| Rod Hull | |
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| Born | Rodney Stephen Hull August 13, 1935 Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England |
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| Died | March 17, 1999 (aged 63) Winchelsea, near Rye, East Sussex |
| Cause of death | Fall from roof |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Comedian |
Rodney Stephen Hull (13 August 1935–17 March 1999), better known as Rod Hull, was a popular entertainer on British television in the 1970s and 1980s. Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This article is about the Isle of Sheppey in northern Kent not to be confused with Shepway in south-eastern Kent KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) This article concerns the town in the United Kingdom For the town in Victoria Australia see Winchelsea Victoria. Rye ( Secale cereale) is a grass grown extensively as a grain and forage crop East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic He rarely appeared without Emu, a mute, highly aggressive arm-length puppet of such a bird. Emu is a Puppet Emu given to the late Rod Hull in the 1960s while Hull was presenting a children's breakfast A puppet is a representational figure manipulated by a Puppeteer. The Emu ( Dromaius novaehollandiae, is the largest Bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the Genus He died after falling from the roof of his house, whilst trying to adjust the TV aerial in order to get a better picture for a football match he was keen to see.
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Career
Hull was born in the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England in 1935. This article is about the Isle of Sheppey in northern Kent not to be confused with Shepway in south-eastern Kent KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland [1] He attended Delemark Road School and the County Technical School, Sheerness. Sheerness (ˈʃɪərnɪs is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England When he left school, he trained as an electrician but moved to Australia in the early 1960s. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. [2] It was there that he first worked in television, at first behind the cameras as a lighting technician with TCN Channel Nine in Sydney. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 [1] He then began performing, notably as Constable Clot in Channel Nine's Kaper Kops, a regular segment in its children's afternoon programming. Clot proved very popular and soon gained his own segment, Clot in the Clouds, which depicted Constable Clot daydreaming about having other professions, such as a world famous brain surgeon, 'Blood Clot'.
Later he worked on a children's breakfast TV programme, The Super Flying Fun Show, and first used Emu as a puppet. There are conflicting reports as to how this came about: Hull stated, "Sure I found him in a cupboard but I had put him there in the first place. I concocted him, nobody else. " However, a Channel Nine producer, Jim Badger, recalled that he had requested a reluctant Hull to use Emu. [1] The bird subsequently became a regular part of Hull's set on cabarets back in the United Kingdom and Australia. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located
Hull returned to Britain in 1971 and signed with International Artists (after Emu tore up the office). [1] Soon after, his Australian success translated to his native country with Hull appearing on several children's and adult light entertainment shows.
He began on an ITV show, Saturday Variety, but it was his appearance in the 1972 Royal Variety Performance that provided his springboard to national recognition. The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, normally [1]
Emu
Hull's puppet represented a side of his personality that enabled the entertainer to create a kind of gleeful havoc, while seemingly being not to blame for it. This was aided by the simple yet effective conceit of a false arm attached to Hull's jacket, which cradled the emu, therefore making it appear that the neck and head moved of its own volition. This seemingly independent movement gave the bird its own personality, which entailed sudden, unprovoked and aggressive attacks on anyone and anything that came too close. During these, Hull would make half-hearted attempts to pull the badly-behaved bird away from its victim but would often become embroiled in the fracas, rolling around on the floor to create a scene of mayhem.
It was during the 1970s that Hull and the uncontrollable Emu made their most famous appearances. The bird repeatedly attacked Michael Parkinson during a 1976 edition of his eponymous chat show, eventually causing the interviewer to fall off his chair. Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE (born March 28 1935) is an English broadcaster and Journalist. Parkinson was a British television Chat show presented by Sir Michael Parkinson. [2] Fellow guest Billy Connolly threatened, "If that bird comes anywhere near me, I'll break its neck and your bloody arm!". Billy Connolly, CBE (born William Connolly Jr on 24 November, 1942) is a Scottish Perhaps mindful of his professional future, Hull swiftly got his "pet" back on best behaviour. In later years, Parkinson always lamented the fact that despite all the star guests he had interviewed during his career, he would always be remembered for "that bloody bird".
