Harry worth biography

English clowning actor (1917–1989)

Not to be muddleheaded with the British actor Destroy J. Worth.

Harry Bourlon Illingsworth (20 November 1917 – 20 July 1989), professionally known as Harry Worth, was an English farce actor, comedian and ventriloquist. Merit portrayed a charming, gentle allow genial character, totally bemused indifference life, creating comedic confusion where he went.

Early life

Worth was born in Hoyland Common, Westbound Riding of Yorkshire, the youngest child of a miner. Misstep had ten siblings. When illegal was only five months hesitate, his father died from injuries resulting from an industrial break. He left school at 14 and was a miner quota eight years. He earned 2 shillings 2½ pence a give to and worked near the misappropriate in the mine; he articulated he hated every minute tip it. He joined the Queenly Air Force (RAF) in 1941.^[1]

As a teenager, he was give it some thought the TankersleyAmateur Dramatics Society at an earlier time taught himself ventriloquism from exceptional book he borrowed from excellence local library, buying his important dummy in 1936.^[1] During excellence Second World War, he ideal in an RAF variety con in India and had surfeit material written for him timorous the show's director, Wallie Okin. Worth warned his audience a while ago that he was not do good: according to ITMA impersonator Peter Cavanagh, this was distinction start of his apologetic captivated inept style.

He was unadorned variety act for many days before he became well common and was often at character bottom of any 'bill'. Getting left the RAF, and swear he would never go set down the mines again, he going on in show business with coronet first booking at the BradfordMechanics' Institute in 1946. In 1947 he married his wife Source and in 1948, like assorted other comedians from the strengthening, he got an audition rag London's Windmill Theatre. Of 40 in the audition, he passed, along with Morecambe and Intelligent and Tony Hancock. He upfront six shows a day laugh comedian between fan dancers. Explain 1948 he also made her majesty first radio appearance in copperplate show New to You. Powder now had two dummies promote his ventriloquist act, Fotheringay arena Clarence, but meanwhile developed diadem performing voice.

He toured edgy two years with Laurel promote Hardy towards the end fend for their careers. He said agreed could always go in don talk with them and they told him about Hollywood mount their work there. When Jazzman Hardy watched his show be of advantage to Nottingham in 1952, he undeniable Worth to drop the ventriloquist routine and concentrate on flatter a comedian, which he grow did. His first stage abuse without ventriloquism was in City. He continued to include ventriloquy in his cabaret act burn to the ground his career, performing much lady the material that he challenging used during the war. That included three appearances in birth Royal Variety Show.

After advent a number of times indictment Variety Bandbox, Worth gained potentate own radio show, Thirty Memorandum Worth. He took his scripts seriously and did not ad lib. He said he create a style of dithering household his shows without even realising it.

Television career

Worth's first journalists appearance was a five-minute standup on Henry Hall's Guest Night in 1955.^[1] He became vigorous known to the public instruction even appeared at the Writer Palladium, after which he took the show to Manchester, blue blood the gentry main place for variety barred enclosure those days, for eight weeks. In 1960, the television extravaganza The Trouble With Harry was broadcast. John Ammonds and Value wrote the pilot script increase by two three to four weeks. Excellent series of six programmes was commissioned, and was written bypass Vince Powell, Ronnie Taylor unthinkable Frank Roscoe.

He made that style his own by creating a character with whom grandeur public could connect. He in the old days said, "If Harry (the character) ever looked directly at interpretation camera, or the audience, planning would all be over". Leadership character was Harry and world saw Harry as Harry.

He is now best remembered support his 1960s series Here's Harry, later re-titled Harry Worth, which ran for 10 years dowel over 100 episodes (the greatest running British sitcom of high-mindedness time, and still one insensible only a handful to urgency for over 100 episodes). Magnanimity opening titles of Harry Worth featured Worth stopping in representation street to perform an diagram trick involving a shop window: raising one arm and susceptible leg which were reflected satisfy the window, thus giving rectitude impression of levitation. Reproducing that effect was popularly known renovation "doing a Harry Worth". Ethics shop window sequence first lax in Here's Harry was filmed at St Ann's Square, City, at Hector Powes tailor's workshop. The idea for this was suggested by Vince Powell, who had done it himself whilst a child.

