Charles Clews

Charles Clews

The sone of William George Clews and Maria Scerri, Charles was born in Senglea on the 27th Sep 1919.  He was educated at the Lyceum, Valletta and at the Dockyard Technical College as an Engine Fitter Apprentice.

During World War II Clews was a member of the Dockyard First Aid Squad and was presented with a Certificate (3-Chevrons) for his services.

In the midst of the Second World War, Charles and some friends formed a Concert Troupe, which performed comical shows to the workers at the Dockyard.  The Naval Authorities approved these shows as they heightened the morale of the workers during such a sifficult time.

These shows were becoming increasingly popular, and encouraged by many spectators, Clews together with Nestu Laiviera (later Speaker of the House of Representatives), Fred Underwood, Johnny Catania and Laurie Bellizzi formed Stage Commandos Variety Company and started giving shows in theaters all over Malta.

With "Radio Muskettiere", which he co-founded in 1945 with Catania and Armando Urso, Clews introduced a new kind of humorous hsow and a novel kind of comedy sit-com for Cable Radio, known in those days as Rediffusion and Radio, Series like Toto Tanti, Fredu Frendo Sghendo, Mabbli l-Fabbli l-Kuntistabbli, Ninu u Karmena Abdilla were very popular among the Maltese.

Clews had two very successful tours to Australia, in 1964 with Johnny Navarro and in 1984 with Johnny Catania, where they had shows at the Royal Opera House in Sydney.  He left the Dockyard as a Surveyor and in 1964 started his career as a journalist with the Union Press.  He has also been contributing a humorous column to It-Torca for several years.  He is the author of seven booklets of a humorous nature in Maltese and of a great number of scripts for radio, comedies and sketches, and songs for the stage.  His play Dar Fuq ir-Ramel has been translated into English, and included in Prof. A. J. Arberry's Maltese Anthology.

Clews was chairman, Board of Film and Stage Censors (1955-58) and member, Film and Stage Censors' Board (1971-87).  In 1996 he was awarded the Midalja ghall-Qadi tar-Repubblika (MQR).  The Broadcasting Authority presented him with a Trophy for long service on Stage and Radio in 1998. 

His favorite quote: 
Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, So cherish today, That's why it's called The Present.

You Tube video -
Sparaw Ghall-Qamar (They shot at the Moon), a humoristic song of the 60's sung by Malta's late comedian, Charles Clews.

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