recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Jenny's Pub

## Bio

**Jenny's Pub** is a small British tavern located somewhere in England (likely London). The time period seems the 1940s, particularly during World War Two.

The tavern is run by an attractive blonde (Jenny Lee Wright), who might also be the owner, but this is unrevealed. The public house is frequently patrolled by English soldiers (Brian Nolan and unknown) and becomes the first stopping place for two German spies (Benny Hill and Bob Todd) trying to pass themselves off as English men. Even with their strong German accents, German words slipping through and a token Engish phrase ("Give us a kiss and show us your k-nickers."), they manage to escape detection until Jenny starts commenting on Hitler and how the English forces are defeating him. The two Germans have no idea who she's talking about (she calls Hitler "a big fat pig") until she clarifies, but upon mentioning the Fuhrer's name, the two spies jump up to salute him out of habit and get captured by two English officers.

## Trivia

* This short sketch opens the Mar. 22, 1972 episode rather than a series of Quickies.
* The barely seen pub patrons behind Bob Todd seem to be Robert Howe, Pamela Cundell and Penny Meredith.

## Gallery

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Shameful Moments of Sport

## Bio

**Shameful Moments in Sports** is a sports television retrospective showcasing chicanery, bloopers and unsportsmanlike conduct in televised sports. The clips it features includes:

* A soccer player (Benny Hill) leans on his goal post and knocks it down; he almost does it twice while distracted by a lady pulling up her hosiery.
* A boxer named Big Boy Gaylord (Benny Hill) hears the name of his opponent, Thunder Joe McCreedy-Jones and his referee Jim McCreedy-Jones
* A golfer (Benny Hill) not only gets a hole in one, but he gets it to spin around the flag post before entering the hole
* A soccer player (Benny Hill) knocks over a rival player (Jackie Wright) on the field. As he's penalized by the referee (Nicholas Parsons), the downed player ties his shoelaces together.
* A pole vaulter (Benny Hill) smashes into a truck (inexplicably) pulling up in front of his obstacle
* A sports doctor (Benny Hill) rushing to the aid of an injured soccer player (Jackie Wright) can't open his medical kit so he makes due with what he has
* Big Boy Gaylord (Benny Hill) takes a drink before his match and spits it out during his match

## Trivia

* The extra player in the second soccer bit is unidentified, but speculation is that Benny might have used actual British football (soccer) players in the sketches.
* Jackie Wright is the referee in the second boxing bit; Nicholas Parsons is the opponent.
* The pole vaulter bit reappears in World of Sport on February 18, 1976.
* The shoelace-tying bit was repeated with Richard Whatling in The Birthday Party sketch on February 8, 1989.

## Gallery

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The Bill Stickers

## Bio

The **Bill Stickers** are two unidentified and incompetent billboard hangers who struggle and foul up a series of ads on a wall in England, possibly Teddington or London. The posters they're trying to hang are for the John Payne movie, "Who Stole Those 45s?" and Nancy Girdles, but the posters are mixed up and the actor gets the woman's body and the man gets the woman's body with some weird entendres. When their boss (Bob Todd) shows up to reveal the wrong ads, they end up covering it all up, again posting another segmented poster out of sequence to display insults and a sloppily hung obscene entendre. By now, a young police officer has arrived to pull off the paper covering up the "Bill Posters Will Be Prosecuted" sign.

## Trivia

* The characters are played by Benny Hill and Jackie Wright.
* Althought there is a real American actor named John Payne, the John Payne in the poster is likely an homage to iconic American actor John Wayne.
* This is reportedly the first sketch to feature the patented Jackie Wright bald slap.
* The police officer and passersby are unidentified, but two of the actresses might be Leslie Goldie and Rona Newton-John.

## Episode(s)

* The Underwater World Of Jacques Custard

## Gallery

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Anna Marie

## Bio

**Anna Marie** is the opening number of Benny Hill's first show for Thames Television on November 19, 1969. He was joined by The Lady Birds doing the chorus.

## Lyrics

Anna Marie, the girl I adore,

Anna Marie, the girl I live for.

I'd travel the world, over land and sea,

I'd never find one like you, Anna Marie.

We went to the open air theatr...

One summer's night in the park.

Soon, I had to excuse myself,

And I wandered off in the dark.

I got back to my seat next to her,

I'd not been gone more than a minute.

I said, "How was the show?"

She said, "You ought to know...

"You silly great fool, you were in it."

Oh, but Anna Marie, the girl I adore,

Anna Marie, the girl I live for.

I'd travel the world over land and sea,

I'd never find one like you, Anna Marie.

She invited me around for my birthday...

To show me just how she could cook.

She made some flakey pastry,

It tasted like a wet book.

But she had to admit that the cake that I bought...

Really wasn't too bad.

She said she'd light the twenty-eight candles...

That were on the slice that she had.

Oh, but Anna Marie, the girl I adore,

Anna Marie, the girl I live for.

I'd travel the world, over land and sea,

I'd never find one like you, Anna Marie.

She said, "Now, we're alone lets get cozy,

"I'll put something more comfortable on."

And I sat there biting my fingernails...

For the full half an hour she was gone.

The door burst open she stood there...

With all of my mates from the docks,

And they all sang Happy Birthday to You,

And all I had on was my socks.

Oh, but Anna Marie, the girl I adore,

Anna Marie, the girl I live for.

I'd travel the world over land and sea,

I'd never find one like you, Anna Marie....
Rachel

## Bio

**Rachel The Gypsy Queen** was a ballad performed by Benny Hill while in character as Dickie Dido in a sketch on December 23, 1970. He performs the song on a farm setting without vocal back-up from The Ladybirds.

