Bob Monkhouse
Encyclopedia
Robert Alan "Bob" Monkhouse, OBE
(1 June 1928 – 29 December 2003) was an English
entertainer. He was a successful comedy
writer, comedian
and actor
and was also well known on British television as a presenter
and game show
host. Monkhouse was famous for his one-liner joke
s.
, Kent
, the son of Wilfred Adrian Monkhouse, (1894–1957), and Dorothy Muriel Monkhouse née Hansard, (1895–1971). Monkhouse had an elder brother, John, born 1922. Monkhouse's grandfather was a prosperous Methodist businessman who owned Monk and Glass, which made custard powder.
While a schoolboy attended Goring Hall School in Worthing and also attended Dulwich College
, from which he was later expelled, Monkhouse wrote for the comics The Beano
and The Dandy
and subsequently drew for Hotspur, Wizard and Adventure comics. Among other writing, he wrote more than 100 Harlem Hotspots erotic novelettes.
Monkhouse completed his national service
with the Royal Air Force
(RAF) in 1948. He won a contract with the BBC
after his unwitting group captain signed a letter Monkhouse had written telling the BBC he was a war hero and that it should give him an audition.
This anecdote was among many which Monkhouse recalled in the BBC Radio 2 documentary Caught In The Draft
, written by Terence Pettigrew and presented by Michael Aspel. The programme took a nostalgic look at compulsory National Service, which operated in Britain from the wartime years until the beginning of the 1960s. Taking part in the programme along with Monkhouse were Leslie Thomas, author of The Virgin Soldiers
, and BBC Radio 2 presenter John Dunn.
Monkhouse starred in the first London production of the musical The Boys from Syracuse
(Antipholus of Syracuse) in 1963 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
, alongside Ronnie Corbett
.
, a fellow Old Alleynian
with whom he also compèred Smash Hits on Radio Luxembourg
. Alongside performing as a double act, Monkhouse and Goodwin wrote for comedians such as Arthur Askey
, Jimmy Edwards
, Ted Ray
and Max Miller. In addition, Monkhouse was a gag-writer for American comedians including Bob Hope
when they wanted jokes for British tours.
In 1956, Monkhouse was the host of Do You Trust Your Wife?, the British version of an American gameshow. He went on to host more than 30 different quiz show
s on British television. His public profile growing, Monkhouse also began appearing in comedy films, including the first of the Carry On
film series, Carry On Sergeant
in 1958. He appeared in films and television programmes throughout his career, making guest appearances particularly in later years. Other presenting jobs in the 1960s included hosting Candid Camera
and compèring Sunday Night at the London Palladium
. Around 1969 he was a partner, with Henry Howard, in the London Agency Mitchell Monkhouse. In 1979 he starred in a sketch comedy television series called Bonkers!
with the Hudson Brothers
.
In the early 1970s he appeared on BBC Radio in Mostly Monkhouse with Josephine Tewson
and David Jason
.
sales conference at the Excelsior Hotel on Bath Road opposite Heathrow Airport. He had been in a television advert for Polaroid
cameras, and he told the joke, 'I am the only man ever allowed to say on television "you take it out and hold it in your hand, and in only 20 seconds it develops - or a minute if you want it in colour."'
during the late 1960s. This was broadcast live for 52 weeks a year and drew in up to 17 million viewers. The dozens of other shows Monkhouse presented included Celebrity Squares, Bob's Full House
and Family Fortunes
. Audiences regularly topped 15 million. In the late 1980s he hosted two series of the revival of the talent show Opportunity Knocks which aired as Bob Says Opportunity Knocks. He then moved to ITV to front two more gameshows, Bob's Your Uncle and the $64,000 Dollar Question, neither of which were popular successes.
In 1996, Monkhouse presented the National Lottery
show on Saturday evenings on BBC One
. The opening to each show would see him deliver several minutes of topical jokes, and on one occasion where his Autocue failed, he improvised a new and still topical routine. This talent was used in Bob Monkhouse On The Spot, a return to pure television comedy, in which audience members suggested topics and Monkhouse came up with a routine. Monkhouse returned to quizzes in 1998 when he took over hosting duties on Wipeout
from Paul Daniels
.
who, after prior arrangement with the show's producer, appeared in a series of fake plaster casts, apparently the result of accidents whilst at home. During the interview she produced a handgun
and fired it on several occasions, destroying a plant pot on the set and a series of lights in the studio roof. She then presented a rocket launcher which she promptly 'fired' destroying a television camera.
