37 Facts About Tommy Trinder

Tommy Trinder was born at 54 Wellfield Road, Streatham, South London, on 24 March 1909, the son of Thomas Henry Trinder, a London tram driver from Shilton, Oxfordshire, and his Scottish wife Jennie Georgina Harriet.

The family moved to Fulham after Tommy Trinder's father was transferred to Hammersmith.

Tommy Trinder left school early for a job as an errand boy.

Tommy Trinder made his first stage appearance at the age of twelve in a talent competition at Collins's Music Hall.

Tommy Trinder's singing act won the contest and when collecting his award, he was approached by Will Murray who recruited him for his Casey's Court juvenile comedy show.

Tommy Trinder made his first appearance with the company on 5 June 1921 in Oldham.

Tommy Trinder began to achieve national recognition in 1937 with the touring revues Tune In and In Town Tonight.

Tommy Trinder's act was fast-talking and direct, with topical allusions and ad libs.

In July 1939, Tommy Trinder starred alongside Arthur Askey in Jack Hylton's stage version of the BBC's radio comedy series Band Waggon at the London Palladium.

Tommy Trinder performed for British armed forces personnel as part of ENSA and would joke that the organisation's name stood for Every Night Something Atrocious.

Tommy Trinder was known for his self-promotion and claimed that, had he not entered showbusiness, he would have worked in publicity.

Tommy Trinder began a film career in 1938, making his film debut in Welwyn Studios' Save a Little Sunshine.

Tommy Trinder starred alongside Pat Kirkwood, who later described him as "rude and insulting and downright nasty".

Tommy Trinder was then signed up to Michael Balcon's Ealing Studios when it became clear that George Formby was to be wooed away.

In 1944, Tommy Trinder starred in the musical film Champagne Charlie, playing the 19th-century music hall performer George Leybourne opposite Stanley Holloway as his peer Alfred Vance.

Tommy Trinder took straight acting parts, playing an army driver in charge of a gang of French refugee children in The Foreman Went to France and a AFS fireman in The Bells Go Down.

Tommy Trinder attempted to break America, appearing on a New York bill with Frank Sinatra in the spring of 1950.

In 1952, Tommy Trinder began a tour of Australia scheduled to last three months.

Tommy Trinder ultimately stayed in the country for almost two years.

Tommy Trinder began to work in television, describing the medium as "a powerful, but legitimate, rival to the theatre".

In 1955, Tommy Trinder became the original compere for the ATV television programme Sunday Night at the London Palladium.

In October 1957, Tommy Trinder mounted a successful tour of South Africa.

Tommy Trinder returned to Britain in March 1958 to complete the series.

Tommy Trinder was replaced by Bruce Forsyth, a younger comedian widely considered similar to Trinder who had previously appeared as a guest on the show.

Tommy Trinder moved to the BBC to host his own television series, Trinder Box, in 1959.

The wage cap was lifted in 1961 and Tommy Trinder kept his word.

Later that year, Tommy Trinder adapted to the satire boom with appearances in six episodes of the BBC series Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life.

Tommy Trinder performed before the British royal family in six Royal Variety Performances between 1945 and 1980.

Tommy Trinder served three non-consecutive terms as its "King Rat" in 1955,1963 and 1965.

In 1956, Tommy Trinder was President of the Lord's Taverners cricketing charity.

In later years, Tommy Trinder performed in pantomime, appeared in holiday camps and worked as a warm-up act for Tyne Tees Television in Newcastle.

One notable latter-day television appearance was in a 1979 edition of The Old Boy Network, with Tommy Trinder performing his act at Great Yarmouth's Windmill Theatre and presenting a condensed history of his life and career.

Tommy Trinder collapsed on stage again during a show in Rotherham in April 1985 and during a Burton-on-Trent show in January 1986.

Tommy Trinder continued to work, appearing on television in the game show The Parlour Game.

Tommy Trinder made his last television appearance in February 1989, recalling his contemporary Max Miller in the BBC 40 Minutes documentary I Like The Girls Who Do.

Tommy Trinder died at St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey on 10 July 1989.

Tommy Trinder was placed 83rd in Channel 4's The 100 Greatest Stand-Ups in 2007.