Harry Corbett facts for kids

Harry Corbett was a famous English magician, puppeteer, and TV presenter. He is best known for creating the much-loved glove puppet character, Sooty, in 1952. Sooty is a silent yellow bear who often plays funny tricks on people. Harry Corbett brought joy to millions of children and families with his clever magic and funny shows.

Harry Corbett's Early Life and Career

Harry Corbett was born in Bradford, England, on January 28, 1918. His father was a coal miner. Harry had a younger brother named Les, who was a saxophonist. Harry and Les sometimes played music together.

Harry wanted to be a concert pianist, but he had deafness in one ear. This made it hard for him to follow his musical dreams. He used to play the piano at a fish and chip restaurant. This restaurant was owned by his uncle, Harry Ramsden. Before becoming a TV star, Harry worked as an engineer for the Leeds City Council.

How Sooty Was Born

In 1944, Harry married Marjorie Hodgson. They had two sons, David and Peter. Peter later became known as Matthew Corbett. In 1948, while on holiday in Blackpool, Harry bought a small yellow bear puppet. He bought it from a novelty shop on the North Pier. This puppet cost him seven shillings and six pence. He bought it to entertain his children. He later said he just "couldn't leave him."

Harry first showed the silent yellow bear on a BBC TV show called Talent Night in 1952. The bear was a big hit! The BBC then offered Harry six more shows. Harry decided to take a big step. He quit his engineering job to focus on his new puppet friend. They changed the puppet's look, giving him black ears. They also gave him a new name: Sooty.

Sooty's TV Success

Sooty quickly became very popular in Britain. Harry Corbett and Sooty had their own TV show. The show was a mix of music, simple magic tricks, and slapstick comedy. Sooty often played funny pranks, like pouring water on Harry! Sooty and Harry were also shown on The Mickey Mouse Club in the USA during the 1950s.

In 1968, the BBC wanted an actor to interact with Sooty instead of Harry. Harry didn't like this idea. He decided to move his show to a different TV channel.

Passing the Sooty Torch

After Harry had a heart attack in 1975, his younger son, Peter (who used the stage name Matthew), took over the show. Matthew bought the rights to Sooty from his father. However, Harry still made guest appearances on The Sooty Show with his son for several years. Harry continued to perform his one-man stage show. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on August 17, 1989. This happened after he performed for a large audience in Weymouth.

Harry Corbett's Catchphrases

Harry Corbett and Sooty were known for some fun phrases:

• "Izzy wizzy, let's get busy"
• "Bye bye everybody! Bye bye!"

Harry Corbett's OBE Award

An OBE is a special award given by the King or Queen of England. It recognizes people who have done great things for their country. In 1976, Harry Corbett was given an OBE. This was for his charity work.

There was a funny mix-up with this award. The Prime Minister at the time, Harold Wilson, wanted to give an OBE to another actor named Harry H. Corbett. But the middle initial "H" was accidentally left out. So, the award went to Harry Corbett instead! Both Harry Corbett and Harry H. Corbett received an OBE on the same day.