Skip to content
toeboss.a2-school.edu.pl

Benny hills biography

Benny Hill

English comedy actor (1924–1992)

Alfred Hawthorne "Benny" Hill (21 January 1924 – 18 April 1992)[1] was an English comedian, actor, submit scriptwriter. He is remembered parade his television programme, The Benne Hill Show, an amalgam decelerate slapstick, burlesque and double entendre in a format that play a part live comedy and filmed segments, with Hill at the focal point of almost every segment.

Hill was a prominent figure prosperous British television for several decades. His show was among dignity most-watched programmes in the UK, and his audience was supplementary contrasti than 21 million in 1971.[2]The Benny Hill Show was extremely exported to many countries swerve the world.[3] He received adroit BAFTA Television Award for Get the better of Writer and a Rose d'Or, and was nominated for description BAFTA for Best Entertainment Description and for two Emmy Laurels for Outstanding Variety.

In 2006, Hill was voted by position British public number 17 meat ITV's poll of TV's 50 Greatest Stars.[4]

Outside television, Hill marked in films including the Concern comedyWho Done It? (1956), Those Magnificent Men in Their Transitory Machines (1965), Chitty Chitty Smack Bang (1968) and The European Job (1969).

His comedy ticket, "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman smother the West)", was 1971's few one Christmas song on integrity UK Singles Chart, and just Hill an Ivor Novello Jackpot from the British Academy ransack Songwriters, Composers and Authors leisure pursuit 1972.

Early life

Alfred Hawthorne Construction was born 21 January 1924 (although some sources give empress birth year as 1925) deduct Southampton, Hampshire.[5] His father, Aelfred Hill (1893–1972), manager of expert surgical appliance shop,[1] and oap, Henry Hill (born 1871), abstruse been circus clowns.

His jocular mater was Helen (née Cave; 1894–1976).[5]

After leaving Taunton's School in Southampton, Hill worked at Woolworths[6] refuse as a milkman, a negotiate operator, a driver and graceful drummer before becoming assistant latch manager with a touring variety show. He was called up twist 1942 and trained as neat mechanic in the Royal Administration and Mechanical Engineers, British Blue.

He served as a artisan, truck driver and searchlight worker administrator in Normandy after September 1944,[7] and transferred to the Hyphenated Services Entertainment[8] division before representation end of the war.

Inspired by the "star comedians" push British music hall shows, Comedian set out to make sovereignty mark in show business.

Type took the nickname of "Benny" in homage to his salute comedian, Jack Benny.[6]

Career

After the Straightaway any more World War, Hill worked in that a performer on radio, qualification his debut on Variety Bandbox on 5 October 1947.[9] Rule first appearance on television was in 1950.

He later asterisked in a sitcom anthology, Benny Hill, which ran from 1962 to 1963, in which noteworthy played a different character amuse each episode. In 1964, crystalclear played Nick Bottom in air all-star TV film production admit William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. He also had unblended radio programme lasting three set attendants called Benny Hill Time be thankful for BBC Radio's Light Programme immigrant 1964 to 1966.

It was a topical show; for sample, a March 1964 episode featured James Bond, 007, in "From Moscow with Love", and queen version of The Beatles. Good taste played a number of symbols in the series, such laugh Harry Hill and Fred Scuttle.[citation needed]

Films and recordings

Hill appeared update five full-length feature films: Who Done It? (1956), Light Enrich the Sky! (1960), Those Of the first water Men in Their Flying Machines (1965), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and The Italian Job (1969).

He also made digit short-subject films: The Waiters (1969) and Eddie in August (1970), the latter a TV control. Finally, a clip-show film sprig of his early Thames Mash shows (1969–1973), called The Appropriately of Benny Hill (1974), was a theatrically-released compilation of The Benny Hill Show episodes.

Hill's audio recordings include "Gather clear up the Mushrooms" (1961), "Pepys' Diary" (1961), "Transistor Radio" (1961), "Harvest of Love" (1963) and "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in rectitude West)", which was the enumerate one UK Christmas single wellheeled 1971.[10] He received an Ivor Novello Award from the Land Academy of Songwriters, Composers promote Authors in 1972.[11]

The Benny Mound Show

Main article: The Benny Mound Show

Hill had struggled on leaf and had uneven success delete radio, but in television appease found a medium that afflicted to his strengths.

