Eli Woods

Eli Woods
Born John Casey
January 11, 1923
Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham
Died May 1, 2014 (aged 91)
Stockton-on-Tees
Other names Jack Casey
Bretton Woods
Occupation Comedian and comic actor
Known for Collaborations with Jimmy James and others

Eli Woods (born John Casey, 11 January 1923 – 1 May 2014) was an English comedian and comic actor, born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, possibly best known for his work with stage comedian Jimmy James (in reality his uncle), and particularly for his part in the famous 'elephant-in-the-box' routine.[1]

Jimmy James developed his famous act over many years, but from the first it required two 'stooges'. One was John "Jack" Casey — tall and stick-thin, with a bony face and a stammering delivery — who originally appeared as "Bretton Woods" (named after the location of the famous 1944 United Nations monetary and financial Conference), and only later redubbed as "Eli" Woods (often "Our Eli").[2] The other stooge, 'Hutton Conyers' would be played either by members of the Casey family - including, on occasion, James Casey - or (from 1956 to 1959) by the young Roy Castle. Much later, Woods was in the support cast of Castles in the Air, a comedy series on BBC Radio 2.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Woods featured in two Eddie Braben scripted comedy shows: The Show With Ten Legs (26 episodes, 1978–80) and The Show with No Name (13 episodes, 1982–84). Both shows harked back to the music hall tradition. As a performer, Woods turned his lifelong stutter to his advantage, using it to comic effect in many contexts. For many years active as a stage and radio performer, Woods also appeared in a number of television comedies, as well as playing small parts in a variety of films including A Private Function released in 1984.[3]

Although Woods's birth name was John Casey, he was better known to his family as Jack. He died at home in Stockton-on-Tees in the early hours of Thursday 1 May 2014, aged 91.[4][5]

Selected filmography

References

  1. ↑ Berry, Kevin (16 April 2007). "The Good Old Days II". The Stage. The Stage Newspaper. Retrieved 7 May 2009.
  2. ↑ Gifford, Denis (1985). The golden age of radio: an illustrated companion. Batsford. p. 166. ISBN 0-7134-4234-4. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
  3. ↑ IMDb profile; accessed 3 May 2014.
  4. ↑ Webber, Chris. "Tributes are paid to legendary Stockton comedian". Northern Echo. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  5. ↑ Robson, Dave. "Eli Woods died aged 91". Gazette Live. Retrieved 2 May 2014.

External links