## Lyrics

(*Note: The accuracy of these lyrics are a bit in doubt.*)

Why do they call her evil when she's oh so kind and so good

My heart belongs to Rachel - The Gypsy in the Wood

Oh, let us play at hide and seek one day she gaily cried

Oh, close your eyes and count to fifty while I go and hide.

And if you find me, I will let you have your way with me

And if you cannot find me I'll be right behind that tree

Why do they call her evil when she's oh so kind and so good

My heart belongs to Rachel - The Gypsy of the Wood

She said now if a snake should bite you don't you worry, scream or shout

Just send for me and I'll be there and I'll suck the poison out

I said suppose I sit on one and it gets me in the end

She said that's when you'll find out that I'm a real true friend

Why do they call her evil when she's oh so kind and so good

My heart belongs to Rachel - The Gypsy in the Wood

Oh Rachel, I seen you with your lover down by the cabbage patch

His hair was long and black, and he had fingernails to match

Oh, you promised you'd be faithful, but you cheated and you were untrue

But if I had to do it all over again, I'd do it all over you

Now I know why they call you evil, you're wicked and you're no good

No more will I see Rachel - The Gypsy of the Wood
The B-Team

## Production

**Episode:** 49

**Date:** January 2, 1985

**Time:** 51:08

**Musical Director:** Ronnie Aldrich

**Vocals:** The Ladybirds

**Choreography:** Libby Roberts

**Producer:** Dennis Kirkland

**Director:** Dennis Kirkland

**Writer:** Benny Hill

## Episode

* Quickies: 4
* Monologue: The Professor
* A History Lesson
* Brand Names
* Quickies: 3
* Sauce at Benito's
* Hill's Angels
* Tag: The B-Team

## Highlights

* In "Brand Names," Benny does almost the entire sketch using brand names.
* A spoof of the American action TV-series, "The A-Team."

## Cast

* Benny Hill
* Henry McGee
* Jack Wright
* Bob Todd
* Louise English
* Jon Jon Keefe
* Carl Wayne
* Derek Royle
* Lorraine Doyle
* Emma Bryant
* Erica Lynley
* Sue Upton - Hill's Angel (uncredited)
* Tracy Smith - Hill's Angel (uncredited)
* Nicola Bacon - Hill's Angel (uncredited)
* Helen Tozer - Hill's Angel (uncredited)
* Laura Wynne - Hill's Angel (uncredited)
* Francesca Lacey - Hill's Angel (uncredited)
* Lisa Jackman - Hill's Angel (uncredited)
* Abigail Higgins (uncredited)
* Len Keyes (uncredited)

## Quotes

* **Murdock** - "We seem to be getting closer to a town. We seem to be hitting more people."

## Trivia

* This episode appears on the "Golden Chortles" VHS.
* The unidentified mansion in the B-Team sketch also appeared in the Super-Teech sketch.

## Sequence

* **Last Episode:** The Hot Shoe Show
* **Next Episode:** Forever Love
Spies, Indians and Vikings

## Production

**Episode:** 17

**Date:** March 12, 1973

**Producer:** Peter Whitmore

**Director:**

**Writer:** Dave Allen, Austin Steele and Peter Vincent

## Cast

* Dave Allen
* Ronnie Brody
* Jacqueline Clarke
* Michael Sharvell-Martin
* Peter Hawkins
* Robert East

## Quotes

* **Dave Allen** - "The kindest thing you can do to a Scotsman is to offer to buy him a drink. The kindest thing you can do to a German is to imply that he is Austrian. The kindest thing you can do to an American is to talk to him - loudly! The kindest thing you can do to an Englishman is not to talk to him - loudly or otherwise. The kindest thing you can do to an Australian is to believe everything he says... whether you believe him or not. The kindest thing you can do to a Russian is not to knock on his door in the middle of the night. The kindest thing you can do to an Irishman is not to stand behind him and go tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.... The kindest thing you can do to an Israeli is to open his mail or better still get an Arab to open his mail...."

## Trivia

* The understudy in the closing sketch is called Mr. Benson.
* One of the explorers is referred to by the name Fletcher.
* Michael Sharvell-Martin plays a one-time character named Pigsty Pete.
* As Hamlet, Dave quotes the Yorick line from Act 5, Scene I in "Hamlet."

## Sequence

* **Last Episode:** The Phantom Piddler and Other Fairy Tales
* **Next Episode:** Midas, Cinderella and Robin Hood
The Funeral Races

## Production

**Episode:** 22

**Date:** April 3, 1975

**Producer:** Peter Whitmore

**Director:**

**Writer:** Dave Allen, Austin Steele and Peter Vincent

## Highlights

* The race between Dave and Ronnie as the pall-bearers

## Cast

* Dave Allen
* Ronnie Brody
* Jacqueline Clarke (uncredited)
* Michael Sharvell-Martin
* Peter Hawkins
* Robert East
* Doran Goodwin

## Quotes

* **Dave Allen** - (*reading fan mail*) "Dear Dave Allen, Just a brief note to say thank you for all the religious sketches which give us great pleasure. Being in the religious business ourselves, naturally, we obviously see the humor of the situation. We would like to say that we are not at all offended by the sketches regarding the confessional box, priests, nuns, coffins or even the Pope falling backwards. Much continued success and best wishes, Rabbi Bernstein."

* **Dave Allen** - "I think were becoming more violent because we're becoming more scared."

* **Dave Allen** - "If no one knew how to defend themselves, no one would attack, and if you don't believe that, you deserve a smack in the mouth."

* **Dave Allen** - "All the world is queer except ye and me - only I'm not sure about ye. I'm not sure about me either."

