George Formby Quotes
- Mini Bio
- Name: George Formby
- Born: 26th May 1904, Wigan Lancashire U.K.
- Died: 6th March 1961, Preston Lancashire U.K.
- Resting place: Warrington Cemetery
- Occupation: Singer, musician and actor
- Years active: 1915-1960
- Movie appearances: 22
- Trivia: In tribute to the great man two statues have been erected of him with the first in Douglas on the Isle of Man and the second in his home town of Wigan
"I'll hang up my uke on Sundays only when our lads stop fighting and getting killed on Sundays"
George Formby"You know, some of the songs are a bit near. But they'll take them from me in evening dress; they wouldn't take them if I wore baggy pants and red nose"
George Formby"'Ee, it's just like Blackpool sands" [said on stage while entertaining Montgomery's troops in the Sahara desert]
George Formby"In my profession, I'll work hard, I know I'll never stop. I'll climb this blinking ladder, Till I get right to the top"
George Formby"if somethin' was comin' our way, ah'd like it to be somethin' Beryl could have shared" [refelecting on his OBE]
George Formby"I was the first turn, three minutes, died the death of a dog"
George Formby"Don't forget, it's wonderful to be British"
George Formby"When I look back on some of the films I've done in the past it makes me want to cringe. I'm afraid the days of being a clown are gone"
George Formby"That's it. So long as the government keeps bleeding me dry, I shan't be in much of a hurry to work again"
George Formby"Every time that I go out the people stare at me, with me little ukulele in me hand"
George Formby"I'm just a clown without the make-up, the circus clown who magnifies the reactions of ordinary people to the things that happen around them"
George Formby"Turned out nice again" [his catchphrase]
George Formby
Great quotes are not where you find great wisdom. It's where you share this knowledge that counts
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George Formby Biography
Bio By: Michael Joseph Farrelly
George Formby was an unlikely looking star with his goofy smile and Blackpool beach wit but his was a genuine talent without the baggage laden pretensions carried onto stage by the ego's of his acting peers. His adulation lay in the warmth he accentuated and the truth that he spoke and together with his saucy songs, although mild by todays standards they were considered outrageous in some quarters and were even banned from the airwaves of the BBC.
Unlike most 'Northern' talent Formby was even appreciated south of Watford junction and he came with royal approval as Queen Elizabeth II admitted she knew all his songs and was a big fan. After starting his career in the recording industry he moved into film and was a box office hit in England during the 1930's and 1940's.
George Formby's association to Beryl Ingham was strategic to his success, she became his wife and his manager and it was through her guidance that enabled his talent to really flourish. He was an oddity who came across with a naivety that was a bridge between the reality of his real persona and his act on stage. His was a charm so pervasive that it melded minds in a camaraderie so infectious that he became both a favourite of the troops in WW2 and their commanding officers as he worked tirelessly doing everything he could to support morale during the battle to liberate Europe.
His WW2 workload and his influence did not go unnoticed as in 1946 he received the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1946 in recognition of his selfless work during the war.
His wife Beryl was also instrumental in introducing his trademark ukulele to his act and in a recognition to his contribution towards the instrument he was inducted into the Ukulele hall of fame in 2004 with the accompanying citation: "He won such love and respect for his charismatic stage presence, technical skill and playful lyrics that he remains popular forty years after his death"
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His down to earth character, both on and off stage, is still remembered with the warmth he epitomised during his career which was also notable for his quick witted one liners, so with this in mind here is my compilation of 12 of the best George Formby quotes
Quotes About George Formby
The head of ENSA Basil Dean spoke of his WW2 performances: "Standing with his back to a tree or a wall of sandbags, with men squatting on the ground in front of him, he sang song after song, screwing up his face into comical expressions of fright whenever shells exploded in the near distance, and making little cracks when the firing drowned the point lines in his songs"
The secretary to Queen Elizabeth II received a letter that influenced the following conversation: "I don’t honestly think, if you don’t mind me saying so, this is appropriate. You’re head of the armed forces, head of the Church of England, I don’t think you can be president of the George Formby Appreciation Society."
To which the Queen responded: "Well, I do see that but I love George Formby."
"Really?"
replied the secretary. "Oh yes, I know all his songs and I can sing them"
was the queens response of approval - to his repertoire if not the presidency of Formby's appreciation society.
The actor John Walley described him thus: "George had a warmth that is peculiar to those who don’t have great pretensions and to those who, through sheer hard work and talent, reach the top"
The actor Terry-Thomas was miffed to say that being the main act following him was frustrating: "Formby put the audience in a certain mood which made them non-receptive to whoever followed ... Even though my act was the star spot, I felt on this occasion that my being there was an anti-climax"
The author David Bret made a claim about his marriage: "There’s no doubt he was adulterous and she was as well. They knew what one another was doing. It was always a marriage of convenience"
