Magic Trick
Tommy Cooper (1921–1984) was one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers. Known for his red fez, bungling stage persona and razor-sharp humour, Cooper’s career spanned almost four decades and saw him tour extensively with his comedy magic act. He starred in his own shows, both on stage and television, and died during a live broadcast from Her Majesty’s Theatre in 1984.
When stationed in Cairo during the Second World War, Cooper mislaid his army-issue helmet during a concert and is said to have borrowed a waiter’s fez. The hat looked comically small on Cooper’s 6ft 3” frame and became his trademark, along with the catchphrase ‘Just like that’. Such was Cooper's fame that the catchphase was borrowed by SodaStream to convey the efficiency of its drinks machines.
When stationed in Cairo during the Second World War, Cooper mislaid his army-issue helmet during a concert and is said to have borrowed a waiter’s fez. The hat looked comically small on Cooper’s 6ft 3” frame and became his trademark, along with the catchphrase ‘Just like that’. Such was Cooper's fame that the catchphase was borrowed by SodaStream to convey the efficiency of its drinks machines.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Brief description | Jack of Clubs trick in perspex, used by Tommy Cooper. |
| Physical description | Jack of Clubs trick in perspex with elastic bands. |
| Summary | Tommy Cooper (1921–1984) was one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers. Known for his red fez, bungling stage persona and razor-sharp humour, Cooper’s career spanned almost four decades and saw him tour extensively with his comedy magic act. He starred in his own shows, both on stage and television, and died during a live broadcast from Her Majesty’s Theatre in 1984. When stationed in Cairo during the Second World War, Cooper mislaid his army-issue helmet during a concert and is said to have borrowed a waiter’s fez. The hat looked comically small on Cooper’s 6ft 3” frame and became his trademark, along with the catchphrase ‘Just like that’. Such was Cooper's fame that the catchphase was borrowed by SodaStream to convey the efficiency of its drinks machines. |
| Associated object | THM/469 (Archive record) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.742-2019 |
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| Record created | November 13, 2019 |
| Record URL |
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