On the evening of April 15, 1984, comic legend Tommy Cooper donned his trademark red fez and walked on to stage to deliver yet another hilarious performance.
But halfway through his magic cloak routine, broadcast live from Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, the 6ft 4in funnyman suddenly fell backwards, slumping to the floor against the curtain.
Famed for his slapstick antics – and introducing new material at the last minute – both the audience and backstage staff laughed, thinking it was all part of Tommy’s act.
At home, millions watching the variety show on the box chuckled along too.
In fact, the star – born 100 years ago this week – had suffered a massive heart attack.
Realising, with horror, that this was not a joke after all, TV bosses cut to an advert break.
Tommy died on-stage while performing a comedy routine
Tommy, 63, was declared dead on arrival at Westminster Hospital.
Family, friends and fans were left devastated by the shattering news.
The comedy icon had apparently gone, in the words of his famous catchphrase, “jus’ like that”.
It was a tragic end for the star, once voted the funniest Briton of all time and still adored by millions of fans today, including celeb devotees such as Sir Anthony Hopkins.
But Tommy had led a troubled life while keeping the nation smiling.
Tommy was an alcoholic during his life and would smoke heavily
Behind the mask of mirth, was a story of heavy boozing, smoking and ill health. He cheated on his wife and there were accusations of violent behaviour too.
Born Thomas Frederick Cooper in Caerphilly, south Wales, on March 19, 1921 the son of a First World War veteran, he became obsessed with magic, aged eight, when his aunt Lucy bought him a set of tricks.
Tommy’s first real taste of performing came entertaining soldiers during the Second World War while he was serving with Field Marshal Montgomery’s Desert Rats in North Africa.
Tommy was known for his trademark red Fez (Image: Transworld Feature Syndication)
It was during one sketch for troops that he picked up his trademark fez.
He’d forgotten the pith helmet he normally wore, so plucked the hat from a passing waiter leaving the audience in stitches – and wore one from then on for his act.
After the war Tommy became a top member of the Magic Circle, but noticed that messing up his tricks got extra laughs.
So he decided to build a career combining clever conjuring with a genius for comic bumbling.
The BBC’s initial assessment of him was “unpleasant” but by the 1950s Tommy was a hit in variety shows and soon got his own TV show, becoming a regular on screens for the next three decades.
Tommy schmoozed with showbiz pals and got chummy with royalty.
He once cheekily asked the Queen whether she liked football. When she replied, “Not particularly,” Tommy asked: “Can I have your tickets for the cup final, then?”
Tommy would’ve turned 100 years this week (Image: Thames Television)
His success was down to perfect comic timing and a unique physique – Tommy had size 13 feet, goggle eyes and a big moon face that fellow comic Spike Milligan would describe as “a cry for help”.
But the details of his personal life, behind the scenes, are enough to reduce anyone to tears.
Many of Tommy’s jokes were about booze: “I’m on a whisky diet. Last week I lost three days!”
The reality was that Tommy, who used drink to calm his stage nerves, was an alcoholic.
He once poured gin and tonic over his breakfast cereal, complaining that milk was full of cholesterol, and was known to knock back three bottles of Dubonnet in a sitting.
Puffing on a whopping 40 cigars a day, Tommy took a medley of pills and suffered from sciatica, indigestion, bronchitis and circulation problems.
In 1977 Tommy had his first heart attack in Rome. He was back on stage three months later and though he ditched the cigars, continued to drink.
And he could be forgetful. In an appearance with TV’s Michael Parkinson he nearly guillotined the chat show star, after forgetting to operate a safety switch.
Tommy married Gwen in 1947 and the couple had two kids. But in 1967 Tommy started a 17-year affair with stage manager Mary Kay.
Gwen turned a blind eye to his infidelity, but did occasionally threaten to leave him.
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She said: “There is one trick Tommy can do really well and that’s making a drink disappear.”
Tommy is alleged to have been violent towards both women, though his daughter Vicky has insisted he was a “wonderful family man.”
He was also seriously mean, often failing to pay his joke writers or buy rounds despite making up to £10,000 a week.
Famously he would tip taxi drivers with an envelope and the words “have a drink on me”. Inside they would find a tea bag.
On the night of his death, compere Jimmy Tarbuck who had been passing Tommy props, was among those who didn’t realise, at first, the star had died.
He had to go on with the show, but was left stunned by what had happened to his pal: “It was a huge shock to everyone who’d been roaring with him right up until the very end.”
While daughter Vicky says that simply giving people something to smile about was what had always driven Tommy on: “That’s all he wanted to do, make people laugh.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
