Benny Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Benny Hill |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Alfred Hawthorne Hill |
| Born | 21 January 1924 Southampton, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 20 April 1992 (aged 68) Teddington, Greater London, England |
| Medium |
|
| Years active | 1947–1992 |
| Genres | |
Alfred Hawthorne "Benny" Hill (born 21 January 1924 – died 20 April 1992) was a very popular English comedian, actor, singer, and writer. He is best known for his funny television show, The Benny Hill Show.
Benny Hill was a big star on British television for many years. His show was one of the most watched programmes in the UK. In 1971, over 21 million people watched it! The Benny Hill Show was also shown in many countries around the world.
He won a BAFTA Television Award for Best Writer. He also received a Rose d'Or award. He was nominated for other important awards too, like the BAFTA for Best Entertainment Performance and two Emmy Awards. In 2006, British people voted Hill as number 17 in a poll of "TV's 50 Greatest Stars".
Besides TV, Hill also acted in movies. These included Who Done It? (1956), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), and The Italian Job (1969). His funny song "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" was the number one song in the UK for Christmas in 1971. This song also won him an Ivor Novello Award in 1972.
Contents
Early Life
Alfred Hawthorne Hill was born on 21 January 1924 in Southampton, Hampshire, England. His father and grandfather were both circus clowns. His mother's name was Helen Cave.
After finishing school, Hill worked many different jobs. He worked at a shop called Woolworths. He was also a milkman, a bridge operator, a driver, and a drummer. Later, he became an assistant stage manager for a touring show.
In 1942, he joined the army. He trained as a mechanic. He worked as a mechanic, truck driver, and searchlight operator. After the war, he joined a special entertainment group for the army.
Benny Hill was inspired by the famous comedians in British music halls. These were places where people watched live shows. He decided to become a star in show business. He chose the nickname "Benny" to honor his favorite comedian, Jack Benny.
His Career in Entertainment
After World War II, Benny Hill started working on the radio. His first radio show was in 1947. He first appeared on television in 1950.
He also tried a comedy series called Benny Hill from 1962 to 1963. In this show, he played a different character in each episode. In 1964, he acted in a TV film of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. He also had a radio show called Benny Hill Time from 1964 to 1966. This show was about current events. For example, one episode made fun of The Beatles.
Films and Music
Benny Hill acted in five full-length movies. These included Who Done It? (1956) and The Italian Job (1969). He also made two short films. One of these was The Waiters (1969). A movie called The Best of Benny Hill (1974) was made from clips of his early TV shows.
Hill also recorded many funny songs. Some of his songs were "Gather in the Mushrooms" (1961) and "Transistor Radio" (1961). His song "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" was a number one hit in 1971. He won an Ivor Novello Award for this song in 1972.
The Benny Hill Show
Benny Hill found his greatest success on television. The Benny Hill Show was a mix of live comedy and filmed parts. It used funny physical comedy, silly jokes, and parodies of other shows.
Hill worked mostly with the BBC until 1968. In 1969, his show moved to Thames Television. It stayed there until 1989. The show was known for its hour-long special episodes. It showed off Hill's amazing skills as a writer, comedian, and impressionist.
In 1989, Hill announced he was leaving Thames Television. His shows had made a lot of money for the company. This was especially true because his shows were so popular in the United States.
In 1991, Hill started a new TV series called Benny Hill's World Tour. The idea was for Hill to perform his sketches in different countries. He only made one special episode called Greetings from New York. This was his last TV appearance.
In 1992, Thames Television decided to show re-edited episodes of The Benny Hill Show. Benny Hill passed away on the same day he received a new contract for more TV specials.
Personal Life
Benny Hill never owned his own home in London. He preferred to rent apartments. He rented a flat on London's Queen's Gate for 26 years. Later, he moved to Teddington.
Even though he was a millionaire, he lived very simply. He bought cheap food at supermarkets. He often walked for miles instead of taking a taxi. He also mended his old clothes instead of buying new ones.
Benny Hill never got married and he did not have any children.
He loved visiting France and spoke French very well. He also knew some German, Spanish, Dutch, and Italian. Traveling to other countries was his only real luxury. Even then, he stayed in simple places.
Later Years and Legacy
Benny Hill's health became worse in the late 1980s. In February 1992, he had a mild heart attack. Doctors suggested heart surgery, but he said no. A week later, he had kidney problems.
Benny Hill died at his apartment in Teddington on 20 April 1992. He was 68 years old. The cause of death was a blood clot in his heart. He was buried in Hollybrook Cemetery in Southampton.
.JPG)
In 1998, a TV show called Heroes of Comedy featured Benny Hill. In 2002, a writer named D. J. Taylor said Hill was the third greatest British comedian of the 20th century. He ranked him after Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel.
In 2006, a TV show asked if Benny Hill's comedy was still funny. Young adults who had not seen his show before watched a compilation. They really enjoyed his humor.
In 2021, a TV channel called That's TV announced that The Benny Hill Show would be shown again. This meant his show would be seen across Britain for the first time in nearly 20 years.
Images for kids
-
Benny Hill
See also
In Spanish: Benny Hill para niños
