Fred Karno
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fred Karno was the stage name of theatre impresario Frederick John Westcott (March 26, 1866 - September 18, 1941). Born at Exeter, England, he died of diabetes at the age of 75.
A slapstick comedy pioneer, Karno is credited with inventing the cream-pie-in-the-face gag. Among the young comedians who worked for him were Charlie Chaplin and Arthur Jefferson, who would later adopt the name of Stan Laurel. These were part of what was known as "Fred Karno's Army", a phrase still occasionally used in the UK to refer to a chaotic group or organization.
With the advent of cinema, the music hall's popularity declined. As a result of this decline, Karno went bankrupt in 1926, and his wife Edith, from whom he had been separated since 1904, died a year later of diabetes - passing away in her sleep on (May 24, 1927). Three weeks later, Karno married his longtime mistress Marie Moore.
His houseboat, the Astoria, on the River Thames at Hampton, Middlesex, is now used as a recording studio by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour.
