I genuinely think this was Kenneth's finest moment. He absolutely loved this audience and the love and admiration they gave him and him alone. At the end he must have been bursting with pride. To have an Audience with full of your friends and peers and have them laughing and hanging at every thing you say, Kenny genuinely loved this night.
I love listening to this wonderful feller speak. My mate chatted with him in newcastle, and asked about something. Kenny said "Its in the book my boy" my mate said "Sorry I'm unemployed" and laughed. a few weeks later, the book arrived through the door. he'd sent him a signed copy. My mate hadn't even given him an address !
The end of this one gave me chills ! The last guy to see laughing in the audience was farmer Ted moult, turned radio personality, TV personality. Who later went on to take his own life with a shotgun ! 2 years before Kenny passed . R.I.P. BOTH ❤🙏
What an absolute legend Mr Kenneth Williams was and is.. We can still marvel in his glorious works all the way from 'Carry-On' films' to 'Willo-the-Wisp'... Brilliant actor, it's such a shame he didn't actually like himself, his diaries are very revealing and quite sad really... But Kenneth is and always will be an awesome actor/orator/raconteur and all round super intelligent man ... :0)x
i hate to think, that he seems so normal and such a happy man on tv but when you read his diaries you realise that so much was wrong with him. i was thinking about it last night and it just doesnt seem real because he just seems so happy like nothing gets him down. i may be only 16 and born long after his death. but i wish he was still around. and ido miss him loads. hes such a beauitiful amazing man. always loved R.I.P Kenny, 23 years ago this friday. :/ x
I think that so many people misread (in the past and present tense) Kenneth Williams. He was not camp - camp is associated with surface sparkliness. He was first and foremost a learned gentleman with the erudition and yet also the acute awareness of himself and other people's natures. It will have been sometimes torturous to one so clever and generous in imparting his knowledge that some may have regarded him as merely whimsical or, worse, full of himself in a perceived upper class way
that he never actually pretended to be part of. It probably was a subliminated regret to him that he didn't attend Oxford or Cambridge, let alone teach at them but is there any assuredness that he would have been any more warmly received by some stuck in the mud dons than he was in the theatrical world? We were utterly blessed to have his talent and , thank God, his determination not to dumb down even though those who were more educated would have far less knowledge and would often dumb down.
Charles Hawtrey almost seems like an alternative version of Williams, albeit one who would not be seen as an 'establishment' persona. The ordinary person would probably not care to see the fragility that lies at the heart of being so assured- they now often see assuredness as a threat. Williams showed that knowledge, humour, and disciplined character in the right measures are what makes a real man, not whether you childishly think that he talks too much in a 'frightfully posh' way.
Ended up playing to a stereotype but was a total comedy genius. Whilst the likes of Ricky Gervais can't even attempt to be funny without a script....and sometimes not even then, Kenneth Williams could talk for hours and have you in stitches throughout.
He was absolutely brilliant. A one-off if ever there was one. Witty, funny, an excellent raconteur. And very very bright and well read. Yes, he was camp, possibly gay but who really cares? His death was sad loss to the entertainemnt world. Listen to Round the Horne on Radio 4 Extra. He made that show. Especially when he joined Hugh Paddisck as Julian and Sandy.
@bossyboots55 Yes! gays everwhere owe him. I really think that Britain was more progressive than most countries with gay rights because of men like Kenneth. We grew up with this and everyone knew but it was never spoken 'out loud'. But it did make a difference. But even in his day in England he could of been 'out' and about. Don't judge him because he had no obvious lover. He was who he was and a treasure for sure and not so miserable as you think.
he was a closet gay...everyone knew he was from his movies, etc..But in real life, the british at that time were snobs. They didnt tolerate homosexuality on their door steps so to speak. Another dear comedian Larry Grayson gave so much laughter to so many. But he too was spurned in the social life of the time. its just too hurting. these comedians were outragious in their professional lives but they knew how to behave in real life...not the case these days, is it?
