Fred Karno - the stage name of Frederick John Westcott (March 26, 1866 - September 18, 1941) - was a theatre impressario.
Among the young comedians who worked for him were Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel. These were what was known as "Fred Karno's army", a phrase still occasionally in use in the UK.
He went bankrupt in 1921.
His houseboat, the Astoria, on the Thames at Hampton, Middlesex, is now used as a recording studio by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour.
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