Barry...

It is a pity that a number of Barry Cryer’s best jokes have been told so many times in the newspapers and on the radio over the last couple of days, because endless repeats devalue the comedy effect. Nevertheless, that does not stop me retelling my favourite, although the following gag I have only heard the one time, and told by the man himself.

‘Bazza’ was being interviewed by John Humphries on the Today Programme quite some time ago; I was walking to work listening on headphones, and delayed going through the gates so I could hear the punch line:

After his great days in the Marx Brothers’ films, Groucho Marx was quite well-known as a talk-show host on American radio in the 1950s. He would interview all sorts of people including the general public. On one occasion he was interviewing a ‘man in the street’. After a few preliminaries the questions proceeded thus:

Groucho:         So Mr --- are you married?
Man:               Yes I am Mr Marx.
Groucho:         And are you happy?
Man:               Yes very happy!
Groucho:         Do you have any kids?
Man:               Yes sir, I have ten lovely children!
Groucho:         Ten children, good grief! That’s fantastic! How do you come to have ten children?
Man:               Well sir, I love my wife!
Groucho:         Well, I love my cigar, but I take it out once in a while...

Humphries dissolves into laughter saying: “I’m not sure you can say that on prime time radio ... well, you just have!”