Kenneth Williams...Excellent Chat Show Appearance From 1980
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- Опубликовано: 3 май 2007
- Kenneth appears in an episode of Parkinson from 1980. This is a masterclass in anecdote telling.
Everything about this performance is perfect. The versatility of the voice, the timing, the material, and most of all...the man.
Behold, a comedy genius at his very peak.
"Seven guineas for a bra?...cheaper to have your tits off!!..."
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What an amazing raconteur. I could listen to him for hours. Sadly we don't see talent like his any more.
In chatshows, his friend Miriam Margolyes tries to be a raconteur imitating his style, but she is tasteless and crude, and doesn't come close
I’d love to have seen him talk with several smart, gay, folk including Stephen fry
As many have commented, an absolute genius and legend.
Adore him could listen for hours and hours .
Legendary funny man. No one like it these days.
RIP Ken
A masterclass in story telling.
You always new that Parkinson was worth staying up for if he or Frankie Howard were on it
He entertains from the second he opens his mouth. A unique, distinctive and unforgettable character. Luckily he's captured in all those classic movies he appeared in to be appreciated forever. ✌🏽
No one has come close to Ken's brilliance in humour. His vocal abilities were fantastic, just watch episodes of the origanal run of willow the wisp all voices done by Ken. He was an entire cast in one.
Willow The Wisp! Jeez, that takes me back to the early 80s . I remember the opening credits.
I loved willow the wisp when I was little,I was scared of evil Edna and a large part of it was the great voice Kenneth did for her.
At a fantasy dinner party this man would be in the top 5 guests.
Absolutely!
Unique, will never be anyone like him, a Legend!
I adored him when I was 11 years old and too young to know what "campy " humour was all about- and when I DID find out, it made it all the funnier. RIP, Kenneth- I still miss your rich voice and nostrils flared in disdain!
This man was a truly brilliant actor. Such a shame that he felt so lonely in his life, in part due to his homosexuality. We (the British people) lost a true genius, entertainer and wonderful man when he died. They sure don't make them like this anymore.
We are all unique, but nobody could ever come close to his fantastic mix of talents, all borne and molded out of his own personal experiences in a life that can never be replicated.
He always entertained me in whatever he did 👍 such a nice person to listen to unlike the so called star's these days.
@J S well said 👍
Must have been tough. I don't know this guy RUclips just took me here. But my first impression was Omg he's so gay. Nowadays he'd be celebrated as fabulous but back than he must have denied the obvious
Jaffa T He was celibate his whole life, his privacy was the most important thing to him. He never had a relationship as he couldn’t let anyone see his body as he found that to be an invasion of his privacy.
whenever i see Kenneth Wiliams on a chat show i never want it to end!
It is difficult, I suppose, for most people to realise that in some one like Kenneth Williams is a spirit both as old as the ages (there's something wonderfully of the Victorian about him) and yet also, for all his learned erudition, eternally innocently impish and childlike with a wonderful smile when he allows it to break through his admirable seriousness. Yet all most will have seen is some kind of affected sense of camp arrogance. Far more fascinating than most people indeed- he should
well commented.
nicely put.
I remember KW from BBC World Service Radio in the 1970s whilst I was at University in Italy. Programs like "Just a Minute" and others, and the "Carry on" Films. Always a pleasing voice, and "campy" lilt to his voice. Years of soul lifting programs.
Sadly Missed...a true Artiste.
Could have listened to him all day. Now go watch an audience with Kenneth Williams
He was a great speaker , very articulate.He was so much more than the Carry On actor.
He was a very good performer
and could handle a live audience.
I love Kenneth Williams - I am only thankful that our lives overlapped and that my parents shared every single Carry On movie with me from a young age.
I'm sure he is in heaven now. There all laughing their heads off there too! What a brilliant man! Thank you Kenneth! 👍👍👍👍👍😂🤣😂🤣
I thought God banned the gays from heaven?
