Terry-Thomas... tells a JOKE! (Rare)

Terry-Thomas was one of the Sixties' most popular and prolific comedy ACTORS (one week, he had SIX different, current films playing in Watford's cinemas) and RARELY did standup - but here is an exception.

[@nigellambert408]

Am proud to say that my late father, Richard Lambert dreamed up that budgy joke and sent it to Terry Thomas, explaining that it was original, and that it was his if he was amused by it. Dad got a delightful reply from T.T. saying he loved it, was most grateful and hoped to include it during the series that he was currently broadcasting. He did, and there it is on KZbin !! Nigel Lambert

[@fritula6200]

Thank you for yr dear dad... and for mentioning it here on youtube...Nigel. God bless

[@lucysmith594]

How wonderful!

[@GrantTarredus]

It’s an extremely funny joke, and I’m grateful to your father for the laugh.

[@hugohackenbush3524]

Nigel mate, your dad couldn't half write a joke. An absolute belter.

[@Chipchase780]

What a truly wonderful and talented man, representative of an England that, sadly, no longer exists.

[@Globe14]

What was it like before?

[@Chipchase780]

@@Globe14 Ask your grandad.

[@Globe14]

I've studied post-war politics. My granddad's dead. Sure, I'm a Terry Rhomas fan too. But be specific. What's the change that u don't like?

[@crispindry2815]

Don't talk bollocks, you've never even been here.

[@MrSimplesimon007]

Terry at his best , a very witty and funny man , perfect timing too, an absolute genius , rotter , womanizer and cad all rolled into one! One of the greats , the man was hilarious.

[@joesmoke9624]

@@appleejack Poor dog

[@bryandunn425]

An absolute shower

[@Johnny-sj9sj]

@@appleejack You must be terrific fun at parties! Anyway, please go away, you absolute shower.

[@chuckthebull]

The uppercrust English delivery style always made me laugh and find it even more humorous..if I imitate an English gent i channel his imitation..

[@FranssensM]

“You’re a sh’ar, an Absolute ruddy Sh’ar” This is Terry Toothbury Thomas signing orf. Quite an exceptional character Terry created. Then he lived that part throughout his life. He was adored overseas, especially in America. So sad to see that clip on KZbin of him just before the end. Where the villa in Ibiza, and all those millions went we may never know.

[@diyson]

I loved Terry Thomas. School for Scoundrels with Ian Carmichael. One of my all-time favorite Ealing comedies.

[@nigelcarren]

"It's the new Bellini!" 😉🇬🇧

[@Parawingdelta2]

Loved Terry Thomas. I only had to see him appear and I would start to smile.

[@MrNaKillshots]

A marvellous actor. I read about his demise; virtually penniless and looked after by his wife in depressing conditions. Criminal.

[@philipfrancis7303]

And well done to Bob Monkhouse who contributed £1000 to help towards Terry's upkeep.

[@scottishbanjo]

I believe there was a concert held for him

[@badweetabix]

He became virtually penniless because Parkinson's Disease ended his livelihood and he had to spend what money he had on medical expenses. This happens to millions of people around the world, but you don't know it because they are not famous with fans to help them out.

[@orchardist6529]

The great One and only Terry Thomas whose genius was perfect timing. Thank you.

[@johnny5tunes]

The Green Man, It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World,Too Many Crooks,Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines…. to name a few, The guy was quality!!!!!

[@hugohackenbush8605]

Absolutely brilliant. Terry Thomas was a true comedy genius.

[@b.b.finsclara3589]

I adore-d him!!!! What a talent....his style mesmerized me. I repeat and view and view his past movies over and over when i want a good laugh. I have very few original talents that get near this talent....I miss him!

[@LaPtiteAnglaise]

Love the ease with which he slips in to his native ‘Norf Lundun’ twang. Grew up In Finchley. Dad worked around Smithfield Market - went to public school at 13. He could do both voices convincingly.

[@JimMcDade_Exploration]

Thanks for posting this. Terry Thomas was one of the few comics who could make both American and British audiences laugh at his material in those days. It used to be a lot tougher for a comic to work both sides of the pond successfully. He was a very funny man.

[@pondlife1952]

He was very successful in French comedy films too...always the caricature Englishman but speaking French; I seen friends doubled up in laughter at him.

[@JK_Clark]

Spent his last years living in virtual obscurity, poverty and ill health. Very sad.

[@harrismiller1948]

Now that's what i call comedy!

[@kanifuker721]

Maybe tougher for Yanks but British actors/comedians have thrived in Yankland since the 1910's.

[@johnsm9339]

the one and only great Terry Thomas, so many loved his acting sadly missed and his talent never to be seen again

[@JACKnJESUS]

Brilliant comedic actor. Now I can suggest a sleeper movie (for most I imagine), and it can be tricky to find...last time I checked anyway....the film 'I'm All Right Jack'. Stunning cast including Peter Sellers in an early standout performance...as well as Terry-Thomas. Brilliant British humour. Satire at its best!

