Kenneth Williams on Joan Rivers' show - UK - '86 - HQ
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- Опубликовано: 3 дек 2009
- Kenny was one of those GIFTS for any chat-show host (others were Peter Ustinov, Kenny Everett, Alan Coren and Billy Connelly).
Highly intelligent, he was a veritable fountain of anecdotes - and constantly changed voices as he spoke (he had four distinct voices he used, to suit the moment).
There'll never be another. 
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With Kenneth, you don't even need to ask him a single question, he was born ready to just perform.
One of the best British characters that ever lived.
& one whom I had the pleasure to meet quite incidentally when I was a sales assistant in Debenhams Oxford Street, 1976 where I was working in the fitted kitchen department. Along came Mr Williams & his partner who were looking for a table & 4 chairs etc….he asked me a few questions; then after he left, the rest of the staff came over to ask me what Mr William had said to me.
@@maxxheadroom6744 I read somewhere he was single from his early forties
@@barrypotter5751 Could have been just a mate.
Kenneth was a one man band!
@@danw1374 Apart from when he went on holiday to Morocco, but then everyone is allowed sone respite!
No matter how many times I watch Kenneth Williams on RUclips posts, he makes me laugh again and again. May he be surrounded by joy where ever he is.
God bless 🙏
@Jon Tibbatts Unfortunately that probably means he is surrounded by noisy traffic rather than joy.
He wasn't just very funny but also extremely intelligent. He could switch to the serious and speak with insight and passion with ease. He was a very rare sort of person.
He was sharp but there’s a few instances on chat shows when faced with quite intelligent guests and / or speaking on serious topics where he really struggles to hold his own. There’s famous one on Parkinson I think it was where he was having a go at striking workers and he was made to look like a complete twerp.
Poor Kenneth, only he knew the pain he underwent. And yet, he made us laugh at him. RIP Kenneth Williams.
What pain was he in?
@@pps900 hiding his sexuality suffering for deep depression because of it.
@@pps900 depression, anxiety and loneliness. He wasn't content with his sexuality.
I think most of Carry On cast were on similar pain and tragedy in their personal life. Charles Hawtery and Joan Sims both went terribly bad and depressed towards the end and died tragically. Nobody even cared about them at all
@@pps900 he suffered from multiple health issues, and when his mother passed he suffered from depression. There are reports of him being in pain even on set, yet he gave his best.
Kenneth was a wonderful raconteur its a shame he never knew how much we loved him...
Just watching this, randomly, was wonderful, how marvellous he was. The sad thing is that for him to shine so brightly in public, he suffered in his private moments.
Brilliant man. Hilariously funny. You don't get chat show guests like this any more. They were common place in the 70's and 80's.
Absolutely fantastic British humour , he is greatly missed.
So is British humour...
@@pneron2032 British humour is alive & well right there in your comment/quip
Kenneth Williams pure gold dust!
I’ll never get bored of watching Kenneth Williams, he’s an absolute icon. Unfortunately, the majority of my generation (1990’s) don’t even consider him to be among the top 10 comedians/performers! The elegance of his appearance, sophistication of his demeanour and intelligence of his words will never be rivalled by anyone in the near future! He’s just a tad behind my all time favourite: Tommy Cooper!!
Cooper and Willaims are 2 very different planets though.
Intellectually, I'd say Williams would 'eat him for breakfast' - and not need a few drinks first to do it.
Can you even imagine having a dinner party with this gent as a guest? Mr. Williams is extraordinarily entertaining.
Broke the mould with this one....genius pure genius 👏
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant!
Kenneth Williams. Gifted in so many ways. Articulate, Intelligent, Hilarious, Charming, Quick witted. Sharp and Quick thinking. He does so may different voices which i love. He was a legend. RIP xxx
There weren't many people that could keep Joan rivers quiet.
@@James-vv9fr What has that got to do with Kenneth Williams and my comment ?
God bless Kenneth where ever he is. I only wish we had more film clips of him on RUclips.
Absolutely fabulous raconteur and truly gifted comic performer Kenneth Williams was - you can see very clearly how much Joan Rivers adored him, I’ve never seen her laugh so much when interviewing a guest- today there are lots of celebrities doing road trip shows- A Kenneth Williams and Joan Rivers road trip show would have been sensational ❤
If you're a Kenneth fan, read his diaries. Great book and a great insight.
The spark had gone from his eyes here, RIP Ken.
This man was years ahead of his time, his story telling and play on words was brilliant, and they way he alters his voice through his story telling, absolutely fantastic, the guy who as a genius
Love Kenneth Williams, absolute genius, he's sooo watchable, RIP Kenneth, gone but never forgotten
Kenneth at his best, brilliant, Joan Rivers who can be totally explosive was perfect, showing respect and she looked so lovely.
