One of the greatest comedians of all time. There should be a health warning on the doors before every one of his shows because it is so funny it's painful.
Well, he was only an icon to the Aussies after he went abroad and took the world by storm At home he was dragged thru the gutter by the native press and made a laughing stock as the nation's shame But the old establishment passed on and the younger generations coming up thru the 90s were able to appreciate his humour
Having known Dame Edna all these years it’s nice to meet Barry Humphries. As to those people saying he is boring next to his characters I beg to differ. If you were to meet him not knowing his characters you would be charmed by such an eccentric witty, arty fellow. His characters are just over the top!
My only exposure to Barry is as the character Dame Edna. What other characters does he perform as and does he have any DVDs produced that can be purchased and played in the USA? This clip of Barry as Barry was truly an educational experience.
Barry Humphries should be knighted. He is a true performer with a great talent. I saw him live at the theatre and by the end of the show my gut ached from laughing so much. All three of his characters are something special. Thankyou Barry for a great night and sharing your talent with the world.
I agree, I heard him say once that he wonders what more he has to do to ‘deserve’ this as well. He is the greatest comedian ever, in my opinion, and as his everyday self, just so charming, disarming:)💖💜💖and unique.
Sir Barry Humphries has a very nice ring to it, pity it never happened R.I.P. Barry, thankyou for the memories for the infinite amounts of laughter you shared with the world, gone, but you will never be forgotten forgotten
This guy is pure genius, I would say that about very few people. His quick wit and way of deliverance if far beyond most peoples abilities. I didn't realize he had so many characters. He really should have had a pre-nup about those paintings.
What a fantastic programme about a man and a character that I personally adore!! well done Barry for bringing so much joy and laughter to the world, you are truly a fantastic artist!! I remember when I forst went to Melbourne as a young man at 22 travelling around Australia, and we arrived in Melbourne and stayed with friends in MOONEE PONDS!! I was over the Moonee to be in the same suburb where Barry began his career!!
I had the pleasure of meeting Barry on several occasions 20 odd years ago because my mum knew him through mutual friends. Not only is he an absolute comic genius, but he is also a genuinely nice person. I love his ability to completely take the piss out of someone while doing it in a way that is not nasty or sarcastic. His "celebrity victim" feels like they have been hit over the ego with a feather hammer. Also if you have ever been to one of his live shows you were VERY glad you arrived on time LMAO
Anne Oneal I've always thought the same. Emily Perry was a true gem, and was effortlessly hilarious herself. Amazingly, I have read that she was actually the third actress to play Madge. To my mind, her portrayal is the definitive one, though admittedly I've not seen the other two.
Dame Edna. He had such an incredible sharp sense of humor. Such a warm, funny, and loving host on the Edna show, made all the celebs relax and enjoy themselves.
I went to one of Dame Edna's performances and I have never seen a more hard-working gifted performer in my life. It was the work of a consummate performer from the start to the end of the show. There was no laxing going on - great work.
One gentle man near the end of clip said he be the greatst comedy act out of Ossie I recon the most greatest comedy act in the world. Up for debate of course.Awesome man
I have always been completely fascinated with this man. What a genius. Thank you from South Africa from an ardent fan. How I would absolutely love to see one of his shoes. Bravo Dame Edna 💫
@Thunder Exactly. It's a bloody joke. He is just an old closeted queen who looks down his nose at anything to do with Australia. If he is remembered, it will be as a dated bitchy drag queen. A comedic dinosaur.
Comedy Connections on RU-vid is turning me onto so much great comedy. While we were doing Laugh In and All In the Family they were doing some really intelligent comedy.
Actually, All in the Family was a great show. It wasn't endorsing racism. It was trying to show the foolishness of being narrowminded on either side. It was extremely cutting edge for its day.
Nash1a ... Absolutely. It was during a time when the Selma civil rights workers were killed and lynchings were a recent past or not past at all. A lot of very narrow minds liked Carole O’Conner’s (sp?) Archie Bunker character because they were too ignorant to get the intent. Most of us got it. For comedy to be effective, you need a strong character to play off of. That’s who he was. He was the joke and he didn’t know it. But the audience (usually) did.
It's lovely to see some shots of the real Barry Humphries. I met him on a couple of occasions, once when I was minicab driver in about 1969 and I was an avid fan of his comic strip in Private Eye and then a few years ago, when he had just had an honour bestowed on him by The Queen, at a Monty Roberts horse demo. near Guildford. He gave me a very generous tip for getting him a cup of coffee during the break. Was he known as a generous man? He didn’t give me a tip on the occasion of the minicab journey. Perhaps he was a bit skint at the time. What a wonderful performer
I'm an American, gay, and 34 years old (I think my following comment needs those things established) Back in my 20's I was visiting with an acquaintance (also gay) who's father was a close friend my father's. I think he sort of felt like introducing me to some actual gay culture since I was just then coming into my own. He put in a "Dame Edna" tape and I was just amazed that I had never heard of "her." He went on to tell me that his dad never knew Dame Edna was really a guy and had a celeb crush on "her." I feel like my generation and younger ones won't have quite a celeb or comedian to enjoy. Folks such as these cannot be replaced, only succeeded.
