Tommy Cooper

Born: 1921-03-19

Born in Caerphilly, South Wales, at 19 Llwyn Onn Street, Trecenydd, Cooper was delivered by the woman who owned the house in which the family was lodging. His parents were Welsh-born army recruiting sergeant father Thomas H. (Tom) Cooper, and his English-born wife Gertrude (née Gertrude C. Wright) from Crediton, Devon. In light of the heavily polluted air and the offer of a job for his father, the family moved to Exeter, Devon, when Cooper was three and gained the West Country accent that was part of his act. The family lived in the back of Haven Banks, where Cooper attended Mount Radford School for Boys, and helped his parents run their ice cream van, which attended fairs on the weekend. At the age of eight an aunt bought Cooper a magic set and he spent hours perfecting the tricks. Magic ran in his family—his brother David (born 1930) opened a magic shop in the 1960s in Slough High Street (then Buckinghamshire now Berkshire) called D. & Z. Cooper's Magic Shop. On 15 April 1984, Cooper collapsed and soon after died from a heart attack in front of millions of television viewers, midway through his act on the London Weekend Television variety show Live From Her Majesty's, transmitted live from Her Majesty's Theatre. His stage persona required that his act intentionally went wrong for comic purposes, leading to some initial uncertainty about whether this collapse was real.


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The Plank

as Larger Workman
Released: 1967-05-18

A slapstick comedy about two workmen delivering planks to a building site. This is done with...

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And the Same to You

as Horace Hawkins
Released: 1960-02-01

Dickie Dreadnought is the boxing-mad nephew of pious clergyman Reverend Sydney Mullet. To...

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Tommy Cooper - A Feztival Of Fun With Tommy Cooper

as Himself
Released: 2001-09-16

Join in this feztival of fun which contains the best loved sketches and classic routines from...

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The Cool Mikado

as Pooh-Bah, Private Detective
Released: 1963-01-07

In this musical, the Gilbert and Sullivan classic is updated and set in post-war Japan. This...

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Parkinson at 50

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2021-08-28

Sir Michael Parkinson looks back over his 50 years as a broadcaster, revealing some tricks of...

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An Audience with Joan Rivers

as uncredited
Released: 1984-03-17

The shockingly controversial, outrageous, and wickedly funny comedienne performing live in front...

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Just Like That!

as Self (archival footage)
Released: 1989-01-01

Just Like That! is a celebration of the comic genius of Tommy Cooper] - just like that! But...

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It's Your Move

as Big Removal Man
Released: 1982-10-18

A silent slapstick comedy depicting the travails of young couple moving into a new home, who...

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The Best of Tommy Cooper

as Self
Released: 2004-05-17

In his trademark fez, look of heroic confusion and perfect sense of comic timing, Tommy Cooper...

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Tommy Cooper - The Magic Touch

as uncredited
Released: 1993-01-01

Tommy Cooper, the hapless magician who was in a league of his own, is joined here by a...

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Tommy Cooper - Tribute To A Comic Genius

as uncredited
Released: 2000-10-09

Tommy Cooper, one of Britain's most loved magicians, features in some of the best sketches from...

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Tommy Cooper: In His Own Words

as uncredited
Released: 2018-12-25

An affectionate look back at Tommy Cooper's life and career. Sir Michael Parkinson, Jimmy...

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Tommy Cooper - The Very Best Of

as himself
Released: 2006-09-04

Tommy Cooper's comedy was timeless, a true original who was everyone's favourite clown. Wearing...

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Tommy Cooper at the BBC

as Self (archive footage)
Released:

To mark 100 years since the birth of comedy legend Tommy Cooper, Sir Lenny Henry - one of...

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Tommy Cooper: Master Of Comedy

as uncredited
Released: 1997-03-12

A Fez-tival of Fun! Join the feztival of fun which contains the best loved sketches and...

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An Audience with...

as Self
First aired: 1978-01-08

An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by London Weekend...

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The Bruce Forsyth Show

as uncredited
First aired: 1959-03-29

Beginning in 1959 as Bruce's Show, mixing music, dancing and comedy in the time honoured...

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The Tommy Cooper Hour

as uncredited
First aired: 1973-10-31

Tommy Cooper stars in a series of hour-long specials dedicated to his unique and hilarious blend...

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The Tommy Cooper Hour

as Self
First aired: 1973-10-31

Tommy Cooper stars in a series of hour-long specials dedicated to his unique and hilarious blend...

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It's Tommy Cooper

as uncredited
First aired: 1970-02-07

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Cooper

as Self
First aired: 1975-10-15

The incomparable master of muffed magic returns with this six-part series from 1975. There are...

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Life With Cooper

as uncredited
First aired: 1966-12-31

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Cooper - Just Like That

as uncredited
First aired: 1978-09-11

'Tragic magic' rules in this six-part series from 1978, which saw Tommy Cooper at the height of...

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