The gun, launcher and camera were replicas. None of this arrangement was known to Monkhouse (although the production crew were aware), who appeared genuinely frightened.
and a movie collector, Monkhouse presented Mad Movies in 1966, in which he presented clips from comic silent movies, some of which he had helped to recover and restore. His private film collection was the cause of a court case at the Old Bailey
in 1979 after he was charged with attempting to defraud film distributors, but he was acquitted. Many of the films in his collection were seized and destroyed (including what would have been the only surviving copies of many films) before the acquittal.
In 2008, the British Film Institute
was contacted by Monkhouse's daughter, Abigail, who asked if they would like to view the collection and provide some advice as to the best way of preserving it. Amongst the discoveries were many long disappeared radio and TV shows. Dick Fiddy, archivist said "It's a huge, unwieldy collection which deals with a number of areas. It's not just film and TV. Initially we found half a dozen TV shows that we knew to be 'missing'."
Amongst those shows rediscovered were many that feature Monkhouse himself, including The Flip Side, a 1966 play starring Monkhouse as a DJ with his own late night television show, and the 1958 comedy My Pal about an extra-marital affair. The archive consists of 36,000 videotapes, going back to when Monkhouse first bought a home video recorder in 1966. His film archive began in the late 1950s.
The entire Monkhouse film and television archive is now held by Kaleidoscope, including all material previously held by the NFTVA. It is being catalogued and restored to digital formats in readiness for a major event at BAFTA on 24 October 2009. The full list of the archive will be published during that event, which is being organised by Kaleidoscope and filmed by the BBC. Chris Perry, part of Kaleidoscope and its partner company Kaleidoscope Publishing, said, "We are painstakingly transferring the important contents of the video tapes and restoring radio shows. There are many incredible finds, and the event in October will be an exciting time for all concerned."
In his final years, Monkhouse hosted a show on BBC Radio 2
called The Monkhouse Archive, in which he provided humorous links to clips of comedy acts spanning the previous 50 years. As both an enthusiast of classic comedy, and a keen supporter of young acts, he was ideally placed to select clips.
s, and, as his style fell out of favour in the 1980s, he was mocked for his slickness and accused of insincerity. He came back into fashion during the 1990s, and appearances on Have I Got News For You
restored his popularity. The British Comedy Awards
handed him the Lifetime Achievement for Comedy honour in 1995. The Television and Radio Industries Club
awarded him a Special Award - for outstanding contribution to broadcasting in 2003. He was surprised on This Is Your Life
twice; in 1982 and then just before his death in 2003. In a 2005 poll of fellow comedians and comedy insiders to find The Comedians' Comedian, Monkhouse was voted among the best 50 comedy acts ever.
, died in Braintree
, Essex
, in 1992, aged 40; this led to Monkhouse's being an avid campaigner for the disabled. His other son Simon, from whom he had been estranged for almost a decade, died of a heroin overdose in a hotel in Northern Thailand
in 2001.
Monkhouse lived in Eggington
, near Leighton Buzzard
, and had an apartment in London and a holiday home in Bermuda
.
In his autobiography, he admitted to 100's of sexual liaisons and affairs, including one with a transexual, but claimed he only undertook this course of action because his first wife was unfaithful. His regular lovers before his second marriage included the actress Diana Dors
, about whose parties he later commented after her death: "The awkward part about an orgy
, is that afterwards you're not too sure who to thank."
In July 1995, Monkhouse appealed for the return of a ring binder that constituted one of his 'joke books', offering a £15,000 reward. The book, which contained notes on sketches and one-liners, for which Monkhouse was most famous, was returned after 18 months.
Monkhouse was a vocal supporter of the Conservative Party
for many years. He was appointed an OBE
in 1993. He died of prostate cancer
on 29 December 2003.