He never fails to lift my spirits. Watch these posts dozens of times. Love each one.
Kenneth was a brilliant entertainer a wonderful mimic & a tremendous Mind, he is surely missed from our world, Sadly nothing remotely like him today, getting Dumber & Dumber I am afraid.
great video
Never a dull moment. What a splendid dinner guest he must have been. Sit, Listen and Enjoy. Greatly missed.
He's a legend! Miss him so much...
Love the way he rolls the Rs
I’ve always wanted to be able to do that!
He speaks with such incredible alacrity, I could listen to him speak all day.
I could listen to Kenny Williams telling stories for hours.
what a great loss he was, so sad that he took his own life. At least we have many recordings of the great man.
Definitely my dinner guest number 1.
You hang on his every word. A true genius.
He was truly Mesmerising.
He never paused for breath. Best raconteur ever, with the exception of Peter Ustinov. Possibly a tie.
Yes, Peter Ustinov was also a master raconteur. Plus, Peter Sellers was pretty good as well. I think one of his Parky interviews is still on Utube.
@@martm216 funnily enough i watched Peter's, "an audience with" last night, brilliant.
@@ianbentley7276 oh yes! What a performer! All that stuff about when he was in the army, and that sergeant-major or whatever the rank was: 'Stand up straight then.' 'Got any cake?' And Ustinov was such a multifaceted guy, all the high level charity work he did.
@@martm216 indeed, his military stories were my favourites in the programme. In fact I've recounted them in the pub a few times. :-) Also the Jackie Stewart story was brilliant.
@@ianbentley7276 oh yes! I remember that! Wonderful with Jackie being in the audience. And a very accurate impression. What was it? 'He won't get far driving like that ... Well, he's still in the lead ... I don't like the sound of that engine... Well, he can count himself a VERY LUCKY young man.' And all the engine sound effects. Wonderful.
a brilliant storyteller with the voices too.YOU COULD SIT NEXT TO HIM IN A PUB and listen to him allnight.
He was pure gold for talk shows. He was perfect for Parkinson. He and Parkinson did not like each other in the early years, Kenneth was a conservative with a small "c" and Michael was more left wing, so they clashed a bit politically, but later on they became friends, not best buddies, but mutual respect was gained and earned.
Kenneth Williams reminds me of a darling English friend I once had. They might be gone but they are not forgotten. Love makes all the right connections.
@@johnking5174 Yes.My take on Parky’s success was that he was exceedingly dull in his energy, in a congenial way, made boring celebrities look interesting and a good show My slight aversion to Parky these days is how rather than pay tribute to Kenneth William’s wonderful storytelling skills, he just sums him up as a ‘strange man’. A real disservice to Ken.
the people of the earth should not forget this man
Kenneth would have been an outstanding guest on the Graham Norton show had he lived and was able to attend. His close friends Miriam Margolyes and Barbera Windsor made it there, and it would have been great to see him as well.
As a kid growing up I used to love him in the Carry On movies. ("Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in for me!") Sublime.
But he's just as good telling us his own anecdotes here. So sorry he's no longer with us. Wish all the tortured comics could each have been given a big hug and told how much they were loved. Stay with us.
I remember listening to "Round The Horne" on the radio in the 60s. A groundbreaking comedy in many ways.
Oh gosh pity he could not live forever
God's gift to the talk show. Ask him a question and just let him loose. Off screen he was very vulnerable. Self doubting, forever worrying about money in his later years and the lack of work too. Only 61 when he died, he often contemplated suicide in his darker moments, but on screen he lit up the venue.
That is as good as it gets. A genius storyteller
GREAT MAN,very UNIQUE CHARACTER AND TALENT
I SALUTE YOU
I love that Edith Evans story.
A wonderful wonderful story teller.
I love all films of kennth Williams, sixd James, Barbara winsor and Co. There will be no such comrdielian and intelligent artist any more. Rest in peace the true legends
Yes. I have recently read his " Diaries".
