2017 marks the tenth anniversary of Bernard Manning's death. This month, WordJam invites Daily Mail columnist Daniel Etchasketch to look back at the career of Britain's best loved funny-man and put to rest those ridiculous allegations of bigotry and racism so we can remember Bernard as he really was: the greatest comedian in the world, if not the universe.
Bernard John Manning (comedian, club owner, comedian, television personality, comedian, cabaret singer, comedian, philanthropist and comedian) was born in Manchester, a small town of little note somewhere in the north of England. Although he came from a working class background, Bernard had two parents (one male, one female) and they both had jobs. It wasn't until he was sixteen, doing good old National Service in post-war Germany, that his considerable talents began to manifest themselves. While posted to Spandau Prison, guarding naughty men like Rudolph Hess and Albert Speer, Bernard delighted soldiers and inmates alike with his renditions of popular ballads and 'Englishman-Irishman-Scotsman' jokes. Upon returning to Blighty, Bernard turned professional; his phenomenal success on the northern comedy circuit leading to the foundation of the world-famous Embassy Club in 1959. Television followed, and then the crowning moment in his career - an auspicious booking at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, making him the only British comedian of his generation to appear as a headline act at the venue.
But what was it about Bernard that screamed star quality? Was it his acerbic wit? His disarming erudition and candor? His cuddly appearance? True, Bernard's visual trademark was his corpulence, but like many great fat people throughout history (Idi Amin, Henry VIII and Billy Bunter to name but three) he has been maligned and wilfully misunderstood. Take his famous interview on The Mrs Merton Show, for instance; watching it back now, it is immediately apparent to anyone with eyes that Ms. Merton (AKA. Caroline Ahearne, the alcoholic, manic-depressive late comedienne who left Britain to make a crap spin-off of The Royle Family in Australia) was clearly out of her depth dealing with the old pro and resorted to dirty tactics to even the stakes. The question "are you a racist?" is misleading and ambiguous at the best of times (Is it? RE), so when Bernard replied with a resounding "yes" it is not surprising that members of the amoral liberal media (naming no names, but we all know it was The Guardian, Independent and Observer) misunderstood the complexity of his response and turned against him. Is this fitting treatment for the only British comedian of his generation to perform as a headline act at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas? (You've already mentioned this. RE) This saint who gave money to charity? This humanitarian who pledged that he would never, under any circumstances, make fun of little kiddies in wheelchairs?
Like all good Christians, Bernard believed in Jesus, and, like Jesus, he was kind, compassionate and persecuted by people who (Oh, fuck this. RE)