TV advertisement promoting awareness of prostate cancer
for Male Cancer Awareness Week. Using reanimation techniques, Monkhouse was seen in a graveyard next to his own grave (though in reality he was cremated) talking about the disease seriously, interspersed with humorous asides to another camera ("What killed me kills one man per hour in Britain. That's even more than my wife's cooking."). He ended by saying, "As a comedian, I've died many deaths. Prostate cancer, I don't recommend. I'd have paid good money to stay out of here. What's it worth to you?" before walking away from his grave and disappearing. The advertisement was made with the support of Monkhouse's family and supported by poster campaigns, including award-winning panels displayed in London Underground
trains. Money raised went to the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1 June 1928 – 29 December 2003) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
entertainer. He was a successful comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
writer, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and was also well known on British television as a presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
and game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
host. Monkhouse was famous for his one-liner joke
One-liner joke
A one-liner is a joke that is delivered in a single line. A good one-liner is said to be pithy.Comedians and actors use this comedic method as part of their act, e.g...
s.
Early life and career
Bob Monkhouse was born at 168 Bromley Road, BeckenhamBeckenham
Beckenham is a town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is located 8.4 miles south east of Charing Cross and 1.75 miles west of Bromley town...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, the son of Wilfred Adrian Monkhouse, (1894–1957), and Dorothy Muriel Monkhouse née Hansard, (1895–1971). Monkhouse had an elder brother, John, born 1922. Monkhouse's grandfather was a prosperous Methodist businessman who owned Monk and Glass, which made custard powder.
While a schoolboy attended Goring Hall School in Worthing and also attended Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
, from which he was later expelled, Monkhouse wrote for the comics The Beano
The Beano
The Beano is a British children's comic, published by D.C. Thomson & Co and is arguably their most successful.The comic first appeared on 30 July 1938, and was published weekly. During the Second World War,The Beano and The Dandy were published on alternating weeks because of paper and ink...
and The Dandy
The Dandy
The Dandy is a long running children's comic published in the United Kingdom by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. The first issue was printed in 1937 and it is the world's third longest running comic, after Detective Comics and Il Giornalino...
and subsequently drew for Hotspur, Wizard and Adventure comics. Among other writing, he wrote more than 100 Harlem Hotspots erotic novelettes.
Monkhouse completed his national service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) in 1948. He won a contract with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
after his unwitting group captain signed a letter Monkhouse had written telling the BBC he was a war hero and that it should give him an audition.
This anecdote was among many which Monkhouse recalled in the BBC Radio 2 documentary Caught In The Draft
Caught in the Draft
Caught in the Draft is a 1941 comedy/war film, directed by David Butler.-Plot:Don Bolton is a famous Hollywood star who tries to get married in order to avoid the draft, as he feels it will interfere with his career...
, written by Terence Pettigrew and presented by Michael Aspel. The programme took a nostalgic look at compulsory National Service, which operated in Britain from the wartime years until the beginning of the 1960s. Taking part in the programme along with Monkhouse were Leslie Thomas, author of The Virgin Soldiers
The Virgin Soldiers
The Virgin Soldiers is a 1966 comic novel by Leslie Thomas, inspired by his own experiences of National Service in the British Army.The novel was turned into a film The Virgin Soldiers in 1969, directed by John Dexter, with a screenplay by the British screenwriter John Hopkins. It starred Hywel...
, and BBC Radio 2 presenter John Dunn.
Monkhouse starred in the first London production of the musical The Boys from Syracuse
The Boys from Syracuse
The Boys from Syracuse is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, based on William Shakespeare's play, The Comedy of Errors, as adapted by librettist George Abbott. The score includes swing and other contemporary rhythms of the 1930s. The show was the first musical...
(Antipholus of Syracuse) in 1963 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
, alongside Ronnie Corbett
Ronnie Corbett
Ronald Balfour "Ronnie" Corbett, OBE is a Scottish actor and comedian of Scottish and English parentage who had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the British television comedy series The Two Ronnies...
.
Writing and acting success
Monkhouse's adult career began as a scriptwriter for radio comedy in partnership with Denis GoodwinDenis Goodwin
Denis Goodwin was a radio and television comedy scriptwriter and actor, best known for his writing partnership with Bob Monkhouse, with whom he also compered the Smash Hits programme on Radio Luxembourg....
, a fellow Old Alleynian
Old Alleynian
This article concerns the rugby club. For a list of eminent Old Alleynians please see List of Old AlleyniansThe Old Alleynian Football Club is an open rugby union club founded as a team for the old boys of Dulwich College, themselves known as Old Alleynians. It is one of the oldest clubs in London...
with whom he also compèred Smash Hits on Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (English)
Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....