## Trivia

* Cast member Ronnie Brody plays the opposing pall bearer against Dave in the race sketch.
* This episode features seven religious sketches and seven religious jokes about religion.
* The race of the pall bearers sketch is probably one of the top remembered shows of the series.
* Recurring series characters and themes: Military, Cowboys, Knights, Drunks and Taverns

## Sequence

* **Last Episode:** Proverbs
* **Next Episode:** The BBC Complaint Department
The Grover Family

## Bio

The **Grover Family** is the subject of the Clyde Jarrow documentary, "That Family." The family lives in Aldershot, England, and the film features Mother Grover (Benny Hill) trying to get her son, Tom (Henry McGee), to marry his live-in girlfriend (Cherri Gilham). She has three other children. She has one boy (Don Estelle) who wears a private school uniform, a daughter (Moira Foot) who walks around in her underwear and a son (Edgar Buchanan) who says nothing but carries around a birdcage. Her husband spends his time off-screen in the bathroom. Their apartment looks like a tenement, and they eat ham and mashed potatoes. While eating, Tom nearly eats her brillo pad. To get him to marry his girlfriend, Mother Grover produces the cake she made for him, and it crashes through the table, sending him running from into the neighborhood.

## Trivia

* This sketch is a spoof of the 1975 British TV miniseries, "The Family," which was also a spoof of the US public TV miniseries, "An America Family."
* Dave Brooks was credited for the theme used to open and close this parody.
* The name for the family is hard to pinpoint, but as one viewer points out, it might be Groper, citing Benny's penchant for using that name for Willie Groper the March 13, 1974 "Match of the Week" sketch.
* Benny does the toast disappearing into the newspaper gag, later recreated with Hill's Little Angels in Pepy's Diary.
* Nearly eating a brillo pad is another recurring gag in the series.

## Gallery

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Sharon Haywoode

**Sharon Haywoode** is an English singer, dancer and entertainer, best known for the 1986 UK Top 20 hit single, "Roses," which she recorded under the name Sid Haywoode.

Born in London, Haywoode trained from an early age at London's Corona Stage Academy, later modeling, dancing and acting before starring on "The Benny Hill Show" as one of the Hill's Angels. In sketches, she played the maid in the "1994" sketch and danced in the "New York, New York " number on April 16, 1980. The only other known black Angel besides Susan Daly, she also appeared in the March 5, 1980 episode and in a leftover sketch that appeared on the March 25, 1981 episode.

After leaving "The Benny Hill Show," she also starred on the TV series, "The Gentle Touch," and appeared in the movies "Superman" and "Ragtime." She also worked in the West End theater and eventually joined Flick Colby's dancing troop, Zoo, from 1981 to 1982, later recording "A Time Like This" under a deal for Sony CBS records offering her a deal in 1983. The single reached the Top 5 in the US Hot Dance Club Play Chart and established her distinctive brand of soulful funk and pop. Her later singles, produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman, include "You'd Better Not Fool Around," "I Can't Let You Go" and "Getting Closer," which was later covered by Kylie Minogue. In July 1986, she released the song, "Roses," which hit the top 20 in the UK music charts. Her debut album, "Arrival," released soon after "Roses," included Haywoode's cover version of Prince's "I Wanna Be Your Lover."

In 2011, Haywoode released an album named "Bounce Back," after collaborating with different producers in Australia, Netherlands, Italy and the United States. In the summer 2012, she created a music production company, "Wonderlick Productions," with her writing partner and music producer, Soundsinsane. Her song, "Excuses," reached #6 on Euro Solution's Independent Hi Energy Dance Chart in the United Kingdom. She now goes by the name, Haywoode, and continues to perform as a lounge singer in the United States while preparing a new album.

## Episode(s)

* Butch Cafferty and the Fundance Kid
* Name That Tune
* Big Poppa - uncredited
Sandra Hamilton

**Sandra Hamilton** is an English actress, dancer and performer best known as a member of the "Sam's Set" dance troop from the 70s and 80s founded by Samantha Stevens. The group included Caroline Sargeant, Erica Lynley and Sharon Fussey and appeared on episodes of "The Basil Brush Show." Several of the members eventually became members of the Hill's Angels on "The Benny Hill Show" with Sandra appearing in a green top as one of the disco dancers in the Friday Night Fever sketch on December 26, 1978. However, she eventually left the series over a dispute over the scanty costumes in one of the episodes.

Not much else is known about her.
June 1, 1957

## Production

**Episode:** 9

**Date:** June 1, 1957

**Time:** 45 minutes

**Musical Director:** Bob Sharples

**Producer:** Duncan Wood

**Director:** Tommy Linden

**Writer:** Benny Hill and Dave Freeman

## Episode

* Guests include:
	+ Petula Clark
	+ The Tommy Linden Dancers
	+ Luis Alberto del Paraná
	+ The Peter Crawford Trio

## Cast

* Benny Hill
* Carl Barriteau
* Jeremy Hawk

## Sequence

* **Last Episode:** April 27, 1957
* **Next Episode:** February 1, 1958
The Beach of Waikiki

## Bio

The **Beach Of Waikiki** was the opening number on January 8, 1975. It was performed by Benny Hill on stage with a tropical-style backdrop. He started it as a comedy monologue before going into the song, intermittently breaking for Hawaiian chanting and Diana Darvey dancing near him during the chorus, leaving a sash near him each time, accompanied by more one-liners, until the end.

## Lyrics

On the beach of Waikiki, there lived a lovely maid,

Who cannot keep her body still when her favorite song is played.

If you sing the chorus in Hawaiian, they say she'll appear...

Not only will she dance, but she'll give you her souvenir...

(*Benny sings several Hawaiian sounding words as Diana surprises him by dancing near him.*)

One day, she brought a book so she could learn to water ski.

Then she spent a fort-night looking for a sloping sea.

But when she hulas in her long grass skirt, the excitement never stops...