[@dwaynepipe59]

Although his posh accent was fairly genuine (unlike some other actors) he was also a gifted voice actor. If he were with us today, he could make a good living from that alone - but it was the COMBINATION of that voice and that FACE that made him unique.

[@hudson7354]

Are you still alive ? 9 years is a long time just wondering.

[@hiltonchapman4844]

@@hudson7354 Re your query for the OP @dwaynepipe59: "Are you still alive? Nine years is a long time..." Naah! I bet he's still alive and healthy. Nine years ago they didn't have coof-coof and the world hadn't taken leave of its senses. Now, if it's not coof-coof that'll be the death of us, it will be Brandon and TrueDope and Jacksinna and BoZo ably assisted by Fauci and Billions and Sore-Arse... So, nine years is no need to worry... I've been around since '53, so there... HC-JAIPUR (22/02/2022)

[@MacJaxonManOfAction]

@@hudson7354 Are you still alive? 2 days is a long time ;)

[@mikejohnson2638]

His posh accent was far from genuine, he was brought up in a very poor, working class background.

[@hudson7354]

@@MacJaxonManOfAction oh you didn’t die ? Bloody liars thing there so funny spreading rumours

[@jamespitman2373]

My most profound greetings to our man, Sir Hiss🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@paulhanson5164]

Many of my favourite films as a child in the 60s and 70s had Terry Thomas playing an absolute stinker, couldn't wait for him to come on screen. Sat my grandkids down recently to watch Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines and they were laughing just as much as I was 50 years ago.

[@robedmunds7163]

Part of my childhood, brilliant.

[@streetcat1510]

He was brilliant alongside Peter Sellers in the film Tom Thumb.

[@heavyshift1]

My dad Ian Wallace was the cobbler in that film!😌

[@charliewatson4248]

such a bounder. PURE CLASS!!!

[@johnmcdonagh9834]

He made "it's a mad mad world". I say old chap. He was brilliant, he was the best rouge of all time in any film, so so funny

[@TallSilentGuy]

I love the way his accent changes back and forth.

[@Neil_Gibson]

Terry Thomas, a one off! You couldn’t help but love him!

[@firstlast5350]

Great comic actor.

[@philipbussey4658]

School for scoundrels,absolute classic, the tennis match with Ian Carmicheal, hard cheese!

[@peterfranks6243]

"What a rotten shower" ....God bless you Terry may you rest in peace

[@philjamieson5572]

Excellent. Thanks for this. Unique stuff.

[@jbailor13]

Very different to hear Terry-Thomas sound working class... he was exceptional.

[@WgCdrLuddite]

Yes. Interesting to hear him occasionally slip into that awful London accent.

[@skf-sarfrazkayanifoundatio6065]

Absolutely awesome class was Terry. Trademark smile with that profound gap in his teeth and sadly his life was hindered by his poor health. Indeed one of those funny british comedians

[@JIMuser-vh3Zxx]

Absolute brilliant . Loved watching this genius man

[@johnmh1000]

I'm so glad that there are folk out there that can relate and sometimes remember this icon (the word used advisory). I think a sad life at the end, but we can enjoy his on-screen work?

[@McMoidart]

Terry's cousin Richard Briers told the story about his parents inviting Terry to Richard's first stage play and during the performance they turned to Terry and asked how long he thought the play would run - to which Terry replied "What's the time now!" Perfect comedic timing.

[@dcw1467]

lmao !!!.........He was a comedic genius.

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

Richard said that one day Terry called him Ricardo and never called him Richard again. No explanation as to why and everyone just accepted that that was Terry called him now.

[@brettmillman9137]

Love watching Terry. He made some great movies. Very funny man, thanks for posting this. 🙂

[@WizardOfHumor1989]

The voice of Prince John's advisor Sir Hiss the Snake in disney's Robin Hood.

[@coleturner9106]

Still down as the actor though. He said he could still work but was reduced to supporting roles and cameos, hence the snake. Who knows, if he was well he could have played someone like King John.

[@denisestover2416]

Really??? Was Mr. Terry Thomas the voice of Sir 🐍Hissssss in Disney’s Robin Hood? If yes, I bet that he would make use of the large gap/space between the middle of the centrals (his top front 2 teeth) to accentuate the ‘snake-y snake-like’ sounds that Sir Hisssss “said”😉!!! Excellent characterization! I used to like to hear Sir Hiss-a-lot ssspeak! How cool! Thank you for sharing that information with us! God Bless!!!

[@alking7655]

@@denisestover2416 Yes, if you look at the cast list of voice talent at the beginning of the film, you'll see he is listed.