. Alongside performing as a double act, Monkhouse and Goodwin wrote for comedians such as Arthur Askey
Arthur Askey
Arthur Bowden Askey CBE was a prominent English comedian.- Life and career :Askey was born at 29 Moses Street, Liverpool, the eldest child and only son of Samuel Askey , secretary of the firm Sugar Products of Liverpool, and his wife, Betsy Bowden , of Knutsford, Cheshire...
, Jimmy Edwards
Jimmy Edwards
Jimmy Edwards DFC was an English comedic script writer and comedy actor on both radio and television, best known as Pa Glum in Take It From Here and as the headmaster 'Professor' James Edwards in Whack-O!-Biography:...
, Ted Ray
Ted Ray (comedian)
Ted Ray was a popular English comedian of the 1940s, 50s and 60s....
and Max Miller. In addition, Monkhouse was a gag-writer for American comedians including Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
when they wanted jokes for British tours.
In 1956, Monkhouse was the host of Do You Trust Your Wife?, the British version of an American gameshow. He went on to host more than 30 different quiz show
Quiz Show
Quiz Show is a 1994 American historical drama film produced and directed by Robert Redford. Adapted by Paul Attanasio from Richard Goodwin's memoir Remembering America, the film is based upon the Twenty One quiz show scandal of the 1950s...
s on British television. His public profile growing, Monkhouse also began appearing in comedy films, including the first of the Carry On
Carry On films
The Carry On films are a series of low-budget British comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. They are an energetic mix of parody, farce, slapstick and double entendres....
film series, Carry On Sergeant
Carry On Sergeant
Carry On Sergeant is the first Carry On film. Its first public screening was on 1 August 1958 at Screen One, London. Actors in this film who went on to be part of the regular team in the series were Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor and Terry Scott...
in 1958. He appeared in films and television programmes throughout his career, making guest appearances particularly in later years. Other presenting jobs in the 1960s included hosting Candid Camera
Candid Camera
Candid Camera is a hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as Candid Microphone June 28, 1947...
and compèring Sunday Night at the London Palladium
Sunday Night at the London Palladium
Sunday Night at the London Palladium is a British television variety show produced by ATV for the ITV network, originally running from 1955 to 1967, with a brief revival in 1973 and 1974...
. Around 1969 he was a partner, with Henry Howard, in the London Agency Mitchell Monkhouse. In 1979 he starred in a sketch comedy television series called Bonkers!
Bonkers!
Bonkers! was an ATV variety show from 1979, distributed by ITC Entertainment.Starring Bob Monkhouse and the Hudson Brothers - Bill, Brett and Mark - the show featured sketches, guest stars and musical numbers...
with the Hudson Brothers
Hudson Brothers
The Hudson Brothers are an American music group formed in Portland, Oregon in the 1970s and consisting of Bill Hudson, Brett Hudson and Mark Hudson...
.
In the early 1970s he appeared on BBC Radio in Mostly Monkhouse with Josephine Tewson
Josephine Tewson
Josephine Tewson is an English actress. Tewson is perhaps best known for her roles as Elizabeth in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances and as Miss Davenport in the British television series Last of the Summer Wine.-Early life:Tewson was born in Hampstead, London. Her father was a...
and David Jason
David Jason
Sir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack...
.
Stand-up comedy
Monkhouse was a respected stand up comedian. Known for his talent at ad-lib, he became a sought-after speaker for dinners and similar events. In 1976 he was the speaker at the Mars, IncorporatedMars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products with US$30 billion in annual sales in 2010, and is ranked as the 5th largest privately held company in the United States by Forbes. Headquartered in McLean, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia,...
sales conference at the Excelsior Hotel on Bath Road opposite Heathrow Airport. He had been in a television advert for Polaroid
Polaroid Corporation
Polaroid Corporation is an American-based international consumer electronics and eyewear company, originally founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land. It is most famous for its instant film cameras, which reached the market in 1948, and continued to be the company's flagship product line until the February...
cameras, and he told the joke, 'I am the only man ever allowed to say on television "you take it out and hold it in your hand, and in only 20 seconds it develops - or a minute if you want it in colour."'
