Editing Arnold Brown (comedian)

{{Short description|Scottish comedian (born 1936)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
'''Arnold Brown''' (born 1936, in Glasgow<ref>{{cite book |title=Are You Looking at Me Jimmy |isbn=0413688909 |author=Arnold Brown |year=1994 |publisher=Methuen Publishing Ltd}}</ref>) is a Scottish Jewish [[comedian]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/life-style/real-lives/my-health-arnold-brown-comedian-1.1011691|title=Sunday Herald - My health: Arnold Brown, Comedian|accessdate=26 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newhumanist.org.uk/1830/arnold-brown|title=Arnold Brown &#124; New Humanist|website=newhumanist.org.uk}}</ref> one of the main figures in the [[alternative comedy]] scene of the early 1980s.

==Life and career==
Originally an [[accountant]], Brown worked hard at live standup, until he found a knack for presenting [[observational comedy]] in a slow, meandering but entertaining style. He won the Edinburgh Festival [[Perrier Award]] in 1987. His catchphrase is "And why not?"

He quotes the highlight of his career as supporting [[Frank Sinatra]] on stage in Glasgow's [[Ibrox Park]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/theatre-and-stage/joke-week-arnold-brown-putting-yourself-down-1480850 |title=Joke of the week: Arnold Brown on putting yourself down |work=[[The Scotsman]] |date=11 March 2016 |access-date=29 December 2021}}</ref>

He can be seen on: the original [[Julien Temple]] film ''The Comic Strip'' (1981), performing live on stage; the [[Bill Forsyth]] film ''[[Comfort and Joy (1984 film)|Comfort and Joy]]'' in which he plays a psychiatrist in a manner reminiscent of his stand-up style; ''[[The Comic Strip]]'' television series (1982 onwards) in various roles; ''[[The Young Ones (TV series)|The Young Ones]]'' in various roles; and in ''[[The Dangerous Brothers]]'' (1985).

He appeared as himself in the 1994 partially-[[improvised comedy]] film ''There's No Business...'', starring the comedy duos Raw Sex ([[Simon Brint]] and [[Rowland Rivron]]) and [[The Oblivion Boys]]. He has appeared in ''[[Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle]]'' in various roles;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0110grc|title=BBC Two - Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, Series 2, Charity|publisher=BBC}}</ref> and in "Torture" (from ''[[Saturday Live (UK TV series)|Saturday Live]]'') as a man who has experienced Chinese [[water torture]]. Also in 1994, [[Methuen Publishing|Methuen]] published his book, ''Are You Looking at Me, Jimmy?''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.goodreads.com/work/17192596-are-you-looking-at-me-jimmy|title=Are You Looking at Me, Jimmy?|website=Goodreads|accessdate=26 March 2023}}</ref>

Brown featured in 2012 in two Random Acts films on [[Channel 4]] called "Where is the Fish That Never Swam?" and "The Alleyway of a Thousand Questions", directed by Jes Benstock. His DVD, ''Jokes I Have Known'' was produced and released by [[Go Faster Stripe]] in the same year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gofasterstripe.com/cgi-bin/website.cgi?page=videofull&id=14504|title=Go Faster Stripe|website=gofasterstripe.com}}</ref>

In 2008, he performed at the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe]] in a show called ''Happiness: The Search Continues'' with [[Ian Macpherson (comedian)|Ian Macpherson]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/review/2008/01/01/35815/arnold-brown-presents-happiness-the-search-continues|title=Arnold Brown Presents Happiness: The Search Continues : Reviews 2008 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide|first=Steve|last=Bennett|website=www.chortle.co.uk|accessdate=26 March 2023}}</ref> He appeared on [[KT Tunstall]]'s documentary about [[Ivor Cutler]] in 2020, speaking about Cutler but also about Jewish life in Glasgow.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/kt-tunstall-film-salutes-ivor-cutler-the-eccentric-scottish-performer-khztq68p9|title=KT Tunstall film salutes Ivor Cutler, the 'eccentric' Scottish performer|first=Mike|last=Wade|date=11 October 2020 |access-date=26 March 2023|via=www.thetimes.co.uk}}</ref> In the same year, he was mentioned by [[Lenny Henry]] on [[Louis Theroux]]'s ''[[Grounded with Louis Theroux|Grounded]]'' podcast as an act who commendably does not resort to sexist or racist material.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/4-lenny-henry/id1508985962?i=1000474928241|title=Grounded with Louis Theroux: 4. Lenny Henry on Apple Podcasts|website=Apple Podcasts|accessdate=26 March 2023}}</ref>

Arnold Brown was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Scottish Comedy Awards in April 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/13153316.rolling/ |title=Rolling in it |first=Ken |last=Smith |work=[[Herald (Scotland)|The Herald]] |date=1 April 2014 |access-date=29 December 2021}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211210/OVtsHf1uUNA Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20191226032157/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVtsHf1uUNA Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVtsHf1uUNA| title = Arnold Brown at Scottish Comedy Awards 2014 | website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The [[University of Kent]] Special Collections & Archives holds a collection of Arnold Brown's material relating to his comedy career.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=University of Kent Special Collections & Archives |title=Arnold Brown Collection |url=https://archive.kent.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=BSUCA/AB |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=University of Kent Special Collections & Archives Catalogue}}</ref> It includes promotional material, audio recordings, press coverage and photographs.<ref name=":0" />

==See also==
* [[Arnold Brown and Company]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090409125309/http://www.jeremyhicks.com/arnoldbrown/biog.htm ''Arnold Brown Biography'']
* [http://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/abrown.html  Chortle page]
* [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0113055/ Arnold Brown] at the [[Internet Movie Database]]
* [https://archive.kent.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=BSUCA%2fAB Arnold Brown Collection] at the [[University of Kent]]

{{Edinburgh Comedy Award winners}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Arnold}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Scottish Jews]]
[[Category:Jewish Scottish comedians]]
[[Category:Comedians from Glasgow]]
[[Category:Scottish male comedians]]
[[Category:Jewish male comedians]]


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