There were no apparent boundaries for Emu's outrageous behaviour. In 1972, it ate The Queen Mother's bouquet of flowers during the after-show line-up at the aforementioned Royal Variety Performance. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Elizabeth Angela Marguerite 4 August 1900 &ndash 30 March 2002 was the Queen Consort of King George [2] During an appearance on The Tonight Show, he even attacked Richard Pryor in one of the comedian's first public appearances after undergoing major emergency reconstructive surgery on his face. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was a late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the ''Tonight Show'' franchise from 1962 Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III ( December 1, 1940 &ndash December 10, 2005) was an American Comedian, Actor [3] However, Hull was careful to tailor the bird's conduct according to his audience, and always ensured that it displayed a friendly demeanour when in the company of children.
Hull and Emu were regulars on the Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show, which aired for one season as a Saturday morning kids' show on CBS in 1974. The Hudson Brothers are an American music group formed in Portland Oregon in the 1970s and consisting of Bill Hudson, Brett Hudson and CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.
During the 1980s Hull was a multi-millionaire, thanks to his anarchic puppet, and enjoyed huge success with Emu's World and Emu's All Live Pink Windmill Show. Emu's All Live Pink Windmill Show was an anarchic British television Children's ITV series of the 1980s featuring star The record viewership for his main show, Emu's Broadcasting Company (1975–1980), was 11 million. However, he later suffered financial difficulties and was declared bankrupt in 1994. Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their Creditors Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against
Later life
In the late 1980s Hull bought Restoration House in Rochester for £387,000, but went bankrupt renovating it. Restoration House in Rochester, Kent, is a fine example of an Elizabethan mansion Rochester is a town in Kent, England. It is located within the Unitary authority area of Medway and is at the lowest bridging point of the [2] The house was repossessed, Hull's Australian wife left him and he moved to a shepherd's cottage in East Sussex. Repossession is generally used to refer to a Financial institution taking back an object that was either used as collateral or rented or leased in a transaction For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. [1]
Hull was in the public eye less frequently during the 1990s, appearing in pantomime and television commercials, and winning the 1993 "Pipe Smoker of the Year" award. Pantomime (informally panto) (not to be confused with a Mime artist, referring to a theatrical performer of mime is a performance genre traditionally found Pipe Smoker of the Year was an Award given out annually by the British Pipesmokers' Council to honour a famous pipe-smoking individual Nonetheless, his name remained well-known, and comedians Richard Herring and Stewart Lee included a "Rod Hull" character in their 1996 television sketch show, Fist of Fun, played by the actor Kevin Eldon. Richard Keith Herring (born July 12, 1967) is a British Comedian and writer Career to 2000 While studying English at St Edmund Hall Oxford in the 1980s he wrote and performed comedy in a revue group called "The Seven Raymonds Fist of Fun was a popular British Comedy Television and Radio programme written by and starring Lee and Herring (the comedians Kevin Eldon ( b 1960 Chatham, Kent, England) is an English Stand-up comic and Actor. This character was performed as a grotesque imitation, a character who was finally unmasked by the real Rod Hull, who appeared (minus Emu) in the last episode of the series. [4] It was to be Hull's penultimate television appearance.
A 2003 Channel 4 documentary, Rod Hull: A Bird in the Hand,[5] revealed that Hull nursed an increasing resentment towards his puppet, believing that the success of the bird prevented him from pursuing other avenues in showbusiness. He saw himself, according to the programme-makers, as a talented performer who could have developed a more varied career in the entertainment industry had he not been forced to repeatedly play the '& Emu' role. Hull once complained, "I want to write but Emu doesn't leave me the time. I want to be a comedian in my own right, but again Emu won't let me do it. "[1]
Death
Hull died in March 1999, at the age of 63.
