Al Read was a firm favourite on the wireless during the forties and fifties. Never really told jokes, just wry observations of the day. Another comedian that often dressed and acted as a woman. I can imagine Les Dawson listening to Al Read and saying to himself, "I want to do that".
Vic Oliver was born in Austria in 1898, he married Winston Churchill's daughter Sarah. An accomplished musician he used his music for comedy. As a regular on such programs as Henry Hall's Guest Night and Workers Playtime, he helped lift our spirits during the dark days of rationing. His style is very much a precursor of the great Victor Borge.