And all the farmers say they love the way that she rotates her crops.

(*Benny sings several Hawaiian sounding words as Diana again dances near him.*)

We lay upon the sand one day beneath a cloudless sky...

I bought her a crimson rose to match her bloodshot eyes.

"Oh, let's get a little bolder, my shy young thing..." I said.

She got a little boulder and dropped it on my head.

(*Benny once again sings several Hawaiian sounding words as Diana again dances near him.*)

She said, "You give me half a crown And I will read your palm."

Then she saw my love line went halfway up my arm.

So now, she changed her prices, although she's just as willing...

It's big fat men a two pound ten and little boys a shilling.

(*Benny's keyboard shorts out as Diana gets too close. He ends with a "roll on toast."*)
Sylvia McNeil

**Sylvia McNeill** is an English pop and rock singer and songwriter. Born August 5, 1947 in Harrogate, England, she began her career singing and playing bass guitar with various groups and bands. She also went abroad for several years, touring American bases on the continent.

In 1969, she moved to London, recording as a solo vocalist from 1968 to 1975 under the RCA, Bell and United Artists labels. Her titles included “That's Alright By Me," “Ugly Man" “Chelsea Morning," “Be My Friend," “A Whiter Shade Of Pale" and “I Don't Know How To Love Him" which was also included in the first UK stage musical of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and performed on "The Benny Hill Show" on February 23, 1972. Over the next eighteen months, she also starred on The Dave Allen Show, "The Morecambe & Wise Show" "The Simon Dee Show," "The Dick Emery Show," "Roger Whittaker’s World Of Music," "The Golden Shot," "Anglia Television's Glamour," "Ulster TV" and her own eight-week series for Grampian Television.

In 1971, she performed in the musical, "Catch My Soul," at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London, England. Since then, she has appeared as a soloist in cabaret through the United Kingdom.
The Native Song of Luana

## Bio

The **Native Song of Luana** (or "The Ubangi Girl") is an opening monologue that appears on March 24, 1976. Performed against a jungle set, the act actually features entertainer Brenda Arnau as a beautiful native girl singing the native song of the African land of Luana as Benny Hill "translates" her sultry lyrics to the English-speaking audience. This musical number was not included in the episode menu for the A&E DVD set.
The Visitor

## Production

**Episode:** 15

**Date:** September 10, 1963

**Time:** 25:00

**Musical Director:** Ron Grainer

**Vocals:** None

**Choreography:** None

**Producer:** John Street

**Director:** Tony Abbott

**Writer:** Benny Hill and Dave Freeman

## Episode

An extremely boring and irrational guest (Benny Hill) imposes his presence on the Johnsons (Allan Cuthbertson and Melissa Stribling).

## Cast

* Benny Hill
* Allan Cuthbertson
* Melissa Stribling
* Frank Thornton
* Len Lowe
* Diana Hope

## Sequence

* **Last Episode:** Mr. Apollo
* **Next Episode:** Mr. Jolly
Susan Daly

**Susan Daly** is an English actress and dancer from the Late Eighties. There is not much known about her life and career. She starred in the movie, "The Apple," and the TV series, "Grange Hill." She also starred as one of the Hill's Angels on "The Benny Hill Show" in the Early 80s. Her current whereabouts are unknown.

## Episode(s)

* Butch Cafferty and the Fundance Kid
* Name That Tune
* Big Poppa - uncredited
* Talking Point - uncredited
Speedy Zapper

## Bio

**Speedy Zapper** is an English producer, director and writer turned quick change artist. Interviewed on Uplift with Humphrey Bumphrey, he confesses he became a quick change artist as a protest to his family who lives in two speeds, "dead slow" and "stop." He says his father moves like a nudist climbing over a barbwire fence, and his sister claims she's "not that kind of a girl, but by time she got done talking, she was." His brother swings his leg around while sitting to point to things and has money due him dropped in his pockets by others.

Zapper's quick changes are so fast they cannot be registered by the naked eye. He demonstrates his ability by changing his attire into Victoria-era clothing. When asked if he can also change character, he gets up to demonstrate. Near his wardrobe, he becomes W.C. Fields and delivers lines to himself as Mae West. He then becomes a Vaudeville performer in a checkered suit, Bob Todd, his most requested impression and then his most difficult impression, Jenny Lee Wright in a tight bustier and dark tights before becoming himself and departing.

## Trivia

* Zapper and his interviewer were both played by Benny Hill.
* When Benny rises from his chair, he slips into his normal voice instead of the voice he used as Zapper. This may have happened because of a time lag between taping both parts, but he corrects it at the end.
* The W.C. Fields/Mae West dialogue was recreated by Benny Hill and Cheryl Gilham on February 7, 1974.
* Benny also played a quick-change artist named Zipper Martin on February 23, 1977.
* Zapper's impersonation as Bob Todd is a parody of an ad campaign Todd did for Knorr beef cubes in the early 1970's ("It's beef!" was the main slogan).

## Gallery

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Snuffo

**Snuffo** is a character played by Benny Hill in the closing tag of Murder on the Oregon Express (Episode 27, March 24, 1976). An accident-prone "silly old duffer", Snuffo sneezes his way through one catastrophe after another, first blowing away a civil servant's (Henry McGee) newspaper before disrobing a nearly pedestrian. A chase immediately ensues, with Snuffo blowing away a tent (revealing two young campers in their underwear), felling a tree (provoking lumberjack Bob Todd to take after him with an axe) and demolishing a smoke stack before finally setting off a nuclear blast in the middle of London.