A very complex man. I saw him many years ago walking along the Strand. I think he was going to the Playhouse Theatre in Villiers St. On this particular occasion, he may have been "looking" to be recognised. He was wearing a bright check jacket and whistling a chirpy tune.
Comedian Ted Ray,father of Andrew, was himself a manic depressive. So ironic that [some] people who devoted their talents to make others happy were themselves not.
Kenneth You weren't alone we all loved you..
The Queen of Camp . R.I.P.
such a brilliant performer and will no doubt still make me smile and laugh for many a years to come, rest easy Mr. Williams =) and thankyou
What a loss to us all he was. I don't think he understood how loved he was by the British public.
And he loved it.
I always think of Kenneth as being on a higher plane than most people.
1979LITTLEMISS
So did he, lamentably.
have been embraced as a serious talent- and as a person of lasting stature- rather than the way that many people just seemed to enjoy him as some kind of fruity relic of a rapidly bygone age. A well dressed, handsome, man too but in a way that the modern world does not seem to register anymore.
What an extremely gifted and funny man?God bless him🙏❤️
Great man, sorely missed.
Priceless.
Genius.
Loved and adored.
WF
Fab adore him and Maggie Smith..
A true one off. A genius. So talented.
With ...... " Alarming ferocity " !
Love Him and Adore Him.
Ageless, hilarious, extraordinarily talented...god I love this man.
What a joy!
The word genius gets banded about for people with limited talent but Kenny is the real deal. Thank you for being alive and entertaining us all these years. Keep messing about!😊
He makes Russell Brand look like Russell Bland. True Genius
Don't be petty. Humour is subjective, and it's tacky to berate one form of comedian over another.
Everyone makes Russell Brand look like Russell Bland cos he is......
Yep. Thats bloke,s a self-watching phoney. And so many try to be a ‘ new’ Kenneth Williams. Makes K.W seem all the more missed.
I’ve loved him for years. Enunciation, English speaking, intelligence. I feel for his views on carry on movies. I wish I’d seen him chat with Stephen Fry
I do so love Kenneth's intellect
comic genius. sharp as a razorblade
Kenneth Williams was so funny RIP.
He loved doing his Dame Edith, didn't he? :)
God how we miss him.
And that my friends is the absolutely
out of this world genius of the amazing Kenneth Williams.
One of the greatest comic performers that ever lived!
Robin Williams was another - but Kenneths delivery is unmatched.
I love him. He’s been so missed.
What a extraordinary man!
I absolutely LOVE this interview. Every time I see it I laugh until I cry :D
What a fantastic actor Kenneth was. When I was a kid we loved to sit infront of the telly. Me on the floor 🤣 and watch the carry on films. They were brilliant. Sid was awesome too. However they all were who starred in them. We will never see true comedy like this ever again. Sadly missed. So funny though 😂 😂 😂
Brilliant man ! 🙏
Still a Shinning Star, brilliantly erudite, self deprecating, but ultimately the Master of words, anecdote, and his own voice characterisation. A unique individual, the like of which we will never see or hear again.
Kenneth such a great person and great storyteller on jackanory 😊👍
We just opened a bottle of Beaujolais and couldn’t remember whether KW or Dame Edith had told the story. Such is the effect that this sketch had on me, I still can’t help but imitate DE when we have it!
Two legends gone now.
Very funny. Marvellous mimicry and delivery.
Halfway through I was hoping for a Maggie Smith story. He did not disappoint.
Love the Robert Helpmann story. Can just visualise the scene 😂
Brilliant - I have never read "Acid Drops", but shall search for it. Am amazing man and great entertainer.
I got a hardback copy for £2.50 inc postage from Amazon a couple of years ago, very amusing
You should, it's brilliant.
Starwithnoname
tart retorts wouldve made a better title, dont you think so?
I,m sure regardless itd be a scintillating read
It’s a fab book
What a brilliant character he was awesome
Wonderful. Thanks for posting.
