Benny Hill
| Benny Hill | |
|---|---|
A waxwork of Hill in character as Fred Scuttle from The Benny Hill Show
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| Birth name | Alfred Hawthorne Hill |
| Born |
21 January 1924 Southampton, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 20 April 1992 (aged 68) Teddington, Greater London, England |
| Medium | Comedian, actor, writer |
| Nationality | British |
| Years active | 1937–1992 |
| Genres | Comedy, television |
| Notable works and roles |
The Benny Hill Show (1955–91) Who Done It? (1956) Light Up the Sky! (1960) Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (1965) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) The Italian Job (1969) |
Alfred Hawthorne "Benny" Hill (21 January 1924 – 20 April 1992) was an English comedian and actor, best remembered for his long-running internationally popular television programme The Benny Hill Show, an amalgam of slapstick, burlesque and double entendres in a format that included live comedy and filmed segments, with him at the focus of almost every segment.
A prominent figure in British culture for nearly four decades, his show proved to be one of the great success stories of television comedy. Among the most watched programmes in the UK, the audience peaked at over 21 million in 1971. The show generated impressive revenues for Thames TV, and remains a cult series in much of the world long after Hill's death.
Alfred Hawthorne Hill was born on 21 January 1924 in Southampton, on the south coast of England. His father, Alfred (later manager of a surgical appliance shop), and grandfather, Henry, had both been circus clowns. After leaving school, Hill worked at Woolworths, as a milkman, a bridge operator, a driver and a drummer before becoming assistant stage manager with a touring review. He was called up in 1942 and trained as a mechanic in the British Army. He saw action as a mechanic, truck driver and searchlight operator in Normandy after September 1944 and later transferred to the Combined Services Entertainment division before the end of the war.
Inspired by the "star comedians" of British music hall shows, Hill set out to make his mark in show business. For the stage, he changed his first name to "Benny" in homage to his favourite comedian, Jack Benny.
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