career spanned from 1932 to 1963. His radio career was patchy but this was due to his being banned for his material, which was considered to be too blue for broadcasting. One such ban by the BBC lasted 5 years. Between 1933 and 1942 Max Miller appeared in fourteen feature films.

 

Max Miller loved Brighton and would return home whenever possible. He came from a humble background and felt happiest in the environment in which he grew up. He was unimpressed by showbiz razzmatazz and kept himself private. He loved to stroll along the Brighton promenade, sit on a bench, and stare out to sea knowing that he was in the company of his kind of people. He once said, "I much prefer a retired bus driver to anybody in show business". He died in his home in 1963.