I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue 16

Dashiell (Samuel) Hammett was born in 1894 in Maryland, USA. He grew up in Philadelphia and Baltimore, leaving school at 14 and taking a variety of jobs including messenger boy, clerk, yardman and machine operator. A move to San Francisco saw him enrolling as an operative in the Pinkerton Detective Agency, the experience of which would feed his story writing. After being discharged from duty during the First World War for health reasons, Hammett began writing short stories for publication in literary magazines such as Black Mask. He then turned to novels, rapidly publishing some of his most notable work - Red Harvest (1929), The Dain Curse (1929), The Maltese Falcon (1930) and The Glass Key (1931). A new life of celebrity in Hollywood and New York led him to meet the playwright Lillian Hellman; they subsequently lived together until Hammett's death. Heavy drink would blight the rest of Hammett's writing career. A further novel, The Thin Man (1934), became a famous film, as had most of its predecessors. He earned a living from scriptwriting; and many of the short stories he had written for Black Mask were collected in three books, The Adventures of Sam Spade (1944), The Creeping Siamese and Other Stories (1950) and The Continental Op (1974). Hammett enlisted in World War II before being discharged with emphysema. In 1948 his drinking became so heavy that he suffered an attack of delirium tremens, which frightened him into abstention. During America's period of McCarthyism in the 1950s, Hammett refused to testify about 'un-American activities' in Hollywood. For this he was sent to prison for six months. He died in 1961; a collection of short stories, The Big Knockout and Other Stories, was published in 1966. With his creation of Sam Spade, and the distinctive style in which he wrote, Hammett had created a sub-genre of detective fiction which has since been christened 'hard-boiled'.

In 1958 Barry Cryer had a Number 1 hit record in Finland with the song 'Purple People Eater' by Sheb Wooley. Over his 50-year career he has written for, among many, Morecambe and Wise, Bruce Forsyth, Tommy Cooper, Frankie Howerd, Bob Hope and Richard Pryor. He is a comedy legend.

David Mitchell is a BAFTA Award-winning actor, writer and comedian who has starred in many of the UK’s best-loved TV shows, including Peep Show, That Mitchell and Webb Look and Upstart Crow. He is a team captain on Would I Lie to You? (BBC One), the host of The Unbelievable Truth on Radio 4 and one of the Observer‘s most popular columnists. Unruly: A History of England’s Kings and Queens is his first history book.

Graeme Garden is one third of the Goodies. He is a comedy legend.

Writer, stand-up comedian and actor, Jack Dee is famous for his sardonic, dead-pan style. Winner of three British Comedy Awards and nominated for the Best Entertainment Performer Bafta in 2005, his first big break came with a Perrier nomination in 1991. He has since had his own comedy shows on Channel 4, ITV and BBC1, performed in numerous TV dramas and on the West End stage. Jack also co-hosted BBC 1's Comic Aid in 2005 and has written and starred in his own BBC 2 award-winning series Lead Balloon since 2006. The hit comedy show was nominated for a British Comedy Award in 2007 and a RTS Award in 2008. He makes frequent TV appearances, including hosting BBC 1's Have I Got News For You and as a guest on Shooting Stars and Friday Night With Jonathan Ross. Radio includes regular team appearances on News Quiz, Just A Minute and as chairman for I'm Sorry I Haven't Got A Clue.

Jack has toured extensively throughout the UK, playing to well over 500,000 people since 1990 and has released 5 bestselling stand-up DVDs.

Rob Brydon MBE is an actor, writer and producer. His television credits include Gavin and Stacey, Human Remains, and Marion and Geoff. He’s the host of award-winning BBC show Would I Lie To You? and stars alongside Steve Coogan in acclaimed travelogue series The Trip, directed by Michael Winterbottom. Rob also hosts new BBC competition series Destination X and The Floor. Rob has been touring with his solo show, A Night of Songs and Laughter. A festive version toured the UK in 2025. Rob’s animation credits include Julia Donaldson’s Stick Man, Zog, Room on the Broom, The Gruffalo’s Child and Super Worm.

Susan Calman is an award-winning stand-up comedian, actress and writer. She won a Scottish BAFTA as one of the cast of the Channel 4 sketch show Blowout, and went on to appear in numerous TV and radio comedy shows including Fresh Meat, Dead Boss, Don't Drop the Baton, The News Quiz and The Now Show. She has also presented BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Pick of the Week. In 2013, her solo radio show Susan Calman is Convicted won 'Best Radio Comedy' at the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards.

Tim was born in Buxton, Derbyshire, and studied at various schools in Buxton and Winchester before beginning an Economics and Law degree course at Cambridge University. In 1963, he became President of Footlights, the revue club in which he wrote and performed with Bill Oddie, Graeme Garden, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Jonathan Lynn and others. He toured extensively with the revue, Cambridge Circus, before moving into television.

Victoria Wood was a hugely popular comedian, actress, singer/songwriter and director. She first came to fame on the TV talent show New Faces, and went on to appear in many television shows including Victoria Wood - As Seen on TV, An Audience with Victoria Wood, Pat and Margaret, Dinnerladies and the ITV film Housewife, 49. She won four BAFTA Awards and six British Comedy Awards, and in 2008 was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours. She died in 2016.