## Gallery

* Blessu002.jpg
* Blessu003.jpg
* Blessu005.jpg
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The Laddyboys: Tex Cymbal

## Production

**Episode:** 27

**Date:** January 6, 1966

**Time:** 45 minutes

**Musical Director:** Burt Rhodes

**Producer:** Kenneth Carter

**Director:**

**Writer:** Benny Hill

## Episode

* The Laddyboys: Tex Cymbal
* Guest: Patsy Ann Noble (as Trisha Noble)

## Cast

* Benny Hill
* Patricia Hayes
* Jeremy Hawk
* Joe Gibbons
* Pamela Charles
* Miranda Hampton
* Felix Bowness
* Rene Sartoris
* Shelia Delaney
* Bella Emberg
* Judy Russell

## Trivia

* The Tex Cymbal sketch is remade in the episode Tex Cymbal: Golden Boy; it also appears in the A&E Video The Good, The Bad, The Benny.

## Sequence

* **Last Episode:** December 18, 1965
* **Next Episode:** The Boxing Day Special
Penny Chisholm

**Penny Chisholm** is an English actress and model, known for the 1977 soft porn movie, "Come Play with Me." She and her sister, Leslie Chisholm, who was also a model, both appeared in Mayfair magazine but were never photographed together, which led to the belief that they were the same girl.

Chisholm also had a brief acting career. She appeared in the Digger Blue: Private Eye sketch on "The Benny Hill Show" on May 30, 1978 and in "The Innes Book of Records."

## Gallery

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Richard Mottau

**Richard Mottau** was an English child actor whose career spanned much of the 1970s, including appearances in "ITV Playhouse," "Get Some In!" and "Rooms."

Not much is known about his life and career. Born sometime around 1956, he appeared in the last episode of "The Benny Hill Show" on the BBC, later appearing as the younger version of Maurice Dribble in the December 25, 1969 episode on the Thames TV. His later roles included appearances in "Please Sir!," "Pardon My Genie," "Rooms" and "Get Some In!" He was also in the film "Last Summer." His last known role was an episode of "The Sweeney." His recent whereabouts are revealed, but it is possible he is now working outside the TV and film industry.

## Episode(s)

* December 26, 1968 (BBC)
* Is This Your Life? (Thames TV)
Penny Rigden

**Penny Rigden** was an English actress and dancer possibly best known for her appearances on "The Good Old Days" and "The Benny Hill Show."

Rigden was born at the Cockpit Restaurant on Eton High Street in 1945, the daughter of Christopher Rigden, who owned the location. She was educated at the Brigidine Convent in Windsor. Interested in dance, she started appearing in pantomime from the age of 11 at the Theatre Royal. Her father also arranged for her to make appearances at the Steam Fairs in Dorney. She later appeared at the Victoria Palace and eventually started working in television with the Black and White Minstrels, the Good Old Days music hall show and at the Variety Theatre in Leeds. She also appeared on "Doctor Who" and the March 23, 1977 episode of "The Benny Hill Show," playing an infatuation of Benny Hill in a dance club and a teacher in a flashback.

Through the Eighties, Rigden toured with Danny La Rue and took uncredited roles in TV shows such as "Doctor Who," "The Bill," "Keeping Up Appearances" and "One Foot in the Grave." While living in Dorney, she also taught dance at the Eton End School in Datchet. In 2006, she began struggling with cancer, passing away at the age of 63 on August 20, 2008.

## Gallery

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Stephen Kane

**Stephen Kane** is a British actor, writer, director and producer. Not much of his life is known; his acting career includes appearances on 'Softly Softly: Task Force" and "The Benny Hill Show." Between 1989 and 2010, he wrote, directed and produced the films "A Cowboy on Jupiter," "Scarecrow," "The Crooked Mile," "Starfish" and "The Incredible Shrinking Office."
The Messenger

## Bio

The **Messenger** is an unnamed 17th Century servant to an unnamed lord in 1640 Sussex (Bob Todd). With a Roundhead advance looking over his castle, the dire lord sends his messenger to Edinburgh Castle over 400 miles away, and his faithful servant rushes off to oblige despite the Royalist armies in the countryside. On his way, he befriends a blonde maiden (Jenny Lee Wright), who he entices to lend him her clothes. The disguise works, but they take a fancy to him and chase him through the woods. One of them propositions him near a tree and gets punched out.

At one point running faster than a horse, the Messenger soon comes upon more Roundhead soldiers, pretending to flirt with them and knocking them out one by one, but the last one remains resistant until he sheds down to his regular male attire. Now attracting the last guard (Bob Todd), he knocks him out with a club.

At the 207 meter mark, the Messenger is confronted by two more Roundheads, knocking one of them out and stealing his clothes. He also steals a horse, but he soon gets knocked from it by the low branches of a tree and loses it. He eventually comes across an old lady (Connie Georges) who carries him the rest of the way to Edinburgh. Running into the castle, he finds King Charles I (Nicholas Parsons) partying at a table with several ladies. Taking the Messenger's letter, he uses it to light a cigar. When he realizes he hasn't read it, he sends the Messenger back to Sussex to repeat the message. Returning back home, the exhausted Messenger instead tosses off the message and runs off with another maiden (Sue Bond).

## Trivia

* The castle images in the skit are Sissinghurst Castle in Kent and Edinburgh Castle in Scotland.
* The Roundheads or Parlimentarians were supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War, who fought against the reign of Charles I of England, and the Cavaliers or Royalists, who claimed rule by absolute monarchy and the divine right of kings. The goal of the Roundhead party was to give the Parliament supreme control over executive administration.
* The two men at the lord's table are possibly Henry McGee and Nicholas Parsons. Parsons also possibly plays the leader of the first Roundhead troop the character encounters.
* Benny follows up on the sketch by stepping out after The Grass is Greener sketch and showing off the old lady skirt used to pull off the "carried by old lady" illusion
* This is possibly considered one of the most remembered sketches in the series.