Carry On Up The Khyber is my favorite Carry On movie, and Kenneth Williams was the absolute BEST in it. His aristocratic tone made his lines so awfully funny that I hurt myself laughing the first time I watched it.
I'm certain that he's making the other actors in Heaven laugh that same way.
Kenneth Williams was an Ambassador of Comedy and Theatre on radio, TV and films. He really was a genius, gifted and talented author and actor. Kenneth did a few "Carry On" movies, theatre work and "Audience With" series as one man show on TV, which was so hilarious and was hugely popular. He always wanted to be regarded as more than an "Comedic Actor", but in terms of as a "Thespian Actor", which he really was and successfully achieved this in leaps and bounds. He so loved the arts. As he demonstrated so eloquently in regalling events and imitating different level of characters voices with precision, effortless comedic ease and delivery. Although his own personal ife was sad, his greatest generosity and gift was by giving joy, laughter and happiness to his audience and close friends, wherever he went. One of his most valued and best friends was Dame Barbara Windsor, whom he also worked with. Dame Barbara was an exceptional actress in films, theatre stage and TV drama. She was always so generous with her fans in making time to meet and greet them, wherever she goes. Her most iconic role was as Peggy Mitchell in ""EastEnders". Sadly she recently, passed away. We shall miss her. RIP.
Absolutel class - no-one tells an anecdote like Mr. Williams... 😀
He was an utterly unique and very funny man. We will never see the likes of him again.
Agreed.
Thanks for being honest.
Funny beyond belief. I always loved this man. An absolute British gem. I miss you Kenneth you were so marvellous.
A true legend. We will never see his like again.
Good old Kenneth..didn’t need any interviewer...he just rolled along happily on his own.
I love this I'm a big Kenneth fan, you can see Joan appreciated and liked him to.
Such a shame Kenneth and Joan have gone. Both comedy legends.
With Phil Collins being the only one left, make of that what you will...
Wonderful man, sadly missed.
As an American I find myself listening very carefully to understand him, but it’s worth it.
Just found this clip of the great Kenneth Williams. The term "genius" can be overused..But this man was a genius.
Peter Cook and Kenneth Williams on the same line-up. Daaaamn son!
I absolutely loved his character. His, to me, genuinely unique voice which I could discern from a crowd. Sparkling wit, on and off the camera. His facial expressions as he acted through different kinds of scenes for me were priceless and set him apart. His kind of character does not exist anymore and is a huge loss!
my god how I miss him. It's so sad that when he was being perfectly serious about some of the tragic aspects of his life, people still laughed.
Yes. You could see his pain
Such a genius with his dry sense of humour and quick wit and repartee. Always enjoy watching Kenneth Williams.
I've only recently discovered Kenneth Williams and he's *amazing*!
While he's hysterically funny here, this short clip is bittersweet for me because Joan Rivers' smile is so pretty and charming that it makes me profoundly sad that she was *so* overcritical of her personal appearance that it cost her her life...
She really was so beautiful on this programme, what a complex lady.
Eh? She died at 81 man
Yes. But she was renowned for having excessive amounts of plastic surgery, presumably in a desperate attempt to stave off the inevitable aging process.
She died because a doctor made a mistake fixing her vocal cords, it had nothing to do with her personal appearance. You need to check your facts.
@@myknittingblog I believe she was murdered. Check some facts yourself.
I met him twice just walking in London. He was such a small man, but always had a smile for his fans (who he hates sometimes).
And that is how it is done! Remarkable
I could listen to him for hours. Such an erudite and very funny man with a sad personal life. My uncle, who knew him professionally, met him in Oxford Street the day before he died. He told him that he was to have an operation and was terrified. I feel so sad that he was so tortured in his personal life. My uncle also knew Tony Hancock who was another comedy great who left us far too soon. "Hancock's Half Hour" with Ken making an appearance still makes me laugh to this day. "Round the Horne" and the Carry on Films. Thank you so much for the laughter that you have given me during my lifetime Ken. I will never forget you. You were and still are, greatly loved.
You absolutely right. Kenneth Williams was indeed truly 1 of a kind.
He was an amazing communicator and exploiter of the English language.
Simply a Legend, I've been listening and watching Kenneth since the 1950s, his radio and film presence through his unique voice characters and his intellectual razor sharp wit was and still is a joy to behold. Superb.
A tortured soul, but by God what a man - I idolised (still do) Kenny
One of the Very Best , there won't ever be talent's like Kenny's around any more , feel lucky to have grown up in the era people like him & various others were around .
