Spike Milligan (April 16 1918 - February 27, 2002) was an Irish comedian, novelist, poet, jazz musician (trumpet) and member of the Goons born Terence Alan Milligan in Ahmed Nagar, India. . Spike Milligan suffered from bipolar disorder for most of his life, having at least ten breakdowns. He was a strident campaigner on environmental matters, particularly arguing against unnecessary noise. He served in the Royal Artillery in World War 2 in North Africa and also Italy, where he was hospitalized for shell shock.
He was the primary author of the Goon Show scripts as well as a performer, and is considered the "father" of modern British comedy, having inspired many performers, notably Monty Python's Flying Circus.
In a BBC poll in August 1999, Spike Milligan was voted the 'funniest person of the last 1000 years'.
Radio Comedy shows:
TV Comedy shows:
- The Goon Show
- "A Show Called Fred"
- "Son of Fred"
- Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7 and Q8 (?)
Movies:
- "The Bed Sitting Room" (1969), post-nuclear-war comedy with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore
- "The Great McGonagall", untalented Scottish poet angles to become laureate, with Peter Sellers as Queen Victoria.
- "The Mukkinese Battle Horn", a Goon-like comedy
- "The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film", a silent comedy, Richard Lester's debut film.
- The prophet abandoned by his flock in Life of Brian.
- The meter reader who ate the ticket in The Magic Christian.
- "The Last Remake of Beau Geste", with Marty Feldman.
Books:
- Silly Verse for Kids
- Puckoon
- The Bedside Milligan
- "The War Memoirs"
- Adolf Hitler, My Part in his Downfall (Milligan played his own father in the film version of this book.)
- Rommel? Gunner Who? A Confrontation in the Desert
- Monty: His Part in My Victory
- Hidden Words: Collected Poems
- Transport of Delight
- Peace Work
- Depression and How to Survive It (with Professor Anthony Clare), medical biography.
Quotations:
- "When I look back, the fondest memory I have is not really of the Goons. It is of a girl called Julia with enormous breasts."
Resources: