Joff Ellen

Joff Ellen (born Raymond Charles Ellen; 20 May 1915 – 30 December 1999) was an Australian entertainer, actor and comedian.

Career

During World War II he performed vaudeville acts to the troops and after the war did comedy shows on Melbourne radio station 3XY, now known as Magic 1278

He appeared in various children's television shows as the character Joffa Boy, particularly The Tarax Show, wearing "Bombay Bloomers" with large suspenders that he would manipulate for effect. He would greet the audience with "Howdy Doody, boys and girls!", and they would respond "Howdy Doody, Joffa Boy!". The theme song for the character was:

"Who's that peeping round the corner?
Not Jack Spratt or Little Johnny Horner.
Who's that chap who always has a grin ?
Joffa Boy, Joffa Boy, please come in !"

He also played the role of "Conkers" in the school comedy series Take That for Crawford Productions. His only known film role was in Nightclub (1952), one of only a handful of films made in Melbourne in that decade, where he appeared with the artist and actor Valma Howell whom he had briefly married and later divorced.

He was famous for his appearances with Graham Kennedy on the television show In Melbourne Tonight and later The Graham Kennedy Show from 1958 to 1974 employing a variety mix of song-and-dance, comedy sketches and other vaudevillean skills.

Personal life

He retired in 1976 and lived in Tarwin Lower, Victoria with his second wife, Bernadette. The couple were married for 54 years.