This Is Your Life: Jack Train

Jack TRAIN (1902-1966)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Jack Train, actor, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the audience at the BBC Television Theatre.

Jack, who was born in Plymouth, began performing as an entertainer while serving with the Royal Navy during the First World War. After leaving the Navy in 1922, he found some work as an entertainer and was eventually spotted and advised to turn professional. After setting himself up with a London agent, he made his West End debut in a revue called Merry Go Round and appeared in several London theatrical productions during the 1930s.

In October 1939, he found fame through the BBC radio comedy series ITMA (It's That Man Again), playing various characters, notably Funf the German Spy and Colonel Chinstrap. Although Jack missed one series due to contracting tuberculosis, he returned and stayed with the programme until 1949. After ITMA, he became a regular panellist on the popular BBC radio quiz show Twenty Questions and appeared in several films during the 1940s.

programme details...

Edition No: 41
Subject No: 41
Broadcast live: Mon 11 Nov 1957
Broadcast time: 7.30-8.00pm
Venue: BBC Television Theatre
Series: 3
Edition: 7

on the guest list...

Mrs Knapman
Alec Luckes
Cdr Sydney Russell
Wally Goodman
Harry Grose
William Owen
Archie de Bear
Horace Percival
Dr Walter 'Paddy' Halley
Pat McGowan
Dorothy Summers
Sydney Keith
Clarence Wright
Dino Galvani
Maurice Denham
Fred Yule
Ted Kavanagh
Fay - wife
Eddie Gray

production team...

Researchers: Nigel Ward, Ray Marler
Writer: Peter Moore
Director: unknown
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

This Is Your Life

Radio Times marks the 200th edition

Maurice Denham

Photographs of Jack Train This Is Your Life

The Stage 14 November 1957

'This Is Your Life'

THE flashback of the life of Jack Train provided interesting viewing on BBC-TV on Monday, although the last few moments of the programme when he was delightedly greeted by his miniature white poodle which had been waiting for him behind the scenes, were more moving and more illuminating than much of the recalling of old memories which had gone before.

The ordeal of sitting in the public gaze whilst voices and names which haven't been heard for years were flashed before the victim in confusing profusion and speed, frequently results in the emotional aspect ousting the piquancy and entertainment value of the programme, but fortunately the programme has Eamonn Andrews, prince of comperes, to gloss swiftly over the moments when the programme is endangered through no fault of the personality involved.

Depicted against a station background and with a miniature comic engine tracing his ups and downs with sparkling humour, the life of Jack Train served well to illustrate the lives of many radio and variety personalities whose humour and hard work in the face of adversity has seen them through the days of misfortune to sunnier times.

Helping to make the programme interesting were Archie de Bear, Eddie Gray, Horace Perceval, Dorothy Summers, Sydney Keith, Clarence Wright, Dino Galvani, Fred Yule, Maurice Denham and Ted Kavanagh.

Series 3 subjects