Game shows
Monkhouse was well known for hosting television quiz shows. One of his biggest successes was The Golden ShotThe Golden Shot
The Golden Shot is a British television game show produced by ATV for ITV between 1 July 1967 and 13 April 1975, based on the German TV show Der goldene Schuss. It is most commonly associated with host Bob Monkhouse, though, three other presenters also hosted the show during its lifetime...
during the late 1960s. This was broadcast live for 52 weeks a year and drew in up to 17 million viewers. The dozens of other shows Monkhouse presented included Celebrity Squares, Bob's Full House
Bob's Full House
Bob's Full House was a popular quiz programme hosted by Bob Monkhouse which was based on the popular game 'Bingo' and aired on BBC1 from 1 September 1984 until 27 January 1990.-Gameplay:...
and Family Fortunes
Family Fortunes
Family Fortunes is a British game show, based on the American game show Family Feud. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 6 December 2002 before being revived by the same channel in 2006 under the title of All Star Family Fortunes...
. Audiences regularly topped 15 million. In the late 1980s he hosted two series of the revival of the talent show Opportunity Knocks which aired as Bob Says Opportunity Knocks. He then moved to ITV to front two more gameshows, Bob's Your Uncle and the $64,000 Dollar Question, neither of which were popular successes.
In 1996, Monkhouse presented the National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
show on Saturday evenings on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. The opening to each show would see him deliver several minutes of topical jokes, and on one occasion where his Autocue failed, he improvised a new and still topical routine. This talent was used in Bob Monkhouse On The Spot, a return to pure television comedy, in which audience members suggested topics and Monkhouse came up with a routine. Monkhouse returned to quizzes in 1998 when he took over hosting duties on Wipeout
Wipeout (UK game show)
Wipeout was a British game show based on the original US format that aired on BBC1 from 25 May 1994 to 3 December 2002. The show was originally hosted by Paul Daniels from 1994 to 1997, then Bob Monkhouse took over from 1998 to 2002.-Format:...
from Paul Daniels
Paul Daniels
Paul Daniels, born Newton Edward Daniels on 6 April 1938, is a British magician and television performer. He achieved international fame through his television series The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran on the BBC from 1979 to 1994.-Early life:...
.
Chat show
After being a stalwart of chat-shows, in the mid-1980s Monkhouse presented his own chat show for the BBC, The Bob Monkhouse Show. The show lasted two series and featured many guests from the world of movies and comedians of every age. Monkhouse was known among young comedians as a keen supporter of new comedy, and he used the show to introduce older audiences to new comedians, and vice versa. The format of the interviews varied between "true" chat and analysis of comedy, to scripted routines in which Monkhouse would willingly play the role of the guest's stooge. The most notable guest was the comedienne Pamela StephensonPamela Stephenson
Pamela Helen Stephenson Connolly is a New Zealand-born Australian clinical psychologist and writer now resident in the United Kingdom. She is best known for her work as an actress and comedian during the 1980s...
who, after prior arrangement with the show's producer, appeared in a series of fake plaster casts, apparently the result of accidents whilst at home. During the interview she produced a handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
and fired it on several occasions, destroying a plant pot on the set and a series of lights in the studio roof. She then presented a rocket launcher which she promptly 'fired' destroying a television camera.
The gun, launcher and camera were replicas. None of this arrangement was known to Monkhouse (although the production crew were aware), who appeared genuinely frightened.
Film and television archive
An expert on the history of silent cinemaSilent Movies
Silent Movies are 13 solo guitar compositions by Marc Ribot released September 28, 2010 on Pi Recordings.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars stating "For those interested in one of the more compelling and quietly provocative and graceful guitar records of 2010,...
and a movie collector, Monkhouse presented Mad Movies in 1966, in which he presented clips from comic silent movies, some of which he had helped to recover and restore. His private film collection was the cause of a court case at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
in 1979 after he was charged with attempting to defraud film distributors, but he was acquitted. Many of the films in his collection were seized and destroyed (including what would have been the only surviving copies of many films) before the acquittal.
In 2008, the British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
was contacted by Monkhouse's daughter, Abigail, who asked if they would like to view the collection and provide some advice as to the best way of preserving it. Amongst the discoveries were many long disappeared radio and TV shows. Dick Fiddy, archivist said "It's a huge, unwieldy collection which deals with a number of areas. It's not just film and TV. Initially we found half a dozen TV shows that we knew to be 'missing'."
