Comedy 101: Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

Cook (left) and Moore, mid 1960s.

Peter Cook and Dudley Moore first emerged in 1960 as half of the comedy quartet “Beyond the Fringe.” Cook almost singlehandedly revivified the student dramatic group Cambridge Footlights, and by the time he graduated was contributing comic sketches to West End reviews. After launching the British “satire boom” with Fringe, he saved the satirical magazine Private Eye, and launched The Establishment, a Weimar-style satirical cabaret. Woody Allen famously called Cook “Britain’s only comic genius.”

Dudley Moore started as a jazz musician, but Fringe revealed him as a winning comic actor. He and Cook made a series of shows for the BBC called “Not Only But Also,” many of which have been lost (they were deleted for shelf space). The high point of the team came in 1967′s “Bedazzled,” Cook’s retelling of the Faust story with himself as the Devil, and Moore as a hapless short-order cook. In the Seventies, Cook and Moore toured again with “Good Evening,” the run of which was marred by Cook’s increasing alcoholism. Their last hurrah is a series of X-rated monologues as two alter-egos named Derek and Clive.

A cuddly McCartney to Cook’s Lennon, Moore later became an international heartthrob through “Arthur” and “10.” This galled Cook, who felt that he was the greater talent. As time passed the pair got on better terms; Cook was mounting a return to form in the mid-90s, but died suddenly. In 2005, three hundred comedians in the US and the UK voted Peter Cook the greatest comedian of all time.

Beyond the Fringe:
One Leg Too Few
Experiences Down the Mine (Cook monologue)

Not Only But Also:
Teaching Ravens to Fly Underwater
The Psychiatrist
The Facts of Life

Bedazzled (1967 film):
Drimble Wedge and the Vegetations

Good Evening:
The Frog and Peach

Derek and Clive:
Worst Job I Ever Had (NSFW)

Cook alone:
Sven from Swiss Cottage 1
Some Interesting Facts About Peter Cook (documentary)
Heroes of Comedy: Peter Cook

4 Responses to Comedy 101: Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

Charlie Schroeder

August 31, 2011 at 2:41 pm

Excellent summary of this genius comedic duo. I also appreciate your use of the word, “revivified.”

Might I suggest another classic sketch, five guineas, ten guineas? It’s called “The Psychiatrist” and it always makes me scream. You’ll see why when you link to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jVz2nemjGI

Keep up the good work.
mikegerber

August 31, 2011 at 3:20 pm

Thanks, Charlie, that’s a great sketch. I think I saw it in the collection “The Best of–What’s Left of–Not Only But Also.” Anyhow, I’ve added it.

We’ll be fattening up all these resource pages, so keep the suggestions coming.
Michelle Walmsley

March 4, 2012 at 3:37 am

Might I also recommend some of the work they did together on a follow up series to Not Only,,. But Also… called Goodbye Again, for ITV. Four one hour programmes. It’s often seen as not as good as Not Only But Also, though I like parts of it very much. The writing really is very clever, interesting and of course funny. Also, the visuals, with a bigger budget at a commercial channel, are pretty cool. I think it works very well. I think perhaps it works for me because it is closer to modern sketch shows and so seems more familiar somehow. Unfortunately, it is only available as a 90 minute highlights DVD so the flow, as is the case with ‘The Best of… What’s Left of… Not Only.. But Also…’ is often interrupted. It’s still very worthwhile. My favourite clip is Long Distance. Lots of close to the bone autobiographical references which, like Derek and Clive, are not just funny but do shine a light on their complex relationship as a double act and on their friendship. No idea how to upload the visuals as it’s not on YouTube. Incidentally, it’s also interesting to see the development of Dudley Moore as a comedic actor rather than just a performer during this series and the changing dynamic of the partnership. Even in Cook’s writing, he often lets Dudley’s character get the upper hand at the end of sketches which was seldom the case in ‘Not Only… But Also…’.

I would have loved to see their Behind the Fridge (UK/AUS/NZ)/ Good Evening (US) stage show and fortunately some filmed clips, I think by the BBC, do survive. There’s ‘Hello’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-fxpk1qqZA which has been used as the most common example of their work from this period and it is fun. More interesting I think from a comedic perspective and what shows a growth in the development of Cook’s writing is ‘Taxi Driver’ which is very dark but hugely entertaining and hard to take your eyes off. It was thought too dark for the show. They were discussing taking it out when Harold Pinter stated he thought it was the best thing in the show and so it got a reprieve. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLvPNVQXia0
Michelle Walmsley

March 4, 2012 at 3:44 am

Apologies, the clip I referenced as “Taxi Driver” should have read “Minicab”.