[@jofollini3480]

That's three

[@llynfach]

Oh, I so love T-T. Only England could have produced such a comedic genius.

[@Clipgatherer]

+Ilynfach. Even though ’T-T’ was actually born in South Africa.

[@Dallas-Nyberg]

Loved him.... RIP Terry Thomas

[@robleary3353]

The ultimate Cad and Bounder! RIP Terry, thanks for the laughs and rougish characters!

[@andywright3450]

Pure genius great actor sadly missed by many r I p

[@flamencoprof]

IIRC my earliest memory of this man was when, as a child, I saw the film "Tom Thumb ". He formed my epitome of the moustache-twirling villain.

[@Milesco]

Love his upper-crust British accent. Makes everything he says even funnier. 🤣

[@justanimationsv2.188]

Such a British icon, Love the vocabulary he talks with

[@william.patrickmahonev6922]

Legend, great guy great comedy actor.

[@dwaynepipe59]

His origin WAS working class - his Dad was a porter at Smithfield Market. But as a boy growing up, developing a love for the theatre, he reasoned that a "classy" accent would get him more work. He began by imitating a popular actor of the time, then got into extra work, becoming a dancing partner of Jessie Matthews' sister - all of which helped him to hone the accent and character we are all familiar with. But his roots enabled him to revert back to a working class accent when required (rarely!)

[@69Phuket]

Can't believe it... Sorry!

[@stevepayne5965]

@@69Phuket It's true. He was born in Peckham.

[@TheSealOfTheRose]

His father was NOT a Porter, he was a master Butcher at Smithfield and successful enough to send Terry to Ardingly College!

[@13thcentury]

@@stevepayne5965 Finchley is not in Peckham!

[@artistjoh]

While such old wive's tales about Terry Thomas may be something you might want to believe, a couple of minutes of research reveals that he was born at 53 Lichfield Grove, Finchley, and his father was managing director of a meat trading company with premises at Smithfield Market. While was from an upper middle class background his stage accent was deiberately tuned to make himself sound even more posh than he really was. He was quoted as saying "using good speech automatically suggested that you were well-educated and made people look up to you." He modeled his speech on that of Owen Nares and his clothing on that of Douglas Fairbanks. While he might have tipped a porter at Smithfield Markets, his father was definitely not himself a porter. However, while his basic accent was middle class, he was exposed to many working class accents at the markets and this gave him a grounding in the richness of language to communicate and to manipulate people's expectations.

[@markherzog9484]

Classic! Didn’t see that coming….😂😂😂

[@vjhooperuk]

OMG!! In all these years I have never, ever heard the great, TT speak anything other than 'Posh' Upper class English!! To see & hear him talk with an East End / Cockny / Londoner accent, is so daft! LOL. RIP & thanks for the giggles over the years! x

[@ivanmcallister8546]

Absolutely priceless 👌

[@Muswell]

I love TT & have several DVDs. He was born in 1911, died in 1990. But look at the news clip on here of just before he died - living in poverty with Parkinson's. Heartbreaking.

[@dps8435]

I too saw that clip,and I cried,I think the man was hilarious,and who is this delightful creature,you man you're an absolute shower,now he was a star.

[@kimtodd1202]

One of the best jokes i heard T T tell was...... "I've been a master of disguise since the day i was born. My father looked at me n said that's no son of mine".......

[@arranshirovay6107]

such a great british icon

[@sitarnut]

Delivers a great performance in, "Danger Diabolik."

[@jbailor13]

I had no knowledge of his upbringing, but the above story illustrates his genius. He played the Toff so well no one--including myself-- could ever imagine him as anything else.

[@robbryant52]

He was a rare breed brilliant

[@mikelheron20]

This was my dad's favourite joke.

[@mickwakefield1874]

Your dad had class

[@cc-fc6oi]

omg sir hiss teeth gap is inspired from his very own teeth! love it

[@poppaD75]

I love this guy!

[@RobertAgarHutton]

A lovely old joke (it was probably an old joke back when TT told it) told beautifully.

[@flappospammo]

A true comedy legend

[@leeneale8776]

Watch ''Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World'' ... one of the greatest comedies ever :)

[@williephimister1942]

A real star.

[@lliamjurdom9505]

Hahahahahahahahaha thank you Terry darling thank you and RIP

[@sunnyduscle]

I had to rewind to make sure this was TT speaking a with a working class accent. He was one of the greats. Sad end to his life though.

[@nickrichards3841]

A real genius who unfortunately ended his life in abject poverty though finally some fellow celebrities helped him. There’s a very sad photo of him sitting in a chair in real squalid conditions with his wife tending to him. Very sad

[@MrNaKillshots]

I saw that. A disgraceful way for an English icon to fade away.

[@stuartmenziesfarrant]

Good old TT. Best of British!

