Hogmanay TV highlight – Rikki Fulton

He’s remembered as considered one of Scotland’s funniest comedy icons, whose annual Hogmanay sketches had Scots audiences laughing into the brand new 12 months.

However the late Rikki Fulton might have been a Hollywood star as an alternative, in accordance with considered one of his closest pals, fellow comedian actor Tony Roper.

Fulton, who died in 2004, is finest remembered for his Scotch and Wry sketch present, which ran on New 12 months’s Eve from 1978 till 1992, drawing as much as two million viewers in Scotland.

However he additionally carried out in movies, together with the 1983 thriller Gorky Park, alongside William Harm and Lee Marvin.

Fulton was chosen to play KGB Main Pribluda due to his “evil eyes”, however Glasgow cinema audiences couldn’t take their favorite comedian significantly on display screen.

Roper, 83, who appeared alongside Fulton in Scotch and Wry, mentioned that regardless of the response in his native metropolis, Fulton might simply have been a Hollywood star enjoying villains.

Chatting with interviewer George Mair forward of a BBC Scotland documentary, Rikki, to be proven on Hogmanay [TUES DEC 31], Roper mentioned Fulton had the uncommon potential to be brilliantly humorous or lethal critical and show uncooked feelings for the cameras.

And he in contrast Fulton with the nice American Oscar profitable actor Walter Matthau.

He mentioned: “Rikki was intrinsically humorous, it didn’t matter what he was saying. He was a grasp of mime, his timing, his seems round and his pauses… the best way he constructed on amusing.

“However he was an actor earlier than he grew to become a comic book. With high Hollywood actors, you’ll be able to see every part they’re considering with out them actually doing something and he had that potential. It was fairly sensible.

“I’ve little question he might have been an excellent (straight) actor if he hadn’t achieved comedy.

“He talked a couple of director who forged him in Gorky Park as a result of he had probably the most evil eyes, and he did.

“In my view, if he was going to be a (Hollywood) star he would have been the baddie. He had the look and every part that will go along with somebody who was the baddie in movies.

“It could be a bit like Walter Matthau. He began off because the baddie in each movie he did after which went into mild comedy and he was excellent.

“To me, Rikki had the identical potential as Walter Matthau to persuade you he was one evil son of a bitch however in one other movie a genial lovable man, like in The Odd Couple.

“Rikki had that sort of expertise and talent in spades. You didn’t see a lot of the baddie however he did have it.

“Lots of people can act however only a few have the comedic genius that Rikki had so I assumed that was at all times going to return out.

“He bought inside the very soul of Scottish audiences and (after that) folks can’t take you as a straight actor any longer.

“I feel that’s what occurred with Rikki, he was taken up by his personal reward, which was elegant.”

Rikki celebrates the life and legacy of Scotland’s “King of Hogmanay”, marking a century since his start within the East Finish of Glasgow and 20 years since he died.

His razor-sharp wit and iconic characters reminiscent of Supercop, the Reverend I. M. Jolly and Francie and Josie — the comedy duo he fashioned with Jack Milroy — captured the hearts of the nation.

The programme tells of Fulton’s upbringing in Glasgow and the way he fell in love with the theatre as a toddler.

It additionally tells how in 1941, on the age of simply 17, he joined the Royal Navy and went to struggle. He was serving on board HMS Ibis the next 12 months when the ship was torpedoed within the Mediterranean, killing two thirds of these on board.

Fulton spent a number of hours within the water earlier than he was rescued.

Roper, who wrote Fulton’s life story within the play “Rikki and Me”, mentioned: “Rikki was within the sea fairly some time earlier than he was picked up, and plenty of his shut pals died within the sea round him.

“Each wars did an terrible lot to folks, and so they tried to cover it. It made them totally different folks after they got here out and Rikki might have been a type of unfortunates, who suffered very badly.

“The enormity of being at sea, chilly and that happening for hours, I puzzled how he got here by way of that.

“Performing is an escape for a lot of actors and Rikki wouldn’t have been alone there.

“Appearing permits you to take a vacation away from your self and grow to be someone else. The power to make someone snicker is a really potent drug and I feel that performed uppermost in his life.”

Fulton and Milroy grew to become megastars in Scotland within the Nineteen Sixties.

Roper mentioned: “Francie and Josie have been Scotland’s Laurel and Hardy. They have been completely big, and so they dwell on for folks like myself.”

Rikki options contributions from his Scotch and Wry co-stars Roper Juliet Cadzow and Claire Nielson, together with fellow Scots actors together with Alex Norton, Gavin Mitchell and Sanjeev Kohli.

* Rikki is on BBC One Scotland Tuesday 31 December, 10pm.

Rikki Fulton’s personal church minister has mentioned it was “unnerving” to have Reverend I. M. Jolly in his congregation.

Fulton is finest remembered for his depressing minister character, mockingly named Jolly.

His “Final Name” monologues have been a send-up of Late Name, a late-night TV sermon of the time.

Fulton, who had been a confirmed atheist, parodied ministers who he mentioned have been usually “lower than joyful”.

He turned to faith later in his life after affected by sickness, and attended New Kilpatrick Church in Bearsden, the place Rev Alistair Symington was minister.

Talking on BBC Scotland documentary, Rikki, to be proven on Hogmanay [TUES DEC 31] Rev Symington says: “It was within the church the primary time I met him.

“I noticed him sat within the pew and naturally I noticed I. M. Jolly sat there. It’s barely unnerving.

“It was the start of this nice sustained friendship we had. We talked about all types of issues to do with religion, to do with life, to do with household and to do with canine.”

* Rikki is on BBC One Scotland Tuesday 31 December, 10pm.

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