Bernard Manning
| Bernard Manning | |
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Manning in 2005.
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| Birth name | Bernard John Manning |
| Born | 13 August 1930 Ancoats, Manchester, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 18 June 2007 (aged 76) Crumpsall, Manchester, England |
| Medium | Stand-up |
| Years active | 1950s–2007 |
| Genres | Blue comedy |
| Subject(s) | Ethnicity, stereotypes, minority groups |
| Spouse | Veronica Finneran (1986) (her death) |
| Children | Bernard Manning Jr |
| Notable works and roles | The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club, The Comedians, The Embassy Club |
Bernard John Manning (13 August 1930 – 18 June 2007) was an English comedian and nightclub owner.
Manning told irreverent jokes about people from all walks of life, but his act was best known for material involving ethnic stereotypes and minority groups. This led to frequent criticism that his act was racist, which he discounted, saying: "I tell jokes. You never take a joke seriously." Manning became famous on British television during the 1970s, appearing on shows including The Comedians and The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club. The controversy surrounding his act meant that Manning was rarely seen on television in the later part of his career, but he continued to perform in theatres and pubs until his death.
Manning was born in Ancoats, Manchester. He had Russian Jewish ancestry on his father's side, as well as roots in Ireland, and was brought up a "strict Catholic". He named his house in Alkrington "Shalom", the Hebrew word for "peace". He left school aged 14, joined his father's greengrocery business, and then worked in a Gallaher's tobacco factory, before joining the British Army to do his National Service.
Like many other comedians of the time (including the cast of The Goon Show), Manning held little thought of entertainment as a career, until posted to Germany. Guarding Nazi war criminals (Rudolf Hess, Albert Speer, and Karl Doenitz) at Spandau Prison, Berlin, just after World War II, he began to sing popular standards to entertain his fellow soldiers and pass the time. This ability led him to put on free shows at the weekends; when he began to charge admission and audiences did not decrease, he realised that there was a possibility of making money from show business.
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