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 Highbury is an area of North London, England, in the London Borough of Islington. Highbury Manor Highbury was once owned by Ranulf, brother of Ilger, and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads. The manor hou ...

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

, London, the son of a naval

petty officer A petty officer (PO) is a non-commissioned officer in many navies. Often they may be superior to a seaman, and subordinate to more senior non-commissioned officers, such as chief petty officers. Petty officers are usually sailors that have ...

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 Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

. By the age of 11 he had his own act. He attended the

Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, commonly shortened to Central, is a drama school founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as the Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for ...

, where he was a Gold Medal winner. Connor made his professional debut in

J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...

'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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he served as an infantry gunner with the

Middlesex Regiment The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1966. The regiment was formed, as the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), in 1881 as part of the Childers Re ...

, 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 Felixstowe ( ) is a port town and civil parish in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. The estimated population in 2017 was 24,521. The Port of Felixstowe is the largest Containerization, containe ...

, 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 Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

, Connor received a

telegram Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas pi ...

from William Devlin asking him to join the newly formed

Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a fin ...

, where he gained a solid grounding in the classics.

Career

Connor moved on to the London

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

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 ''The Government Inspector'', also known as ''The Inspector General'' (, literally: "Inspector"), is a satirical play by Russian dramatist and novelist Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836, the play was revised for an 1842 edition. Base ...

'', which starred

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...

. 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 Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show''. Sellers featured on a number of hit comi ...

in Ted Ray's radio show ''

Ray's a Laugh ''Ray's a Laugh'' was a British BBC Radio comedy series starring Ted Ray (comedian), Ted Ray which ran from 1949 to 1961. According to latter-day historians of the era, the show was "hugely popular with the British public" and "one of the major ...

'', which was launched by the BBC in 1949 as a successor to

Tommy Handley Thomas Reginald Handley (17 January 1892 – 9 January 1949) was an English comedian, best known for the BBC radio programme ''It's That Man Again'' ("''ITMA''") which ran between 1939 and 1949. Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, Handley went on th ...

's ''

ITMA ''It's That Man Again'' (commonly contracted to ''ITMA'') was a BBC radio comedy programme which ran for twelve series from 1939 to 1949. The shows featured Tommy Handley in the central role, a fast-talking figure, around whom the other ch ...

''. 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 ''The Goon Show'' is a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme. The first series, broadcast from 28 May to 20 September ...

'', 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 Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was a British actor and comedian. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 ''Carry ...

and

Eric Barker Eric Leslie Barker (12 February 1912 – 1 June 1990) was an English comedy actor. He is most remembered for his roles in the popular British '' Carry On'' films, although he appeared only in the early films in the series, apart from returning ...

, 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 Esma Ellen Charlotte Littmann (''née'' Cannon; 27 December 1905 – 18 October 1972), credited as Esme or Esma Cannon, was an Australian-born character actress who moved to Britain in the early 1930s. Although she frequently appeared on televis ...

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 A dentist, also known as a dental doctor, dental physician, dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry, the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. The dentist's supporting team aids in provi ...

'' 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 Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...

, the original London West End production with

Frankie Howerd Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian. Early life Howerd was born the son of a soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...

of the

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

musical ''

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (254–184 BC), specif ...

'' (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 The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...

, playing King Louis XIII, and the revue '' Carry On London'' (1973) at the Victoria Palace. Between 1971 and 1973, Connor joined ''

Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard (United Kingdom), Home Guard during the World War II, Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft (TV producer), David Crof ...

'' stars Arthur Lowe and

Ian Lavender Arthur Ian Lavender (16 February 1946 – 2 February 2024) was an English stage, film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Private Pike in ''Dad's Army'', a BBC sitcom set during World War II, of which he was the last survivi ...

in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

radio comedy '' Parsley Sidings''. On television, he appeared in ''

The Black and White Minstrel Show ''The Black and White Minstrel Show'' is a British light entertainment show on BBC prime-time television that ran from 1958 to 1978. The weekly variety show presented traditional American minstrel and country songs, as well as show tunes and m ...

'', as Whatsisname Smith in the children's show '' Rentaghost'' (1983–84), and as

Monsieur Alfonse This is a list of all main and recurring characters of BBC television's sitcom Allo 'Allo!'' that ran for 85 episodes from 1982–1992. Overview René Artois René Francois Artois (Gorden Kaye) – The local café proprietor who, whilst ...

in ''

'Allo 'Allo! ''Allo 'Allo!'' is a British sitcom television series, created by David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd, starring Gorden Kaye, Carmen Silvera, Guy Siner and Richard Gibson. Originally broadcast on BBC1, the series focuses on the life of a Frenc ...

'' (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 The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(MBE). Connor was still working just days before his death, appearing on ''

Noel Edmonds Noel Ernest Edmonds (born 22 December 1948) is an English businessman, and former television presenter, radio DJ, writer and producer. Edmonds first became known as a disc jockey on Radio Luxembourg before moving to BBC Radio 1 in the UK, pres ...

' 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 Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

on 28 November 1993. His body was cremated at Breakspear Crematorium in

Ruislip Ruislip ( ) is a suburb in the London Borough of Hillingdon in northwest London. Prior to 1965 it was in Middlesex. Ruislip lies west-north-west of Charing Cross, London. The manor of Ruislip appears in the Domesday Book, and some of the ear ...

, Greater London.

Personal life

Connor married Margaret Knox ("Miki") in 1942; his son, Jeremy, was a child actor.Hayward, Anthony (30 November 1993)
"Obituary: Kenneth Connor"
''The Independent''. Retrieved 28 September 2020.

Television appearances

Filmography

Recordings

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Connor, Kenneth 1918 births 1993 deaths Military personnel from the London Borough of Islington 20th-century English male actors Deaths from cancer in England English male child actors English male film actors English male television actors Members of the Order of the British Empire Male actors from London Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama British Army personnel of World War II Middlesex Regiment soldiers Actors from the London Borough of Islington People from Highbury