Amongst those shows rediscovered were many that feature Monkhouse himself, including The Flip Side, a 1966 play starring Monkhouse as a DJ with his own late night television show, and the 1958 comedy My Pal about an extra-marital affair. The archive consists of 36,000 videotapes, going back to when Monkhouse first bought a home video recorder in 1966. His film archive began in the late 1950s.
The entire Monkhouse film and television archive is now held by Kaleidoscope, including all material previously held by the NFTVA. It is being catalogued and restored to digital formats in readiness for a major event at BAFTA on 24 October 2009. The full list of the archive will be published during that event, which is being organised by Kaleidoscope and filmed by the BBC. Chris Perry, part of Kaleidoscope and its partner company Kaleidoscope Publishing, said, "We are painstakingly transferring the important contents of the video tapes and restoring radio shows. There are many incredible finds, and the event in October will be an exciting time for all concerned."
In his final years, Monkhouse hosted a show on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
called The Monkhouse Archive, in which he provided humorous links to clips of comedy acts spanning the previous 50 years. As both an enthusiast of classic comedy, and a keen supporter of young acts, he was ideally placed to select clips.
Awards and influence
Monkhouse became a favourite with impressionistImpressionist (entertainment)
An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...
s, and, as his style fell out of favour in the 1980s, he was mocked for his slickness and accused of insincerity. He came back into fashion during the 1990s, and appearances on Have I Got News For You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
restored his popularity. The British Comedy Awards
British Comedy Awards
The British Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.-History:...
handed him the Lifetime Achievement for Comedy honour in 1995. The Television and Radio Industries Club
Television and Radio Industries Club
The Television and Radio Industries Club is a British institution chartered in 1931 to "promote goodwill in the television and radio industries"...
awarded him a Special Award - for outstanding contribution to broadcasting in 2003. He was surprised on This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life (UK TV series)
This Is Your Life is a British biographical television documentary, based on the 1952 American show of the same name. It was hosted by Eamonn Andrews from 1955 until 1964, and then from 1969 until his death in 1987 aged 64...
twice; in 1982 and then just before his death in 2003. In a 2005 poll of fellow comedians and comedy insiders to find The Comedians' Comedian, Monkhouse was voted among the best 50 comedy acts ever.
Personal life
Monkhouse was married twice, to Elizabeth Thompson on 5 November 1949 (divorced in 1972), and then to Jacqueline Harding (b. 1936 d. at Barbados 28 March 2008) on 4 October 1973. He had three children from his first marriage, but only his adopted daughter Abigail survived him. His son Gary Alan, who had cerebral palsyCerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
, died in Braintree
Braintree (district)
Braintree is a local government district in the English county of Essex. Its main town is Braintree.The main centres of population are Braintree, Witham and Halstead....
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, in 1992, aged 40; this led to Monkhouse's being an avid campaigner for the disabled. His other son Simon, from whom he had been estranged for almost a decade, died of a heroin overdose in a hotel in Northern Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
in 2001.
Monkhouse lived in Eggington
Eggington
Egginton – or Eggington as it is now known – is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England, about three miles east of Leighton Buzzard. Apart from the village itself, the parish also includes the hamlet of Briggington on the road to Leighton Buzzard,...
, near Leighton Buzzard
Leighton Buzzard
-Lower schools:*Beaudesert Lower School - Apennine Way*Clipstone Brook Lower School - Brooklands Drive*Greenleas Lower School - Derwent Road*Dovery Down Lower School - Heath Road*Heathwood Lower School - Heath Road*Leedon Lower School - Highfield Road...
, and had an apartment in London and a holiday home in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
.
In his autobiography, he admitted to 100's of sexual liaisons and affairs, including one with a transexual, but claimed he only undertook this course of action because his first wife was unfaithful. His regular lovers before his second marriage included the actress Diana Dors
Diana Dors
Diana Dors was an English actress, born Diana Mary Fluck in Swindon, Wiltshire. Considered the English equivalent of the blonde bombshells of Hollywood, Dors described herself as: "The only sex symbol Britain has produced since Lady Godiva."-Early life:Diana Mary Fluck was born in Swindon,...
, about whose parties he later commented after her death: "The awkward part about an orgy
Orgy
In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party where guests engage in promiscuous or multifarious sexual activity or group sex. An orgy is similar to debauchery, which refers to excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures....
, is that afterwards you're not too sure who to thank."