[@delkahchop3612]

THANKS FOR THIS POST!

[@Tom.Livanos]

[laugh]... Never heard of this guy, never seen him before, wouldn't know if this was rare or was a global sensation, just popped up as a recommended video... haha... so anti-climactic. Such a life-lesson too. The difference between need and want. God bless ya man - and this Terry-Thomas fellow. 😊

[@Milesco]

He was hilarious in _It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World._ If you haven't seen it, you must!

[@Tom.Livanos]

@@Milesco Hehehehehe... I have heard of that movie. Okay, thanks for the tip :).

[@andrewbarrett2685]

Priceless 😂

[@madgebishop5409]

that was actually really funny! what a legend!

[@MrThomascow]

We learn everyday thanks

[@josephlandrut4154]

Terry was a super British star and not always a cad

[@johnknowles1382]

Great actor 👏 👍

[@billywol9714]

Classic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@jakethekipper]

Absolute shaaaarr

[@ututura]

The budgerigar, informally nicknamed the budgie, is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot, and the only species in the Australian genus Melopsittacus.

[@Hz-432Hz]

"how careless" lol

[@nickofriant8512]

"HISS! YOU'RE NEVER AROUND I NEED YOU!!!"

[@BGreenClassics]

LOL!! Oh my word, that's hysterical!

[@hugohackenbush3524]

Pure class.

[@williamewing5509]

I saw Terry Thomas in the cinema in a commercial it was before the cigarette advertising was banned as he was supposed to be stealing Gold bars from inside the bank but he was stealing all of the Benson and Hedges cigarettes from inside the cigarette machine as I am dedicating this old TV commercial of as I also saw him in a few movies of Terry Thomas in Tom Thumb and in two horror movies with Vincent Price in The Abonable Doctor Phibes to my old school friends who are both sisters as I hope to see them both again very soon to Chris and Hester Brand from Billyxxx

[@Philo68]

Old as the hills! Salute SIR Terry. Edited for autocorrect.

[@PeterPete]

Quasimodo runs down the street being chased by a group of youths, as he runs Quasi turns his head to the youths and shouts "No! I haven't got your damn ball!!"

[@eddierae8945]

I say,. The great Terry Thomas, hilarious,

[@jimcobain4381]

Very well told 😂

[@WizardOfHumor1989]

“I knew it! I knew it! I just knew this would happen! I tried to warn you but no no no, you wouldn’t listen. You just had to AAH AAH AAAAAAH!! SEVEN YEARS BAD (*mirror smashes*) luck! That’s what it is! Besides, you broke your mother’s mirror!” Sir Hiss

[@martinshannon7632]

Lol Brill, what a funny cad

[@ACME22]

❤ It's a great joke. Talking from personal experience, it only seems to work when he tells it. 😢

[@markharrington8988]

Classic.

[@sonnyfabich2226]

"You're an absolute shower!!"

[@benclarke1614]

I don’t know if his conditions worsened but I worked for a painting firm on his house in a mews flat in Kensington he was bedridden at the time so we didn’t actually see him. He heard we had to walk twenty minutes each way to a working man’s cafe each morning for our fry up(essential)part of life for a building worker back then. We turned up one morning and his wife said Terry wants you have breakfast here. So for the rest of the job she cooked us the full English though from what I remember she wasn’t English. So he was no cad or blunder in reality just a proper gent.

[@drloku8182]

I was searching for Terry Thomas sign.... any medico here!!

[@paulfromdevon4707]

Watch him in Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Brilliant 😅

[@jbailor13]

So true.

[@tapdance86]

That was hilarious! XD great stuff!

[@MrSupro]

This is the father of The Dead Parrot Sketch.

[@salvelegio1425]

.....now look here old chap....

[@vespelian]

Pure claas. He was brilliant at being seedy and a bit bogus, which was being true to himself, as he was a self created gent, his origins were very working class

[@matthewdorrington4348]

Appsalut shower lol

[@creamofcardstv]

masterpiece

[@viveksharma4472]

Coming here after reading Terry Thomas sign of Scaphoid lunate dislocation 😌

[@marvinthemaniac7698]

The only movie I've ever seen him in was Disney's Robin Hood.

[@spikeybaby1735]

check out school for scoundrels, brilliant

[@marvinthemaniac7698]

@@spikeybaby1735 will do

[@jockellis]

Pity there was no CGI in his day. Paul Gallico (The Poseidon Adventure wrote a love story involving the Royal Artillary on Malta and if a movie involving a couple of packs of “filthy apes” could have been made then, Mr. Thomas would have made the perfect brigadier. The book is titled Scruffy if you ever want to read it and put Mr. Thomas in the brig’s spot.

[@jeffreyhunter4966]

It's Sir Hiss

[@alanprior7650]

The late great TT!