Johnny Hutch - Revision history

Djando: /* The Seven Volants */

2019-04-30T19:39:33Z

‎The Seven Volants

Djando: /* From The Herculeans To The Royal Shakespeare Company */

2019-04-30T19:33:13Z

‎From The Herculeans To The Royal Shakespeare Company

Djando at 19:32, 30 April 2019

2019-04-30T19:32:49Z

Djando: /* The Seven Hindustans */

2019-04-30T19:32:28Z

‎The Seven Hindustans

Djando: /* Image Gallery */

2014-01-15T19:18:19Z

‎Image Gallery

Djando: /* See Also */

2013-08-10T17:30:59Z

‎See Also

Djando: /* Image Gallery */

2011-11-30T05:26:01Z

‎Image Gallery

Djando: /* Image Gallery */

2011-11-30T05:24:10Z

‎Image Gallery

Djando: /* See Also */

2011-03-18T01:56:12Z

‎See Also

Djando: /* Acrobat */

2010-07-19T21:05:04Z

‎Acrobat

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 ===The Seven Volants===
-In 1940, Johnny and the Hindustans were at the Windmill Theatre in London, where Johnny met and fell in love with a pretty showgirl, Jean Phillips (1920-2006).  They were married on September 16, 1940; a year later, Jean gave birth to their son, Brian. Finally, after a few more engagements in 1940, Johnny Hutch joined the military; he became a Staff Sergeant in a Parachute Regiment, and fought in North Africa and Italy. His career, like that of many of his colleagues in show business, was put on a hiatus.
+In 1940, Johnny and the Hindustans were at the Windmill Theatre in London, where Johnny met and fell in love with a pretty showgirl, Jean Phillips (1920-2006).  They were married on September 16, 1940; a year later, Jean gave birth to their son, Brian. Finally, after a few more engagements in 1940, Johnny Hutch joined the military; he became a Staff Sergeant in a Parachute Regiment and fought in North Africa and Italy. His career, like that of many of his colleagues in show business, was put on a hiatus.
-After the war, Johnny struck a partnership with Victor Scott, an old acrobat who had an act before the war called The Rapid Four. Together, Hutch and Scott rebuilt The Rapid Four with two other acrobats, and Johnny Hutch was back in show business. He toured with The Rapid Four for twelve months, ending at the London Coliseum. Then, Johnny decided to form his own act with Harold Robinson, a war buddy who had been one of the Rapid Four, and three girls who were good acrobatic dancers. The act was called The Five Volants.
+After the war, Johnny struck a partnership with Victor Scott, an old acrobat who had an act before the war called ''The Rapid Four''. Together, Hutch and Scott rebuilt The Rapid Four with two other acrobats, and Johnny Hutch was back in show business. He toured with The Rapid Four for twelve months, ending at the London Coliseum. Then, Johnny decided to form his own act with Harold Robinson, a war buddy who had been one of the Rapid Four, and three girls who were good acrobatic dancers. The act was called The Five Volants.
-The Five Volants toured successfully for nine months, and then, Val Parnell, the director of the Moss Empire circuit, offered Johnny a contract, but this time for a larger group of seven acrobats, doing something comparable to the old Hindustans’ act. Johnny Hutch seized the opportunity, and his new act, The Seven Volants, was born. It toured the Moss Empires from 1949 to 1956, including an engagement at the Glasgow Empire with Judy Garland in 1951.
+The Five Volants toured successfully for nine months and then, Val Parnell, the director of the Moss Empire circuit, offered Johnny a contract, but this time for a larger group of seven acrobats, doing something comparable to the old Hindustans’ act. Johnny Hutch seized the opportunity and his new act, ''The Seven Volants'', was born. It toured the Moss Empires from 1949 to 1956, including an engagement at the Glasgow Empire with Judy Garland in 1951.
 was also the year Johnny appeared for the first time (with the Seven Volants) with Benny Hill on television, on Hill’s BBC show, ''Hi There!''. On October 29, the Seven Volants participated in a Royal Variety Performance&mdash;the second for Johnny Hutch&mdash;at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London, in presence of Queen Elizabeth, and her daughters, Princess Elizabeth (the future Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret; King George VI was too ill to attend: He would die four months later.
-The Seven Volants, like before them The Seven Hindustans, were a very successful acrobatic act, much in demand in British circuses and variety shows. They also spent the 1957 and 1958 seasons in South Africa with the [[Boswell Circus]], a prestigious venue for any European circus artist. In the sixties, The Seven Volants participated in several Christmas pantomimes at the London Palladium. Johnny also created and wrote with David Jackley ''The Handy Gang'', a comedy series for BBC Television, which aired in 1963, and in which he and Jackley also performed. Then, in the pantomime ''Babes In The Woods'' in 1965, Johnny Hutch’s Seven Volants had changed the style and composition of their act; they had become The Herculeans.
+The Seven Volants, like before them The Seven Hindustans, were a very successful acrobatic act, much in demand in British circuses and variety shows. They also spent the 1957 and 1958 seasons in South Africa with the [[Boswell Circus]], a prestigious venue for any European circus artist. In the sixties, The Seven Volants participated in several Christmas pantomimes at the London Palladium. Johnny also created and wrote with David Jackley ''The Handy Gang'', a comedy series for BBC Television, which aired in 1963, and in which he and Jackley performed. Then, for the pantomime ''Babes In The Woods'' in 1965, Johnny Hutch’s Seven Volants changed the style and composition of their act; they became ''The Herculeans''.
 ===From The Herculeans To The Royal Shakespeare Company===

