This Is Your Life: Billy Marsh

Billy MARSH (1917-1995)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Billy Marsh, theatrical agent, was surprised by Michael Aspel - with the help of entertainer Bruce Forsyth - at Thames Television's Teddington Studios, where he was expecting to watch an auditon.

Billy, who was born on a farm near Dover, began his show business career in 1939 as a backstage assistant for a touring review company. His big break came when Bernard Delfont offered him a job with his theatrical agency, and for 35 years Billy was managing director of the light entertainment division of London Management, responsible for top-of-the-bill performers including Morecambe and Wise, Frankie Vaughan, Norman Wisdom and Bruce Forsyth.

Billy was also responsible for booking and preparing the annual Royal Variety Performance, programmimg London's then no 1 nightspot, The Talk of the Town, and presenting the British tours of such Hollywood stars as Bette Davis and Laurel and Hardy. He founded his own agency, Billy Marsh Associates, in 1987.

"Well, I'm a theatrical agent - not a theatrical performer! Well, thank you, well - it's beyond me to say any more!"

programme details...

Edition No: 780
Subject No: 769
Broadcast date: Wed 28 Mar 1990
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Tue 20 Mar 1990
Venue: Teddington Studios
Series: 30
Edition: 23
Code name: Field

on the guest list...

Bruce Forsyth
Rolf Harris
Jimmy Logan
Bonnie Langford
Keith Harris and Orville
Nicholas Parsons
Leslie Crowther
Anne Shelton
Jan Kennedy
Theo - sister
Michael Middleton
Tim Holtom
Bill Cotton
Mike Yarwood
Davy Kaye
Serge Ganjou
Juanita
Norman Wisdom
Robert Nesbitt
Paul Nicholas
Lady McIndoe
Tom Gleave
Ernie Wise
Doreen Wise
Joan Morecambe
Lord Delfont
Michael Grade

production team...

Researchers: Sue Green, Claire Jenkinson
Writer: Roy Bottomley
Directors: Brian Klein, John Birkin
Associate Producer: John Graham
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

That's Entertainment

there's no business like it

Screenshots of Billy Marsh This Is Your Life

Producer Malcolm Morris recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is My Life...

One of our very best Lifes was for Billy Marsh, who is an institution in the world of theatre, film and television. He is one of the most respected show business agents and it was for this reason that we broke one of our unwritten rules on the series. We never usually feature producers, agents or managers because it puts the guest artists who appear on the programme in a false light. They are, after all, only connected to that person through business reasons and those are the wrong reasons for the programme, but Billy Marsh was an exception as he is a man who transcends the normal professional relationship with artists.

Our programme included the likes of Bruce Forsyth, Norman Wisdom, Leslie Crowther, Michael Grade, Mike Yarwood and many others. It was a very moving evening. Billy was brought into the studios by his partner Jan Kennedy, expecting to see a studio audition, so he was stunned to see the full audience and cameras waiting for him.

He was reminded of the programme once again a few weeks later when he was presented to the Queen Mother at a special reception. The Queen Mother, who recognised Billy from all the Royal Variety Shows he put on, stopped the procession to ask him how he enjoyed his This Is Your Life. After hearing his answer the Queen Mother moved up the line until another thought crossed her mind. She stopped and went back to Billy, causing some small chaos (processions are not designed to go in reverse), to ask him specifically whether he had been surprised by the Red Book.

Series 30 subjects