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Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

  

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Albert Whelan, singer and entertainer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the audience at the BBC Television Theatre, having been brought there by entrepreneur Billy Butlin.

Albert, who was born in Melbourne, Australia, first began performing as a teenager, playing the violin and singing comic songs for the miners during the Australian gold rush of the 1890s. He later played in the theatres of Melbourne, notably in the musical comedy The Belle of New York, before emigrating to London in 1901.

Immaculately dressed in bow-tie and tails and billed as the Society Entertainer, Albert established himself in the English music hall, touring the country with an act which involved impersonations, dance, playing the violin and piano and singing his own comic songs. In addition, he developed the first recognised signature tune, with his trademark entry and exit of whistling The Jolly Brothers waltz, and would later successfully tour his act across America and Australia.

programme details...

• Edition No: 35
• Subject No: 35
• Broadcast live: Mon 30 Sep 1957
• Broadcast time: 7.30-8.00pm
• Venue: BBC Television Theatre
• Series: 3
• Edition: 1

on the guest list...

• Lucille Benstead
• Ada Reeve
• Gordon - son
• Nellie Randall
• Arthur Carthy
• Rene - wife
• Brendan Martin
• Micki Allen
• Florence Champion - sister
Filmed tributes:
• Ronald - son
• Joan - daughter-in-law
• Matt - grandson
• Delysia - granddaughter

related appearances...

• Ada Reeve - Oct 1956
• Billy Butlin - Sep 1959

production team...

• Researchers: Nigel Ward, George Bruce, Michael Friend
• Writer: Peter Moore
• Director: unknown
• Producer: T Leslie Jackson

• names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

• with thanks to Matt and Byron Whelan for their contributions to this page

related pages...

That's Entertainment

there's no business like it

The Audience

the applause, laughter and tears

Ada Reeve

Photographs of Albert Whelan This Is Your Life

The Birmingham Mail 1 October 1957

LAST NIGHT'S VIEWING

Veteran trouper's emotional trial

THIS Is Your Life was back with us on BBC last night.

Perhaps I am being oversensitive but no assurances about saving the victim of this human case-book from embarrassment can stop me feeling embarrassed.

Excellently produced, yes. Presented under the skilful hand of Eamonn Andrews with great tact and the right touch of restraint.

Yet it seems obvious to me that the success of this programme is gauged by the degree to which the subject reacts emotionally to the memories and people that are brought back to him.

The greater the emotion the more embarrassed I feel. It is like watching the secret feelings of someone through the keyhole of their room.

CERTAINLY I can share the fascinations of this programme which made an excellent choice last night in putting octogenarian entertainer Albert Whelan in the chair.

He stood the test wonderfully well, behaving in the manner of the finest of old troupers without being able to hide the emotion he obviously felt.

I was still left wondering what Mr Andrews will do when one of his subjects breaks down completely – and no amount of research or family assurances can guarantee that won't happen one day.

---

News Chronicle 1 October 1957

LAST NIGHT

But it was Albert who got the surprise

BILLY BUTLIN intended to take variety veteran Albert Whelan out to dinner last night. But Albert had tickets for the BBC's first presentation of the new series of This Is Your Life and he had been asked to make sure Billy Butlin went with him.

No one was more surprised than Albert when commentator Eamonn Andrews passed by the holiday camp king and asked the 82-year-old entertainer to step on to the stage.

The most touching moments of the moving half-hour came at the end when Albert's sister Flo, whom he had not seen for 30 years, walked on and embraced him.

---

The People 6 October 1957

The BBC is cannily trying, this season, to pack a punch right at the start of each evening. The early evening bait is now either an emotion-puller like This Is Your Life or a comedy show.

Last week Eamonn Andrews steered veteran Albert Whelan through his life along the usual tight wire between decent human interest and cruelty to private feelings.

---

Weekly News 10 October 1957

And now a quick review of the "new" programme of the week. This Is Your Life is no more than usually embarrassing. It was a happy thought to pick Albert Whelan; by and large, show people have more interesting things to bring and at least have the confidence to face the next mystery voice with equanimity.

---

Manchester Evening News 20 April 1959

AT 83, ALBERT (WHISTLER) WHELAN BEGINS HIS OWN STORY OF 60 YEARS IN SHOW BUSINESS

HOAXED! - BY BUTLIN AND THE BBC

"CAN you keep a secret, Mr Whelan?"

Now in all my 83 years I'd never met anyone who said "No" to that question, and I didn't intend to be the first.

But I was naturally a little puzzled, and I asked Billy Butlin's secretary, who was on the other end of the phone, to tell me more.

"I've just had a call from the BBC," she said. "They want Mr Butlin to go to the TV theatre for This Is Your Life, but he says he can't because he's having you and your wife for dinner tonight."

"That's quite right," I said, "but if you leave it to me I'll get him there for you."

On the previous day, the Sunday, we'd been down at Brighton with the Butlins.

"Why don't you both come up for dinner tomorrow night?" he had suggested, and we gladly accepted his invitation.

Over dinner I led the conversation round to TV and casually said: "I've got a couple of tickets for some show or other tonight. Couldn't we go?"

He demurred at first, but when my wife said "Oh yes, do let's!" he naturally yielded to the wishes of his guests.

DOUBLE-CROSS

AS we waited for This Is Your Life to start, Eamonn Andrews trotted around with a microphone to various celebrities in the audience, and Billy turned round to me and said: "These people are nervous... they think it's going to be them."

I was chuckling secretly and I nudged my wife. When Eamonn started moving towards us I thought: "This is it!"

And so it was – but not as I'd imagined it. For I was the victim, and there was Billy grinning like a Cheshire cat over the king-sized double cross the BBC had played on me!

I hadn't been as smart as Bud Flanagan, who told me the other night how he rumbled the BBC when they tried to get him on the programme.

They wrote and asked him to appear in a guest spot. But the initial letters in the reference at the top of the letter set him thinking: What did TIYL mean? Could it be This Is Your Life?

Since then, I am told, the BBC has been more careful.

FAMILY OF 12

I MUST confess that I don't for a moment regret being caught the way I was. This Is Your Life was a wonderful experience, and I can't describe to you the thrill of seeing my sister again that night.

The youngest of a family of 12, she and I are the only survivors, and I'd not seen her for 30 years.

Looking back, I am amazed that the BBC managed to cram so much of my long life into that half-hour.