Don Estelle

[faginsgirl]

Since he appears to be quite popular (especially after being spotted in so many shopping centres in the past) I thought Don Estelle deserves his own thread.

Don Estelle (22 May 1933 - 2 August 2003) was a British actor and singer.
Born Donald Edwards in Crumpsall, Manchester, he was brought up in a house on Russell Street, Crumpsall. During World War II, at the age of eight, he was evacuated to Darwen, Lancashire, twenty miles away from his home town, to escape the German bombing of the city. It was here that he found his voice as a treble at the local Holy Trinity Parish Church (now called St Peter's) and, on returning home after the war, carried on singing at St Mary's Church, Crumpsall. He later joined a charity group, the Manchester Kentucky Minstrels, and with them, performed the Mario Lanza hit "Granada" in the talent show What Makes a Star? in 1954 at BBC Radio's northern studios in Manchester.

He gained theatre experience by singing one song 12 times a week in the show The Backyard Kids at the Hulme Hippodrome in Manchester. He later toured the Northern club circuit where he met the comedy actor Windsor Davies with whom he teamed up and toured the UK for four years. In the 1960s he had some cameo roles in Coronation Street and Dad's Army and eventually landed the perfect role for his talents playing the part of Gunner 'Lofty' Sugden in the 1970s British sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum. The character was dubbed with the ironic nickname of "Lofty" on account of Don Estelle's small stature (4 feet, 9 inches). He had a powerful tenor voice and as a spin-off from the series Estelle, and his co-star Windsor Davies, had a number one hit in the UK in 1975 with a semi-comic version of Whispering Grass. He also acted in the films Not Now Comrade, A Private Function (1984) and Santa Claus: The Movie (1984).

In the first series of The League of Gentlemen he made brief appearances in two episodes as Little Don, keeper of the Roundabout Zoo (a zoo on the island of a roundabout intersection).

In 2001, he appeared in one episode of Linda Smith's A Brief History of Timewasting as "Little Don" of the "East End Art Mafia".

[liambarn]

Despite his small stature Don had a tremendous tenor voice.He was a top class singer,and also a pretty fair comedy actor.

[didi-5]

LOL I knew you were going to start a thread on Don Estelle! I just knew it :)

[GRAEME]

Last time I saw him, in person it was too, he was singing table to table to entertain the diners in the famous Harry Ramsden fish and chip flagship in Guiseley.

Some people obviously didn't know who he was - and folks went on stuffing the chips down themselves while he sang at them

Sad it was.

[faginsgirl]

LOL I knew you were going to start a thread on Don Estelle! I just knew it :)

It just had to be done one day.

[faginsgirl]

Last time I saw him, in person it was too, he was singing table to table to entertain the diners in the famous Harry Ramsden fish and chip flagship in Guiseley.

Some people obviously didn't know who he was - and folks went on stuffing the chips down themselves while he sang at them

Sad it was.

Still, most actors are out of work at times and have to do things they don`t want to. And I bet he did very nicely thank you when he WAS on t.v.

[faginsgirl]

At around 6.00 onwards.

[jimw1]

As he has been mentioned quite a lot Recently on the Forum I was searching Yesterday for Info on him and came across this piece of footage from New Zealand in 2003.. 5 Months before he passed away...
I find it a very sad but Moving piece of film......

[liambarn]

Here's an earlier photo of Don on one of his LP Covers.

Don-Estelle-Beautiful-Dreamer-528130.jpg

[liambarn]

Here's another photo of Don with The Green Cross Man helping kids learn to cross the roadgxc1.jpg

[Timmy_Lea]

[Tigon Man]

Still, most actors are out of work at times and have to do things they don`t want to. And I bet he did very nicely thank you when he WAS on t.v.

Don Estelle may have made a few bob whilst the series was being made Michelle (Although The BBC were not the most generous) compared to Joe Public, but the filming duration of a series such as Hot Mum or Dad's Army was not long, so the stars often had months to fill between series.

Taking for Example Windsor Davies from Hot Mum and Ian Lavender from Dad's Army, they often supplemented their earnings by appearing in low budget sex comedies such as the Adventures and Confessions movies.

Davies appeared on Confessions of a Driving Instructor (1976) and Playbirds (1978)

Lavender appeared in Confessions of a Pop Performer (1975) and The Adventure series Taxi driver (1976) and Private Eye (1977).

Not high art, but they were well paid and filled the void between series.

That said, Don Estelle himself stayed away from low budget sex comedies, save for Ray Cooney's Not Now Comrade (1976)

[faginsgirl]

Taking for Example Windsor Davies from Hot Mum and Ian Lavender from Dad's Army, they often supplemented their earnings by appearing in low budget sex comedies such as the Adventures and Confessions movies.

Davies appeared on Confessions of a Driving Instructor (1976) and Playbirds (1978)

Lavender appeared in Confessions of a Pop Performer (1975) and The Adventure series Taxi driver (1976) and Private Eye (1977).

Not high art, but they were well paid and filled the void between series.

And if I remember rightly, they were both in Carry on behind? Or was it carry on camping? I think it was behind.

[faginsgirl]

I remember meeting Windsor Davies when he visited our class at school. He was a nice man, but I remember being nervous of him and thought he would crush my hand when he shook it, he is quite a large man.

[Tigon Man]

And if I remember rightly, they were both in Carry on behind? Or was it carry on camping? I think it was behind.

Yep both Windsor & Ian L. were in Carry on Behind.

Windsor has a large detached place in Surrey, not far from where my father used to live, I've driven past it once or twice.

Why did Windsor visit your school Michelle? I'd have thought one bellow from him would have had the kids running screaming from the building.

Poofs.jpg

[Edward G]

Hi Jim,
Thanks for the posting.
Sad but also a poignant tribute to the "show must go on" kind of code that many actors, musicians and entertainers face in later years, when the peak of popularity of the early years (and the audience that witnessed it) have largely gone. Also, that most look mildly bemused and there is the titilation of one of the audience members close to the vdeo camera stepping closer to the stage, only to exit stage-right as he gets near the front! Don's voice held up pretty well, though and I think he probably enjoyed just singing away and didn't mind the dwindling number of listeners. I would definitely have listened and tried to have a chat with him if I had been there.

As he has been mentioned quite a lot Recently on the Forum I was searching Yesterday for Info on him and came across this piece of footage from New Zealand in 2003.. 5 Months before he passed away...
I find it a very sad but Moving piece of film......

[Edward G]

Great photo, Tigon Man!

Yep both Windsor & Ian L. were in Carry on Behind.

Windsor has a large detached place in Surrey, not far from where my father used to live, I've driven past it once or twice.

Why did Windsor visit your school Michelle? I'd have thought one bellow from him would have had the kids running screaming from the building.

Attachment 5773

Hi Faginsgirl,
Many thanks for the new thread and the great capsule summary of good old "Lofty".

[Edward G]

Interesting, Timmy.
I love it that a security guard is employed to ensure that the plastic reindeer remain unmolested!

[ShirlGirl]

The first time I heard Don Estelle sing was in It Ain't Half Hot Mum, when he sang Whispering Grass and he blew my socks off. Such a lovely voice and it was so unexpected - I had no idea he was a singer as well as an actor.

[Edward G]

Exactly.
That was the surprise - a 4ft 9 inch fall guy, the butt of Windsor Davies' put downs, that turns out to have such an uplifting and impressive singing voice.

The first time I heard Don Estelle sing was in It Ain't Half Hot Mum, when he sang Whispering Grass and he blew my socks off. Such a lovely voice and it was so unexpected - I had no idea he was a singer as well as an actor.