Many amateurs could laugh to watch the British comedy show “Benny Hill Show” broadcast on Russian TV channels. For thirty years this show has been shown in more than 140 countries, despite the fact that it has been constantly criticized by spectators and persecuted by governments. What then is its popularity? Let's find out together. Also in this article will be described the biography of Benny Hill - the founder of the show, an English comedian and actor.
Show history
The program first appeared on the air in 1955. Throughout the entire period of its existence, it had the character of a sketch series, that is, it consisted of an indefinite number of short comedy scenes (an analogy can be drawn from one of the most popular television programs in our time, Our Russia). In his program, Benny Hill not only acted as an actor playing the main roles, he also performed the functions of a musician, songwriter and director. The hallmark of the show was accelerated shooting, and each release usually ended with a scene where an angry mob quickly runs after the character of Benny Hill.
Sketches of the show were not only on domestic topics, they were often parodied by famous artists and politicians. So, Benny Hill has released parodies of such famous Hollywood actors as Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Kane, Richard Burton, Marlon Brando, for popular artists - Bob Dylan, Cher, Mireille Mathieu, Lisa Mineilie, the Rolling Stones group and many others. He ridiculed the actor and politicians, including Enoch Powell, Margaret Thatcher, Harold Wilson.
Colleagues on the set
Other actors worked on the set at different times along with the creator of the show, including Jackie Wright, Sue Upton, Bob Todd, Bella Amberg, Jeremy Hawke, Andre Melli, Paul Eddington, Leslie Goldie, Patricia Hayes, Bettina Le Bo, Ronnie Brody and many others.
Benny Hill respected all his colleagues and often helped them in life. It is known that when Jackie Wright was already old for filming, and also seriously ill, Benny Hill inserted episodes from old films in new releases so that the elderly actor could still receive royalties.
About the creator
For thirty years, Benny Hill's program has been the most popular of all in the world. Benny Hill for most countries was like Evgeny Petrosyan for Russia. Many loved and respected him, but there were those who criticized his work, and called the actor "a red-headed stupid old man." But the English comedian Benny Hill tried not to pay attention to such people and did his job for those to whom it brought joy.
In 1971, his work was evaluated by the British Television Academy - the show to which he gave his life received an award in the category "Best Entertainment Telecast."
Few people know how Benny Hill was always always cheerful and carefree in reality. What was his personal life, how did he live, what did he really strive for?
Red Comedian Life Story: Childhood
Alfred Hawthorne Hill was born on January 21, 1924 in a suburb of London (Teddington). It is known that Alfred Hill, the father of the future actor, participated in the First World War. Upon returning home, he met Helen Cave, with whom he tied the knot. A year after the wedding, their first son Leonard was born. Three years later, a second son appeared in the family - Hawthorne Hill. The third child of the Hill family was the girl Diana, who was born in 1933.
Alfred Hill owned a medical store where condoms were sold next to drugs, which often became the subject of ridicule from classmates over his children.
Hawthorne often laughed and, in time, realizing that he had a good sense of humor, began to compose various jokes and entertain others.
The Birth of Benny Hill
His grandfather instilled a love for funny Hawthorne. He often took his grandson to various performances and shows in parody theaters. Grandfather initiated Hawthorne into the group of artists of the school mini-theater, and then contributed to his admission to the comic troupe.
Hawthorne Hill served in the army during World War II and moved to London in 1946. There he began to make various radio plays and perform in various shows. The stage name guy-humorist borrowed from his beloved comedian Jack Benny. For the first time, a young comedian was invited to television in 1949 on the show "Hello!" A few years later, Benny Hill came up with the idea of creating his own show, and he immediately brought it to life. So there was the "Benny Hill Show", which was able to conquer the whole world.
Bennemania and the creative crisis
In the early 1980s, the planet was overwhelmed with “accusations” - people all over the world were repeating the facial expressions and gestures of their favorite comedian, and American policemen began to salute, as one of its characters, with its palm turned upside down.
After thirty years of creativity, Benny Hill began a period of crisis. Passers-by on the street teased him, laughed in his face, which began to annoy the actor. Hill became pissed, rudely ridiculed in one of the episodes of his show the British government and the royal family. Margaret Thatcher did not tolerate the arrogance of the actor and ordered that each episode of his show be subject to strict censorship. As a result, over ten years, the commission rejected more than 150 hours of finished video material. Hill became isolated, depressed, began to drink. At the same time, colleagues in the profession began to make fun of him, which further aggravated the comic’s internal state.
In the end, in 1991, the show was closed.
Personal life
Benny Hill was never married, had no children, and, despite his enormous fortune, never had his own apartment or car. People who knew him from their life claimed that Hill was a very notorious person, did not know how to communicate with women.
After the show closed, the actor lost interest in life - he began to drink, eat excessively, and practically did not leave home. In April 1992, one of the comedian's friends found him dead in an apartment he rented near a television studio. Doctors diagnosed a heart attack. It was not possible to determine exactly when exactly death occurred. We found an actor in an armchair in front of the TV on in the middle of a mountain of dirty glasses and plates. Thus ended the life of one of the most popular comedian actors in the world. A few years after his death, the British government decided to show the audience all the films with Benny Hill that had previously been banned. But they did it, according to Prime Minister Tony Blair, only so that everyone would know about him and quickly forget about him.