## Gallery

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Stella Moray

**Stella Moray** is an English character actress who appeared on stage, film and television in dramas, comedies and soap operas. Her film work includes the motion pictures, "The Lovers," "Arthur's Dyke," "Alexander The Greatest" and "All In Good Time."

She was born Stella Ellen Morris on July 29, 1923 in Ladywood near Birmingham, Warwickshire where she was raised and attended high school. She had early ambitions to be an actress, but joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women's branch of the British Army during the Second World War. A part of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC), the ATS was a women's voluntary service, which existed until February 1, 1949, when it was merged into the Women's Royal Army Corps. While stationed at Donnington in Shropshire, she appeared in camp concerts as a featured singer in an Ordnance Corps dance band, where she was spotted by the producer George Black and took her on tours in the Middle and Far East.

In March 1949, she made her first appearance in the musical "Belinda Fair" at the Saville Theatre. She went on to appear in Frank Loesser's "The Most Happy Fella" at the Coliseum, and in 1962, she moved to the Savoy Theatre to appear in "Sail Away" by Noël Coward. However, by 1966, her career began to falter. While she was starring in a production of "Funny Girl" with Barbra Streisand, the play closed abruptly at the Prince of Wales Theatre three months into what should have been a lengthy run. In 1974, she returned to the West End in 1974 to star in Julian More's musical, "Bordello," at the Queen's Theatre.

Mostly working as an understudy or stand-in in the theater community, Moray proved to be a excellent actress when given a chance. She excelled in the Early 80s as Miss Hannigan in the musical "Annie" at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London, a role offered from her friend, actress Sheila Hancock. She appeared often on television with roles on "Coronation Street," "Crossroads," "The Bill," "Midsomer Murders" and "George and Mildred." She appeared in two episodes of "The Benny Hill Show," playing the mother in the "Long Dry Summer" sketch and a member of the "Versatile Bentwoods" in the "Newer Faces" parody on June 8, 1975. On September 24, 1975, she played The Stamp Collector and one-third of the "Arsenic and Old Lace" vocal group put together by Fred Scuttle. She also appeared as Richard Beckinsale's mother in the 1973 film version of "The Lovers."

Moray continued doing stage, television and movie roles for several years. Her final television appearance was in April 2005 for an episode of the BBC crime drama "Judge John Deed." She passed away in London at the age of 83 on August 6, 2006 from undisclosed causes.

## Episode(s)

* Tex Cymbal: Golden Boy
* Gavin Blod: The Man and His Music

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The Old Fiddler

## Bio

**The Old Fiddler** was a ballad performed by Benny Hill and accompanied by Harold Gee on the fiddle. It was featured as one of the sketches on the Tommy Tupper in Tupper-Time episode.

## Lyrics

'Twas market day in the village, and the crowds 'round the stalls was quite dense,

But what caught my eye was a stall piled high with the musical instruments.

And up to the stall was a little old man, his clothes was all tattered and thin,

But his face come alight when his eyeballs caught sight of a beautiful old violin.

He held it up to the dealer saying, "How much is this one then?"

He replied, "That's a Stradivarius, my man, that'll cost you four pound ten."

"I can't afford that," sighed the little old man and a lump come into my throat,

I was feeling quite chuffed, and so I stuffed in his hand a ten-shilling note.

A crowd had gathered behind us so I quickly went 'round with his hat.

When I finished I found I'd collected five pounds, so I took my ten shilling back.

Well, we gave the dealer the money, and the old man so shabbily dressed,

Picked up the violin, stuck it under his chin and he played like a man possessed.

(*violin plays*)

He played Contortions and Fugue, and (?) too,

By composers like Johann Sebastian Bach to mention only a few.

He played waltzes by Strauss and Die Fledermaus, and Tales From the Vienna Wood,

Then Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto, but he didn't play that quite so good.

"Well done!" cried the crowd when he finished and they gently patted his head,

But the excitement was too much for the little old man who unfortunately fell down dead.

Well we give the dealer his fiddle and we took back our four pound ten,

Then we picked up the old man and we laid him to rest in the cemetery down by the glen.

But sometimes at night when the moon do shine bright, if I should happen to stray,

Up over the hill, it seems that still I can hear the old man play.

(*violin plays gain*)

Yes, the words of that popular song rings true for though the old man is gone,

Yes, although the song is ended, the malady lingers on...
The Grass is Greener

## Bio

**The Grass Is Greener** is a TV talk show hosted by actress Andree Melly for interviewing up and coming new British stars, such as Merwyn Cruddy, a twenty-five year old chorus boy. In the interview, he reveals he started his career at 17 during a Knobbly Knees Contest on Barmouth, England. Disclosing that some of the contestants wore falsies (flesh-colored plastic kneecaps) often exposed by the judges, he joined the men's Liberation Movement afterward. His his career, he went on to have leads in theaters through Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham and was part of a Rat Pack with actors Edith Evans, Kathryn Harris and Robert Morley, often drinking at the Queen's Arms Tavern. He recalls a female producer that took him to meet beatniks and into a coven, thinking he was a virgin, and replacing him with one from Chelsea. He also describes his encounter with a "Lebanese" masochist before mentioning he was offered a part in "Old Calcutta."

## Trivia

* Like Andree Melly, actress Eira Heath is a another guest star who starred as a host in a talk show format, namely After Dinner with Charlotte Fudge.
* Andree Melly also played the hostess of The Movie-Shakers.

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The Director

## Bio

The **Director** is an unnamed TV director who directs television commercials. Several of his commercials end up with bloopers or production problems which frustrate him. In one commercial, the legs of the two actors (Eddie Buchanan and Lorraine Doyle) don't match the actors while in a separate commercial, the French actress (Anne Bruzac) describing the bristles on her brush sounds as if she's talking about something else. he also turns up with a mustache in a commercial about pain-killers with two actors (Nicole Shelby and Michael Sharvell Martin).