Wow, I love this guy. Kenneth Williams you were brilliant. You are brilliant.
I read Acid Drops years ago, it was great :)
I would have loved to have seen this episode of ‘Parkinson’, when it first aired on television; I mean having both Kenneth Williams, AND Tom Lehrer, on the same show, is just fantastic.
Both are/were absolute masters of their chosen art forms, and had such a way with, and a love of, language; despite him being American, and more than likely unfamiliar with who Kenneth Williams was, and probably not knowing the people he was referring to, you can see Tom was really enjoying Kenneth’s stories, and his way with words, accents, impressions, etc.
It would have been great to see the two geniuses engage with one another together, on the show; and if they could have performed a song, or two- or preferably 20, together, it would have been even better haha.
Kenneth Williams will always be one of my favourite performers, raconteurs, and entertainers of all time; I’ve loved him ever since I saw my first Carry On film, back in the 80’s, when I was about 2 or 3- if that; I originally enjoyed the slapstick, and things like that, but as I got older, and started to get all the innuendos, and references, it made me love those films even more.
And when I discovered many of his other works, such as his performances on things like: ‘Round the Horne’, ‘Hancock’s Half Hour’, ‘Just a Minute’. etc, not to mention all the wonderful appearances he made on talk shows, my love for him only continued to grow, and still does to this day.
It’s just incredibly sad how he couldn’t love himself, as millions of people loved/love him; but then, depression is a black hole in one’s soul, that sucks in all happiness, and allows no light to pierce through the void.
I just think it’s just incredible, how he could entertain an audience, and millions of people watching at home, all while feeling so utterly hopelessly miserable, and depressed; he really was the consummate professional, who believed that just because he didn’t feel like entertaining, that didn’t mean there wasn’t an audience expecting to be entertained.
It seems that he came along both at the right, and wrong time; the right time in terms of the roles he took, and the performances he gave.
But it was the very wrong time, in terms of societies views, and the way a large majority of parents brought up their children; his father criticising any/all perceived effeminacy, obviously had a significant effect on his own view of himself, and what it meant to be gay, which led to fighting against his own nature, because he’d always been told it was wrong/a sin.
Obviously, society had considerably moved on, and evolved, towards the end of his life, in the 1980’s, but, by that point, his earlier years had already shaped, and moulded, him to be repressed about his sexuality, and made him attempt to deny his own nature; so, by the time he met Joe Orton, who was thoroughly open, and couldn’t give a fuck what people thought, Kenneth couldn’t change his already ingrained mindset, no matter how much he wanted to.
I mean, he was born in 1926, and that homosexuality was considered a serious criminal offence in the UK, until 1967- for well over half his life, must have had a profound effect on the way he thought about his own urges; not only that but, the “decriminalisation of 1967, was restricted only to England and Wales, with it not being extended to both Scotland and Northern Ireland, until 1980, and 1982 respectively.
And even then, the decriminalisation of homosexuality, did not mean the end of persecution of gay people; it removed the maximum penalty, for anal sex, which, up until that point, had been life imprisonment; but there were still laws on the books that discriminated against gay people in countless other ways, and did so for a surprisingly shocking, and unbelievably long time after, with records showing that some 15,000+ gay men, were both arrested, and convicted, in the decades that followed the 1967 so-called “liberalisation” of the laws, with law enforcement seeming to crack down harder after passage of Sexual Offences Act 1967.
In actuality, the final laws, that prohibited discrimination against homosexuals, in all parts of the UK, shockingly did not come into full effect, until 2013; this was when Scotland, who had actually repealed the remaining anti-gay laws on its books in 2009, finally got round to enacting those repeals.
It’s staggering to think that, despite the supposed 1967 decriminalisation of homosexuality, gay people were still able to be persecuted in many horrendous ways, for decades after; it’s no wonder that people, like Kenneth Williams, had such a difficult time coming to terms with their sexuality, when a majority of society was trying to punish them, in any way it could, just for being themselves.
