“ITMA” PROGRAMMES TO CEASE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 78, 12 January 1949, Page 3

“ITMA” PROGRAMMES TO CEASE

LONDON, January 10. The “Itma” radio programme is dead. Twenty-four hours after its founder and leader, Tommy Handley, died in London, Ted Ka.va.nagh, the. New Zealand script writer, who was mainly responsible for the writing of the show, said: “The show will definitely end. Tommy is dead. The Show could not possibly go on without him. Tommy Handley will be cremated on Thursday—the day the 312t1i edition of “Itma” was to be broadcast. Their Majesties the King and Queen have sent a private message of sympathy to Tommy Handley’s widow. He was one of the Royal Family’s favourite comedians. The King told Handley recently: i rarely miss ‘ltma’ and I listen to the repeats as well if I can. I missed the one on the day of the wedding (of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke ot Edinburgh). 1 was sorry about that. I was told it was specially good. But you know how it is with weddings. When Princess Elizabeth was 16 the “Itma” company was invited to Windsor Castle to give a special performance. The company arrived in buses, and when the door was opened by a manservant, the manager said: “We are the party from the BBC.” Handley chipped in with : “Got any digs?” “Oh, it’s, you, Mr Handley,” said the servant. “Come this way.”

Another “Itma” listener was Mr Attlee, who, hearing that Handley was at the same public dinner one evening, asked the comedian if he would mind standing up so that everybody could see in person the man who made so many people laugh. Tributes to Handley are paid by the majority of the British newspapers this morning. One leading article referred to him as a “great jester.”