## Episode(s)

* A Packed Program
* The Sound of Frankenstein
The Magician

## Production

**Episode:** 2

**Date:** February 4, 1971

**Producer:** Peter Whitmore

**Director:**

**Writer:** Dave Allen, Austin Steele and Peter Vincent

## Cast

* Dave Allen
* Ronnie Brody
* Jacqueline Clarke
* Ian Burford
* Michael Sharvell-Martin
* Chris Serle

## Sequence

* **Last Episode:** TV Looks Back
* **Next Episode:** The BBC, Leprechauns and Soldiers
Rosemary Da Costa

**Rosemary da Costa** is a former Nigerian actress and model who had a short television career in the Seventies. Born in or near Lagos, she first appeared as the first Miss Lux, later getting a role as an uncredited Ampolan native girl in an episode of "The Benny Hill Show" and later landed roles in "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em," "Between The Wars" and "Casualty" in 1986. In the Late 80s, she returned to Nigeria to star as Jagua Nana in the Nigerian Television Authority's "Jagua Nana's Daughter" with her husband Albert "Mr. B" Egbe. In England, she appeared as a Nigerian woman in the 1994 short, "Home Away from Home." In 1998, she had a brief role in the TV series "Brothers and Sisters."
Rikki Howard

**Rikki Howard** is an English actress who starred mostly on British television through the Seventies and the Eighties. Not much is known about her life or career, but her appearances include the TV shows "The Benny Hill Show," "Space: 1999," "The Two Ronnies," "'Allo, Allo!" and "Hi-De-Hi!" on which she played Betty Whistler from 1980 to 1984. After her acting career, she married French businessman, Olivier Jacout, and became a trained counselor and "journey therapist," helping people recover from traumatic experiences.
The Bill Poster

## Bio

The **Bill Poster** is a British poster hanger in either Lower Tidmarsh or Little Dimpton. His real name isn't revealed, but he captures the attention of ladies offended by the partial message of a four-part ad ("do you fancy a feel") meant to lead customers to a butcher named Harold Crow. To make his job even harder, the third section of the signage when read separately from the rest turns out to read like an insult (calling one of the ladies "an old crow"). As he's wrapping up, he sticks his long-handled brush under his arm, the tip striking a gentleman (Henry McGee) in the back, who throws up his hands thinking he's being held up. When two police ladies appear, one of them gets jabbed by the tip as well and turns around swatting an innocent by-stander (Eddie Buchanan), who she thinks touched her.

At another job, the Bill Poster installs a medical shingle for therapist E.Y. Toad (Jackie Wright). As the doctor comes out to inspect the work, he notices that "therapist" has been misspelled. The earlier by-stander arrives with two female officers (Libby Roberts and Teresa Lucas) and fixes his sign, later getting sprayed by the Bill Poster's soft drink from a can erupting all over him. The Bill Poster gets backed up to the sign for the butcher and steps on to a board supporting a bucket of plaster, causing it to fly up and land on the man's head. With the situation getting worse, the Bill Poster runs off getting chased by everyone on the street who he has annoyed into a nearby house and out of it.

## Trivia

* The Bill Poster is played by Benny Hill.
* Libby Roberts and Jane Eve possibly play the ladies. Teresa Lucas and Claire Lutter play the police ladies.
* "The rapist" is repeated again in The Loser on January 7, 1981. Jackie also plays the doctor in the recreation.
* The sketch looks like it might have been filmed inside of the wall of the old hospital where Benny and the cast rehearsed and filmed the sketches, but the exterior location might be the Foxhills Mansion featured in several later sketches.
* This tag is possibly a remake of [[The Bill Stickers|a similar sketch}} from October 14, 1970.

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Pets

## Bio

**Pets** is a poetry-style monologue told by Pam Ayres (Benny Hill) on January 26, 1977.

The recitation is actually a take on a real person. Pamela Ayres MBE was a British poet, comedian, songwriter and presenter of radio and television shows as shows as well as a one-woman touring stage show and performing before The Queen. She also appeared in the Late 70s sketch-comedy show, "What's On Next," which also featured once-and/or-future TBHS players, such as Bob Todd, Cheryl Gilham, Anna Dawson and Anne Bruzac.
Nicole Shelby

**Nicole Shelby** is an American-English actress known for "Eddie in August," "The Best of Benny Hill" and "Terror in the Wax Museum."

Not much is known about Shelby's career. She was born in 1945 in New Orleans, Louisiana, moving to England as an adult where she started work as an actress. Her earliest appearance on television was in the TV series, "Secret Agent," in 1966. She also had appearances in "Mr. Aitch," "Armchair Theatre," "The Saint" and "The Avengers." She had starring roles in the movies "Mister Ten Per Cent" and "Terror in the Wax Museum" with Ray Milland, John Carradine and Elsa Lanchester in 1973. After starring in "Eddie In August" with Benny Hill, she was invited to star in a few episodes of "The Benny Hill Show." The feature also starred Benny co-stars George Roderick and Michael Sharvell-Martin.

Among her appearances on the show are the "Rogue Nudist" sketch and as the girl in Benny Hill's "My Garden of Love" opening number on March 11, 1970. She was also the on-screen opening announcer on the February 4, 1970, but she didn't return to the show until December 5, 1973. The series seems to be the last known credit for her until The Best of Benny Hill was released with chosen clips from the series.

## Episode(s)

* Tommy Tupper in Tupper-Time
* The Sound of Frankenstein
* Spot Black

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Passion Flower Hotel

## Bio

The **Passion Flower Hotel** is a hotel landmark in England, possibly in Little Dimpton. Its staff is mostly women suggesting it caters to out-of-town businessmen.

