Morton, J B (1893-1975)

Last Edited: 26-Feb-2018 A Global British Comedy Collaborative document. Edited by John Lucas
Broadcast source is BBC Radio Four unless otherwise indicated. Recording quality is considered good unless otherwise indicated.


Beachcomber by the Way
A JB Morton newspaper column that ran for 54 years, the original short pieces were the acknowledged childhood inspiration of Spike Milligan. A television series was produced in about 1969 and featured Spike Milligan, George Benson, Clive Dunn, Patricia Hayes, Hattie Jacques, Julian Orchard, Nadia Regin, Sheila Staefel, Leon Thau, and Frank Thornton. An LP and a single BBC cassette were preserved from this work.
Date
Episode
Title
Cast
Parameters
1968-1969
?
An excerpt, probably from the LP or cassette, including Clive Dunn
 
29:08, 6064, M
possibly from Cammo c.2001
MISSING
According to Radiohaha.com, several radio series were then produced on Radio 2 and Radio 4 in and after 1989. The radio series are catalogued here. Thirty episodes (1994:6, 1995:4, 1996:4, 1997:4, 1998:6, 1999:6) [Radio-ha-ha.com, episode dates from Wordaloud.com].
Date
Episode Title Cast Parameters
18-Mar-1989
R7:
02-Jan-2005
S01e01
Psychological Mouse Trap
Case of 12 Red Bearded Dwarfs
Letter for the Day = “A”
Wretch vs. Wugwell Case

