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Kenneth Williams

Born Kenneth Charles Williams
22 February 1926(1926-02-22)
Islington, London, England
Died 15 April 1988 (aged 62)
Camden, London, England
Years active 1945–1988
For other uses, see Ken Williams. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Islington is the central district of the London Borough of Islington. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The name Ken Williams may refer to Kenneth Williams (1926–1988 world-renowned British actor Ken Williams (baseball (1890-1959 a

Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was an English comic actor, star of twenty six Carry On films and notable radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne, as well as a witty raconteur on a wide range of subjects. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works The Carry On films were a long-running series of low-budget British comedy films directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. Anthony John "Tony" Hancock (born 12 May 1924 &ndash 24 June 1968) was a popular British Actor and Kenneth Horne ( 27 February 1907, London – 14 February 1969) was an English comedian and businessman Storytelling is the ancient art of conveying events in Words Images and Sounds often by Improvisation or embellishment

Contents

Life and career

Kenneth Williams was born in 1926 in Bingfield Street, King's Cross, London. Kings Cross is an area of London partly in the London Borough of Camden and partly in the London Borough of Islington. [1] The son of barber Charles Williams, he was educated at Lyulph Stanley School. His relationship with his parents—he adored his vivacious mother, Louisa ("Lou"), but hated his morose and selfish father—was key to the development of his personality. Williams became an apprentice draughtsman to a mapmaker and joined the army aged 18. He was part of the Royal Engineers survey section in Bombay when he had his first experience of performing on stage with Combined Services Entertainment along with Stanley Baxter and Peter Nichols. The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers ( RE) and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial A Concert Party is the collective name for a group of travelling entertainers in Great Britain, usually in Music hall. Stanley Baxter, (born 24 May 1926 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a comic actor and impressionist, best known for his UK Peter Nichols (born 31 July 1927) is an English Writer of Stage plays Film and Television. [2]

Comic performer

After the war, his career began with a number of roles in repertory theatre, but few serious parts were to lend themselves to his style of delivery. For other meanings of repertory please see Repertory (disambiguation. His failure to become established as a serious dramatic actor would disappoint him, but it was his potential as a comic performer that gave him his big break. He was spotted playing the Dauphin in George Bernard Shaw's St Joan in 1954 by the radio producer Dennis Main Wilson, who was casting Hancock's Half Hour. The Dauphin of France (Dauphin de France—strictly Dauphin of Viennois ( Dauphin de Viennois)—was the title given to the Heir apparent of the George Bernard Shaw ( (26 July 1856 &ndash 2 November 1950 was an Irish Playwright. Saint Joan is a 1923 play by Irishman George Bernard Shaw written shortly after the Roman Catholic Church canonized Joan of Arc. A radio producer oversees the making of a Radio show The producer may organize callers for talkback radio line up music organize show content etc Dennis Main Wilson ( 1 May 1924 &ndash 20 January 1997) was a British producer of radio and television programmes mainly for Hancock's Half Hour was a ground-breaking and influential BBC Radio comedy series of the 1950s starring Tony Hancock, with Sid James He would lend his distinctive voice and amazing vocal talent to the radio series to almost the end of its run, five years later. [3] His nasal, whiny, camp-cockney inflections (epitomised in his famous "Stop messing about. . . " catchphrase) would endure in popular lore for many years. [4]

When Hancock tired (or grew envious) of him, Williams joined Kenneth Horne in the series Beyond Our Ken (1958–1964), and its sequel, Round the Horne (1965–1968). Kenneth Horne ( 27 February 1907, London – 14 February 1969) was an English comedian and businessman Beyond Our Ken (1958-1964 was a Radio programme the predecessor to Round the Horne (1965-1968 Round the Horne was one of the most influential BBC Radio Comedy programmes comparable to The Goon Show in its influence on other In the latter, his roles included Rambling Syd Rumpo, the eccentric folk singer; The Amazing Proudbasket, human cannonball; J. Rambling Syd Rumpo was a folk singer character played by English Comedian Kenneth Williams in the radio comedy series Round the Horne. Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Peasemold Gruntfuttock, professional telephone heavy breather and dirty old man; and Sandy of the extremely camp couple, Julian and Sandy (Julian was played by Hugh Paddick), notable for their double entendres and use of the underground gay slang, Polari. Julian and Sandy were characters on the BBC Radio programme Round the Horne, played respectively by Hugh Paddick and Kenneth Hugh William Paddick ( 22 August 1915 &ndash 9 November 2000) was an English actor whose most notable role was in the 1960s In the English language, gay is an Adjective that in modern usage refers to Homosexuality. Slang is the use of highly informal Words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's Dialect or Language. Polari (or alternatively Parlare, Parlary, Palare, Palarie, Palari, Parlyaree, from Italian parlare