I watched this show when it aired, and i got to say that back in the 70/80s we were totally spoiled with great talent and humour...Dudley Moore, Peter Cook and Kenneth Williams, to me these men are the Gods of British humour.
all gone to a better place now eh?
I love the Emma Chisit (how much is it) story. It's absolutely hilarious.
Comic genius i am still listening to the old Round The Horn recordings His like will never walk our way again R.I.P
From the 'Mutiny on the Bounty' sketch: "Were you dragged up on desk?" "Oh, no, we was dressed quite casually."
Well said I agree we sadly won't ever see their standard again, they didn't need to swear to make people laugh
Dave Foster. You obviously have'nt heard any "Derek & Clive" then!!! (pete & dud)
+Peter Mills - I wanted to write a quote for you, but there are just too many. "Myyyy mum came into my roooom...."
Not sure about Joan Rivers, I never found her funny, but Kenneth on the other hand was a comedy genius. I also admired his diction, sharp wit and articulated humour.
@@Aerojet01 I disagree. Joan was every bit a comic genius as well as a trailblazer. She only got better as she got older.
What is so good about Kenneth is he was never trying to be funny, he just was without even trying..
Absolutely 100% wrong. It takes a lot of skill to look this effortless when being funny.
@Cymro 65 Were you there when they were writing their jokes and perfecting their act? Have you met Tommy Cooper on his night off? (Grumpy alcoholic). To be this spontaneous requires years of treading the boards and practice. To their credit they can fool people like you. It's called performing.
@Cymro 65Yes. Tommy Cooper had a funny voice and got very annoyed when people laughed at it on his day off. True. Saw it on a documentary. Don't mind my ascerbic tone. It's just how I write.
@@truthteller4689
So true, Truth Teller. Kenneth's seemingly effortless humor would have been honed through practice. Sure, he was a witty person, but these stories were stories told for years.
Kenneth - hilarious and on form.
I never tire of seeing Kenneth in Interviews and The Carry On's - a true one off
Timeless. What a brilliantly funny genius. 😢
I remember this series on BBC2 at the time. I don't think we ever saw it though, but I know in the Radio Times listings then in the one he was on it said something about him and the other guests asking are they virgins-indeed so too?! I know that the now late Joan Rivers did this talk show here in Britain; although when this aired in early 1986 I think it was the only series that she did here though, before going back to the USA later on. It was on a Monday night at 9.30pm then if I remember rightly so too. Thank you though too!
And of course too Kenneth Williams certainly knew what he was on about; as well as all the old Carry On films he was in before that too! A shame that he died when he did though, although I am sure we read later on that he took his own life though alas too.
I think that too the series was slated later on because of her manners or styles, which is why there was not another series of hers. But I am not too sure though?
Great interview filled with love & warmth, the admiration Joan has for Ken is palpable.
Kenny looking awfully frail here...My first memories of Ken was when he would read on Jackanory. Wonderfully witty man with a mind as sharp as a razor.
You have just reminded me regarding Kenneth's long association with Jackanory, great orator, must do a search to try and find him reading on Jackanory. Anyone have a clue where I can listen to some of his stories.
He was so talented but he became * trapped * by his caricatures that he himself admitted in his diaries 😊Sometimes after he appeared on a talk show he would regret how he behaved ☺️I was fascinated to find out he& joe orton were friends.Orton was SO sexually free and Kenneth was so uptight/ unsure .RIP ken 💔 RIP Joan RIP Dudley 💔 Phil is still alive but a tad frail ...
Not really. He looks good for his age I'd say.
Truth Teller who?
Truth Teller I agree. He looks fantastic
He was our gift from God
he was superb.
When Kenneth was on form, as he is here; no one could compete.
Infamy, infamy, they've all got it infamy. My favourite line in Carry On Carry on Cleo.
My goodness .... what style he had.
His latter years was a big part of my childhood. I had a smile on my face throughout this video. Thanks for uploading!
When I was around 10 I used to love Willow the wisp he was the narrator was amazing. Then as I got to understand & watch adult chat shows I would make sure to watch anything with Kenneth I loved his droll sense of humour, many think he is an Etonian type because of his Knowledge of English but quite the contrary he is of the working class much like me born outside of & grew up in London
@@johnd1466 OMG! Will-o'-the-wisp! That's a blast from the past. I completely forgot about that. I need to see if any of those episodes have been uploaded on here.
Yes, I saw a video where he took us through his childhood neighbourhood, showed school photos and spoke of his background.
Simply the best Kenneth God love you x
He was brilliant.An absolute genius.I rate him up there with the best such as another favourite of mine Robin Williams.
Kenneth is so funny. Made my day! May he RIP.
I adore Kenneth what a true gent he was, such a fabulous actor and friend to many ❤
Wow! Kenneth Williams AND Derek & Clive on the same show!
