Kenneth Williams

Cannot find a thread just for this great actor, comic, wit and raconteur, but thought I'd better as we got onto him on another thread and didn't want to incur the wrath of the Off Topic eraser. :P

And this gives me the opportunity to highlight one of his very funny anecdotes concerning Dame Edith Evans whom he impersonates to a T!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-lwA61hkPk

From Parkinson, and what a line up! Him, along with Milligan, Connolly and Tarbuck - Wow!!!

Surely such a bitter, twisted individual will be of no interest to the sweet people of BCG? Angelic

:O

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 29th October 2014, 3:38 PM GMT

Cannot find a thread just for this great actor, comic, wit and raconteur, but thought I'd better as we got onto him on another thread and didn't want to incur the wrath of the Off Topic eraser. :P

And this gives me the opportunity to highlight one of his very funny anecdotes concerning Dame Edith Evans whom he impersonates to a T!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-lwA61hkPk

From Parkinson, and what a line up! Him, along with Milligan, Connolly and Tarbuck - Wow!!!

I was only thinking about that anecdote earlier. True genius!

Where have all of the great raconteurs gone these days? I used to really appreciate a cravat, a smoking jacket topped off with a monocole. A long flight of stairs and a wing chair completed the set.

Sadly they appear to be of another age. :(

Never tire of that anecdote and he tells it so well.

Kenneth Williams was a classic man.A charming legend.In what ever film or program he was doing he was lovable and friendly. The characters he portrayed in the Carry On films was alluring because he usually got a very compelling role and he was very capable of his roles.The roles suited him because he got quite vigorous at times and he made me laugh for example in Carry On Doctor when Jim Dale got accused of doing something rude and he wasn't.Him and Matron was strong not to know the truth. A true legend in all rights.Shame he died because he got so confused but I am not going to talk about that because it might upset some people.A wonderful man.

Read a couple of books about him - a tortured soul in many ways.

I picked up a CD of Rambling Sid Rumpoe at the weekend.

Well hello me dearios....Now let us all burst forth together, so grundle your parts and away we go... :D

Love it/him.

Thanks for posting. Have never seen this until now.

My favourite on Just A Minute. Very quick witted and very funny man.

Quote: Craig H @ 30th October 2014, 10:28 PM GMT

Thanks for posting. Have never seen this until now.

My favourite on Just A Minute. Very quick witted and very funny man.

Used to love it when he "got the hump" and "go off on one" whenever NP pulled him up for some reason. Laughing out loud

Quote: Chappers @ 29th October 2014, 8:36 PM GMT

I picked up a CD of Rambling Sid Rumpoe at the weekend.

Finally got around to listening to it today. Well you have to be in the right frame of mind. It was while I was doing the housework and I'd got fed up with "I want to break free".

Here is the album in its entirety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HvCRM2xjjY

Kenneth Williams: truly one of the all-time greats of comedy.

And what a raconteur!

Watched Kenneth Williams In His Own Words on Channel 5 on Sunday night (repeated this coming Wednesday 10pm).

Mainly clips from his radio, TV & Carry On work including of course the chat shows.

Not a lot new (there probably isn't much new to be seen) but always enjoyable nevertheless and I don't recall having seen the courtroom sketch from the BBC's 1970 Kenneth Williams Show before. Reminded me a little of Monty Python.

They played a recording of "Hands up this is a stick up". I'd forgotten about that. Haven't heard that since the days of Children's Favourites. Didn't realise Peter Cook wrote it. Didn't realise Peter Cook appeared on Just A Minute either.

Kenneth Williams was outstanding and unparalleled. In this bleak Covid era, he is one of the 40 voices I have chosen to have in my house and keep me on just about an even keel. If there is one thing that at my now old age I feel resonates in him with me the most, it is that someone so obviously complex. unusual and probably fundamentally distressed was somehow so widely engaging as human and even so very normal.

I never tire of him. :)