May 28 marks the 70th anniversary of the influential British radio comedy program “The Goon Show,” which inspired fans from the Monty Python group to John Lennon. The Jewish content of The Goons, comprising comedians Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers as well as the Welsh singer Harry Secombe, is usually overlooked amid the show’s comedic chaos and anarchy.
Milligan, the presiding genius over the surreal scripts, cherished the Jewish roots of his colleague Sellers, whose mother was of Ashkenazi and Sephardic origin.
After Sellers died in 1980, Milligan wrote a letter to the editor of The Jewish Chronicle, a periodical founded in 1841, to complain that “at no stage [of the funeral ceremony] was there any attempt to introduce any connection with the Jewish side of [Sellers’] family. As his Mother was Jewish, most certainly then he was Jewish, whereas he did choose to be a Christian (though sometimes he fancied various other religions), his whole attitude and personality seeme
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Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, Citi Australia chairman Sam Mostyn and public relations supremo Sue Cato have been recognised in the Australia Day honours.
Former Seven Network chief executive Maureen Kerridge (nee Plavsic), who died in December, was honoured, along with Australian Food and Grocery Council chief executive Tanya Barden, Kingsgate Consolidated chairman Ross Smyth-Kirk, and merchant banker Ken Allen.
In keeping with tradition for former prime ministers, Malcolm Turnbull was recognised for eminent service to the people and Parliament of Australia.Â
James Brickwood
Eclipx chairman and long-time banker Kerry Roxburgh and developer and MAB Corporation founder Michael Buxton were made members in the general division.