Both also had separate careers – Keyes with his wife Gladys, and as a solo comedian and broadcaster, and Tully as a dancer with his sister Vesta.
[1] Tully was born in Antwerp, Belgium, and was a member of the Boisset troupe of acrobats and comedians, known internationally for their comedy and pantomime skills.
Haver (Keyes) was the straight man, with a marked American accent, who attempted to recite or sing while Lee (Tully) would interrupt with nonsensical comments and wisecracks.
[11] From 1940, they played the roles of Duckweed and Eggblow, two useless handymen in a hotel, in the anarchic radio comedy series Danger - Men at Work!, written and produced by Max Kester.
They wrote the radio show Charing Cross Road, a "play with music" about the lives of theatrical professionals in London, first broadcast in 1934.
It also featured Tully and other performers including Charles Hawtrey,[7] and was filmed two years later, starring John Mills and June Clyde.
[14][4] After the end of the Second World War, Keyes reprised his role as Duckweed in Danger - Men at Work!, but without Tully.