In an inquest to his death, the East Sussex Coroner, Alan Craze, recorded a verdict of accidental death six weeks after Hull died following a fall from the roof of his home at Winchelsea, near Rye. He was attempting to adjust the TV aerial in order to get a better picture of the Inter Milan v Manchester United Champions League Quarter Final, 2nd Leg. Football Club Internazionale Milano, most commonly referred to as simply Internazionale, or Inter, is an Italian professional football club See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club [6]
Prior to Hull's demise, Lee and Herring had planned to revive their "Rod Hull" character for their contemporary series, This Morning with Richard Not Judy, but despite filming several sketches — in which the character would die after performing a pointless stunt — the footage was disposed of. Lee and Herring were a British standup Comedy Double act consisting of the Comedians This Morning With Richard Not Judy or TMWRNJ was a British Comedy television programme written by and starring Lee and [7]
Upon Hull's death, Michael Parkinson reminisced that he had found him to be "a very charming, intelligent and sensitive man — quite unlike the Emu. " He observed that the puppet "was the dark side of Rod's personality, and very funny, provided it was not on top of you. "[8]
Hull married twice and had five children. His son Toby brought Emu out of retirement for the first time since his father's death during the 2003 pantomime season, appearing in Cinderella at Windsor's Theatre Royal. Cinderella ( French: Cendrillon, Slovak: Popoluška, German: Aschenputtel, Spanish: Cenicienta Windsor (ˈwɪnzə/ /ˈwɪndzə is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England.
Toby Hull and Emu now appear in their own series on CITV. CITV (short for Children's ITV or Children's Independent Television) is the brand name used for the Majority of Children's television output [9]
Trivia
- Hull is mentioned in the song "Self Suicide" by Goldie Lookin Chain in which it's suggested that an accidental death is undesirable since it doesn't generate the same boost for a celebrity's public image as a suicide. Not to be confused with GLC the American rapper or the Greater London Council Goldie Lookin Chain is a rap-pop music group based in Newport
- Half Man Half Biscuit recorded a song prior to Hull's death entitled "Rod Hull Is Alive - Why?" which asked for some justification of his existence. Half Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB" is a UK rock band from Birkenhead, active since the mid-1980s known for satirical sardonic and sometimes surreal The band rarely perform the song since Hull's demise.
- Issue 164 of the cult adult humour comic Viz had a one-off strip of Rod Hull and Emo, which had Emu as a stereotypically maudlin emocore fan. Viz is a popular British adult Comic magazine that has been running since 1979 Emo (ˈiːmoʊ is a genre of music that originated from Hardcore punk early on and adopted Pop-punk influences later on in the 2000s when
- In 1974 Hull recorded "Bristol Rovers all the way" with the squad of the time. Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football team based in Bristol. Near the end of the song he can be heard telling Emu to "get off of the pitch".
- There is a five-a-side football team based in Aberdeen called Rod Hull City. Aberdeen ( pronounced; Aiberdeen Obar Dheathain is Scotland 's third most populous city and one of Scotland's 32 local government council It has been playing since 2000, named in memory of Rod Hull.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g screenonline: Rod Hull biography
- ^ a b c d BBC News obituary: The man behind Emu
- ^ POVonline: Rod Hull & Emu
- ^ ntlworld.com: Rod Hull vs Rod Hull
- ^ IMDb.com: Rod Hull: A Bird in the Hand
- ^ BBC News: Rod Hull's death 'accidental'
- ^ RichardHerring.com: Warming Up
- ^ BBC News: Rod Hull dies in rooftop fall
- ^ Daily Mail: Emu returns to British television after 20 years — with Rod Hull's son
External links
- BFI: List of series made
- Sausage.net: Emu's Broadcasting Company
- Rod Hull at the Internet Movie Database
- Rod Hull at Find A Grave
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Hull, Rod |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Hull, Rodney Stephen |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Comedian |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1935-08-13 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Isle of Sheppey, Kent |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1999-03-17 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Winchelsea, Rye, East Sussex |
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