"There's no mister, it's just Higgins, sir!"
The butler, as a character, has been popular in fiction for a very long time. Everyone is familiar with at least one. If you were around in the 1980's, it would have been the snide Mr. Belvedere (writer Gwen Davenport's creation from the 1947 book Belvedere), or perhaps John Gielgud's fiercely aloof Hobson in the 1981 comedy film, Arthur. Earlier on, it might have been the capable Crichton in J.M. Barrie's much-produced 1901 stage play, "The Admirable Crichton", or the earnestly noble Marmaduke Ruggles in the classic tale Ruggles of Red Gap, or William Powell's bemused Godfrey in My Man Godfrey (1936), or, most likely of all, P.G. Wodehouse's near-superhuman valet, the inimitable Jeeves.
There is another butler that also had a certain small claim to fame; if one turned on the radio in 1951, that butler was called Higgins. Higgins was played by the charming British character actor and comedian Harry Mcnaughton. Mcnaughton had a career in films spanning from the 1920's to the mid-50's, and was apparently quite successful on the stage. His more permanent claim to (relative) fame, though, was the radio game show spoof, "It Pays to Be Ignorant", which ran from 1942 to 1951 on both CBS and NBC. Immediately after the run of that programme, he moved over into the role of Higgins. He was perfect for the part; he had a crisp received pronunciation accent, a weapon that he used to deliver a never-ending barrage of caustic one-liners to great effect.
The basic premise of It's Higgin's, Sir was a simple one; a typical 1950's American family inherits a highly-mannered butler from a distant relative, and hilarity ensues. It's Mcnaughton that drives the programme with his fantastic comedic timing, and the rest of the cast does an amazing job in helping him to shine. It's a truly fantastic listening experience for any OTR comedy fan, and, I dare say, for fans of 1950's television shows like Father Knows Best.
There is another butler that also had a certain small claim to fame; if one turned on the radio in 1951, that butler was called Higgins. Higgins was played by the charming British character actor and comedian Harry Mcnaughton. Mcnaughton had a career in films spanning from the 1920's to the mid-50's, and was apparently quite successful on the stage. His more permanent claim to (relative) fame, though, was the radio game show spoof, "It Pays to Be Ignorant", which ran from 1942 to 1951 on both CBS and NBC. Immediately after the run of that programme, he moved over into the role of Higgins. He was perfect for the part; he had a crisp received pronunciation accent, a weapon that he used to deliver a never-ending barrage of caustic one-liners to great effect.
The basic premise of It's Higgin's, Sir was a simple one; a typical 1950's American family inherits a highly-mannered butler from a distant relative, and hilarity ensues. It's Mcnaughton that drives the programme with his fantastic comedic timing, and the rest of the cast does an amazing job in helping him to shine. It's a truly fantastic listening experience for any OTR comedy fan, and, I dare say, for fans of 1950's television shows like Father Knows Best.
It's worth mentioning here that there was a television version of the show called Our Man Higgins (1962–1963), in which Higgins is portrayed by veteran stage and film actor, Stanley Holloway. Holloway was in a number of movies that I enjoy, including Ten Little Indians (1965), The Lavender Hill Mob (in 1951, during Mcnaughton's stretch as Higgins), My Fair Lady (1964), and The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970).
Download It's Higgins, Sir, episode #1, "Higgins Arrives" HERE
Download It's Higgins, Sir, episode #1, "Higgins Arrives" HERE
