Product Description

What a lot of people don't know is that Ronnie Barker was responsible for writing most of the material he performed - whether solo, with Ronnie Corbett or in sitcom. The fact that he often hid behind a number of pen names may explain this...

Ronnie is already loved by millions for his roles in Porridge, Open All Hours and that perennial worldwide hit, The Two Ronnies (which ran to 12 series). But now you can discover for yourself the wealth of his talent, from his early radio and Frost on Sunday sketches to classic monologues and the immortal songs, his (almost) silent films - including Futtock's End - to his final sitcom, Clarence, the play Mum and the previously unseen Rub a Dub Dub (Two Men in a Pub).

You can't even look at this book without a smile coming to your face; open it up and you may never stop laughing.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69174 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 750 pages

About the Author
Ronnie Barker may have retired from stage and screen in 1987, preferring to let one of the greatest bodies of work in British television comedy speak for itself, but the occasion of his 70th birthday prompted this collection. Previously published in hardback by Essential, it quickly sold out and is now much sought-after.

Customer Reviews

"A Play What I Wrote"
"A Play What I Wrote" -- the catchphrase of the late Ernie Wise of that wonderful double act -- Morecambe & Wise. But I don't think that Ernie ever wrote a play or sketch.
However Ronnie Barker of that other celebrated and highly popular double act - The Two Ronnies - has written a couple of plays. And since the 1960s he has written hundreds of monologues and sketches, totting up some half a million words.
In his book "ALL I EVER WROTE" are, word for word, almost all the scripts that Ronnie wrote. Regrettably copies of some of his early writings were not saved at the time and have been lost forever. What remains is delightful and thoroughly enjoyable and amusing. Most were televised and whilst reading those that we have seen on the small screen they can quickly and easily provide us with a mental picture in our minds.
The quiet, unassuming Ronnie Barker was able to perform the dozens of parts for us by slipping into the characters not only in his ability to change his voice and dialects but also with the remarkable changes of appearance, so that sometimes we needed to look carfefully and closely to be sure it was him.
Buy the book, settle down in a quiet corner and be prepared for an enjoyable time reading and visualising these fascinating and humourous writings.

Wide-ranging, subtle, vulgar and hugely enjoyable collection
I was lucky enough to obtain a signed copy of this book by my comedy hero; Ronnie Barkers' work on screen was inventive, nostalgic, satirical, wistful and saucy but never cruel or obscene. Most of this book is taken up with material from the hugely successful BBC series "The Two Ronnies" penned by Ronnie under a pseudonym. It features sketches and songs, Two Ronnies serials like "The Phantom raspberry blower" and the wonderful "Piggy Malone and Charlie Farley", as well as the scripts for the marvellous lost silent films "The Picnic" and "By the Sea" (with Ronnie Corbett) as well as the earlier masterpiece "Futtocks End". I can't recommend this book highly enough. Genius.

Review by Ian Stephens

Ronnie Barker and Amazing Fellow
This book was absolutly amazing i personally think Ronnie Barker was an amazing guy and i have done numerous tributes to Ronnie Barker on stage in front of as many as 1500 people and each of them loved the comedy and Ronnie Barker!