Whack-o!
Comedy
series from the pens of Denis Norden and Frank Muir and starring
Jimmy Edwards who had been awarded the DFC during the war as a
fighter pilot with the RAF.
His Dakota was shot down over Arnhem and his injuries were such
that half of his face had to be rebuilt, hence the trademark
handlebar moustache.
Edwards had been a radio star since the 1940's as Pa Glum, but
it was for his role as Professor Jimmy Edwards, the corrupt,
crafty and cane swishing headmaster of Chiselbury School for which
he will always be most famously remembered.
His bullying tactics were not confined simply to his students,
and members of his staff were given a particularly rough ride,
especially his right-hand man, weedy science master Mr. Oliver
Pettigrew. (Played by Arthur Howard, brother of movie star
Leslie).
Pettigrew was forced to double up as boxing instructor, model
for the art class, relief boilerman and left-hand goal post in
inter-house soccer matches.
During it's initial four-year run Kenneth Cope (Marty Randall
in Randall and Hopkirk), and Peter Crackerjack Glaze
appeared regularly.
The series was revived in 1971 and a cinema version, Bottoms
Up, was released in 1960.
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