Benny Hill Show Discussion

[Greenman]

I always like Benny Hill, he was inventive, clever and very funny but later on he just didn't move with the times. One thing he did was a lazy man who wouldn't budge for a heavily pregnant wife trying to open a gate bringing him a drink. It was sped up to look silly but I just looked at it and thought this just isn't funny. I think after that he went downhill-so to speak. The tabloids really went for the jugular and that was almost the beginning of the end. I don't think anyone really appreciated just what he brought to British comedy which captured us and the world's imagination and perhaps if had he had changed his outlook, he might still be around. A sad end to a world-famous clown loved by all.

[tamsmith]

Originally Posted by stardust2003

How many shows did Benny crank out in a year ?

3 was about his average production.

Cant help thinking that a Yankee equiv of Benny would have put out
at least 30 shows per year.

Quality over Quantity.

[stardust2003]

Benny was dead chuffed when he went as a tourist on a tour of
Charlie Chaplin's home in Switzerland.

They went into Charlie's study and there on a shelf were vids of Bennys TV shows.

[Dambusters]

And my favourite would have to be Jenny Lee Wright. A picture from the TV times in the 70s showed her in a bikini by a pool and her breasts were magnificent.

[benboe]

Originally Posted by slaphead12

Not funny - EVER

Sorry to upset his fans but I think that pulling a silly face and running around with girls in lingerie is NOT FUNNY.

Not upset Slaphead but puzzled that is all you saw in the Benny hill shows. What about the songs and monologues, both very difficult for a shy man that shone when on stage or screen. As well as the many scenarios that where fresh at that time. Later he did reinvent to some extent with the sketches including children that he loved to be the fool around. Maybe he was bawdy in the seaside postcard way but he did it so well in a seemingly innocent manner, always tongue in cheek.
Now I'm curious to know your comic heroes?
Benny, like Laurel and Hardy and Morecambe and Wise will always be a timeless comic hero to me whenever I see his work.

[SanteeFats]

Originally Posted by slaphead12

Not funny - EVER

Sorry to upset his fans but I think that pulling a silly face and running around with girls in lingerie is NOT FUNNY.

You I will say sir but I am thinking something else are entitled to your opinion no matter how WRONG it may be.

[Greenman]

Utter tosh! If he wasn't that funny he wouldn't have appealed to the Americans, the French, the Germans etc. And he wouldn't have won one of the highest awards a comedian can win AND be awarded it by another comedy great the late Charlie Chaplin. I freely admit that this man catered for my early teens - who cared whether he was chased by girls clothed or scantily-clad, that was the whole point of it - a grown man behaving like an idiot with gorgeous babes. I might also add that women found Benny Hill very funny - you can always hear them hooting with laughter in the audience. He was absurd as a woman and he was embarrassing as a man chasing women but that was the point - the women ALWAYS turned the tables on HIM in the end, which was why he appealed to many. He was a genius and those of us genuine fans miss him a lot.

[justme21]

I like the girl looking over his left shoulder

[larsen525]

Sue will be appearing in a forthcoming documentary, ”The Sound of ITV: 60 Years of the Nation’s Favourite Theme Tunes”, to air Wed. Sept. 16th, at 8 PM. Sue’s emailed me to say how much she enjoyed doing the interview, so I’m sure she’ll be pleased with the finished product.

Presumably she won’t be asked to run away from the camera at triple speed, while discussing Benny’s iconic closing theme, Yakety Sax.

- Erik

[Greenman]

I've been looking back at some clips of Benny Hill and Hill's Angels, some of which were well known for other things like Leigh Miles & Corinne Russell and the most obvious thing of the appeal was the girls-at least for the men and callow youths as we were back then. How many television programmes would be able to get away with scantily-clad beautiful girls nowadays-answer none! We got them in Benny Hill, Kenny Everett Shows(Hot Gossip) and other variety shows and comedy shows fronted by Little & Large, Les Dawson for example.

Seriously hot young girls in a prime-time show on ITV when it wasn't really the time to be sitting with your parents watching - this show was basically for anyone lucky enough to have their own television up in their room AND a video recorder. Who couldn't fail to notice Sue Upton, Alison Bell, Abigail Higgins, Lindsay Neil, Cheryl Gilham and later Corinne Russell, but I've left the best to last with the one and only Louise English. Talented, clever, gorgeous and adept in dance but also in comedy and one of the sexiest in that show. She could also turn her hand to an impression or two like Bobby Ball(of Cannon and Ball fame) and Tommy Cooper! The show doesn't quite stand the test of time and the climate has changed about how women are portrayed on television so those halcyon days of ogling a young girl with reasonably nice tits and hoping for a flash of knicker or stockings & suspenders are long gone...ah, memories!