# Kenneth Connor

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

## Early life

Connor was born in Highbury, Islington, London, the son of a naval petty officer who organised concert parties. 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.
His brother was a Doctor in General Practice in Hampshire.
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.

## Career

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

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

## Personal life

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

## Television appearances

| 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

| 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

| Year | Title | Format | Label | Notes |
| 1959 | Rail Road Rock / Ramona | Vinyl, 7" single | Top Rank (45-JAR 138) | |
| 1961 | Nearly A Nasty Accident / Smile | Vinyl, 7" single | Fontana (267161 TF) | |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1971 | Much Ado About Love | Vinyl, LP | Avenue (AVE085) | with Glennis Beresford |
| 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 |