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Kenneth Connor

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Kenneth Connor
Publicity photo of Connor from 1959
Born(1918-06-06)6 June 1918
Highbury, London, England
Died28 November 1993(1993-11-28) (aged 75)
Harrow, London, England
Resting placeBreakspear Crematorium, Ruislip, Greater London, England
Alma materRoyal Central School of Speech and Drama
OccupationActor
Years active1936–1993
Known forCarry On films
'Allo 'Allo!
Spouse
Margaret Knox
(m. 1942)
Children1

Kenneth Connor, MBE (6 June 1918 – 28 November 1993)[1] was a British stage, film and broadcasting actor, who rose to national prominence with his appearances in the Carry On films.

Early life

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Connor was born in Highbury, Islington, London, the son of a naval petty officer who organised concert parties.[1] He first appeared on the stage at the age of two as an organ-grinder's monkey in one of his father's shows, in Portsmouth. By the age of 11 he had his own act. He attended the Central School of Speech and Drama, where he was a Gold Medal winner. Connor made his professional debut in J. M. Barrie's The Boy David, at His Majesty's Theatre, London, in December 1936.

During the Second World War he served as an infantry gunner with the Middlesex Regiment, but continued acting by touring Italy and the Middle East with the Stars in Battledress concert party and ENSA. Earlier in the war, in 1941, he was apparently performing as a comedic entertainer in a concert party named the "Tam o Shanter's", as evidenced by a programme from the concert at the Summer Theatre at Felixstowe, dated Saturday 5 July 1941. The full cast autographed the programme, suggesting a final performance for the concert party, with Kenneth signing it "All the best Ken Connor". While waiting to be demobbed in Cairo, Connor received a telegram from William Devlin asking him to join the newly formed Bristol Old Vic, where he gained a solid grounding in the classics.[citation needed]

Career

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Connor moved on to the London Old Vic Company for a 1947–48 season at the New Theatre. His most notable performances there were as Chaplain de Stogumber in Saint Joan and Dobchinsky in The Government Inspector, which starred Alec Guinness. Realising he was not a "tall, impressive juvenile lead or a young lover type", he decided to specialise in comedy. Connor appeared in Talbot Rothwell's farce Queen Elizabeth Slept Here in the West End in 1949.

He took over from Peter Sellers in Ted Ray's radio show Ray's a Laugh, which was launched by the BBC in 1949 as a successor to Tommy Handley's ITMA. Connor played the brother-in-law, and other oddball characters such as Sidney Mincing. Ray took Connor with him to his TV shows, and the pair would star together in the third Carry On film, Carry On Teacher.

On occasion, he appeared in The Goon Show, standing in for regular cast members struck down by illness. He also appeared in the anarchic, Goon-style TV series The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d (1956) and A Show Called Fred (1956).

Connor gained a small role in the film The Ladykillers (1955) as a taxi driver. In 1958, he was cast in the first Carry On film, Carry On Sergeant, and became one of the regular cast in the series, appearing in seventeen of the original thirty films and many of the associated television productions. Alongside Kenneth Williams and Eric Barker, Connor was one of only three actors to appear in both the first and last of the original sequence of Carry On films (Carry On Sergeant and Carry On Emmannuelle).

In his earlier Carry On appearances, Connor frequently played the romantic lead or other sympathetic roles (typically with an element of comically neurotic anxiety), while later appearances saw him play less sympathetic characters such as married men with wandering eyes who made lascivious remarks. In Carry On Nurse (1959), his real-life son Jeremy appeared as his character Bernie Bishop's son. In 1961, he starred with fellow Carry On stars Sid James and Esma Cannon in the comedy film What a Carve Up! In fact, in the 1959–61 period, he was one of the most prominent leading men in British comedy films. As well as What a Carve Up! and the Carry On films, other films he starred in during this period included Watch Your Stern (1960), Nearly a Nasty Accident (1961) and the Dentist films. In 1960, he did the voices of the horse and dog in the Four Feather Falls puppet series.

Connor had a good tenor voice, which he occasionally used to good effect, such as in the 1962 movie Carry On Cruising.

