FRANK MUIRwas a much-loved comedy writerand television personality whose death, on 2 January, 1998, at the age of 77,did little to dull the public's thirst for his unique wit, warmth and humour.
Perhaps best known to radio listeners asthe writer of 'Take It From Here' and 'My Word!', he was also one of a band ofwriters responsible for satirical television hits 'That Was the Week That Was'and 'The Frost Report'.
In later years, he became a familiar facehimself as a team captain on the long-running BBC panel show 'Call My Bluff'and lent his voice to a number of well-known TV commercials, including Cadbury'sFruit and Nut chocolate.
"Wit is a weapon," he oncecommented. "Jokes are a masculine way of inflicting superiority. Buthumour is the pursuit of a gentle grin, usually in solitude."
Frank Herbert Muir was born on 5 February,1920, in Ramsgate, Kent. Brought up in his grandmother's pub, he was educatedat Chatham House Grammar School but left aged 14 with the death of his fatherand went to work in a carbon paper factory.
The outbreak of World War Two saw himbecome a photographic technician for the RAF, posted to Iceland where he beganto write scripts and comedy skits.
His career as a professional writer,however, did not begin until his return to civilian life in 1945, when thecomedy actors Jimmy Edwards and Dick Bentley partnered him with Dennis Nordento write the radio comedy 'Take It From Here'.
The pair hit it off and, during just over adecade, completed 12 series together. By the early 1960s, they were firmlyestablished as a gifted comedy duo and began to write regularly for television,with school comedy series 'Whack-O' and an adaptation of Henry Cecil's comicnovel 'Brothers in Law'.
Mr Muir, along with comedy partner Norden, alsobecame a familiar voice on 'My Word!', a humorous literary radio quiz hosted byJack Longland.
During the late 1960s, he was invited toappear as a captain on the BBC game show 'Call My Bluff' and soon became aregular, often competing against the journalist Patrick Campbell. He alsobecame Assistant Head of Light Entertainment at the BBC and enjoyed a briefspell at London Weekend Television as Head of Entertainment.
Later years saw him publish the 'What-a-mess'books for children, as well as an abundance of anthologies, a novel and popularautobiography 'A Kentish Lad'.
He died on 2 January 1998, at the age of77.
To date, the paperback edition of 'AKentish Lad' has sold over 100,000 copies.
Mr Muir was awarded an MBE in 1980.
His pet hounds were purportedly theinspiration for his much-loved 'What-a-mess' books, which were later made intoan animated series by Disney.
Many of his and Dennis Norden's jokes from theradio series 'Take It From Here' were later recycled in the 'Carry On' films. "Infamy!Infamy!" Julius Caesar famously cries in 'Carry On Cleo'. "They'veall got it in for me!"
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