Voices of Variety » Chesney Allen

Voices of Variety » Chesney Allen

A page devoted to British comedian of music hall and movies Chesney Allen, one-sixth of the Crazy Gang, half of "variety's greatest double-act," Flanagan and Allen.

"The act always featured a number of songs - nostalgic or patriotic or, more likely, evoking hard times and the camaraderie of ordinary people bonding against misfortune. And they invariably ended with that song, which had been growing slowly in popularity.

"'Underneath the Arches was written by Bud, words and music, in some digs in 1928,' said Ches, 'and we sang it for two or three years before it really caught on. In those days, you see, a lot of people really did have to sleep under the arches and I think the song was written partly with them in mind. Bud had roughed it a lot earlier. He'd been a taxi driver and he'd been to America and roughed it there. He once walked from London to Glasgow. So he did know something about 'the arches.' Then, in 1934, the song became the best-seller in this country. Later on it was a tremendous seller in America after the war, too, because American soldiers used to come over here and they got to know the song.'"