In July 1995, Monkhouse appealed for the return of a ring binder that constituted one of his 'joke books', offering a £15,000 reward. The book, which contained notes on sketches and one-liners, for which Monkhouse was most famous, was returned after 18 months.
Monkhouse was a vocal supporter of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
for many years. He was appointed an OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1993. He died of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
on 29 December 2003.
Posthumous advertisement
On 12 June 2007, Monkhouse posthumously appeared on a BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
TV advertisement promoting awareness of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
for Male Cancer Awareness Week. Using reanimation techniques, Monkhouse was seen in a graveyard next to his own grave (though in reality he was cremated) talking about the disease seriously, interspersed with humorous asides to another camera ("What killed me kills one man per hour in Britain. That's even more than my wife's cooking."). He ended by saying, "As a comedian, I've died many deaths. Prostate cancer, I don't recommend. I'd have paid good money to stay out of here. What's it worth to you?" before walking away from his grave and disappearing. The advertisement was made with the support of Monkhouse's family and supported by poster campaigns, including award-winning panels displayed in London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
trains. Money raised went to the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation.
As a performer
- Fast and Loose UK 1954 (with Denis GoodwinDenis GoodwinDenis Goodwin was a radio and television comedy scriptwriter and actor, best known for his writing partnership with Bob Monkhouse, with whom he also compered the Smash Hits programme on Radio Luxembourg....
) - Christmas Box UK 1955
- The Bob Monkhouse Show UK 1956
- Beat Up The Town UK 1957
- My Pal Bob UK 1957
- The Bob Monkhouse Hour UK 1958
- The Big Noise UK 1964
- Thirty Minute Theatre:The Flip Side (BBC2 Drama as Jerry Janus)UK 1966
- Mad Movies UK 1966
- The Golden ShotThe Golden ShotThe Golden Shot is a British television game show produced by ATV for ITV between 1 July 1967 and 13 April 1975, based on the German TV show Der goldene Schuss. It is most commonly associated with host Bob Monkhouse, though, three other presenters also hosted the show during its lifetime...
UK 1967-1972, 1974-1975 - Friends In High Places UK 1969
- The Bob Monkhouse Comedy Hour UK 1972
- Celebrity Squares (UK version of Hollywood SquaresHollywood SquaresHollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
) 1975-79, 1990-93 - I'm Bob, He's Dickie UK 1977
- Bonkers!Bonkers!Bonkers! was an ATV variety show from 1979, distributed by ITC Entertainment.Starring Bob Monkhouse and the Hudson Brothers - Bill, Brett and Mark - the show featured sketches, guest stars and musical numbers...
UK 1979 - Family FortunesFamily FortunesFamily Fortunes is a British game show, based on the American game show Family Feud. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 6 December 2002 before being revived by the same channel in 2006 under the title of All Star Family Fortunes...
(UK version of Family FeudFamily FeudFamily Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
) 1980-83 - The Bob Monkhouse ShowThe Bob Monkhouse ShowThe Bob Monkhouse Show was an entertainment show presented by Bob Monkhouse.The show celebrated the art of comedy and comedian guests were invited to perform a stand-up. The programme began in 1983 and ran for three series until 1986...
UK 1983 - Bob's Full HouseBob's Full HouseBob's Full House was a popular quiz programme hosted by Bob Monkhouse which was based on the popular game 'Bingo' and aired on BBC1 from 1 September 1984 until 27 January 1990.-Gameplay:...
(later remade as Lucky Numbers in the UK and Trump Card in the US) UK 1984-1990 - Opportunity Knocks UK 1987-89
- The $64,000 QuestionThe $64,000 Question (UK game show)The $64,000 Question is a UK game show based on the US format of the same name that originally ran from 19 May 1956 to 18 January 1958 produced by ATV and was originally hosted by Jerry Desmonde, and called simply The 64,000 Question with the top prize initially being 64,000 sixpences , later...
(UK version of The 64,000 Dollar QuestionThe 64,000 Dollar QuestionThe $64,000 Question is an American game show broadcast from 1955-1958, which became embroiled in the scandals involving TV quiz shows of the day...
) 1990-93 - Bob's Your Uncle UK 1991-92
- All or Nothing at All UK 1993
- An Audience With Bob MonkhouseAn Audience with...An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by ITV Studios, in which a host, usually a singer or comedian, performs for an invited audience of celebrity guests, interspersed with questions from the audience, in a light hearted revue/tribute style.The show began as An...
