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Kenneth Williams

Born

in Islington, London, The United Kingdom

February 22, 1926

Died

April 15, 1988

Genre

Biographies & Memoirs, Humor, Narrator

Influences

George Bernard Shaw ...more

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Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Kenneth Williams was an English comic actor and comedian, star of 26 Carry On films, numerous British television shows, and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne.

His professional career began in 1948 in repertory theatre. Failure to become a serious dramatic actor disappointed him, but his potential as a comic performer gave him his break when he was spotted playing the Dauphin in George Bernard Shaw's St Joan in 1954 by radio producer Dennis Main Wilson. Main Wilson was casting Hancock's Half Hour, a radio series starring Tony Hancock. Playing mostly funny voice roles, Williams stayed in the series almost to the end, five years later. His nas Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Kenneth Williams was an English comic actor and comedian, star of 26 Carry On films, numerous British television shows, and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne.

His professional career began in 1948 in repertory theatre. Failure to become a serious dramatic actor disappointed him, but his potential as a comic performer gave him his break when he was spotted playing the Dauphin in George Bernard Shaw's St Joan in 1954 by radio producer Dennis Main Wilson. Main Wilson was casting Hancock's Half Hour, a radio series starring Tony Hancock. Playing mostly funny voice roles, Williams stayed in the series almost to the end, five years later. His nasal, whiny, camp-cockney inflections (epitomised in his "Stop messing about...!" catchphrase) became popular with listeners.

He joined Kenneth Horne in Beyond Our Ken (1958–1964), and its sequel, Round the Horne (1965–1968). His roles in Round the Horne included Rambling Syd Rumpo, the eccentric folk singer; Dr Chou En Ginsberg, MA (failed), Oriental criminal mastermind; J. Peasemold Gruntfuttock, telephone heavy breather and dirty old man; and Sandy of the camp couple Julian and Sandy (Julian was played by Hugh Paddick). Their double act was notable for double entendres and Polari, the homosexual slang.

Williams worked regularly in British film during the 1960s and 1970s, mainly in the Carry On series (1958–1978) with its British double entendre-laced humour. He appeared in the series more than any other actor. He often criticised Carry On films, his own performances and those of others, considering them beneath him. Despite this, he spoke fondly of the Carry On films in interviews. Peter Rogers, producer of the series, recollected, "Kenneth was worth taking care of because, while he cost very little – £5,000 a film, he made a great deal of money for the franchise."

Williams was a regular on the BBC radio panel game Just a Minute from its second season in 1968 until his death. On television he was a frequent contributor to the 1973-1974 revival of What's My Line?, hosted the weekly entertainment show International Cabaret and was a reader for the children's story-reading series Jackanory on BBC1. He appeared on Michael Parkinson's chat show on eight occasions, during which he told anecdotes from his career. Williams was a stand-in host on the Wogan talk show in 1986. ...more

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Kenneth Williams’s books

Average rating: 4.11 · 1,415 ratings · 128 reviews · 59 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, Kenneth Williams 4.02 avg rating — 246,920 ratings — published 1908 — 45 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Kenneth Williams Diaries by Kenneth Williams, Russell Davies (Editor) 4.22 avg rating — 898 ratings — published 1993 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Just Williams : An Autobiography 3.95 avg rating — 168 ratings — published 1985 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Kenneth Williams Letters by Kenneth Williams, Russell Davies (Editor) 4.19 avg rating — 129 ratings — published 1994 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Kenneth Williams' Acid Drops 3.69 avg rating — 143 ratings — published 1980 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Back Drops: Pages from a Private Diary 3.35 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 1983 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Private World of Kenneth Williams Bbc Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation 4.31 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 2004 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Audience with Kenneth Williams 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2007	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Kenneth Williams Letters by Russell Davies (Editor), Kenneth Williams (Original Author) â€º Visit Amazon's Kenneth Williams Page search results for this author Kenneth Williams (Original Author) (1-Jul-2008) Paperback liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Remembering...Kenneth Williams: An Audio Portrait from the BBC Archives 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2010	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Kenneth Williams (?)

“(Sunday, 20 March 1988)
Oh! to be out of it for ever! To cease upon the midnight with no pain. Why do I linger? Not from love of life, I've always found it awful... no, it's rather from a sense of curiosity... not wanting to miss the third act.”
― Kenneth Williams, The Kenneth Williams Diaries

4 likes

“(Tuesday, 21 April 1964)
They needn't talk to me about loneliness. I've walked too many miles of pavement. I've scanned so many faces - I've looked with so much furtive hope, but it's never right. Only in my imagination. There, I have marvellous conversations with someone attractive, slow, charmingly phlegmatic & naturally reticent, and with me, he becomes articulate. But in fact, I take a sleeping pill & tell myself to shut up.”
― Kenneth Williams, The Kenneth Williams Diaries

3 likes

“(Tuesday, 22 January 1985)
Providing there is no pain I shall be happy to go when the time comes; nothing here has really delighted me except Art, the life-experience itself has no fascination for me and the very sight of active humanity invariably fills me with nausea.”
― Kenneth Williams, The Kenneth Williams Diaries

3 likes

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