Stage name of Maxwell George Lister.
1908-1990. English music-hall comedian and
actor. Born in London, the son of a Scots
comedian, he became a well-known dancer
before radio enabled his verbal comedy to
reach a wider audience. In the 1950s his
career declined dramatically after he left
his wife and children, and it was only in the
1970s that he appeared again in starring
roles, now as a serious actor, in John
Osborne's The Entertainer 1974 and in Samuel
Beckett's Waiting for Godot 1980. He was
noted for his solo comedy performances during
which he displayed his remarkable `funny
walk' routine.