When Barry talks about Melbourne being suffocatingly “nice” in the fifties. ...... it is the view of a privileged boy and the priveleged area he was born into. It is typical of the upper classes to project extra niceness. . If he had come from the working class districts of Sunshine, Footscray or my neighbourhood Yarraville, where such niceness is seen as slightly suspicious, he would have felt liberated, as, we were able to be more open about our opinions of everyday life. I have always been grateful for my working class upbringing as I have always been in touch with what I consider to be real and genuine about the values of civilized experiences of that era, or in fact any era. I now live in an upper class area of a big city....and believe me it is also suffocatingly nice....
This is a revelation. I had no idea that he was a Dadaist and of course now it makes perfect sense. Even the way he allows this very well made documentary to try and define him and yet leave us wanting to know more. Masterful. I would love to see him cast a Tim Burton misfit or villain like the Penguin man. I think he would deliver a heartbreaking performance.
I still can't believe the Dame is gone. My heart aches when the world loses comic genius. So many bad things in the world. We need Dame Edna to make us laugh and to give us advice. I will forever miss her.
The best Australian comedian ever. I have some inside information - he actually always suffered from stage fright - hard to believe as it would only happen before he went on stage & wasn't apparent when he was performing.
His vast linguistic repertoire allows him to twist and even expand Australian slang as well as incorporating of some American pop slang/phrases for the full gamut of language spice.
21 November 2014 - front and center at California Center for the Arts in Escondido - and the delightful Dame Edna strikes again! How wonder-filled she is and funny than a possum's poonum! My friend was enjoying her first live Dame Edna and we both smiled and enjoyed the dear Dame Edna during our driving and our dinner. I held to my chest the photo of Dame Edna and me from her 2009 show at San Diego Civic Center, where she called 4 people up to sit with her onstage! *I* was one of them!! Ahhhh, the memories! The hugs - the laughter. Seattle, get ready, the Dame is coming up to you!! Make sure to see her! Have a wonderful tour, dear Dame and Barry - and know that you both loved.
I saw him in San Francisco years ago. I almost exploded laughing, I could barely get a breath. If you sat in the front row, you were in for trouble, he was ruthless with the front row people. Sadly for us he is retired now.
All the kudos in these comments are true. Barry Humphries produced a stellar character and gave us memorable comedy. What a gem. Thank you for posting this look into the Dame Edna character. I really enjoyed the look at some of the original dresses - wow, what an imagination.
Funny how none of the comments focus on the fact that he was such an interesting guy off the stage- poet, writer and painter. That is what most impressed me about the guy.
I think it will be many more years before we can really appreciate the genius of Barry Humphries Like Dali, his genius explodes and covers a multitude of ideas, some yet to be uncovered and, perhaps, understood.
i wrote to him when starting out as a designer.. he wrote back said come back stage.. operate the cherry picker.. was a lovely generous man who kick started my career.. ❤
One of the best documentaries that I’ve ever seen. Such good filming, good set design and the focus is an amazing person. He is incredibly handsome as a man. He seems to be like so many. Put on a costume and be that person. Love his fedora and lovely, so lavish male clothing.
From Florida, USA: I love ya, Barry! I didnt discover you until you were gone. But thanks to the miracle of RU-vid, you wil be entertaining us all over the English-speaking world, forever!!;😅
I first saw Dame Edna on the tonight show with Johnny Carson.......Here in the States........He was a laugh a minute. All ad libbed ...a comedic genius.
Brilliant, i have found out so much more about Barry, he was born a genius, people where just to slow to catch on early doors. Love the guy, super intelligent and funny. You can tell he bears no ill will.
Love the alter ego Dame Edna - So witty and fun impromptu humor just love it. Edna gives the freedom to just go off the rails. Would love to spend a tea time with the craziness of Dame Edna. What a joy and a remembrance of a lifetime.
"Does THAT woman really think we're interested in her? How tragic!" LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I LOVE HIM!!!! May Dame Edna reign for all time!!!!!
He did a character, now mostly forgotten. He was a car dealer who had opened an art gallery in the 70's. His banner was "Maurie O'Connor's Magic Mile of Masterpieces". Barry's intelligence was the key to his appeal which thankfully was never rude, only alluding to the possibility in your mind.