In contrast with some of his Carry On co-stars, Connor found further success on the London stage. He starred in the revue One Over The Eight (1962), at the Duke of York's Theatre, the original London West End production with Frankie Howerd of the Stephen Sondheim musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1963), as Hysterium – and directed the show when it went on tour – The Four Musketeers (1967), with Harry Secombe at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, playing King Louis XIII, and the revue Carry On London (1973) at the Victoria Palace.

Between 1971 and 1973, Connor joined Dad's Army stars Arthur Lowe and Ian Lavender in the BBC radio comedy Parsley Sidings. On television, he appeared in The Black and White Minstrel Show, as Whatsisname Smith in the children's show Rentaghost (1983–84), and as Monsieur Alfonse in 'Allo 'Allo! (1984–1992) and Uncle Sammy Morris in Hi-de-Hi! (1986–88). He also made guest appearances in sitcoms including That's My Boy and You Rang, M'Lord? and he also appeared in the episode "Sense and Senility" of Blackadder the Third in 1987, alongside fellow veteran comic star Hugh Paddick.

In 1991, he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

Connor was still working just days before his death, appearing on Noel Edmonds' Telly Addicts. His final TV appearance, as Mr Warren in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes episode The Red Circle, was broadcast posthumously in 1994.

Death

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Connor died of cancer at the age of 75 at his home in Harrow in Middlesex on 28 November 1993.[1][2] His body was cremated at Breakspear Crematorium in Ruislip, Greater London.

Personal life

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Connor married Margaret Knox ("Miki") in 1942; his son, Jeremy, was a child actor.[3]