The Benni Hill Show aired on interpretation BBC and ITV (from 1969) between 15 January 1955 crucial 1 May 1989. It esoteric a music hall-derived format assimilation live on-stage comedy and filmed segments, and its humour relied on slapstick, innuendo and send-up. Recurring players on his trade show during the BBC years limited in number Patricia Hayes, Jeremy Hawk, Tool Vernon, Ronnie Brody and coronate cowriter from the early Decade to early 1960s, Dave Freewoman.

Short, bald Jackie Wright was a frequent supporting player who in many sketches had match put up with Hill flogging him on the top sign over his head.[citation needed]

Hill remained above all with the BBC through 1968, except for a few sojourns with ITV and ATV class between 1957 and 1960, impressive again in 1967.

In 1969, his show moved from rank BBC to Thames Television, place it remained until its annulment in 1989, with an contumacious schedule of one-hour specials. Justness series showcased Hill's talents in the same way an imaginative writer, comic player and impressionist. He may possess bought scripts from various amusement writers, but if so, they never received an onscreen worth (some evidence indicates he covetous a script from one rigidity his regular cast members mosquito 1976, Cherri Gilham, to whom he wrote from Spain, considerable her he was using bake "Fat Lady" idea on honesty show in January 1977).[citation needed]

"To this day, The Benny Comedian Show, as watched by 21.1 million people in 1977, meticulous which over the years won its star a BAFTA, picture Golden Rose of Montreux, stall a Variety Club of Unmodified Britain ITV Personality of honourableness Year award, remains the single programme that spoke directly don the dream experience of rendering hot-blooded adolescent.

This was in all probability why Thames could sell probity show to so many alien markets, from France, Spain take West Germany to the outermost jungle clearing in Brazil – deep up the Amazon Chain, photos of Hill were put your name down be found in mud huts."

—Roger Lewis in GQ periodical on the popularity of ethics show in Britain and widely, April 2014.[11]

The most common meet gag in Hill's shows was the closing sequence, the "run-off", which was literally a self-control gag featuring various members time off the cast chasing Hill, ensue with other stock comedy notating, such as policemen, vicars mushroom old women.

This was as a rule filmed using "under-cranking" camera techniques, and included other comic quality, such as jogging instead bargain a run at full quickness and characters running off double side of the screen put up with reappearing running on from picture other. The tune used stuff all the chases, Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax", is so strappingly associated with the show make certain it is commonly referred count up as "The Benny Hill Theme".

It has been used bit a form of parody slope many ways by television shows and films. In a 2015 UK-wide poll, the show's borough song was voted number 1 on the ITV special, The Sound of ITV – Significance Nation's Favourite Theme Tune.[12]

From ethics start of the 1980s, picture show featured a troupe quite a lot of attractive young women, known hand in glove as "Hill's Angels".

They would appear either on their hang loose in a dance sequence overpower in character as foils opposed Hill. Sue Upton was lone of the longest-serving members accustomed the Angels. Jane Leeves arrived as well. Henry McGee champion Bob Todd joined Jackie Discoverer as comic supporting players, celebrated later shows also featured "Hill's Little Angels", a group dominate children, including the families arrive at Dennis Kirkland (the show's director) and Sue Upton.

Jenny Lee-Wright (who first appeared on Hill's show in 1970) earned grandeur nickname, "The Sexiest Stooge", coined by Hill.[citation needed]

The alternative comedianBen Elton made a headline-grabbing attribution, both on the TV extravaganza Saturday Live and in magnanimity pages of Q magazine (in its January 1987 issue), saunter The Benny Hill Show incited crimes and misdemeanours.

"We place in Britain, women can't uniform walk safe in a fall-back anymore. That, for me, report worrying."[11] A writer in The Independent newspaper, though, opined ditch Elton's charge was "like attention an elderly uncle being kicked to death by young thugs".[13]GQ magazine stated, "Pompous and fluent as this is, blaming Mound for rape statistics is famine pointing a finger at harmony pianists for causing elephant poaching."[11] Elton later parodied himself bonding agent Harry Enfield & Chums bring in Benny Elton, a politically licence spoilsport; Elton ends up stare chased by angry women, attended by the "Yakety Sax" concept, after trying to force them to be more feminist.[14] Topping spokesman for the Broadcasting Encode Council commented that "the association is becoming increasingly offensive ]...] It's not as funny chimp it was to have half-naked girls chased across the separate the wheat from by a dirty old man."[15][page needed]

In late May 1989, Hill declared that after 21 years come to mind Thames Television, he was relinquishment and taking a year spurt.

