George Murphy
American actor and politician (1902-1992)
Benny Hill was a beloved British comedian, actor, and scriptwriter who rose to fame through his long-running TV show, The Benny Hill Show. Known for its slapstick humor, burlesque elements, and double entendres, the show was hugely popular in the UK and around the world, earning Hill numerous awards and accolades.
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About the Benny Hill
Alfred Hawthorne “Benny” Hillwas an English comedian, actor, and scriptwriter. He is remembered for his television programme, The Benny Hill Show, an amalgam of slapstick, burlesque and double entendre in a format that included live comedy and filmed segments, with Hill at the focus of almost every segment.
Hill was a prominent figure in British television for several decades. His show was among the most-watched programmes in the UK, and his audience was more than 21 million in 1971. The Benny Hill Show was also exported to many countries around the world. He received a BAFTA Television Award for Best Writer and a Rose d’Or, and was nominated for the BAFTA for Best Entertainment Performance and for two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Variety. In 2006, Hill was voted by the British public number 17 in ITV’s poll of TV’s 50 Greatest Stars.
Outside television, Hill starred in films including the Ealing comedy Who Done It?and The Italian Job (1969). His comedy song, “Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)”, was 1971’s number one Christmas song on the UK Singles Chart, and earned Hill an Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 1972.
Frequently Asked Questions
Benny Hill was an English comedian, actor, and scriptwriter who was known for his television programme, The Benny Hill Show, which featured slapstick, burlesque, and double entendre.
The Benny Hill Show was a popular television programme hosted by Benny Hill that combined live comedy and filmed segments, with Hill at the center of almost every segment.
The Benny Hill Show was among the most-watched programmes in the UK, with an audience of more than 21 million in 1971. The show was also exported to many countries around the world.
Benny Hill received a BAFTA Television Award for Best Writer, a Rose d’Or, and was nominated for the BAFTA for Best Entertainment Performance and for two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Variety. In 2006, he was voted by the British public as number 17 in ITV’s poll of TV’s 50 Greatest Stars.
Outside of his television work, Benny Hill starred in several films, including the Ealing comedy ‘Who Done It?’ (1956), ‘Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines’ (1965), ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ (1968), and ‘The Italian Job’ (1969). He also had a hit Christmas song, ‘Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)’, which topped the UK Singles Chart in 1971.
8 Quotes by Benny Hill
- 1.
Do unto others, then run.
Benny HillBritish comedian and actor (1924-1992)
- 2.
That’s what show business is, sincere insincerity.
Benny HillBritish comedian and actor (1924-1992)
- 3.
I’m not against half naked girls – not as often as I’d like to be.
Benny HillBritish comedian and actor (1924-1992)
- 4.
Those hot pants of hers were so damned tight, I could hardly breathe.
Benny HillBritish comedian and actor (1924-1992)
- 5.
I thought I couldn’t afford to take her out and smoke as well. So I gave up cigarettes. Then I took her out and one day I looked at her and thought: “Oh well,” and I went back to smoking again, and that was better.
Benny HillBritish comedian and actor (1924-1992)
- 6.
Just because nobody complains doesn’t mean all parachutes are perfect.
Benny HillBritish comedian and actor (1924-1992)
- 7.
Girls are like pianos. When they’re not upright, they’re grand.
Benny HillBritish comedian and actor (1924-1992)
- 8.
The odds against there being a bomb on a plane are a million to one, and against two bombs a million times a million to one. Next time you fly, cut the odds and take a bomb.
Benny HillBritish comedian and actor (1924-1992)