Television appearances

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    Year     Title Role Notes
1949 The Passionate Pilgrim Murphy
1949 Oranges and Lemons Musical review
1950 Over the Odds Sydney
1950 Rush Job Perce Prangle
1951 The Boy with a Cart Demiwulf
1952 Winnie-the-Pooh Rabbit Episode: "In Which Rabbit Has a Busy Day"
1952 It's a Small World Narrator / Arfer
1952 The Sand Castle Bert / Puffin / Shrimp 6 episodes
1952 Shadow Pictures 3 episodes: "The Grasshopper and the Ant", "Three Wishes", "The Sleeping Beauty"
1952 Huckleberry Finn 3 episodes: The Auction" (Levi Bell); "Jackson's Island" and "The Widow Douglas's" (Pap Finn)
1953 BBC Sunday-Night Theatre Touchstone "As You Like It"
1953 Tom's Goblin Lot
1953 The Rose and the Ring Mr. Gruffanuff
1954–55 The Grove Family Park-Keeper 2 episodes: "Crisis" (1954), "Rabbits" (1955)
1954 Stage by Stage Coupler 2 episodes: "The Relapse or, Virtue in Danger", "Pageant Wagon to Citizens' Theatre"
1954 The Three Princes The Carpet Dealer
1954 This is Show Business, with Vic Oliver Self Series 3, Episode 3
1955–56 Emney Enterprises 12 episodes + special
1955 The Farmer's Wife Henry Coaker
1955 Will O' the Gris (short) voice
1956–58 The Ted Ray Show 18 episodes
1956 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland March Hare
1956 This Is Your Life Self Episode: "These Were Your Lives"
1956 The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d various 6 episodes
1956 Alfred Marks Time Self Series 1, Episode 3
1956 A Show Called Fred various 5 episodes
1956 The Charlie Farnsbarns Show
1956 Son of Fred Episodes 1 and 5
1957 Gentlemen, Be Seated! Self
1957 A Short History of Man and Music: Part 2
1957 Pantomania: Babes in the Wood School Inspector / Lawyer
1957 Salute to Show Business Self
1957 Six-Five Special Self Series 1, Episode 33
1957 The World Our Stage Self
1957 The Saturday Show Self Episodes of 9 November and 14 December
1957–60 Hi, Summer! Self 22 episodes
1958–66 The Black and White Minstrel Show Self / Master of Ceremonies 14 episodes
1958 My Pal Bob Series 2, Episodes 3 and 4
1958 ITV Television Playhouse Nat "Poet's Corner"
1958 Christmas Night with the Stars
1958 Dick Whittington and His Cat Mate
1959 The Anne Shelton Show 3 episodes
1960 Showtime Self Series 2, Episode 5
1960 The Four Just Men Milloti "The Man in the Royal Suite"
1960 Torchy the Battery Boy Voices 52 episodes
1960 Four Feather Falls Voices 39 episodes
1961 The Sid James Show
1962 Adam Faith Sings Songs Old and New Self
1962 The Jo Stafford Show Self Episode: "The Age of Chivalry"
1962 Somerset Maugham Hour Mortimer Ellis Episode: "The Round Dozen"
1963–64 Don't Say a Word Self 21 episodes
1963 Fit for Heroes Corporal Rust
1963 Boyd Q.C. Bajendra Singh Episode: "What the Eye Doesn't See"
1964 How to Be an Alien Episode: "Courtship"
1964 Ninety Years On Episode: "Courtship"
1965 A World of Comedy Episode: "The Enormous Ear"
1965 Spare a Copper PC Albert Hereward Lamp
1965 A Slight Case of... Mr Coker Episode: "Opium"
1965 A Night At The Music Hall Self 14 February - reciting poetry
1966 Room at the Bottom Gus Fogg 7 episodes
1966 Millicent Self Episode 2
1967 Danny the Dragon voice of Danny 18 episodes
1967 David Frost's Night Out in London Self
1968 David Nixon Self
1968 Hullabaloo Self
1969 The Jimmy Logan Show Episode 4
1969 According to Dora Series 2, Episode 7
1970–1971 On the House Gussie Sissons 12 episodes
1970 Jokers Wild Self Series 2, Episodes 9 and 10
1971 The Golden Shot Self Series 3, Episode 45
1972 The 14th Annual TV Week Logie Awards Self
1972 The Pressure-Pak Show Self
1972 Sez Les Various Series 4, Episode 2
1972 The Kenneth Connor Show (Nine Network Australia) 4 episodes
1973 Looks Familiar Self
1975 Carry On Laughing Various 12 episodes
1976 Celebrity Squares Self
1979–86 3-2-1 Self / Merlin 9 episodes
1979 Ted on the Spot Self
1980 Frankie Howerd Reveals All
1980 East Lynne Mr Dill
1982–84 Rentaghost Whatsisname Smith 3 episodes
1982 The Royal Variety Performance 1982 Self
1982 Movie Memories Self
1983 This Is Your Life Self Life of Anna Neagle
1984–1992 'Allo 'Allo! Monsieur Alfonse 62 episodes
1984 Aladdin and the Forty Thieves Abdul
1985 Remember the Lambeth Walk Self / presenter
1986–88 Hi-de-Hi! Uncle Sammy Morris 12 episodes
1986 That's My Boy Robert Taylor Episode: "Something to Love"
1987 Blackadder the Third Enoch Mossop Episode: "Sense and Senility"
1987 Wogan Self
1989 Sir Norbert Smith, a Life Greenham officer
1990 You Rang, M'Lord? Professor Heinrich Van Manheim Episode: "Labour or Love"
1990 Made in Heaven? Harry Ingrams Episode: "Best of Enemies"
1990 Artifax Self
1993 That's Showbusiness Self
1993 Noel Edmonds' Telly Addicts Self
1994 The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes Mr. Warren Episode: "The Red Circle" (Posthumous release)

