Stage, Radio & TV
Miller's the name, lady

Notable Stage Appearances

1922 Shorditch Hall

First London appearance in variety.

1926 Holborn Empire

In variety where Tom Arnold spotted him, the impresario who booked him for the starring role in a touring revue called Piccadilly. 

1931 (11-May) London Palladium

First Royal Command Performance. 

1932 (Apr) Orpheneum in Johannesburg, South Africa

Vaudeville. 

1937 (15-Nov) London Palladium

Second Royal Command Performance.

1939 (Dec to Jul-40) Holborn Empire

Starred in Haw Haw! billed as George Black's new laughter show and also featuring Syd Seymour and his Mad Hatter Band, Bebe Daniels & Ben Lyon.

1940 (Aug to Nov) Holborn Empire & 1941 (Mar to Dec) London Palladium

Starred in Apple Sauce, a review that opened at the Holborn Empire and ran there until the theatre was bombed. It returned to continue its run at the London Palladium. Also appearing were Florence Desmond, Jack Stanford and Vera Lynn.

1943 Coventry Hippodrome

Highest paid music hall entertainer earning £1,025 per week. 

1944 London Palladium

20 weeks of variety, the longest run at that time for a variety artist.

1950 (13-Nov) London Palladium

Third and last Royal Command Performance.

1958 (Mar) London Palladium

Last variety season.

1959 (Apr) Palace Theatre

Last West End season.

1960 (Dec) Pleasure Gardens Theatre Folkestone

Last stage appearance in variety.

Radio & TV

Max had to tone down his material for the BBC. Broadcasts were, in those days, usually live, and on one, in 1940 he slipped in an unscripted gag. In 1944 he began a gag which the producer judged too risqué so he was faded out. The BBC took him off the air and the ban lasted for five years. Notable radio appearances were:

1936 Radio Luxembourg

Starred as Charlie Merrimer in Horlick's Sea-Time Hour.

5-Jun-53 BBC Light Programme

Appeared in a special Coronation Show Let's All Go Down the Thames.

Jul-62 BBC Light Programme

Last radio broadcast recorded at the Playhouse Theatre, London.

Television

Max's appearances took place when TV was still in its infancy. He feared that TV appearances would eat up his material too fast.

5-Jan- to 26-Apr-56 ITV

Appeared with Nat Gonella in five 60 minute shows called You'd Never Believe It! Jack Hylton Production.

1-Oct-56 BBC TV

Appeared with Terry Thomas in a 60 minute show Around the Town.

6-Jan-, 13-Feb-and 13-Mar-58 ITV

Shared top-billing with Tessie O'Shea in Jack Hylton's variety series called See You, Soho!

Recordings

Max's recording career began in 1932 with the record Confessions of a Cheeky Chappie, parts 1 & 2 for the Broadcast Twelve label. He recorded regularly until 1963 when he made The Market Song and Tit Bits with Lonnie Donegan for the Pye label. Several of his 78s have been re-released as LPs and later as CDs.

Oct-1932

First 78 rpm record Confessions of a Cheeky Chappie.

30-Nov-57

Recorded the LP Max at the Met, considered his finest recording. Now available on CD.

A complete Discography can be found in the Appendix to John M East's book, Max Miller - The Cheeky Chappie.

Newspapers & Magazines

Dec-39 to Jul-40 Sunday Dispatch

Provided a page of gags each Sunday.

1935-1948 Film Fun Weekly and Film Fun Annual

Featured as a cartoon strip character.

TV Documentaries about Max

These were made after his death and include interviews with his wife, friends and fellow artists. Probably the best of the documentaries is the one made by Gerald Scarfe I Like the Girls Who Do.

10-Apr-69 Thames TV

Applause! Applause!

19-Jan-79 Anglia TV

Bygones - The Cheeky Chappie

20-Nov-82 Channel 4

Here's a Funny Thing, a play starring John Bardon

16-Feb-89 BBC2 TV

40 Minutes - I Like the Girls Who Do - written and presented by Gerald Scarfe

27-Oct-95 Channel 4

Heroes of Comedy - written and produced by John Fisher

11-Jul-99 Meridian TV

The Pier - Remembering Max Miller.

(Many of Max's earlier 78s and LPs have been digitally re-mastered and transferred to CDs which are currently available from The Max Miller Appreciation Society or on-line and high street retailers)