Very clever man with a totally unique style. Outrageous but very entertaining.
I remember as a kid listening to Kenny on "just a minute" on the wireless.
Hysterical.
that great list of unique british comics...all different..all magnificent...spike milligan, peter cooke, peter sellers, tommy cooper, les dawson, kenneth williams, eric sykes, eric morecambe etc. etc.
@Dave Coyle
The only one still alive who could hold a candle to any of them is John Cleese- and he hasn't been funny for over 30 years.
@@anonUK I would have thought John Cleese was of a later generation not that of Kenneth Williams who like his contemporaries honed his skills entertaining the forces during world war two. Perhaps you should have said Stanley Baxter who as far as I'm aware is still alive and kicking.
@@johnknow4097
I didn't say he was of that generation- I was saying that he was among the best comedians still alive and, at his best (1979), was one of the few who could be compared to those mentioned above.
@@anonUK Point taken and accepted.
@@johnknow4097 Stanley Baxter and Kenneth Williams were very close friends throughout their lives.
A rare character, fascinating, like looking at the sky at night, the harder you look the more you think what is it.
And then you realise you are looking at a rare star :)
Its quite sad how so many very talented and funny people who have the ability to make the rest of us laugh live such tragic and tortured lives themselves. A great personality who was quite simply brilliant and a constant source of side aching laughs.
Absolutely love him !!!! RIP
Sorely missed..Kenny was a genius..never tire of watching these clips and films...
Kenneth at his best, brilliant. Joan was the perfect host, it was great to see her soft side, she really was a beautiful lady.
He was an institution in Britain. It helps you appreciate him if you'd grown up with him.
From a time when huge talent was routinely taken for granted.
Joan and Kenneth... Bless Them Both
Brilliant.
Kenneth Williams true comedy genius . we will never see likes of him again . R.I.P .
What a line up of guests here. Great to see Rivers trying to stifle her giggles, as the rest chuckled away. Williams deserved to have been as happy he made his audiances. A one off... Gone well before his time sadly. RIP Great Sir.
oh what a man i just hope he knows now how much he was very very loved
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
The most funny people are usually masking something very dark.... And are in a lot of pain and anguish.
They think he's joking about his stance on relationships, but now we know he was actually serious. So sad really.
True. 📑📓
Yes very. He became really uncomfortable when Joan started on that subject, his whole demeanor changed.
@@truthteller4689 Exactly. Why is it sad? For him it's normal and the alternative is sad.
It's sad, because he he lived most of his life ion an era when most people in the public eye felt compelled to hide their homosexuality and being "outed" could mean death to one's career and general ostracism. Even in the UK, homosexual acts between consenting adults were illegal until he was 41 (in 1967). When AIDS claimed the life of its first major celebrity, cinema heartthrob Rock Hudson, it was headline news, because his homosexuality became public knowledge. And that was in 1985 - merely a year before this interview. In my opinion, to be gay in an age when it was a cause for ridicule, censure, or even imprisonment, was not just sad - my heart breaks for them all.
@@maries8059 But he spoke plainly enough about his need for privacy and his distaste for "relationships." Why not credit him with knowing his own mind?
Brilliant . I grew up with this humour , it's still genius
Kenneth Williams is a true legend,
I watch various clips of Williams every year or so. Golden.
fantastic, 2 comedy greats :)
Met him shortly after this at the Barbican Theatre in London. He was in increasing pain from his ulcer. He was a absolutely unique person!
He's one of the few made Joan Rivers quiet, less mad.
That's because she knew how to interview him to get the most entertainment from it.
Kenneth has given a great deal of pleasure and this interview shows his great charm.
Oh how I miss Kenny, Aww Bless. RIP 2019 & not forgotten,
What a complete comic legend.
After watching fantabulosa the other week started reading his diaries. Extraordinary.
Your truly missed Kenneth❣
Oh Kenny how we miss you! This April 2017 will be the 29th anniversary of his death.
There were few finer raconteurs than Kenneth....an amazing talent ! Fry I feel is the only person who comes close to him these days....RIP Kenny you 'ol bugger You !
Stephen Fry? are you taking the piss?
Anybody fancy a trip to Tangiers?Williams enjoyed his trips over there.But was paranoid about hygiene in his own abode. Hypocrite.
You cant see the S. Fry parallels? Simply different comedic generations, otherwise very similar, very much as talented and clever and as endearing.
What talent does Fry have?
Fry, endearing? Jellied eels, haute cuisine?
Bless him
This gentleman stood in for Terry Wogan on his chat show that was a joy.
Kenneth was 60 at this point but he looks so much older. Always loved the way he spoke