William John Owen Rowbotham, (14 March 1914 – 12 July 1999) was an English actor and songwriter. He was the father of actor Tom Owen. He is best known for portraying Compo Simmonite in the

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

-based BBC comedy series ''

Last of the Summer Wine ''Last of the Summer Wine'' is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke and originally broadcast by the BBC from 1973 to 2010. It premiered as an episode of '' Comedy Playhouse'' on 4 January 1973, and the first series of episodes f ...

'' for over a quarter of a century. He died on 12 July 1999, his last appearance on-screen being shown in April 2000.

Early life and career

Born at

Acton Green, London Acton Green is a residential neighbourhood in Chiswick and the London Borough of Ealing, in West London, England. It is named for the nearby Acton Green common. It was once home to many small laundries and was accordingly known as "Soapsuds Isla ...

to a working-class family (his father a staunchly left-wing tram-driver), Owen made his first film appearance in 1945, but did not achieve lasting fame until 1973, when he took the co-starring role of William "Compo" Simmonite in the long-running British sitcom ''

''. Compo is a scruffy working-class pensioner, often exploited by the bossy characters played by Michael Bates, Brian Wilde,

Michael Aldridge Michael William ffolliott Aldridge (9 September 1920 – 10 January 1994) was an English actor. He was known for playing Seymour Utterthwaite in the television series ''Last of the Summer Wine'' from 1986 to 1990 and he had a long career as a ...

and Frank Thornton for dirty jobs, stunts and escapades, while their indomitably docile friend

Norman Clegg Norman Clegg, often nicknamed Cleggy, is a fictional character from the world's longest-running sitcom, ''Last of the Summer Wine''. Fictional character biography Early life Norman Clegg was the only child of a builder and decorator, David Cleg ...

, played by

Peter Sallis Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

, follows and watches with a smirk. He wore a woollen hat and spent much of his time lusting after dowdy housewife Nora Batty. The series, starting in 1973 and finishing in 2010, is today the world's longest-running comedy series. Owen became an icon, a darling of its audience and central to its success and episodes for 26 years, right until his death. The threesome of Compo, Clegg and Foggy (this third character was initially Blamire, played by Michael Bates, and when Brian Wilde's Foggy took a hiatus, replaced by Michael Aldridge's, Seymour Utterthwaite) remains the most popular group of three the show ever produced. Foggy was replaced in 1997 by Frank Thornton's character Herbert 'Truly' Truelove, who remained in the show until its final episode in 2010. Owen served in the

Royal Army Ordnance Corps The Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) was a corps of the British Army. At its renaming as a Royal Corps in 1918 it was both a supply and repair corps. In the supply area it had responsibility for weapons, armoured vehicles and other military equip ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, where he was injured in an explosion during a battle training course. His first screen role was in the 1941 short ''Tank Patrol'', produced by the Ministry of Information. During the 1960s, Owen had a successful second career as a songwriter, with compositions including the hit "

Marianne Marianne () has been the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as a personification of liberty, equality, fraternity and reason, as well as a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty. Marianne is displayed in ...

", recorded by

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million ...

. At this time he also collaborated with songwriter Tony Russell on the musical '' The Matchgirls'' about the London matchgirls strike of 1888. He co-starred as

Spike Milligan Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Colonial India, where he spent his ...

's straight man in the West End hit ''Son of Oblomov'' in 1964. Owen also recorded a

novelty song A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and wit ...

with Kathy Staff in 1983 called "Nora Batty's Stockings". Owen was a regular in the early '' Carry On'' films - ''

Sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other ...

'' (1958), ''

Nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

'' (1959), '' Regardless'' (1961) and '' Cabby'' (1963) and also featured in several

Lindsay Anderson Lindsay Gordon Anderson (17 April 1923 – 30 August 1994) was a British feature-film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading-light of the Free Cinema movement and of the British New Wave. He is most widely remembered for ...

films including ''

O Lucky Man! ''O Lucky Man!'' is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film directed by Lindsay Anderson, and starring Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Ander ...

'' (1973) and ''

In Celebration ''In Celebration'' is a 1975 British drama film directed by Lindsay Anderson. It is based in the 1969 stage production of the same name by David Storey which was also directed by Anderson. The movie was produced and released as part of the Amer ...

