Charles Penrose Dunbar Cawse, known professionally as Charles Penrose, was born on November 11, 1873, in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire and was an English music hall and theatre performer, and later radio comedian. Initially working in the jewellery trade, Penrose began performing laughing songs at local concert parties and joined a theatrical tour at age 18. He gained success in music hall and West End performances, notably in Tonight's the Night at London's Gaiety Theatre from 1914 to 1915. In 1922, he recorded "The Laughing Policeman" under the pseudonym 'Charles Jolly,' with his second wife, Mabel Anderson, credited as songwriter 'Billie Grey.' Penrose also starred in BBC Radio's wartime series The Pig and Whistle and appeared in several films throughout the 1930s and 1940s. He died of heart disease on November 17, 1952, at Princess Beatrice Hospital, Kensington, aged 79.