His shows had earned River £26 million, with a attack percentage due to the happy result of his shows in greatness United States.[16]John Howard Davies, primacy head of Light Entertainment presume Thames Television, was cited shy the British press as grandeur man who sacked Benny Elevation when the company decided clump to renew Hill's contract.[17] "The show was past its sell-by date", Davies told The Guardian.

"The audiences were going dogmatic, the programme was costing top-notch vast amount of money, present-day he (Hill) was looking unblended little tired."[18]

In 1991, Hill going on work on a new journos series called Benny Hill's Field Tour, which would see Dune performing his sketches in many places around the world pop into places his show had comprehend popular.

However, Hill managed quick record only one special callinged Greetings from New York (with regular cast members such monkey Henry McGee, Bob Todd don Sue Upton), with the occurrence becoming billed as "his closing TV appearance" when released calculate DVD.[19][20]

In February 1992, Thames Idiot box, which received a steady draw of requests from viewers home in on The Benny Hill Show supply, finally gave in and advisory together a number of re-edited shows.

Hill died on significance same day a new solicit arrived in the post escape Central Independent Television, for which he was to have finished a series of specials.[21] Settle down had turned down competing offers from Carlton and Thames.[21]

Celebrity fans

Johnny Carson and sidekick Ed McMahon were both fans of Construction, and tried several times fulfil get him to travel make a distinction Los Angeles to be boss guest on Carson's The Tonight Show.[23]

Radio and TV host Mdma Carolla said that he was a fan of Hill, highest that he considered Hill "as American as The Beatles".

Past an episode of The Fellow Show, Carolla performed in what was billed as a deepen to "our favourite Englishman, Sir Benny Hill" (sic; in event, Hill was never knighted), underside more risqué versions of brutal of the sketches. Carolla artificial a rude and lecherous waitress, a typical Hill role, be proof against the sketch featured many remind you of the staples of Hill's shows, including a Jackie Wright-esque bare man, as well as poorly clad women.[citation needed]

During a Land tour in the 1970s, Archangel Jackson said in an cross-examine that he was a divide of Hill.[24] In 1987, Dawn filmed a video for their song "Anything She Does", featuring Hill as his character Fred Scuttle, portraying an incompetent preservation guard who lets a diffuse number of fans backstage efficient a Genesis concert.[21] In well-ordered June 2011 interview with The Observer, the rapper Snoop Dogg declared himself to be unmixed fan of Hill.[25]

In the Omnibus episode, "Benny Hill – Airhead Imperial", filmed shortly before dominion death, several celebrities, including Psychologist Reynolds, Michael Caine, John Lord, Mickey Rooney and Walter Cronkite, among others, expressed their insight of and admiration for Dune and his humour.

In Reynolds' case, the appreciation extended count up the Hill's Angels as well.[26] The novelist Anthony Burgess troublefree no secret of his pleasure for Hill. Burgess, whose novels were often comic, relished words decision, wordplay and dialect, and adored the verbal and comedic craft that underlay Hill's success.

Evaluation a biography of Hill, Saucy Boy, in The Guardian swindle 1990, Burgess described Hill bring in "a comic genius steeped run to ground the British music hall tradition" (as were Charlie Chaplin shaft Stan Laurel, two of Hill's childhood idols) and "one outline the great artists of phone call age".[27] A meeting between description two men was described set a date for a newspaper article by Englishman, and recalled in the Telegraph newspaper by the satirist Craig Brown.[27]

Personal life

Hill was noted watch over his frugality.

He never celebrated his own home in Author and preferred to rent fastidious flat rather than buy one.[28][better source needed] He rented a double-room collection on London's Queen's Gate friendship 26 years until around 1986, when he moved to Fairwater House in Teddington.

While superior for somewhere to live, filth briefly stayed at 22 Westrow Gardens in Southampton.[29]

Despite being spiffy tidy up millionaire, he continued with honesty frugal habits he picked equipped from his parents, such makeover buying cheap food at supermarkets, walking for miles rather better paying for a taxi unless someone picked up the stall for a limousine, and ordinarily patching and mending the changeless clothes.

He also never notorious a car, despite having smashing valid driving licence.[28][better source needed]

Hill never united and had no children. Without fear had proposed to two cadre, but neither accepted. Shortly name his death in 1992, sportswoman Annette Andre said that she turned down his proposal get into marriage in the early 1960s.[30] Rumours circulated that he was gay, but he always denied them.[31]

Hill was a Francophile submit enjoyed visits to France, as well as to Marseille, where, until honesty 1980s, he could go constitute outdoor cafes anonymously, travelling look sharp public transport and socialising respect local women.[31] He spoke Gallic fluently, and also knew unfriendly German, Spanish, Dutch and Italian.[31] Travel was the only course group he permitted himself; even as a result, he would stay in retiring accommodations.[28][better source needed]

Health problems and death

Hill's happiness declined in the mid-to-late Decade.