One of the locals (Benny Hill) often fantasizes about being a guest at the hotel and being doted on by the staff, but his sleep is often being interefered upon by his shrewish wife (Bob Todd). He first dreams of being a guest while confusing vodka and gin for water and ingulging in peanuts and cigarettes, but he pretends to pass out and gets kisses in the form of mouth-to-mouth from one of the girls (Vanessa Biddulph), waking up to a rubber water bottle in his face. Forcing himself back to sleep, he returns to the hotel and is raced up the four flights of stairs by one of the girls (Lorraine Doyle), but her feather boa annoys him and he wakes up again with a feather in his face. Returning one more time, he returns to the hotel to extreme adulation, but the ringing of the dinner bell in close proximity becomes the alarm clock when he wakes up again.

Waking up the next morning, the beleagered husband rises from bed getting swatted by his wife. He goes through his bathroom routine, his wife appearing in the mirror as he departs. On his way, he tries tipping his hat to two ladies (Louise English and Sue Upton) in the street. While on his way, he passes the Passion Flower which seems to be real, and he knocks at the front entrance. The owner (Jenny Lee Wright) answers the door and tells him he can't come in because the hotel is haunted.... apparently by him.

## Trivia

* This was the final sketch for Jenny Lee Wright in the series.
* In the sketch, the Hill's Angels wardrobe changes between interior to exterior and from first segment to second segment. This as well as a lack of opportunity to see their faces clearly makes it a challenge to identify their identities, but the IMDB suggests the Angels are Vanessa Biddulph (dark sequin dress), Samantha Spencer-Lane (no shoulder blue dress), Alison Thomas (spaghetti strap blue dress), Lisa Jackman (blue dress), Lorraine Doyle (black dress), Katie Randall (strapless blue dress), Sue Upton (light blue camisole) and Emma Bryant (black and white print). Jenny Lee Wright joins them in the second exterior entrance and the ending.
* The sketch bounces between videotape (studio) and film (exteriors).
* The mansion interiors were possibly filmed at the same mansion as The Gold Digger sketch (or the Clermont Fan School seen in The Herd), but it would be difficult to confirm this.
* Benny plays a spirit in this sketch. Other "paranormal-themed" sketches include The Sound of Frankenstein and Wonder Gran meets Dracula.

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Pat

## Bio

**Pat** is a waitress in an unidentified restaurant somewhere in England, possibly in London or Teddington. Her full name isn't revealed.

One day a bicyclist (Benny Hill) rides into town following a series of directions on signs. He has to STOP at a crossing, GO along a lane and on arrival at the restaurant, he has to PUSH and PULL various doors to enter Pat's restaurant. At the table, he has to RING for Pat to take his order. When he reads PAT on Pat's chest, it's implied that he followed her name tag as well. She chases him outside swinging a wooden hammer to attack him, losing him just as an old man (Jackie Wright) chases AFTER her.

## Trivia

* Actress and comedienne Sue Bond plays Pat.
* Benny did a similar gag on Stephanie Marrian; in the Grand Wheelchair Rally on December 26, 1978, she plays a reporter with a pin reading PRESS on her sweater.
* The exterior location is unrevealed, but it may be the parking lot at Teddington Studios.
* If one looks closely, Sue Bond is laughing hysterically as she chases Benny. She also has to slow down so Jackie can keep up with her.

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Pete Morgan

**Pete Morgan** is an English actor and musician whose work has appeared on "The Benny Hill Show" TV series and the mini-series "Gone to the Dogs."

Morgan started out as a member of the Morgan James Duo as a vocalist with musician Colin James. They released the songs "Sweet Pussycat" and "Put Your Tears Away" from Phillips Records between 1963 and 1968, eventually appearing on "The Rolf Harris Show," "Juke Box Jury" and "Thank Your Lucky Stars" before starting a tour through South Africa and the United States.

After they split up in 1969, Morgan started working as a musician and worked on television between making singles and albums. He eventually joined the Dudley Moore Trio and was a member of the Roy Budd Trio. He also appeared in an episode of "The Benny Hill Show" as Anne Bruzac's boyfriend in the "A Feast at the Beach" sketch and in the opening moments of the "Girls, Girls, Girls" sketch as well as one of the musicians in the Milk Marketing Board Band playing "At The Streaker's Ball."

Not much more is known about him.
Terry Dane

Not much is known about **Terry Dane**. He appears as the fourth dancer in "The Flash" with Benny Hill, Bob Todd and Henry McGee on the February 23, 1977 episode of "The Benny Hill Show." He was also one of the ballroom dancers along with former Hill's Angel Elfrida Ashworth in the 1986 movie, "Labyrinth."
Ronnie Brody

Born November 6, 1918 in Bristol, England, **Ronnie Brody** was an English comedy actor, best known for appearing in the BBC comedy sketch series, Dave Allen At Large with Dave Allen, Michael Sharvell Martin and Jacqueline Clarke. Not much is known about his life and career. His television appearances include appearances on "The Benny Hill Show," "Hancock's Half Hour," "Rising Damp," "Dad's Army," "The Sweeney," "The Goodies," "Are You Being Served?," "Hi-de-Hi!" and "Carry on Laughing," along with film appearances in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Carry On Loving," "Don't Lose Your Head," "Finders Keepers," "Superman III" with Bob Todd and The Beatles film, "Help!" He passed away May 8, 1991.

## Episode(s)

* Portrait of a Bridegroom (BBC)
* The Mystery of Black Bog Manor (BBC)
* The Shooting of Willie the Kid (BBC)
* Mr. Jolly (BBC)
* News At Ten (Thames)

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