Frank Cox; of the Cox Twins, one of British variety's most enduring acts
Hyfler/Rosner
From The Times
November 21, 2007
Frank Cox
Versatile artiste who, with his brother, was a stalwart of
the variety scene
Frank Cox was the identical twin of Fred Cox who, as the Cox
Twins, were one of British variety's most enduring acts.
Stalwarts of the RAF gang shows during the Second World War,
they played four instruments, sang, tap-danced and performed
acrobatics.
After the war and until their retirement in 2000 they were
regulars at the London Palladium, notably supporting Johnny
Ray, starred in summer seasons and pantomimes and made
several films, including the 1972 version of Alice in
Wonderland with Peter Sellers, in which they appeared as
Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
The twins had irresistible, ebullient personalities.
Sporting huge black frizzy hairstyles, they wore brightly
coloured garish suits (complete with red or yellow socks)
and were liable to burst into song at the drop of a hat.
They were virtually impossible to tell apart and in
conversation one twin would start a sentence while the other
would finish it. In the 1960s they complicated matters
further by getting married on the same day to the variety
artistes Estelle and Pauline Miles, who were also identical
twins.
They all lived together in the same house in North London,
where, as the comedian Jack Seaton recalled, "if you lunched
with the four of them you hadn't a clue who was who".
Francis Thomas Cox was born in Cardiff in 1920 and, at the
age of 12, he and his brother Fred joined Steffani's Silver
Songsters, a touring boys choir - which included a young
Norman Vaughan - as speciality clog dancers. The Songsters
toured music halls across the country, often supporting
leading variety artistes and, after leaving the choir, the
twins joined a show with the singer Dorothy Squires.
At the outbreak of war they joined the RAF and were
stationed at Padgate, Winston Churchill having stated that
RAF personnel who were twins should stay together. They
appeared in troop shows with success, although their long
hair caused considerable comment, not least from one RSM who
fumed: "These boys will ruin the RAF."
They were quickly transferred to the RAF gang shows, under
the auspices of Ralph Reader, who was to become a lifelong
friend. The twins' involvement with the gang shows spanned
50 years, much of the time spent as welfare and
entertainment officers. In wartime they toured Britain,
Europe, the Gulf and the Far East in company with
up-and-coming stars such as Peter Sellers, Tony Hancock and
Dick Emery, often in hazardous conditions. On a visit to
Tangmere Aerodrome, in Sussex, they had barely left their
lorry when it was machinegunned by a lone Messerschmitt 109
fighter and in Normandy they were in a bunker with Ralph
Reader when Stuka bombers started strafing them from low
level. "If we ever get through this, boys, you'll never want
for work," said Reader. "When we get back home I'll look
after you."
After the war Frank and Fred were key figures in the RAF
gang show reunions and recently they created a book of
remembrance dedicated to the shows at St Clement Danes, the
RAF church in London.
In postwar variety they were never out of work. They made
several films including Up Jumped a Swagman (1965) with
Frank Ifield, and Funny Bones (1995) with Lee Evans and
Jerry Lewis. Their numerous television appearance included
Barrymore and The Story of Light Entertainment (2006) with
Stephen Fry and Simon Cowell.
After Frank's wife Estelle died in 1984 they appeared on
stage as the Cox Twins and Pauline. In 2000 they were given
a Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Music Hall
Society.
He is survived by his brother.
Frank Cox, variety artiste, was born on December 4, 1920. He
died on November 10, 2007, aged 86
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