'' (1974). On TV had had regular roles playing Fred Cuddell in 13 episodes of ''Taxi!'' (1963); Sergeant Sam Short in 13 episodes of ''Copper's End'' (1971), George Edwards in 4 episodes of

Emergency-Ward 10 ''Emergency Ward 10'' is a British medical soap opera series shown on ITV between 1957 and 1967. Like ''The Grove Family'', a series shown by the BBC between 1954 and 1957, ''Emergency Ward 10'' is considered to be one of British television's f ...

and George Chambers in 4 episodes of

Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? ''Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?'' is a British sitcom which was broadcast on BBC1 between 9 January 1973 and 9 April 1974. It was the colour sequel to the mid-1960s hit '' The Likely Lads''. It was created and written, as was its prede ...

. He also had a cameo appearance in ''

Brideshead Revisited ''Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder'' is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. It follows, from the 1920s to the early 1940s, the life and romances of the protagonist Charles ...

'' as Lunt, Charles Ryder's

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, secti ...

during his days at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

Personal life

Owen was a staunch socialist and supporter of the Labour Party.

described Owen as being "slightly to the left of

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1 ...

" and claimed that Owen's left-wing views contrasted so much with the right-wing opinions of Michael Bates that ''Last of the Summer Wine'' was almost not made because of their arguments. Owen was a founding member of the

Keep Sunday Special Keep Sunday Special is a British campaign group set up in 1985 by Dr. Michael Schluter CBE to oppose plans to introduce Sunday trading in England and Wales (there are different arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland). The Keep Sunday Sp ...

campaign group, and president of Arts for Labour, a campaign group of performers linked to the Labour Party. He was awarded the MBE in 1977. He was the subject of ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

'' in 1980 when he was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson comm ...

Illness and death

While filming the ''Last of the Summer Wine'' French special for the millennium of 2000, Owen fell ill but insisted on continuing despite being in pain; when he got back to England, he was confirmed as having pancreatic and bowel cancer. He continued working right up to his death from pancreatic cancer in

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...

, London, on 12 July 1999. Owen is buried in the churchyard of St John's Parish Church,

Upperthong Upperthong is a village approximately above sea level, near the town of Holmfirth in Holme Valley, approximately south of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. History The name Upperthong may derive from Old English 'uferra' (upper) + ' thw ...

, near his beloved town of

Holmfirth Holmfirth is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England, on the A635 and A6024 in the Holme Valley, at the confluence of the River Holme and Ribble, south of Huddersfield and west of Barnsley. It mostly cons ...

, the home of ''Last of the Summer Wine''. His co-star Peter Sallis was buried next to him after his death aged 96 in June 2017.

Selected television roles

Selected filmography

* ''Breathing Space'' (1943) - Songwriter (Uncredited) * '' The Way to the Stars'' (1945) – 'Nobby' Clarke (as Bill Rowbotham) * '' Perfect Strangers'' (1945) – (uncredited) * '' School for Secrets'' (1946) – Paratroop Sergeant (as Bill Rowbotham) * '' Dancing with Crime'' (1947) – Dave Robinson (as Bill Rowbotham) * ''

Holiday Camp A holiday camp is a type of holiday accommodation that encourages holidaymakers to stay within the site boundary, and provides entertainment and facilities for them throughout the day. Since the 1970s, the term has fallen out of favour with term ...

'' (1947) – Bit Role (uncredited) * '' When the Bough Breaks'' (1947) – Bill Collins * '' Easy Money'' (1948) – Mr. Lee * '' Daybreak'' (1948) – Ron * '' My Brother's Keeper'' (1948) – Syd Evans * ''

The Weaker Sex ''The Weaker Sex'' is a 1948 British drama film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Ursula Jeans, Cecil Parker and Joan Hopkins. It was one of the most popular films at the British box office in 1948. The film's subject was what ''The Ne ...

'' (1948) – Soldier with Chicken * '' Once a Jolly Swagman'' (1949) – Lag Gibbon * '' Trottie True'' (1949) – Joe Jugg * '' Diamond City'' (1949) – Pinto * ''

The Girl Who Couldn't Quite ''The Girl Who Couldn't Quite'' is a 1950 British drama film directed by Norman Lee and starring Bill Owen, Elizabeth Henson and Iris Hoey. It is based on a play by Leo Marks, with its title thought up during a conversation he had with Noor I ...

