This Is Your Life: Ben Lyon

Ben LYON (1901-1979)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Ben Lyon, actor and film executive, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the foyer of the BBC Television Theatre, having been led to believe he was there to take part in a different programme.

Ben, who was born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, began his career with Famous Players Film Company in New York in 1918. Through appearances in numerous films and several Broadway plays, he secured a Hollywood contract, achieving success as a leading actor in the 1930 film Hell's Angels.

During the Second World War, Ben and his wife, actress Bebe Daniels, settled in London, where they starred in the radio series Hi, Gang! and later Life with the Lyons, which featured their real-life children, and became radio's longest-running comedy series before transferring to television. In addition, Ben worked as a London-based casting director and talent scout for 20th Century Fox.

programme details...

Edition No: 218
Subject No: 219
Broadcast date: Tue 12 Mar 1963
Broadcast time: 7.55-8.25pm
Recorded: Mon 4 Mar 1963 8.00pm
Venue: BBC Television Theatre
Series: 8
Edition: 23

on the guest list...

Anna Neagle
Col Roscoe Turner
Bebe Daniels - wife
Rita Andre
Vic Oliver
May Goldsmith
Janette Scott
Molly Weir
Doris Rogers
Barbara - daughter
Richard - son
Angela - daughter-in-law
Penelope - granddaughter
Gloria Swanson
Gen Ira C Eaker

production team...

Researcher: unknown
Writer: unknown
Director: Vere Lorrimer
Producer: T Leslie Jackson

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

An Actor's Life For Me

spotlight on the stars

Eamonn Looks Back

first-hand recollections

Anna Neagle

Molly Weir

Photographs of Ben Lyon This Is Your Life

Molly Weir recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in her book, Spinning Like a Peerie...

Although I was delighted to be picking up all sorts of little jobs from various sources, the odd lecture, a little part with Arthur Askey in an Alan Melville revue, and on one memorable day, three broadcasts booked in the space of a single hour, I hadn't heard anything from the Lyons for months. Just when I was contemplating ringing the shop to find out how they were all surviving, the telephone rang, and it was the BBC. Could I come along to Broadcasting House to discuss something which they thought would interest me?

Of course I could.

And when I got there, I discovered they were going to feature Ben in This is Your Life.

It would be lovely to be with them all again, and I could just imagine Bebe's joy in plunging into all the secret arrangements attendant on such a show, and organising all the details like a battle. I was most impressed with the thoroughness of the BBC in maintaining absolute secrecy. They actually swapped theatres to make sure Ben would suspect nothing, for they reasoned he would be well aware of the theatre from which they normally did This is Your Life and so they booked him for what he thought was an appearance with a comedy show, in the Light Entertainment theatre.

We all went to the BBC separately for the early briefing, which was well ahead of the This is Your Life performance, and I had a little chat with the producer and we decided what my contribution would be from the multitude of incidents which we'd enjoyed through eleven years of working together. I was given my little piece to say out of vision, and told they would contact me again later.

On the day, we all made our way separately to the theatre, like a spy operation, and were swiftly allocated to our various dressing rooms. We had make-up of course, and hairdressers, and I was wearing my hair up on top of my head in a bun for the first time in public. Sandy always preferred my hair up, so I'd just let it grow until I could wind it round a bun, and the family were quite taken aback at my changed appearance. I also wore a pale green cocktail dress, instead of the usual cashmere and skirt 'Lyons' Aggie outfit', and felt no end of a swell!

As always, wherever I am there is an association with food. We were all getting to the teeth-chattering stage with nerves, awaiting the arrival of Ben, which wouldn't be for over an hour, and we had already gone through the details of where we would stand, where the mikes would be, and the order in which we would come on. This was the moment, I decided, when food would settle our fluttering stomachs, and warm us up. Nerves either have you freezing cold or gasping with heat. It was March, and we were freezing.

It didn't take ten minutes to get it organised, and almost before I knew it, my dressing room had become a running buffet. Everybody crowded in. Secretaries, hairdressers, Vic Oliver, Doris Rogers, Anna Neagle, Janette Scott, Barbara and Richard, and the unexpectedness of the party atmosphere enabled all of us to relax and enjoy one another's company. Vic Oliver told us how much he was appreciating the variety of his professional life just then. What with conducting orchestras, doing his act in variety, and performing the odd play he had a full and busy life, and the use of each facet of his acting prevented his ever feeling that he was getting stale. How I agreed with him. Variety is truly the spice of life, and it's lovely when one gets the chance to extend all one's talents in every possible direction. Bebe used to tell me that Vic Oliver felt he was unemployed if he didn't have at least three engagements per day. Just as Sir Ralph Richardson declared he must have his 'daily fright', tearing around London on a powerful motor bike, Vic had to have a crammed diary before he felt he was living. A pace which was to kill him in the end, in a country far from home. But that was a long way ahead.

Bebe of course didn't join us for food. She was far too busy studying the sheets giving the running order, holding them in hands which shook, and I was alarmed at how thin, and nervy and jumpy she was. Barbara too looked very gaunt, and Richard, with two abscesses in his mouth looked like death. Doris Rogers was just recovering from pneumonia and was half her usual size. In fact when Sandy saw us all later, he said Ben and I were the only two healthy-looking people in the entire cast.

The show itself was an enormous success. The audience fairly made the rafters ring when Eamonn appeared, and confronted Ben at the stage door, with the famous red book. Ben had thought he was appearing with Anna Neagle, to do an interview! We saw it all on the monitors and then leaped to the wings to be ready to say our introductory phrases out of sight. Bebe chose to say, 'BEN LYON THIS IS YOUR WIFE'.

The audience oohed and aahed when Richard's wife Angela came on with their first baby, and I must say the photographs later showed everyone in sparkling form. When I came on. Ben, who hadn't ever seen me with the bun on top of my head, took my hands and said 'Gee, Aggie, you look cute - that hair is a great idea, it'll get you work.' How right he was, although I didn't take it in just then. I was far too excited to be on the same stage with Anna Neagle, Vic Oliver, and the whole Lyon family, and to be seeing Bebe shedding all her nervous tension and basking once more in the warm applause of an adoring audience. Ben was thrilled to the core to be the centre of This Is Your Life, and at the party afterwards he was in great form, laughing and joking and teasing everybody.

Series 8 subjects