What is most infuriating, is that millions of people would tune in to listen to him on shows, like Round the Horne’, and absolutely love him in the “Julian and Sandy” sketches; yet the majority of them, if they had actually known about his sexuality, would have loathed him for it, simply because of who he was, and what he did in his private life.
I mean, the hypocrisy was so vast, you could probably see it from the bloody moon; I’m a lot younger, yet I still recall hearing people comment, back in the 90’s (and even after that), and say how they used to like so-and-so, until they found out they were gay; or that I shouldn’t like a particular person, because they were gay.
The sooner the human race can put aside these ridiculous, petty, kinds of prejudices, for good, the better off we’ll be as a species; it’s just a shame that the ludicrous beliefs, of so many small-minded individuals, have been allowed to ruin the lives of so many great people- and many average ones, too haha.
Which of Tom's songs would you have liked to see Kenneth perform?
@@joannerussell7852
Off the top of my head, it would have been great to hear Kenneth doing a rendition of ‘Poisoning Pigeons in the Park’; he had a great way of saying certain words, and rolling his “R’s”, which, along with his facial expressions, would have made it the perfect song for him to cover, as it starts off very light, and innocent; but becomes darker when you get to the “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park” line, and it would have been great to see his reaction to the material, and how he played up these reactions to the audience.
His acting, and facial expressions, would have also been perfect for the likes of “Oedipus Rex”, and, particularly, “The Masochism Tango”; he’d have had a field day with the use of innuendos, and taboo subjects, in those songs, particularly if he had an audience, and wasn’t just recording them for an album.
I’d also have loved to hear his take on songs like “Alma”, “Lobachevsky”, and “Wernher von Braun’; Kenneth was just so marvellous at accents, so it would have been absolutely fantastic to hear him singing in those various accents, for parts of these songs.
Kenneth would also have been superb at the intros to the songs, that Tom Lehrer used to do; such as Tom’s introduction to ‘Alma’, in his 1965 concert, when he discussed Alma’s “juicy” obituary, which went into some of her various husbands, and lovers; it would have been fantastic to see his reactions, and the way he’d act totally scandalised by the whole business haha.
I could obviously name many more, but it would take me far too long, and this reply is long enough as it is, without it actually going longer than ‘War and Peace’ haha.
Are you a fan of Tom Lehrer: and if you are, which songs, if any, do you think, it would have been great to hear Kenneth Williams sing?
Thanks for the comment; it made me reread, and then edit, my post, as I realised I’d cocked the bloody thing up, by accidentally copying, and pasting, a large part of the start, of my post, further down, and sandwiching it in between the beginning and the end...if you get my meaning...because I’m not even sure that I know what the hell it is, that I’m trying to say haha.
But I knew that I’d ballsed the thing up somewhere, when I wrote it; I thought I’d caught it all when it happened, but I must have missed a large chunk of it, because I’m a bloody idiot haha.
But anyway...
Hope you, and your loved ones, are keeping safe, and well, during these messed up times. 🤞😀🤞
All the best, and thanks against for your reply. 😀👍
@@ThisCharmingMan1984 you know, I'd forgotten all about Alma! I think it would have been perfect for Kenneth with the opening speech. Or an alternate version of pollution to reflect London. I am a big fan of Tom's, in fact I have a signed record of Tom's next to a letter of Kenneth's on my wall. Tom has released the copyright of all his songs and music earlier this month, all can be downloaded on his site. Also maybe the Vatican Rag with the opening "its ok to kill a man on Friday but not to eat him" or maybe "i hold your hand in mine"
@@joannerussell7852
Those are excellent choices; I’ve been listening to both the Vatican Rag and Pollution recently, on my latest marathon of his works.
Yeah, I think Kenneth would have been fantastic for songs like Alma, and others of Tom’s, such Wernher von Braun, that have accented lines; Tom clearly had a gift for accents himself, and they often make the songs even funnier.
