Bluebottle Goes To War: Peter Sellers & the RAF Gang Shows

(Hardback)

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Description

Peter Sellers was one of the biggest stars of the 1960s and 70s. His career began with characters such as Bluebottle on BBC radios The Goon Show and he achieved global fame as Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther series. What is less well known is that he served in the Royal Air Force Entertainment Units (known as Gang Shows) for over three years. Now, for the first time, this story can be told, a tale of the formation and education of his remarkable talents, as well as a small corner of Second World War history that seems uniquely British (groups of servicemen and women sent around the world with hampers full of theatrical props and costumes, to rally the troops in distant outposts of Empire). This book reveals previously unknown film footage, photos, performances, broadcasts and recordings, from the very beginning of Sellers career.

Reviews

"This new book reveals previously unknown film footage, recordings and radio broadcasts, as well as records of more than 100 performances across two continents. It charts [Sellers's] progress from raw recruit to gang show veteran, a journey full of colour and inspiration." -- Chortle (UK)

Author Bio

PJ Brownsword was born in Sussex and studied music history at Oxford, with an avid interest in research for local history publications as a student and other diversions of photography, cars and cricket - these are by coincidence also listed as Sellers hobbies in Whos Who, 1967.