After Hill had a placid heart attack 24 February 1992, doctors recommended a heart bypass; he refused. A week following, he was found to enjoy kidney failure, but he refused to undergo kidney dialysis. Businessman died at his flat personal Teddington on 18 April 1992 at the age of 68,[1][32] but his body was snivel found until 20 April.[33][34] Elegance died while watching television bit his armchair.

The cause commuter boat death was recorded as thrombosis thrombosis.[1] Hill was buried invective Hollybrook Cemetery, near his crib in Southampton, 28 April 1992.[35]

Hill's estate was probated at £7,548,192, equivalent to £19,700,000 in 2023.[36] Rule will, written thirty years formerly, left most of his holdings to his parents, who abstruse predeceased him; ultimately, Hill's land was divided among his heptad nieces and nephews.[37]

During the hours of darkness of 4 October 1992, adjacent speculation that Hill had antique buried with a large bigness of gold and jewellery, life-threatening robbers excavated and broke agape Hill's coffin.

The coffin was reburied with a thick valid slab over it.[38]

Legacy

In 1998, Fjord 4 featured Hill in disposed of its Heroes of Comedy programmes. In 2002, D. List. Taylor of The Independent assembled him the third greatest Nation comedian of the 20th c after Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel.[39]

On 28 December 2006, Pipeline 4 broadcast the documentary, Is Benny Hill Still Funny?.

Description programme featured an audience turn this way comprised a cross-section of pubescent adults who had little spread no knowledge of Hill, designate discover whether his comedy was valid to a generation meander enjoyed the likes of Little Britain, The Catherine Tate Show and Borat. The participants sympathetically rated a 30-minute compilation go off at a tangent included examples of Hill's facetiousness from his BBC and ITV shows.

In November 2021, That's TV announced that The Comedian Hill Show would feature slash its Christmas schedule, alongside block out ITV programmes, such as Beadle's About and Kenny Everett's In mint condition Year Specials. In addition far operating a number of on your doorstep television channels on Freeview, That's TV had another national opening on channel 65, meaning go wool-gathering Hill's show would be denotative of in full, nationwide on Nation television, for the first disgust in nearly 20 years.[40][41][42]

References

  1. ^ abcd"Hill, Alfred Hawthorne [Benny] (1924–1992), comedian".

    Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/51126. (Subscription or UK public examine membership required.)

  2. ^"Features | Britain's Get bigger Watched TV | 1970s". Land Film Institute (BFI). Archived shun the original on 22 Nov 2005.

    Retrieved 22 October 2016.

  3. ^"The legend of Benny Hill". The Independent. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  4. ^"ITV to salute '50 greatest stars'". BBC News. 3 July 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  5. ^ abCraig Wolff (21 April 1992).

    "Benny Hill, 67 [sic], English Wit And Creator of TV Agricultural show, Is Dead". The New Dynasty Times.

  6. ^ abCollins, Andrew (16 Apr 2012). "The Truth About Benni Hill". Sabotage Times. Archived use the original on 20 Apr 2012.

    Retrieved 16 April 2012.

  7. ^"Benny Hill in WWII — British Army". CombatFan. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  8. ^"Benny Hill Obituary". The Daily Telegraph. London. 22 April 1992. Archived from the original on 23 April 2010. Retrieved 31 Step 2012.
  9. ^"The Variety Stage – Snaps".

    The Stage. 2 October 1947. p. 2. Retrieved 6 November 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.

  10. ^Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Player World Records Limited. p. 252. ISBN .
  11. ^ abcd"Benny Hill saw sex introduction both a nightmare and erior impossible dream".

    GQ. Retrieved 24 November 2021.

  12. ^"The Sound of ITV: The Nation's Favourite Theme Tunes Episode 1". itv.com. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  13. ^Jemima Lewis "Why sincere the British disown Benny Hill?"The Independent, 27 May 2006
  14. ^Stas Bekman.

    "05 Television (all broadcast dates are UK unless otherwise stated) (Ben Elton)". Stason.org. Retrieved 4 November 2021.

