TOMMY HANDLEY DEAD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 77, 11 January 1949, Page 3

TOMMY HANDLEY DEAD

24 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE IN BROADCASTING LONDON, Jan. 9. Tommy Handley, the founder of the British Broadcasting Corporation variety programme “Itma,” died to-day. He had a stroke about midday. Fiftyfive years of age, Handley had been broadcasting for the last 24 years. Born in Liverpool, Mr Handley started work as an apprentice in the Liverpool Corn Exchange when he » was 14. After four years be became a salesman for a toy firm, but in his spare time he devoted much time to amateur theatricals, and eventually secured a place in a London show. He served with the Royal Naval Air Service during the First World War and made his first broadcast in 1924.

Not until the Second World War did Mr Handley make a real name for himself over the air. Under the title of “It’s That Man Again,” the first, of a long series of variety programmes was broadcast in July, 1939. On September 19 of that year the first programme to be written by the New Zealander, Ted Kavanagh, was broadcast from Bristol. It passed without causing a ripple on the mill-pond of public opinion, but as the war progressed so the feature gained in popularity, and the names of Handley, Kavanagh, and Francis Worsley, its producer, became almost, as well known among servicemen and women as those of their own war leaders.

The title was changed early in the war to “Itma,” which was obtained from the first letters of the original title. : ' “Itma” had numerous revivals, and each time it appeared before the listening public it was more enthusiastically received. New situations, new characters, and new catch phrases were introduced, but always with the effervescent Tommy Handley the central figure. Kavanagh’s ability to keep the programmes topical contributed much to the success of the feature. Recently the present *‘ltma” company visited the United States, where is was accorded a great reception: The 300th programme was broadcast In October.