Williams appeared in a series of West End revues including Share My Lettuce with Maggie Smith and written by Bamber Gascoigne, and Pieces of Eight, which included sketch material from Peter Cook who was still a student at Cambridge University. West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland" A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical Entertainment that combines Music, dance and sketches. Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, DBE (born December 28 1934) better known as Maggie Smith, is a British Film, stage Bamber Gascoigne (born 24 January 1935 in London) is a British Television presenter and Author. Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 &ndash 9 January 1995 was an English Satirist, Writer and Comedian. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the The revue included a number of Cook sketches such as One Leg Too Few that would become classics and also starred Fenella Fielding. One Leg Too Few is a famous comedy sketch written by Peter Cook and most famously performed by Cook and Dudley Moore. Fenella Fielding (born 17 November 1934 is an English actress Williams' last revue was One over the Eight, in which he starred with Sheila Hancock. Sheila Hancock OBE (born 22 February, 1933) is an English Actress, known primarily for her comic performances Williams later starred opposite Jennie Linden in the stage hit My Fat Friend in 1972. Jennie Linden (born 8 December 1939 in Worthing, West Sussex, United Kingdom) is an English film and television Actress My Fat Friend is a play by Charles Lawrence. The comedy is an Ugly duckling tale about an overweight young woman who attracts the attention of a potential He also appeared with Ingrid Bergman in a highly successful stage production of George Bernard Shaw's Captain Brassbound's Conversion in 1971. (ˈbærjman in Swedish but usually ˈbɝgmən in English (August 29 1915 &ndash August 29 1982 was a Swedish three-time Academy Award -winning and two-time Emmy George Bernard Shaw ( (26 July 1856 &ndash 2 November 1950 was an Irish Playwright. Captain Brassbound's Conversion (1900 is a play by G Bernard Shaw.

Carry On

Williams worked extensively in television and British films, most famously the Carry On series[5] with its very British "nudge nudge" double entendre-laced humour, but for which he along with the rest of the cast were very poorly paid. The Carry On films were a long-running series of low-budget British comedy films directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. British humour is a somewhat general term applied to certain comedic Motifs that are often prevalent in comedic acts originating in the United Kingdom and its Candid Photography, better known as "Nudge Nudge", is a sketch from the third Monty Python's Flying Circus Not to be confused with Puns which employ multiple phrases A double entendre is a Figure of speech similar to the Pun, in Williams' diaries claimed he earned more in a British Gas commercial than he did out of the entire Carry On series put together—although that might only be considered true if one adds in the considerable fee he earned from the highly successful spin-off cartoon series Willo the Wisp (taken up by the BBC rather than the commercial TV network). British Gas plc was formerly the Monopoly gas supplier in the United Kingdom. The Carry On films were a long-running series of low-budget British comedy films directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. Willo the Wisp is a British Cartoon series originally produced in 1981 Despite making a good living in his later years, he lived in a series of small flats in north London, the best known location being the now demolished block on Osnaburgh Street. North London is the northern part of London, England. The area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes

Radio and television shows

Particularly in the theatre, Williams was famous for breaking character, ad-libbing and talking to the audience. Breaking character, "to break character" is a theatrical term used to describe when an Actor, while actively performing In character, slips out He was a regular panelist on the BBC radio panel game Just a Minute from its second season in 1968 until his death, a frequent contributor to BBC2's What's My Line? in the 1970s and presented several editions of the children's story-reading series Jackanory. Just a Minute is a BBC Radio 4 Radio comedy Panel game which has been broadcast since 22 December 1967 and is hosted by What's My Line? is a weekly panel Game show which was produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS Jackanory is a long-running BBC Children's television series that was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. Extremely well read, he was also a "professional" talk-show guest, able to regale an audience with amusing (and often risqué) anecdotes on every subject; he appeared on Michael Parkinson's interview programme on eight occasions. For other uses see Anecdota. For a comparison of anecdote with other kinds of stories see Myth legend fairy tale and fable. Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE (born March 28 1935) is an English broadcaster and Journalist. Parkinson was a British television Chat show presented by Sir Michael Parkinson. Williams was also one of the stand-in hosts on the popular early evening Wogan talk show. A talk show ( American) or chat show ( Global) is a Television or Radio program where one person or group of people come together to

