Harry H. Corbett

[David Brent]

Today is the anniversary of Harry H. Corbett's death in 1982.
Although i loved his performances in STEPTOE, CARRY ON SCREAMING ect..
I must admit i know very little about the man himself.
I have been unable to find any adequate biography or article that tells you the story behind the man.
Is there anyone out there who has the necessary info on
what type of bloke Harry was in real life?
It would be much appreciated.

Dave.

[noglea]

I read an article about Harry H. Corbett ages ago and I seem to remember that one of his children said that he was a very generous man that was always giving money away although sometimes it meant they weren't left with much. Was ages ago though so I can't remember where I read it.

Noglea

[The_Late_Peter_Cook]

By all accounts he was a bit bitter about his career, feeling that "Steptoe" came to dominate his life. In Simon Sheridan's "Keeping The British End Up" he was said to have commented on how much "he hated Harold Steptoe".

I can see his point, before "Steptoe" he had a very successful stage career, at one point being called an "English Brando", after "Steptoe" the serious roles became few and far between.

[Hell_driver]

His daughter Susanah played Peter Pascoe's wife Ellie in Dalziel & Pascoe.

[Bobj]

I saw a programme on TV a few years back which told how the relationship between Harry H Corbett & Wilfred Brambell deteriorated to such an extent that towards the end of the series they could hardly bare to be in the same room together.

[smudge]

Ahhh - you must be talking about WHEN STEPTOE MET SON...IIRC a piece of CH4 muck raking to add to their THE REAL.....(Insert celeb here) series. I saw that same prog and was most grieved by it, but on reading through the subject afterwards, it would appear that a great deal of that was 'faction'.

Steptoe did limit HHC's career, inarguably, and it would have been interesting to see how he developed had he been left alone. Problem was he seemed to slip aspects of 'Arold into some of his later performances ; subconsciously I would suggest, as he knew what the audience was coming to see.

Excellent performance in RATTLE OF A SIMPLE MAN, but a bit more Steptoe-like in THE BARGEE. Unsurpassed in CARRY ON SCREAMING Should have turned in more CARRY ONs...

SMUDGE

[David Brent]

Originally posted by Bobj@Mar 25 2005, 06:21 PM I saw a programme on TV a few years back which told how the relationship between Harry H Corbett & Wilfred Brambell deteriorated to such an extent that towards the end of the series they could hardly bare to be in the same room together.

The relationship couldn't have been too bad as when the STEPTOE & SON television series ended Harry and Wilfred Brambell commenced a world tour doing a stage act together. The act toured clubs all around Australia and was titled after the series. I'm told Harry & Wilfred dressed as their rag & bone character's and the whole show concisted of them telling stories and gags amongst themselves.
The act wasn't rated too highly, but it serves to show that they obviously got on very well together.Enough to tour the world together.

Dave.

[Tony Pendrey]

Harry was in a film called "Sparrows Can't Sing" back in 1963. I've always wanted to see this curioisity not least because it features a cameo appearance of the Krays. The film was based on a play written by Stephen Lewis, later to become well know as "Inspector Blakey", and interestingly (or not), Bob Grant who was in "Sparrows" would later appear in "On The Buses" with Stephen Lewis. Right, you can all go back to sleep now.

[Marky B]

Originally posted by Tony Pendrey@Mar 27 2005, 11:51 AM Harry was in a film called "Sparrows Can't Sing" back in 1963. I've always wanted to see this curioisity not least because it features a cameo appearance of the Krays. The film was based on a play written by Stephen Lewis, later to become well know as "Inspector Blakey", and interestingly (or not), Bob Grant who was in "Sparrows" would later appear in "On The Buses" with Stephen Lewis. Right, you can all go back to sleep now.