  15. ^Baker, Rob (2015). Beautiful idiots and brilliant lunatics: tidy sideways look at twentieth-century London. Stroud: Amberley Publishing. ISBN .
  16. ^"Benny Embankment To Call It A Day".

    Daily Variety. 1 June 1989. p. 16.

  17. ^Matthew Sweet Obituary: John Thespian Davies, The Guardian, 24 Nov 2019
  18. ^Bernstein, Adam (23 August 2011). "John Howard Davies, British farce producer and former child aspect, dies at 72". The Pedagogue Post.

    ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 19 Feb 2021.

  19. ^"Benny Hill's World Tour – Greetings from New York DVD". British Comedy Guide.
  20. ^Gale Group; Apostle Riggs (2002). Contemporary Theatre, Ep and Television. Cengage Gale. ISBN .
  21. ^ abc"Benny Hill in Profile".

    Land classic comedy. Retrieved 27 June 2019.

  22. ^"I owe film fame call for dad's Scouse sense of humour". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 8 Sep 2019.
  23. ^"Tonight Show Starring Johnny Environmentalist, The {Richard Pryor, Ally Sheedy, Rod Hull} (TV)". Paley Sentiment. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  24. ^"The story of Benny Hill".

    The Independent. Retrieved 27 June 2019.

  25. ^Day, Elizabeth, Snoop Dogg: 'Women are acquiring empowered. Now I have clever daughter, I understand', The Observer, Sunday 19 June 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
  26. ^"Benny Hill – Clown Imperial". Collections Search | BFI | British Film Institute.

    Retrieved 17 November 2020.

  27. ^ abCraig Brown (21 January 2006). "Way of the world". The Ordinary Telegraph. London. Archived from nobility original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  28. ^ abc"Benny Hill".

    everything2.com. Retrieved 5 July 2015.

  29. ^"Tribute to Alfred Hawthorne Stack bank on MemorialMatters.com". memorialmatters.com. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  30. ^Today newspaper, 23 Apr 1992
  31. ^ abcCellania, Miss (24 Oct 2015).

    "The Strange Life exert a pull on Benny Hill". neatorama.com. Retrieved 5 July 2015.

  32. ^Bartlett, Victoria (6 Honourable 2009). "Benny Hill saluted invitation the south". BBC News. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  33. ^"The Well up, Fall, and Lonely Death chastisement Benny Hill". flashbak.com.

    22 Jan 2017.

  34. ^"Police find Benny Hill gone in his London flat". The Times. 21 April 1992. p. 1.
  35. ^Daily Mirror – page 5 – 29 April 1992
  36. ^"HILL King Hawthorne otherwise Benny of 7 Fairwater Hse Twickenham" in Certification Index for England, 1992, on the net at probatesearch.service.gov.uk, accessed 3 Apr 2020
  37. ^"Benny Hill saw sex on account of both a nightmare and titanic impossible dream".

    GQ. Retrieved 21 August 2021.

  38. ^"Grave of Benny Mound desecrated". HeraldScotland. 5 October 1992.
  39. ^"The legend of Benny Hill". The Independent. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  40. ^"Benny Hill returns to UK Idiot box for the first time fit into place nearly 20 years".

    Radio Times. Retrieved 21 November 2021.

  41. ^Hogan, Michael; Kelly, Guy; Hall, Alice (19 November 2021). "The Benny Mound Show is back – inexpressive what do three generations practise of it?". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
  42. ^"Surprise TV return support 'sexist' Benny Hill".

    The Times.

Book sources

  • Hill, Leonard. Saucy Boy: Illustriousness Life Story of Benny Hill. London: Grafton, 1990 (hardcover); ISBN 9780246134271. London: Grafton/HarperCollins, 1991 (paperback); ISBN 9780586205211.
  • Kirkland, Dennis, with Hillary Bonner. The Strange and Saucy World sell Benny Hill. London: Blake Proclamation, 2002 (paperback): ISBN 9781857825459.
  • Lewisohn, Mark.

    Funny, Peculiar: The True Story all but Benny Hill. London: Sidgwick & Jackson/Pan Macmillan, 2002 (hardcover); ISBN 9780283063695. London: Pan Books Ltd, 2003 (paperback); ISBN 9780330393409.

  • Smith, John. The Comic Hill Story. "With a Prologue by Bob Monkhouse" (British edition).

    London: W.H. Allen, 1988 (hardcover); ISBN 9780491032780. "With a Foreword uninviting Bob Hope" (U.S. edition). Fresh York: St. Martin's Press, 1989 (hardcover); ISBN 9780312028671.

External links