Private life

Williams publicly insisted that he was celibate, but in private found his homosexuality difficult to deal with. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. His diaries contain many references to unconsummated or barely consummated relationships, described in code as "traditional matters" or "tradiola", probably because homosexuality was still a criminal offence in the United Kingdom for much of the period covered by the diaries. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located He befriended Joe Orton who wrote the role of Inspector Truscott in Loot (1966) for him and enjoyed holidays with Orton and Kenneth Halliwell in Morocco. Joe Orton ( 1 January, 1933, Leicester, England - 9 August, 1967, Islington, London) born John Loot is a play by Joe Orton. The play is an extremely dark Farce which satirises the Roman Catholic Church, social attitudes to death Kenneth Halliwell ( 23 June 1926 – 9 August 1967) was a British Actor and Writer. Other close friends included fellow thespians Stanley Baxter, Gordon Jackson and his wife Rona Anderson, Sheila Hancock, Maggie Smith and her playwright husband, Beverley Cross. Stanley Baxter, (born 24 May 1926 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a comic actor and impressionist, best known for his UK Gordon Cameron Jackson, OBE (19 December 1923 &ndash 15 January 1990 was a Scottish Emmy Award -winning Actor best remembered for his roles Rona Anderson (born 3 August 1926) is a Scottish actress known for her film work Sheila Hancock OBE (born 22 February, 1933) is an English Actress, known primarily for her comic performances Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, DBE (born December 28 1934) better known as Maggie Smith, is a British Film, stage Beverley Cross ( April 13, 1931 - March 20, 1998) was an English Playwright and Screenwriter. By turns gregarious and reclusive, Williams was also fond of the company of fellow Carry On regulars Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Connor, Hattie Jacques, Joan Sims and Bernard Bresslaw. Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE (born Barbara Ann Deeks on 6 August 1937) is an English actress. Kenneth Connor, MBE ( 6 June, 1916 &ndash 28 November, 1993) was an English comedy stage radio film and TV actor best Josephine Edwina Jaques ( 7 February 1922 &ndash 6 October 1980) was a well-known English Comedy actress Irene Joan Marion Sims ( 9 May 1930 &ndash 27 June 2001) was an English actress best remembered for her roles in the Bernard Bresslaw ( February 25 1934 – June 11 1993) was an English Actor.

Williams rarely revealed his private life, but he spoke frankly to Owen Spencer-Thomas about his feelings of loneliness, despondency and underachievement during two half-hour interview programmes, Carry On Kenneth, on BBC Radio London. Owen Robert Spencer-Thomas MBE was born on 3 March 1940 in Braughing, Hertfordshire, England. [6] The comic actor lived alone for the whole of his adult life. In later years his health declined, along with that of his elderly mother, and his depression deepened. He died on 15 April 1988 in Camden. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) [7] The cause of death was an overdose of barbiturates. Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system Depressants and by virtue of this they produce a wide spectrum of effects from mild Sedation [8] An inquest recorded an open verdict as it was not possible to establish whether his death was the result of suicide or an accident. Doctors said it was "possible but very unlikely" that his overdose was accidental.

In popular culture

The best-selling posthumous publication of his diaries and letters, both edited by Russell Davies, not only caused some controversy over their contents (particularly Williams' often caustic remarks about many of his fellow professionals), but also revealed the periodic bouts of despondency (often primed by feelings of isolation and underachievement) that marked his life. Robert Russell Davies was born in 1946 in Barmouth, North Wales and currently presents a Sunday radio programme on BBC Radio 2 which spotlights popular

It was revealed on Steve Wright's Radio 2 show that the flat Williams had lived in was later bought by Rob Brydon and Julia Davis for the writing of their dark comedy series Human Remains. Rob Brydon (born Robert Brydon Jones, 3 May, 1965, Swansea) is a Welsh Actor, Comedian and impressionist Julia Davis (born 1966 is an English comedy Writer and Performer. The building was demolished in May 2007 and according to the actor David Benson's Myspace blog, he and ex-Radio 1 DJ Wes Butters broke in to take photos immediately prior to demolition. David Benson (born David Hodgson on 11 January 1962) is an English Comedian, Writer and Actor. MySpace is a popular social networking Website offering an interactive user-submitted network of friends personal profiles blogs groups photos music and A blog (a contraction of the term " Web log " is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary descriptions of Wes Butters (born Wesley Lee-Butters in Salford Greater Manchester, 4 May 1979) is a radio broadcaster formerly of BBC Radio 1

In April 2007, Williams' line "Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in for me!" (from Carry On Cleo) was voted the greatest one-liner in movie history by a poll of a thousand comedy writers, actors, impresarios and members of the public for the launch of Sky Movies Comedy Channel. Carry On Cleo is the tenth film in the ''Carry On'' film series and was released in 1964. [9] The line was borrowed by scriptwriter Talbot Rothwell from Frank Muir and Dennis Norden. Talbot Nelson Conn Rothwell, OBE ( 12 November 1916 &ndash 28 February 1981) was an English Screenwriter. Frank Herbert Muir (5 February 1920 - 2 January 1998 was an English Comedy writer radio and television personality and raconteur Denis Mostyn Norden (born 6th February 1922 in Hackney, London) is an English Comedy writer and Television presenter.