That’s fantastic; I’d love to have both a signed record of Tom’s, and letter of Kenneth’s on my wall; they/are two incredibly talented artists in their specific fields.
Another great song of Tom’s, that Kenneth would have been perfect for, is “I got it from Agnes”; I just found the recording of it, that he did on this particular Parkinson show- at least think it was this one as he’s wearing the same outfit haha.
I think he probably sang it before Kenneth came out for his interview segment; you can only see presenter Robin Ray- who I believe was the other guest on Parkinson that night, can be seen, when the shot cuts.
Here’s the link, in case you’ve never seen it, or just fancy watching it again, if you have seen it haha.
m.ruclips.net/video/R6qFG0uop9k/видео.html
Hope that link works; if it doesn’t, just look it up on RUclips and you should find it easily enough.
Yeah, I just saw, before reading your reply, that he’d recently released the copyright to all his songs; thanks for letting me know, I’ll have to have a look, and see what I’m missing. 😀
All the best. 😀👍
@@ThisCharmingMan1984 The Agnes song was indeed from the same show, possibly before the ad break but I've never seen the entire show in one piece. I cannot help but think of the Coronavirus when hearing it now. There are a couple of songs that I am not sure he ever recorded on the website, or if he did I've heard of them, makes me want to take up piano playing, and learn how to sing. I actually collect autographs however Tom no longer signs and I had to buy Kenneth's since I was only 1 when he passed. I also see on your channel you have some of Karl Pilkington on Xfm, he always sends a reply if you write to him! But don't send jumping beans, I did and he said they did his head in! 😄
Pure class.
funny how kenneth williams done the parky shows when in his diaries (which i am reading for the millionth time!) he calls michael parkinson a "north country nit!" what a guy! R.I.P kenneth williams what a loss of a great comedy and acting genius!
Everything this guy says is one mic-drop after another!
British actors are the best in the world.. and Kenneth Williams was one of the funniest of them all..🙂
It's when he recalls about the fellow who wanted a blow wave at his fathers shop..I cannot stop laughing!!
Just wonderful
A genuine genius
stormbringer, thanks! I was truly puzzled by that one!
What a pity he's not still with us.
I've only watched him in the Carry On! series... never knew he had such a treasure-trove of LOL-inducing stories!
There's thousands of them, you have a treat in store searching for them on youtube.
Three very clever guests this particular evening.
Google says, “ Kenneth Williams had a fierce intellect, was mainly self taught and his command of the English language was legendary “. I have heard that the only reason Sir Lawrence Olivier couldn’t accept Kenneth for a part in one of his productions of Shakespeare was because Kenneth was famous for the Carry On films and Sir Lawrence was afraid of the type of audience Kenneth would attract !
Some of the great comics were great tragedians too. (Not all- some comics are so good at being light-hearted- like Chevy Chase in his heyday that they don't need to mine a tragic angle) but Kenneth Williams seemed to be both. There was no artifice to it. He had a perfectly professorial yet also theatrical air but professors of that time would have probably ignored him as being too 'arch' and disliked that fact that, despite not being Oxbridge-educated, he seemed far more Oxbridge than they did.
I hope that is so. He was very fond of walking and exploring London. Back in the late 70`s I saw him walking [whistling] down the Strand, I guess that he may have been making his way to the Playhouse Theatre in Villiers Street.
... Telling stories - the Helpmann at the umpires' room, Maggie Smith teeth fillings and the bra story, Edith Evans and the Crescent Hotel, syndrome and aerodrome, Stanley Baxter and finally Charles Laurence's Mae West line. By that time I'd started climbing and by the end it was OK, but only just. Why? - well the competition was fierce, I'd been lazy, and I'd done the best of the Orton (last year!) on this show and couldn't repeat it. Tom Lehrer was marvellous to me!...
not many people knew he was gay back then. but now, his voice is a dead giveaway.
Brilliant racounteur.