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 ===From The Herculeans To The Royal Shakespeare Company===
-[[Image:The_Herculeans_(1976).jpg|thumb|right|225px|The Herculeans]]The Herculeans, a group of turn-of-the-century (the twentieth) mustachioed acrobats in white leotards and red bloomers, were perhaps Johnny Hutch’s most successful act, and certainly the most imitated: It still is to this day an inspiration for many comedy acrobatic acts. The Herculeans, six in number, appeared several times on [[Billy Smart|Billy Smart’s Circus]]’s BBC Television specials, and on Thames Television’s ''Live From The Hippodrome''&mdash;a show that was also broadcast in the United States, thus gaining The Herculeans international fame.
+[[Image:The_Herculeans_(1976).jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Herculeans]]The Herculeans, a group of turn-of-the-century (the twentieth) mustachioed acrobats in white leotards and red bloomers, were perhaps Johnny Hutch’s most successful act, and certainly the most imitated: It still is to this day an inspiration for many comedy acrobatic acts. The Herculeans, six in number, appeared several times on [[Billy Smart|Billy Smart’s Circus]]’s BBC Television specials, and on Thames Television’s ''Live From The Hippodrome''&mdash;a show that was also broadcast in the United States, thus gaining The Herculeans international fame.
 In 1973 and 1974, they toured for two seasons with Cirque [[Jean Richard]], then France’s premier and most popular circus. On this occasion, Johnny Hutch added a second act to the troupe’s repertoire, a comedy tumbling act with a cast of eccentric characters named the Halfwits. The Halfwits also appeared on Billy Smart’s Circus’s BBC Television special in 1977, and would eventually become Johnny’s sole (and last) acrobatic act. Like The Herculeans, The Halfwits have inspired many other comedy acts of the same type.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:32, 30 April 2019
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−	[[Image:Johnny Hutch (1928).jpg\|thumb\|right\|~~100px~~\|Johnny Hutch, age 14 (1928)]]	+	[[Image:Johnny Hutch (1928).jpg\|thumb\|right\|200px\|Johnny Hutch, age 14 (1928)]]

	==Acrobat==		==Acrobat==

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 ===The Seven Hindustans===
-[[Image:The_7_Royal_Hindustans.jpg|thumb|left|225px|The 7 Hindustans (1928)]]Johnny went to audition and was chosen; on October 27, 1927, he become officially an acrobat, apprentice to Harry Prescott (who was half English, half Moroccan) with the Hadji Mohamid Troupe. Four days later, he made his professional debut as the act’s top mounter at the Empire Music Hall in Middlesbrough. It was also the beginning of his apprenticeship, which would make Johnny Hutch a remarkable tumbler and acrobat, with a distinct Moroccan style.
+[[Image:The_7_Royal_Hindustans.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The 7 Hindustans (1928)]]Johnny went to audition and was chosen; on October 27, 1927, he become officially an acrobat, apprentice to Harry Prescott (who was half English, half Moroccan) with the Hadji Mohamid Troupe. Four days later, he made his professional debut as the act’s top mounter at the Empire Music Hall in Middlesbrough. It was also the beginning of his apprenticeship, which would make Johnny Hutch a remarkable tumbler and acrobat, with a distinct Moroccan style.
 At the outset of Johnny’s association with it, the troupe was renamed The Seven Hindustans (and sometimes The Royal Hindustans)&mdash;perhaps to make it less foreign-sounding without losing its exotic appeal. In any event, the Hindustans were one of the best tumbling acts in Great Britain at the time, and the troupe was soon working on the Moss Circuit, the country’s premier chain of variety theaters. It gave Johnny the possibility to study from the wings the best variety acts in the business, thus completing his artistic education.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:18, 15 January 2014
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	</Gallery>		</Gallery>

−	[[Category:Artists and Acts\|Hutch, Johnny]][[Category:Acrobats\|Hutch, Johnny]][[Category:Comedy Acts\|Hutch, Johnny]]	+	[[Category:Artists and Acts\|Hutch, Johnny]][[Category:Acrobats\|Hutch, Johnny]][[Category:Tumbling Acts\|Hutch, Johnny]][[Category:Comedy Acts\|Hutch, Johnny]]

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 ==See Also==
-* Video: [[The_Seven_Volants_Video_(1965)|The Seven Volants, Acrobats]], at the London Hippodrome (1965)
+* Video: [[The_Seven_Volants_Video_(1965)|The Seven Volants, Acrobats]], on ITV's ''Hippodrome'' (1965)
-* Video: [[Herculeans_Video_1966|The Herculeans, Comedy Acrobats]], at the London Hippodrome (1966)
+* Video: [[Herculeans_Video_1966|The Herculeans, Comedy Acrobats]], on ITV's  ''Hippodrome'' (1966)
 * Video: [[Herculeans_Jean_Richard_Video_1973|The Herculeans, Comedy Acrobats]], at Cirque Jean Richard (1973)
 ==Suggested Reading==

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:26, 30 November 2011
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	</Gallery>		</Gallery>

−	[[Category:Artists and Acts\|Hutch, Johnny]][[Category:Acrobats\|Hutch, Johnny]][[Comedy Acts\|Hutch, Johnny]]	+	[[Category:Artists and Acts\|Hutch, Johnny]][[Category:Acrobats\|Hutch, Johnny]][[Category:Comedy Acts\|Hutch, Johnny]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:24, 30 November 2011
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	</Gallery>		</Gallery>

−	[[Category:Artists and Acts\|Hutch, Johnny]][[Category:Acrobats\|Hutch, Johnny]]	+	[[Category:Artists and Acts\|Hutch, Johnny]][[Category:Acrobats\|Hutch, Johnny]][[Comedy Acts\|Hutch, Johnny]]