In April 2008, BBC Radio 4 broadcast the two-part documentary The Pain of Laughter: The Last Days of Kenneth Williams. The programmes were researched and written by Wes Butters, and are narrated by Rob Brydon. Butters revealed that he had purchased a large collection of Williams' personal belongings from the actor's godson, Robert Chidell, to whom they had been bequeathed. [10]

The first of the two programmes also included the claim that, towards the end of his life and struggling with depression and ill health, Williams abandoned his Christian faith following discussions with the poet Philip Larkin. Philip Arthur Larkin, CH, CBE, FRSL (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985 was an English Poet, Novelist and Jazz Williams had been a Methodist and took a great interest in religion. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations He had spent much of his life struggling with the tension between his own sexual orientation and Christianity's teachings on homosexuality. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings [11]

Kenneth Williams Unseen by Wes Butters and Russell Davies, the first Williams biography in over fifteen years, is due in October 2008. Wes Butters (born Wesley Lee-Butters in Salford Greater Manchester, 4 May 1979) is a radio broadcaster formerly of BBC Radio 1 Robert Russell Davies was born in 1946 in Barmouth, North Wales and currently presents a Sunday radio programme on BBC Radio 2 which spotlights popular [12]

Performances

Films

Television

Radio

Books

Albums

Portrayals

Williams has been portrayed in two separate made-for-television films. In 2000, Adam Godley played him in the story of Sid James and Barbara Windsor's love affair, Cor Blimey! Subsequently, in 2006, Michael Sheen played him in the BBC Four drama Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa!. Adam Godley (born 22 July 1964 is a British actor Biography Godley was born in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England. Sid James (born Joel Solomon Cohen; 8 May 1913 &ndash 26 April 1976) was a South African Actor, who made Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE (born Barbara Ann Deeks on 6 August 1937) is an English actress. Michael Sheen (born 5 February 1969) is a BAFTA and Laurence Olivier Award - nominated Welsh Actor perhaps best known for BBC Four is a BBC Television channel available to digital television ( Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable) viewers in the Kenneth Williams Fantabulosa! is a 2006 BBC Four Television play starring Michael Sheen as the English comic actor Kenneth Williams

David Benson's 1996 Edinburgh Fringe show, Think No Evil of Us: My Life with Kenneth Williams saw Benson playing the character of Williams, and after touring, the show ran in London's West End. David Benson (born David Hodgson on 11 January 1962) is an English Comedian, Writer and Actor. The Edinburgh Fringe (officially the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, commonly just The Fringe) is the world’s largest Arts festival. Benson reprised his performance again in a number of shows at the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe and continues to tour with this portrayal[13].

See also

References

  1. ^ GRO Register of Births: MAR 1926 1b 408 ISLINGTON - Kenneth C. Throughout his life Kenneth Williams (1926-1988 kept a diary of his experiences from 1942-1988 with the absence of the years 1943-1946 due to his service in the armed forces Williams
  2. ^ Army http://www.britmovie.co.uk/actors/w/004.html Retrieved 08/10/07
  3. ^ Hancock's Half Hour http://www.britmovie.co.uk/actors/w/004.html Retrieved 08/10/07
  4. ^ Stop messing about. . http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/comedy/progpages/kw/kennethwilliams.shtml Retrieved 08/10/07
  5. ^ Carry On Films roles. He was in more films in the series than any other actor. http://www.britmovie.co.uk/actors/w/004.html Retrieved 08/10/07
  6. ^ Radio Times (London edition) July 23 - 29, 1977
  7. ^ GRO Register of Deaths: JUN 1988 14 1873 CAMDEN - Kenneth Charles Williams, DoB = 22 Feb 1926 aged 62
  8. ^ Overdose http://www.britmovie.co.uk/actors/w/004.html Retrieved 08/10/07
  9. ^ Greatest one-liner http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6524729.stm Retrieved 08/10/07.
  10. ^ "The truth behind that famous smile", Radio Times 5–11 April 2008
  11. ^ BBC Radio 4: The Pain of Laughter: The Last Days of Kenneth Williams
  12. ^ HarperCollins http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/Content/Title/Default.aspx?id=40926
  13. ^ David Benson - JAMES SEABRIGHT

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