Filmography

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Title Year Role Notes
Poison Pen 1939 Telephonist
The Passionate Pilgrim 1949 Murphy
Over The Odds 1950 Sydney
Don't Say Die 1950 Pat O'Neill
Rush Job 1951 Percy Prangle
Elstree Story 1952
Miss Robin Hood 1952 Board Member Uncredited
There Was a Young Lady 1953 Tom Bass
Marilyn, a.k.a. Roadhouse Girl 1953 Customer
The Black Rider 1954 George Amble
The Ladykillers 1955 Taxi Driver Uncredited
Davy 1957 Herbie
Carry On Sergeant 1958 Horace Strong
Make Mine a Million 1959 Anxious husband
Carry On Nurse 1959 Bernie Bishop
Carry On Teacher 1959 Gregory Adams
Carry On Constable 1960 Constable Charlie Constable
Dentist in the Chair 1960 Sam Field
Watch Your Stern 1960 Ordinary Seaman Blissworth
His and Hers 1961 Harold
Carry On Regardless 1961 Sam Twist
A Weekend with Lulu 1961 British tourist
Nearly a Nasty Accident 1961 AC 2 Alexander Wood
Dentist on the Job 1961 Sam Field
What a Carve Up! a.k.a. No Place Like Homicide 1961 Ernest Broughton
Carry On Cruising 1962 Dr. Arthur Binn
Carry On Cabby 1963 Ted Watson
Carry On Cleo 1964 Hengist Pod
How to Undress in Public Without Undue Embarrassment 1965
Gonks Go Beat 1965 Wilco Roger
Cuckoo Patrol 1967 Wick
Danny the Dragon 1967 Danny the Dragon Voice
Captain Nemo and the Underwater City 1969 Swallow Bath
Rhubarb 1969 Mr Rhubarb
Carry On Up the Jungle 1970 Claude Chumley
Carry On Henry 1971 Lord Hampton Wick
Carry On Matron 1972 Mr Tidy
Carry On Abroad 1972 Stanley Blunt
Carry On Girls 1973 Mayor Frederick Bumble
Carry On Dick 1974 The Constable
Carry On Behind 1975 Major Leep
Carry On England 1976 Captain S. Melly
Carry On Emmannuelle 1978 Leyland

Recordings

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Year Title Format Label Notes Ref
1959 Rail Road Rock / Ramona Vinyl, 7" single Top Rank (45-JAR 138) [4]
1961 Nearly A Nasty Accident / Smile Vinyl, 7" single Fontana (267161 TF) [5]
1966 Winnie The Pooh / Teddy Bears' Picnic Vinyl, 7" single Surprise Surprise (No 4) with Jim Dale, Cheryl Kennedy with The Wonderland Singers And Alyn Ainsworth and His Orchestra [6]
1966 Songs From Walt Disney's Winnie The Pooh and Other Children's Favourites Vinyl, LP, Mono Music For Pleasure (MFP 1078) with Jim Dale, Cheryl Kennedy with The Wonderland Singers And Alyn Ainsworth and His Orchestra [7]
1971 Much Ado About Love Vinyl, LP Avenue (AVE085) with Glennis Beresford [8]
1993 A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum CD EMI (CDANGEL 3) Frankie Howerd, Kenneth Connor, Jon Pertwee, Robertson Hare, 'Monsewer' Eddie Gray [9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Connor, Kenneth". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/51616. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ "Kenneth Connor". The Herald (29 November 1993). Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  3. ^ Hayward, Anthony (30 November 1993). "Obituary: Kenneth Connor". The Independent. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  4. ^ Connor, Kenneth. "Rail Road Rock". Discogs. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  5. ^ Connor, Kenneth (13 November 1961). "Nearly A Nasty Accident". Discogs. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Kenneth Connor, Cheryl Kennedy And The Wonderland Singers With Alyn Ainsworth And His Orchestra / Jim Dale With Alyn Ainsworth And His Orchestra* – Winnie The Pooh / Teddy Bears' Picnic". Discogs. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Kenneth Connor, Jim Dale, Cheryl Kennedy With The Wonderland Singers And Alyn Ainsworth And His Orchestra* – Songs From Walt Disney's Winnie The Pooh And Other Children's Favourites". Discogs. 13 November 1966. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Kenneth Connor With Glennis Beresford – Much Ado About Love". Discogs. 13 November 1971. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Stephen Sondheim - Frankie Howerd, Kenneth Connor, Jon Pertwee, Robertson Hare, 'Monsewer' Eddie Gray – A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum". Discogs. 13 November 1993. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
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