Alfred Hawthorn Hill [stage name Benny Hill] [1924-1992]
Hill often used 'stage Jewish' mannerisms in his portrayals and was an admirer of Jewish American humour and had great admiration for the violin playing, po faced American comedian Jack Benny. He used his idol's surname as his forename for his TV variety show appearances as comic and singer. His self composed song "Ernie, Ernie drove the fastest milk wagon in the West" reminds us of course of his career as a milkman in neighbouring Eastleigh. Born in Southampton, his father had at one time been a circus clown but more recently the manager of a surgical appliance company. His grandfather used to take him to watch variety shows at the two local theatres and further afield such as Southsea and London where Alfred picked up the skills of timing and soon began to mimic artists and enjoy the reaction of his family and friends to his antics. He was called up in WWII and served in the Royal Engineers. He started making short stage appearances but relied on his income as a shop assistant and then as a milkman. He briefly joined up with Reg ["On the 'Buses" Varney as a double act for venues such as the Windmill theatre in London. He then went solo and was given his first break in 1949 on TV. Benny appeared as a bungling detective in an Ealing film comedy but the film was not a success. In 1955 he began his TV hit "The Benny Hill Show" with its quick fire laughs, scanty glad young ladies and gifted straight men who highlighted his gifted mimicry and seaside pier postcard humour. He had a few small parts in films and belatedly his fame spread to US television and unusual for a British entertainer he became a huge hit.
Britain entered a period of soul searching and political correctness and his long time TV host Thames Television decided that scanty glad girls, slight double-entendres and slapping old bald men on the head was demeaning so for some years his career was based in the USA where the American audience clamoured for more of the same. In 1986, the inmates of a Californian prison threatened a riot when they heard that the evening's Benny Hill show was not going to be shown. A few years later there was a re-think in the UK and Thames' successor introduced a few repeats of his show but they did not commission him for any further new programmes.
He lived very frugally on the lower part of his house and did not own a car or demonstrate trappings of wealth. He died alone whilst watching TV and his estimated £10 million estate was divided between seven nieces and nephews.
Benny was buried at Hollybrook Cemetery near to the General Hospital. Rumours persisted that he had asked that gold bracelets and his jewellery should be placed in his coffin and some unknown -unspeakable- persons attempted to break into his grave but gave up on their effort halfway in. Subsequently his family arranged a very heavy thick stone to be placed horizontally over the grave and fortunately there has been no re-attempt to break into the grave.