HOORAY FOR THE WILLIAMS BOYS !!!
by CP Lee on the wonderful books on Frank Randle and Mancunian authored by Philip and David Williams

ANGELFIRE LINK ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Here at Itsahotun we would be asked regularly - when is someone going to write about the
early years of Frank Randle, those before his fame? Then, in January 2011, the formidable
writing team that is Philip and David Williams published the very book -

'The Theatrical World of Arthur Twist' - WITH CD 'Remembering Randle* BUY LINK
Jam-packed with illustrations ranging from personal photos to theatrical bills, the Williams brothers
have researched thoroughly into the back story of Frank. Their findings are presented in this
very readable and entertaining volume crammed with anecdotes of life on the lower-rungs of
variety entertainment in the 1920s and 30s. On his way up, Frank shared the bill with performing
geese, performing dogs, gymnasts, clog dancers ... in fact this book reflects the whole mad world
of showbiz, seedy theatrical digs, single-line reviews and, it being Frank, there's a good deal
of hard-drinking, hard-playing and hard work to get to the top.

* CD contains 14 tracks including The Old Hiker, At The Bar and Ilkley Moor Baht 'At

'Hooray For Jollywood' BUY LINK
Republished in 2006, this comprehensively illustrated book contains more pictures, ranging from the
personal to press adverts and more posters, more information and interviews than the original which
was a bumper book of facts even then!! Appendices are there too including the (again updated)
Filmography which is indispensible to the true Mancunian fan, featuring as it does, running times,
cast lists, production credits, and most importantly where the films are stored now.
This is an invaluable resource for both the fan and the serious researcher.
A must for all film fans.

'Film Fun' BUY LINK
An essential compendium of Randle comic strips from 'Film Fun' the children's favourite comic of
the 1940s and 50s. This is a bumper bundle of fun with lashings of grub, lemonade and laughs.
A lovely colour cover and a 'this book belongs to ... ' intro page - What more could anybody want for
Christmas or at any other time of the year?

'Wired To The Moon' BUY LINK with 2010 update sheet (available here for download)
Published in 2006, Philip and David have done a marvellous job on this biography of Frank Randle and
since it was 1978 when Jeff Nuttall's biography 'King Twist' was published, their taking up the baton with
their own thorough research has resulted in a book no Randle or Mancuanian fan can afford to be without.
They paint a very caring picture of a difficult, even dangerous character, and they don't spare their punches
when it comes to telling it like it was. 'Moon' puts some of the most cherished myths about Frank in the
right perspective - They dispel the myth that he bombarded Blackpool from the air with toilet rolls. The truth
is that he didn't, but what he actually was doing is just as interesting as readers will find out.
Another myth that the Brothers manage to debunk is the idea that Frank and Josef Locke
had a falling out at Hulme Hippodrome in 1953. Not so - Yes they did eventually come to
blows in a drunken melee, but it was some years later and at a different place entirely.
Still, as Trotsky said 'you should never let the facts interfere with the truth!' Packed with lavish
illustrations, photographs and playbills, the reader also learns about Randle's kindness and consideration
as well as his manic psychotic outbursts. And Itsahotun is proud to learn that the Priest who officiated at
Randle's reqiuem mass was the Parish priest of St Cuthberts!!

Cuthbert Towers 17 December 2010