Denis Norden British writer, comedian and television presenter Date of Birth: 06.02.1922 Country: Great Britain

1. Early Life and Education
2. Cinema Management and War Service
3. Post-War Writing Partnership with Frank Muir
4. Solo Writing and Film Work
5. "A Child's Guide to Blowing Up a Motor Car"
6. Television Hosting Career
7. Later Work and Honors
8. Personal Life and Legacy

Early Life and Education

Denis Norden, a prominent British writer, comedian, and television host, was born on February 6, 1922, in the East End of London to a Jewish family. He received his education at Craven Park Primary School and the independent City of London School, where he was a contemporary of Kingsley Amis.

Cinema Management and War Service

At the age of 17, Norden joined the cinema management industry, quickly rising to become manager of a cinema in Watford. During this period, he also organized variety shows. With the outbreak of World War II, Norden enlisted in the Royal Air Force, serving as a wireless operator in a communications unit. It was during this time that he began his writing career, penning sketches for the entertainment of fellow servicemen.

Post-War Writing Partnership with Frank Muir

After the war, Norden wrote material for Australian comedian Dick Bentley before meeting Frank Muir in 1947. Partnered by comedy actor Jimmy Edwards, Norden and Muir were brought together by producer Ted Kavanagh. Their first collaboration was the radio show "Take It From Here," for which they wrote scripts from 1948 to 1959. Norden and Muir continued to create successful scripts together for both radio and television, including the sitcom "Whack-O!" and three series of "Faces of Jim," showcasing Edwards' talents. Their writing partnership also produced the satirical sketch "Balham, Gateway to the South," which was originally performed in 1948 in the comedy series "Third Division" starring Robert Beatty. The sketch was later recorded by Peter Sellers and featured on his 1959 album "The Best of Sellers."

Solo Writing and Film Work

In the early 1960s, Norden and Muir wrote the sitcom "Brothers in Law," which initially starred Richard Briers, and its spin-off series, "Mr Justice Duncannon." After Muir left for the BBC in 1964, his partnership with Norden (though not their friendship) came to an end. Over the next few years, Norden wrote scripts for films including "Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell" and "The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom," pursuing his long-held aspiration for a Hollywood career. He and Muir continued to appear together on the quiz shows "My Word!" and "My Music," both on radio and television.

"A Child's Guide to Blowing Up a Motor Car"

In 1965, Norden wrote, narrated, and appeared in the color short film "A Child's Guide to Blowing Up a Motor Car," produced by the Bond producers and Ford. The film showcased the making of the exploding car stunt in the fourth James Bond film, "Thunderball." Norden brings his young nephew to the set for a day, interviewing the "Thunderball" filmmakers and meeting some of its stars, though not Sean Connery. The short film was long considered lost, but was eventually included on the 2006 Ultimate Edition DVD release of "Thunderball."

Television Hosting Career

As a television host, Norden is best known to ITV viewers for shows such as "Looks Familiar," "It'll Be Alright on the Night," and "Laughter File." The latter consisted of clips from films and television programs accompanied by Norden's witty commentary; he hosted the show from 1977 to 2006. Many of the early episodes featured outtakes from Dick Clark's collection. "It'll Be Alright on the Night" began to include home videos in the mid-1980s; so much material was submitted that a separate show, "You've Been Framed!," was launched in 1990.

Later Work and Honors

Norden announced his retirement from "It'll be Alright on the Night" and "Laughter File" on April 21, 2006, citing his age (84) and health issues. ITV produced a special show, "All the Best from Denis Norden," featuring highlights from his time on the shows, which aired on January 2, 2007. Griff Rhys Jones became the new host of "It'll be Alright on the Night" in 2008, and was succeeded by David Walliams in 2018. Despite declining to write an autobiography for many years, claiming that most of his life and career had already been covered by Frank Muir in his book "A Kentish Lad," Norden eventually published "Clips from a Life" in October 2008, featuring a "sequence of autobiographical sketches."

Personal Life and Legacy

Norden was married to Avril Rosen from 1943 until her passing in 2018. They had two children: Nick, an architect, and Maggie, a radio broadcaster and lecturer at the London College of Fashion. Maggie previously worked at Capital London, presenting the Sunday afternoon show "Hullabaloo." Afflicted with age-related macular degeneration, Norden became a patron of the Macular Society in 2009, along with Peter Sallis and Eric Sykes. Norden passed away in a London hospital on September 19, 2018, at the age of 96.