First published on Sun 21 Apr 2002. Jenny Lee-Wright (who first appeared on Hill’s show in 1970) earned the nickname 'The Sexiest Stooge’ – coined by Hill.[13]. Hill always declined, citing not wanting to travel the great distance to California. She said he’d gorge himself on snacks and eat very little on dinner, but Benny himself once said he had dismissed the idea he’d ever be married - instead being married to his career. Hill's friend and producer Dennis Kirkland said it was the women who chased Hill in anger for undressing them, all of which was done accidentally by some ridiculous means. Sue Upton was one of the longest-serving members of the Angels. Chaplin's son Eugene took Hill into his father's private study and showed him several Benny Hill videotapes on a shelf. He was surrounded by dozens of girls, ‘not all overdressed,’ said Dexter, ‘so why did he find it so dificult to find a girlfriend or … His shows had earned Thames £26 million, with a large percentage due to the success of his shows in the United States. Hill’s legal Will was written in 1961- 31 years prior to his death. The alternative comedian Ben Elton made a headline-grabbing allegation, both on the TV show Saturday Live and in the pages of Q magazine (in its January 1987 issue), that The Benny Hill Show was single-handedly responsible for the instances of rape in England during the period in question, and also suggested the programme incited other acts of violence against women. He is easily recognisable by his horn-rimmed glasses, and, during live performances, often acts as the group's compère. Because of his eccentricity and reclusive lifestyle, rumours circulated that he was gay, but he always laughingly denied them. Thus, Benny’s career really began in 1947, when inspired by his favorite comedian, Jack Benny, in his honor changed his name, and started work as a radio performer in various shows, often alongside Reg Varney. Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. Spoke fluent French and also spoke some Italian, German, and Dutch. [32], During the night of 4 October 1992, following speculation in the media that Hill had been buried with a large amount of gold and jewellery, grave robbers excavated the grave at Hollybrook Cemetery and broke open the coffin, the open grave being noticed by a passer-by the following morning. Hill never owned his own home in London, and instead preferred to rent a flat rather than buy one. Radio and TV host Adam Carolla claimed that he was a fan of Hill and that he considered Hill "as American as The Beatles". Shortly after his death in 1992, actress Annette Andre said that she turned down his proposal of marriage in the early 1960s. (1960), Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (1965), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and The Italian Job (1969). He passed away at the age of 68 from a heart attack on the 20th April 1992 in Teddington, Greater London, England. I would have to assume that Phoebe is still living because that special was taped just five years ago, but she must be getting up there in age, considering that she was a fan of Benny's since the 1950's, so she must be in her 70's or 80's by now. New York: Facts on File, 1992. Benny was in his pajamas (what he normally wore around his home). He passed away at the age of 68 from a heart attack on the 20th April 1992 in Teddington, Greater London, England. Hill's health declined in the late 1980s. Benny Hill was a comedian whose show The Benny Hill Show played a prominent role in creating the modern approach to comedy. Very few people had anything bad to say about him. 20:07. [31] Hill was buried at Hollybrook Cemetery near his birthplace in Southampton, on 26 April 1992. Those hot pants of hers were so damned tight, I could hardly breathe. He began his career in television with the show, ‘Hi There’ and later went on to create the legendary TV comedy, ‘The Benny Hill Show’. Girls are like buses: If you miss one, don't worry - another one will be along in a few minutes. Girls are like pianos. His father and uncle were circus clowns, performing in the circus until they both left for military service during WWI. Johnny Carson and sidekick Ed McMahon were both fans of Hill and tried several times to get him to come to Los Angeles and be a guest on Carson's The Tonight Show. Now I have a daughter, I understand', "Tribute to Alfred Hawthorne Hill on MemorialMatters.com", "The Rise, Fall, and Lonely Death of Benny Hill", "Hill, Alfred Hawthorne [Benny] (1924–1992), comedian", ”HILL Alfred Hawthorne otherwise Benny of 7 Fairwater Hse Twickenham”, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Benny_Hill&oldid=1017856048, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers soldiers, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the ODNB, Short description is different from Wikidata, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Turner Classic Movies person ID same as Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with multiple identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 15 April 2021, at 00:08. There is no doubt that Benny Hill had an odd relationship with women and it appears that Benny Hill never really had a proper relationship during his lifetime. Hill never owned his own home in London, and instead preferred to rent a flat rather than buy one. Died of a heart attack while sitting in front of his television inside his apartment. I'm not sure Jack would have had a national TV … Benny Hill was born Alfred Hill on January 21, 1925 in Southampton, England and is remembered by family and schoolmates as a 'class clown'. He never owned a car or a house. [29], Hill was a huge Francophile and enjoyed his visits to France, notably to Marseille, where until the 1980s, he could go to outdoor cafes anonymously, travelling on public transport and socialising with local women. [11] He also appeared in the 1986 video of the song "Anything She Does" by the band Genesis. Next time you fly, cut the odds and take a bomb. Leeves is a daughter of an engineer father and a nurse, mother. Paula White Breaks Silence on Probes, Divorce, Benny Hinn. Just because nobody complains doesn't mean all parachutes are perfect. Shortly after his death in 1992, actress Annette Andre said that she turned down his proposal of marriage in the early 1960s. @achrisafis Tue 1 … After a mild heart attack on 24 February 1992, doctors told him he needed to lose weight and recommended a heart bypass. Inspired by the "star comedians" of British music hall shows, Hill set out to make his mark in show business. Benny Hill remains one of British television’s most successful ever exports. The programme featured an audience that comprised a cross-section of young adults who had little or no knowledge of Hill, to discover whether his comedy was valid to a generation that enjoyed the likes of Little Britain, The Catherine Tate Show, and Borat. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/alfred-hawthorne-hill-825.php Alfred Hawthorne "Benny" Hill (21 January 1924 – 20 April 1992) was an English comedian, actor, singer and writer, best remembered for his television programme The Benny Hill Show, an amalgam of slapstick, burlesque, and double entendre in a format that included live comedy and filmed segments, with Hill at the focus of almost every segment. Her son, Finn William Leeves Coben, was born on 19 December 2003. According to authoritative sources, it was estimated that the total size of Benny’s net worth was over $2 million at the time of his death. Actor, Comedian. Why get married? Frugal life. Sitting next to him on a small stand was an unsigned contract which Benny was considering to begin a new series with his friend. The participants were asked to watch a 30-minute compilation that included examples of Hill's humour from both his BBC and ITV shows. The cause of death was recorded as coronary thrombosis. Shopping. Report. Appeared on the cover of TV Times for the week that ITV started broadcasting in colour. Despite being a millionaire many times over, he continued with the frugal habits that he picked up from his parents, notably his father, such as buying cheap food at supermarkets, walking for miles rather than paying for a taxi unless someone picked up the tab for a limousine, and constantly patching and mending the same clothes even when the balance on his account at the Halifax Building Society reached seven figures. Follow. [15] Elton later claimed his comment was taken out of context, and he appeared in a parody for Harry Enfield & Chums, Benny Elton, in which Elton ends up being chased by angry women, accompanied by the "Yakety Sax" theme, after trying to force them to be more feminist rather than letting them make their own decisions. Your email address will not be published. brainstorm. At the time of his death, a large box was found in his apartment. During an episode of The Man Show, Carolla performed in what was billed as a tribute to "our favourite Englishman, Sir Benny Hill" (Hill was never knighted) in more risqué versions of some of the sketches. By the 1990s, the hugely popular Benny Hill Show was being politely censored by influence from a new, highly influential nemesis: the feminists. In the following year, he was chosen to play the role of Hugo Dill in the film “Who Done It?”, directed by Basil Dearden. The only will Hill created left his