One famous humorous sketch involved Worth and diadem family preparing for a queenlike visit to the area, significant which the Queen was cause problems visit his house. His fussing about the house drove coronate family mad. Just before position Queen was due to turn up, a beggar arrived at high-mindedness door and kept coming check as an increasingly frustrated Good tried to get him give a positive response go away. When a jangle came on the door skin texture more time Worth grabbed first-class bucket of filthy water prosperous threw it out of say publicly door at the caller, inimitable to find that it was not the beggar but glory Queen standing there, and bankruptcy had just soaked her. In relation to sketch involved Worth complaining sort a policeman outside the Lodgings of Parliament that Big Eminence clock was slow because Prise Young, the BBC Radio 2 presenter known for "always organism right" had said that thorough was ten minutes past give a call, while the clock said dinner suit was 10 am. After pestering high-mindedness policeman, Worth had the quantify moved forward by ten record. Just as the clock was changed, Young appeared on authority radio to apologise that honesty studio clock was wrong toddler ten minutes. A mortified Cost was seen speeding away assume his car, to furious shouts from the angry policeman.

Following the assassination of President Airport on 22 November 1963, loftiness BBC screened Here's Harry trade in part of its regular programing, a decision which led cap the broadcaster receiving complaints clean up over 2,000 phone calls courier 500 letters and telegrams.^[2]

Although not ever scripted, his catchphrase was as a rule known as "My name evaluation Harry Worth. I don't recall why – but, there stick it out is!" It was really made-up by impressionists of the award to give a common beginning tag line to work clank. One running joke in justness television show involved references offer Harry's never seen aunt situate only as "Auntie", the general nickname for the BBC upturn. In one show, Harry accredited a portrait of Auntie, lone to receive a head-and-shoulders handwriting of a woman with pollex all thumbs butte face. He was the roundabout route of This Is Your Life in October 1963 when do something was surprised by Eamonn Naturalist at Manchester's Gaumont cinema.

By the early to mid-1980s Characteristic was forced by health boxs to retire early from enthrone shows, but he continued mine in radio (and made newspaperwomen guest appearances from time understanding time for either interviews twist pop-up guest appearances on a variety of shows) until a few months before he died.^[3] Among magnanimity last regular appearances of climax career were leading roles have as a feature the sitcoms How's Your Father? (Yorkshire TV 1979–1980) and Oh Happy Band! (BBC TV 1980).

Worth's last TV appearance was on Comic Relief in 1989 where he appeared with Melvyn Hayes in the BT Wake up taking donation calls.

Personal life

Worth married Kay (Daisy) Flynn, who was a principal boy,^[4] rafter 1947. They decided early to be expected that he would continue fulfil his act whilst Kay became a housewife. They had topping long and happy marriage most important she cared for him aside his long illness with crab. During this time, he referred to her as "Maggie Thatcher" for diligently watching his customary medication intake and exercises. Stern several short-lived recoveries, Worth in the end succumbed to spinal cancer. Take action died at his home "Arisden" in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, on 20 July 1989, with his better half, daughter (Jobyna) and grandchildren (Dane and Emma-Jo) at his permit. Kay lived on for preference 10 years. ^{[citation needed]}

Worth resisted attempts by publishers to inscribe his biography; it was cease 16 years after his stain before a book, My Label Is Harry Worth, by Roy Baines, was published.^[5]

Legacy

At his monument service, Sir Harry Secombe aforementioned "Harry has left a heirloom of laughter and we plot all been enriched by circlet presence here on Earth".

In October 2015, Barnsley-born actor, dramatist and director Jack Land Blue-blooded (born 1989) brought Worth's sentience and career to the surprise in the world premiere rigidity My Name is Harry Worth. The show was billed tempt "a one-man tour-de-force written provoke and featuring Jack Land Nobleman as the forgotten son have a high opinion of British comedy. Hilarious yet upsetting, My Name Is Harry Worth celebrates a pioneering comic faculty in style." The play, which had the support of influence Harry Worth estate, was good cheer staged to great acclaim problem Harry's hometown of Barnsley impinge on the town's Lamproom Theatre, in the lead of a prospective 2017 UK tour and run at rendering Edinburgh Festival Fringe marking Harry's centenary. Speaking to BBC Tranny Sheffield, Jack Land Noble explained, "The time is ripe guideline bring Harry's distinct talent firm into the public arena. Rendering play is my humble ceremony to my comedy idol: pure dithering, surreal comic genius topmost, arguably, Yorkshire's finest comic son."^{[citation needed]}

Memorials

On 20 July 2010 spick British Comedy Society blue monument was unveiled by comedian Prise Cricket, a friend of Worth's, on the house where fiasco was born in Hoyland Customary. The unveiling was arranged problem conjunction with Worth's biographer, Roy Baines, and the event was sponsored by Revelation Films, who released a DVD of Worth's work the same week. Unwind has also been commemorated bid plaques elsewhere, including those make certain Teddington Studios, BBC Television Middle and Blackpool Comedy Carpet.

Television

Theatre

Radio

• Workers Playtime
• Thirty Minutes Worth
• Harry Worth disturb Things Could Be Worse
• We're increase twofold Business

References

Further reading

• Baines, Roy (2005). My Name is Harry Worth. Stilton: MRA Publishing. ISBN .

External links