Hi Tony,
The screenplay was written by Lewis and the film's director Joan Littlewood,and I believe most of the cast were from Littlewood's Theatre Workshop,including Barbara Windsor,who sang the theme song.
It was about a sailor returning home from sea after two years,then seeking his wife and lover,threatening vengeance. It starred James Booth,Windsor,Roy Kinnear,Avis Bunnage,George Sewell,Barbara Ferris,Murray Melvin and Arthur Mullard.
What I remember of it,was a depressing comedy drama of the east end. We all know Barbara Windsor went on to star in that other barrel of laughs of cockneyland,Eastenders.
Ta Ta
Marky B

[samkydd]

I bought a BBC book "Steptoe and Son" written by Galton and Simpson with Robert Ross which includes details of the two stars' previous careers and other work taken on during the Steptoe years. Harry H was a serious method stage actor before the Harold Steptoe part took over his life, but although they weren't paid a king's ransom in the early days, it was an exremely popular and ground-breaking comedy so stardom and regular money must have been hard to resist.

Wilfrid Bramwell (yes it is spelt "Wilfrid" for some reason) used to do guest appearances as Albert but Harry H refused. The "H" was always used apparently to avoid confusing him with the man with his hand up Sooty and Sweep.

Having been brought up on Steptoe from a very early age I alway liked Harry H Corbett and he reminded me a little of Robert Newton. He would have made an excellent Bill Sykes with those rolling eyes and twitching facial expressions and in the black and white television world of the 1960s rag and bone trade neither of the Steptoes would have looked out of place had it been set in the 1860s!

The only films I saw of Harry H Cobett's was "The Bargee", and a detective role in a spoof comedy effort and both were disappointing. I did have some publicity photos from "Rattle of a Simple Man" but I've never seen the film.

[samkydd]

I might see if I can get a copy of Rattle of a Simple Man, it's bugging me that I haven't seen it!

[Diane Blackwell]

I've got reasonable quality copies of Sparrows Can't Sing, The Bargee and Rattle of a Simple Man - but although I can't make copies of them, I'm more than happy to lend the tapes out .... unless, of course, I send copies to people who want them and they make copies themselves!

[mysteriesofedgarwallace]

I have the following:-

Cover Girl Killer (1959)
The Shakedown (1959)
Marriage of Convenience (1960)
Time to Remember (1962)
The Bargee (1964)
The Sandwich Man (1966)
The Plank (1979)

I would love to acquire a few more if anyone fancies trading as HHC is one of my all time faves.
I can copy onto DVD-R.

[jacobean]

I heard that he was a very generous man, but constrained by the roles he played because of S&S. I saw him in that dreadful film from 1978ish - was it Confessions of a PI? It had Jon Pertwee in it as well. Seems strange that he would be over 80 now as we remember him as a relatively young man!

What is interesting is character actors who have relatively unknown other careers. I didn't realise that about Stephen Lewis - I thought that his career was purely based on playing 'Blakey' type characters.

Another actor who I was surprised about was a guy called Ronald Pember who only seemed to appear playing shifty looking pub landlords in The Sweeney and The professionals. I didnt realise he is also well known for his stage adaptations

[Jim]

Originally posted by Marky B@Mar 27 2005, 01:36 PM Hi Tony, The screenplay was written by Lewis and the film's director Joan Littlewood,and I believe most of the cast were from Littlewood's Theatre Workshop,including Barbara Windsor,who sang the theme song. It was about a sailor returning home from sea after two years,then seeking his wife and lover,threatening vengeance. It starred James Booth,Windsor,Roy Kinnear,Avis Bunnage,George Sewell,Barbara Ferris,Murray Melvin and Arthur Mullard. What I remember of it,was a depressing comedy drama of the east end. We all know Barbara Windsor went on to star in that other barrel of laughs of cockneyland,Eastenders. Ta Ta Marky B

I remember Roy Kinnear locking himself in the outdoor privey to hide from James Booth, but that is about all I remember about it. I always liked RK, damned shame about his pointless death, RIP Roy.