Richard Ingrams, John Wells, Patricia Routledge,
John Sessions
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
29:34, 27722, S
25-Mar-1989
R7:
09-Jan-2005
S01e02
Bird nesting in a hat?
Newts in Lord Shortcake’s trousers
Letter for the Day = “B”
Captain Foulenough, cat thief
Moonlight on Mrs. Parsons
Carstairs’ Trouser
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, Patricia Routledge,
John Sessions
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
29:15, 27433, S
01-Apr 1989
R7:
16-Jan-2005
S01e03
A Legal Announcement
Ear Flapping
Tale of Sawdust and Mrs. Wretch
Sporting News
Knockover School
Letter for the Day = “C”
Case of Rincewind vs. Milton
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, Patricia Routledge,
John Sessions
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
29:22, 27533, S
08-Apr 1989
R7:
19-Jul-2003
23-Jan-2005
S01e04
Shopping for Eggs in the
Eastern Manner
Memoirs of a Serving Man
Street sweeping
Letter for the Day = “D”
Publishing Memoirs of deCourcy Farenough
Cricket Is Not Taken Seriously
Elephants and Epitaphs
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, Patricia Routledge,
John Sessions
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
29:14, 27415, S
15-Apr 1989
R7:
26-Jul-2003
30-Jan-2005
S01e05
Tight Hats as Food Storage
Dr. Strabismus at Billiards
Hotel Superb Sues the Trio
Letter for the Day = “E”
Dear Dr. Rhubarb
Lodging Housekeepers and Civil Servants
Clever Angling
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, Patricia Routledge,
John Sessions
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
28:58, 27161, S
22-Apr 1989
R7:
02-Aug-2003
06-Feb-2005
S01e06
MPs Drawn from Hat/The Parliamentary Hat
Piano Concerts
Memoirs of a Serving Man:
Searching for a Goldfish
Trombone Trouble
Percy Foulenough’s Art Gallery
Letter for the Day = “F”
Henry Blanckett Comes to Knockover
Dr. Strabismus Goes to the Moon
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, Patricia Routledge,
John Sessions
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
29:27, 27619, S
13-Jul-1991
R7:
26-Oct-2003
13-Feb-2005
S02e01
Visit to the Doctor
Down to the Sea
The Saucy Mrs Flobster Sold to
Afghanistan
The Shopwalker’s Daughter
Fleet Street Fashion Parade
The Marine House Hotel
Letter for the Day = “G”
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, Patricia Routledge,
John Sessions
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
29:00, 27201, S
20-Jul-1991
R7:
20-Feb-2005
S02e02
Motorised Tie / Musical Misadventures
Rhinoceros Poaching
Starridge vs. Roxhome Hydraulic
Laundries Tripe
Memoirs of a Serving Man:
Head Aquarium Keeper
Polo Pony and the Conservatory
Letter for the Day = “H”
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, Patricia Routledge,
John Sessions
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
28:47, 26996, S
27-Jul-1991
R7:
27-Feb-2005
S02e03
Nature Notes / “Mutton Fluff”
St. Ethelfrith’s – Dr. Smart Aleck and
Miss Topsy Turvy
Dr. Strabismus – International Exhibition
Mr. Milk: Flowers in Amber and
the Capstanley Suite
Letter for the Day = “IKL”
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, Patricia Routledge,
John Sessions
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
29:05, 27282, S
03-Aug-1991
R7:
06-Mar-2005
S02e04
A Testimonial from a Listener
A New Kind of Leapfrog
Bigwhite Carstairs Hoisted with the Flag
and Coronation Precedence Mouse Hats
Letter for the Day = “M”
Mr Roland Milk Visiting the USSR
Dr. Strabismus Goes Grouse Hunting
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, Patricia Routledge,
John Sessions
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
29:12, 27380, S
10-Aug-1991
R7:
13-Mar-2005
S02e05
The Life of Henry Pouch
Women wearing false beards
Pickney St. Vitus through the Ages
Knockover vs. Eton in football
Mr. Justice Cocklecarrot’s private life
Hats with or without brims
Letter for the Day = “N”
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, Patricia Routledge,
John Sessions
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
28:53, 27079, S
17-Aug-1991
R7:
20-Mar-2005
S02e06
Wessex Capmen, Third Volume
Lord Shortcake employs a tutor
for Mortimer
Dr. Strabismus catches herring
and tames a plaice
Letter for the Day “O”
Talking like the advertisements
The Circus pursues Mrs. Wretch’s return
Steam engine and rolling stock mimicry
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, Patricia Routledge,
John Sessions
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
28:47, 26992, S
R7:
03-Apr-2005
S03e01
Mosquito Trap
Knockover Starts a New Term with
a new Foulenough
Letter for the Day “P”
A Cautionary Tale
Cooking in Hats
Contemporary Arts
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, June Whitfield,
John Sessions, Joan Sims, Patricia Routledge, Simon
Greenall, Brian Bowles, Henrietta Garten
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
28:37, 26838, S
R7:
10-Apr-2005
S03e02
Unsolicited Mail and Answers to
Correspondence
Mrs. Butterscotch sells mackerel fin
pen wipers
Letter for the Day “R”
A 138-year old woman “never”
sees a train
Geraldine Blazer, belle of the
Southern Command
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, June Whitfield, John
Sessions, Joan Sims, Patricia Routledge, Simon
Greenall, Brian Bowles, Henrietta Garten
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
28:57, 27148, S
R7:
17-Apr-2005
S03e03
Drinking Champagne from a slipper
Mrs. Wretch’s daughter gets engaged
Letter for the Day “S”
Big White Carstairs imports a
bankrupt hunt
Answers to Correspondence
Alone with Nature in Surrey
Milk cows
Conversation of sailors
Dr. Strabismus invents a circular spoon
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, June Whitfield, John
Sessions, Joan Sims, Patricia Routledge, Simon
Greenall, Brian Bowles, Henrietta Garten
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
28:47, 26999, S
R7:
24-Apr-2005
S03e04
Bringing in the Olde Snedge
Colonel Eggham in Tibet
Letter for the Day “S, part two”
Dr. Strabismus invents an asbestos match
Cigarette card collections and
Sheep nose printing
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, June Whitfield, John
Sessions, Joan Sims, Patricia Routledge, Simon
Greenall, Brian Bowles, Henrietta Garten
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
29:06, 27297, S
R7:
01-May-2005
S03e05
Are You Obese?
A Beard from the Horse’s Mouth
A New Head Matron at Knockover
Letter for the Day “T”
The Case of the False Beard
Listeners’ Personal Advertisements
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, June Whitfield, John
Sessions, Joan Sims, Patricia Routledge, Simon
Greenall, Brian Bowles, Henrietta Garten
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
29:14, 27415, S
R7:
08-May-2005
S03e06
Dr Strabismus and an Artificial Wig
Dead Man’s Alibi – Inspector Jack
Malpractice
Personal Advertisements
Memoirs of a Serving Man –
Hobbies and By Elections
Letter for the Day “UVW”
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, June Whitfield,
John Sessions, Joan Sims, Patricia Routledge, Simon
Greenall, Brian Bowles, Henrietta Garten
Written by Michael Garfield and Richard Ingrams
Announced by Brian Perkins
Adapted by Michael Garfield
Produced by Liz Thompson
29:03, 27240, S

The Adventures of Mr Thake
Letters, out of print since the 1930s, sent to JB Morton's columnist Beachcomber from the calamitous travels abroad of fictional upper-class twit, Oswald Bletisloe Hattersley Thake [from BBC R4 web site]
Date
Title
Cast
Parameters
14-Jul-2009 to
16-Jul-2009
Thake on the Riviera
Thake in America
Thake and the French Widow
read by Leslie Phillips
abridged and produced by Neil Cargill
13:40, 12823, S
13:50, 12977, S
13:54, 13041, S

Documentaries and Collateral Material
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