'' (1950) – Tim * '' The Astonished Heart'' (1950) – Mr. Burton (uncredited) * '' Hotel Sahara'' (1951) – Private Binns * ''

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men ''The Story of Robin Hood'' is a 1952 action-adventure film produced by RKO- Walt Disney British Productions, based on the Robin Hood legend, made in Technicolor and filmed in Buckinghamshire, England. It was written by Lawrence Edward Watkin and ...

'' (1952) – Stutely * ''

The Square Ring ''The Square Ring'' is a 1953 British tragi-comic drama, directed by Basil Dearden and made at Ealing Studios. It stars Jack Warner, Robert Beatty and Bill Owen. The film, based on a stage play by Ralph Peterson, centres on one night at a f ...

'' (1953) – Happy Burns * ''

There Was a Young Lady ''There Was a Young Lady'' is a 1953 British comedy film directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray and Sydney Tafler. It was made at Walton Studios and on location in London. The film's sets were designed by the ...

'' (1953) – Joe * ''

A Day to Remember A Day to Remember (often abbreviated ADTR, and previously known as End of an Era) is an American rock band from Ocala, Florida, founded in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs. They are known for their amalgamation of meta ...

'' (1953) – Shorty Sharpe * ''

The Rainbow Jacket ''The Rainbow Jacket'' is a 1954 British drama film directed by Basil Dearden, and featuring Robert Morley, Kay Walsh, Bill Owen, Honor Blackman and Sid James. It was made at Ealing Studios produced by Michael Balcon and Michael Relph and sho ...

'' (1954) – Sam * '' The Ship That Died of Shame'' (1955) – Birdie * '' Not So Dusty'' (1956) – Dusty Grey * '' Davy'' (1958) – Eric * ''

Carve Her Name with Pride ''Carve Her Name with Pride'' is a 1958 British war drama film based on the book of the same name by R. J. Minney. The film, directed by Lewis Gilbert, is based on the true story of Special Operations Executive agent Violette Szabo, GC, who w ...

'' (1958) – N.C.O. Instructor * '' Carry On Sergeant'' (1958) – Corporal Bill Copping * ''

Carry On Nurse ''Carry On Nurse'' is a 1959 British comedy film, the second in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). Of the regular team, it featured Joan Sims (in her ''Carry On'' film debut), Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor and Charles Hawtr ...

'' (1959) – Percy 'Perc' Hickson * '' The Shakedown'' (1960) – David Spettigue * '' The Hellfire Club'' (1961) – Martin * ''

Carry On Regardless ''Carry On Regardless'' is a 1961 British comedy film, the fifth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film revolves loosely around the activities of a job agency, 'Helping Hands', run by Sid James's character, Bert Handy. ...

'' (1961) – Mike Weston * ''

On the Fiddle ''On the Fiddle'' (released as ''Operation Snafu'' and ''Operation War Head'' in the United States) is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Sean Connery, Alfred Lynch, Cecil Parker, Stanley Holloway, Eric Barker, M ...

'' (1961) – Corporal Gittens * ''

Carry On Cabby ''Carry On Cabby'' is a 1963 British comedy film, the seventh in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). Released on 7 November 1963, it was the first to have a screenplay written by Talbot Rothwell (although the first screenplay "To ...

'' (1963) – Smiley Sims * ''

The Masque of the Red Death "The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plag ...

'' (1964) – Male Dancer (uncredited) * ''

The Secret of Blood Island ''The Secret of Blood Island'' is a 1964 British war film directed by Quentin Lawrence and starring Jack Hedley, Barbara Shelley and Patrick Wymark. The film is a prequel to the 1958 film '' The Camp on Blood Island''. Premise British Prisoners ...

'' (1964) – Bludgin * '' Georgy Girl'' (1966) – Ted * '' The Fighting Prince of Donegal'' (1966) – Officer Powell * '' Headline Hunters'' (1968) – Henry * ''

'' (1973) – Supt. Barlow / Insp. Carding * ''

'' (1975) – Mr. Shaw * '' The Comeback'' (1978) – Mr. B

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Owen, Bill 1914 births 1999 deaths Deaths from cancer in England Deaths from pancreatic cancer English male film actors English male television actors English songwriters British novelty song performers Members of the Order of the British Empire Royal Army Ordnance Corps soldiers British Army personnel of World War II 20th-century English male actors British male comedy actors People from Acton, London