On this site you can learn about the great impresario and, via the contact page, order a signed author copy of the book: Fred Karno, the Legend Behind the Laughter.
Karno was a music hall acrobat who went on to launch the careers of hundreds of famous comics; including most notably charlie chaplin, stan laurel, will hay, and sandy powell.
‘It’s like Fred Karno’s Army’ - a phrase to describe any chaotic circumstance, still survives in the English language – Karno was the King of madcap comedy and the father of slapstick.
Described as charismatic and vicious; mean and generous; shy and flamboyant; ruthless and benevolent; Karno was certainly a man of contradictions. A creative genius, his success came at a cost. He was generally not well liked by his artists or fellow managers (although there are notable exceptions) and he is left with a tainted reputation, his influence on comedy and popular culture largely uncredited.