The wonderful Danny Ross, an actor and entertainer who graced the stage and screen – both Television and Films – in the early to mid fifties, often appeared with Arthur Askey and Glenn Melvyn. This clip below from The Love Match has Alf Hall going to see his girl friend played by the lovely Shirley Eaton whose parents are played by Arthur Askey and Thora Hird.  It is a classic scene from a film I love.

Above: Thora Hird and the lovely Shirley Eaton, talking about Shirley’s new boyfriend, Alf Hall – in the film The Love Match.

All the actors mentioned along with Glenn Melvyn formed a sort of repertory club of stage and screen – and were very funny. Years later Ronnie Barker paid tribute to Glenn Melvyn, who wrote The Love Match and many other sketches and stories, saying that it is Glenn that taught him much of what he was later to use in his act – notably the Stammering – which as Ronnie admitted was taken straight from Glenn Melvyn – and you can hear it to great effect in The Love Match.

They met at a theatre rep. company  based in Bramhall, Cheshire. It was here that Ronnie Barker was to meet one of the most influential men in his career. Glenn Melvyn was the company’s leading man and the man who Ronnie Barker claims ‘was to teach me everything I ever learned about comedy’. 

In Fact it was Glenn Melvyn  who  gave the young actor Ronnie Barker  his break into television, offering him a role in I’m Not Bothered (1956).

Going back to Danny Ross, I love that scene, in the early stages of the film when Alf Hall meets Rose ( Shirley Eaton) at a Dance Hall in Blackpool. He asks her if she has a partner, to which she replies – ‘Well I did have but he stood me up’ to which Alf in an incredulous tone replies ‘ How Could anyone stand YOU up?’

I am sure he took the words right out a the mouths of all us men watching,  because Shirley( rose) looked absolutely stunning.

Danny Ross was brilliant as Alf Hall in this film. Been a fan of his ever since.

I have to say also, that I did a post on this Blog on Danny Ross almost five years ago, and out of all the almost 400 articles I have done on here, the one on Danny Ross gets the most visits and the most interest.    I am pleased about that and just a little surprised although it makes me realise how popular he was and how well remembered he is.