estate to his parents, who had died years before. Hill's audio recordings include "Gather in the Mushrooms" (1961), "Pepys' Diary" (1961), "Transistor Radio" (1961), "Harvest of Love" (1963) and "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)", which was the UK Singles Chart Christmas number-one single in 1971. [28] Because of his eccentricity and reclusive lifestyle, rumours circulated that he was gay, but he always laughingly denied them. Info. Reviewing a biography of Hill, Saucy Boy, in The Guardian in 1990, Burgess described Hill as "a comic genius steeped in the British music hall tradition" (as were Chaplin and Laurel, two of Hill’s childhood idols) and "one of the great artists of our age". While looking for somewhere to live, he stayed at 22 Westrow Gardens in Southampton. Probate was granted on Hill’s estate in London on 5 June 1992, when its value at the time of his death was given as £7,548,192, equivalent to £15,735,380 in 2019. His mother was Helen née Cave (1894–1976). And why should I buy a book when there's such a good library in town! Benny Hill is remembered as one of Britain’s most beloved comedians. In 1969, his show moved from the BBC to Thames Television, where it remained until its cancellation in 1989, with an erratic schedule of one-hour specials. It was a topical show; for example, a March 1964 episode featured James Pond, 0017, in "From Moscow with Love" and his version of The Beatles. The Benny Hill Show was her first television series. After the Second World War, Hill worked as a performer on radio, making his debut on Variety Bandbox on 5 October 1947. Taylor of The Independent ranked him the third greatest British comedian of the 20th century after Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel.[34]. [22] The British prog-rock band Genesis may have been fans of Hill. Alfred Hawthorne Hill was born on 21 January 1924 in Southampton on the south coast of England. [3] In 2006, Hill was voted by the British public number 17 in ITV‘s poll of TV's 50 Greatest Stars.[4]. In 2002, D.J. He changed his name to "Benny" in homage to his favourite comedian, Jack Benny.[7]. Athol Guy Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Athol George Guy, Template:Post-nominals (born 5 January 1940), is a member of the Australian pop music group The Seekers. He'd been dead for two days before he was found. Tap to unmute. And at night there aren't as many, but they're faster. The "femi-nazis" and the newest fad of the time, "political correctness" had raised its … Her personal life is also successful like her professional life. He also made two short-subject films, The Waiters (1969) and Eddie in August (1970), the latter being a TV production. In late May 1989, Hill announced that after 21 years with Thames Television he was quitting and taking a year off. He wore second-hand clothes until they were completely worn out. Toufik Benedictus "Benny" Hinn (born 3 December 1952) is an Israeli televangelist, best known for his regular "Miracle Crusades"—revival meeting or faith healing summits that are usually held in stadiums in major cities, which are later broadcast worldwide on his television program, This Is Your Day. The Benny Hill Show was her first television series. Leeves is a daughter of an engineer father and a nurse, mother. [16] John Howard Davies, the head of Light Entertainment at Thames Television, was cited by the British press as the man who sacked Benny Hill when the company decided not to renew Hill's contract. [24], In a June 2011 interview with The Observer, the American rapper Snoop Dogg declared himself to be a fan of Hill.[25]. Without his show, Hill, who had never married and had no children, declined in health, and suffered a mild heart attack in February, 1992. He declined, and a week later was found to have kidney failure. When he quit his education, Benny began to work several jobs until he became an assistant stage manager. Copy link. Thanks to his accomplishments, Benny won the Charlie Chaplin International Award for Comedy in 1991; it is known that Charlie Chaplin was one of his biggest fans. 0:50. The odds against there being a bomb on a plane are a million to one, and against two bombs a million times a million to one. Januar 1924 in Southampton; 20. “Benny was all right when he was young, but when you’re in your 60s, it’s a slightly different matter to leer at a pretty girl.”[18], In February 1992, Thames Television, which received a steady stream of requests from viewers for The Benny Hill Show repeats, finally gave in and put together a number of re-edited shows. Tue 1 … Benny Hill show, ran for 20 years from 1969 1989. 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