UK 1994 - Bob Monkhouse On The Spot UK 1995
- Bob Monkhouse - Over The Limit UK 1998
- Bob Monkhouse On Campus UK 1998
- Rex the RuntRex the RuntRex the Runt is an animated claymation television show produced by Aardman Animations for BBC Bristol in association with EVA Entertainment and Egmont Imagination. Its main characters are four plasticine dogs: Rex, Wendy, Bad Bob and Vince....
(1998, cameo) - WipeoutWipeout (UK game show)Wipeout was a British game show based on the original US format that aired on BBC1 from 25 May 1994 to 3 December 2002. The show was originally hosted by Paul Daniels from 1994 to 1997, then Bob Monkhouse took over from 1998 to 2002.-Format:...
UK 1998–2002 - BBC New Comedy AwardsBBC New Comedy AwardsThe BBC New Comedy Awards first appeared in 1995 and were considered to be one of the top UK comedy newcomer awards until they were axed in 2006. It was announced in the summer of 2006 that they were being replaced by a nationwide talent hunt that places its emphasis on sketch writing and filmed...
UK 1999 - Aaagh! It's the Mr. Hell ShowAaagh! It's the Mr. Hell ShowAaagh! It's the Mr Hell Show is an animated comedy show created by David Max Freedman & Alan Gilbey after the greeting card line about a painfully honest demon created by cartoonist Hugh MacLeod. The series only ran for one season of thirteen episodes in 2001/2002, produced by a British-Canadian...
UK/Canada 2001
As a writer
- Fast And Loose UK 1954
- Cyril's Saga UK 1957
- Early To Braden UK 1957
- My Pal Bob UK 1957
- The Bob Monkhouse Hour UK 1958
- The Big Noise UK 1964
- The Bob Monkhouse Comedy Hour UK 1972
- I'm Bob, He's Dickie UK 1977
- Marti UK 1977
- Bonkers! UK 1979
- An Audience With Bob Monkhouse UK 1994
- Bob Monkhouse On The Spot UK 1995
- Bob Monkhouse - Over The Limit UK 1998
As an author
- Book of Days, 1981, ISBN 0099271508 *Crying with Laughter: My Life Story 1994 ISBN 0099255812
- Over the Limit: My Secret Diaries 1993-98, 1999 ISBN 0099799812
- The World of Jonathan Creek with Steve Clark, 1999, ISBN 0563551356
- Just Say a Few Words 2004 ISBN 0753509083
As a voice actor
- Rex the RuntRex the RuntRex the Runt is an animated claymation television show produced by Aardman Animations for BBC Bristol in association with EVA Entertainment and Egmont Imagination. Its main characters are four plasticine dogs: Rex, Wendy, Bad Bob and Vince....
1998 (Johnny Saveloy in "Johnny Saveloy's Undoing") - Aaagh! It's the Mr. Hell ShowAaagh! It's the Mr. Hell ShowAaagh! It's the Mr Hell Show is an animated comedy show created by David Max Freedman & Alan Gilbey after the greeting card line about a painfully honest demon created by cartoonist Hugh MacLeod. The series only ran for one season of thirteen episodes in 2001/2002, produced by a British-Canadian...
2001 (Mr. Hell in all 13 episodes)
Films
- The Secret People 1952
- Carry On SergeantCarry On SergeantCarry On Sergeant is the first Carry On film. Its first public screening was on 1 August 1958 at Screen One, London. Actors in this film who went on to be part of the regular team in the series were Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor and Terry Scott...
1958 - Dentist in the ChairDentist in the ChairDentist in the Chair is a 1960 British comedy film, directed by Don Chaffey and starring Bob Monkhouse, Ronnie Stevens, Eric Barker and Vincent Ball. The screenplay was written by Val Guest, based on a novel by Matthew Finch...
1960 - Dentist on the JobDentist on the JobDentist on the Job is a 1961 British comedy film directed by C.M. Pennington-Richards. It was released in the US with the title Get on with it! It is the sequel to Dentist in the Chair. The film was co-written by Bob Monkhouse and Hazel Adair...
1961 - A Weekend with LuluA Weekend with LuluA Weekend with Lulu is a 1961 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Bob Monkhouse, Leslie Phillips, Alfred Marks, and Shirley Eaton.-Cast:*Bob Monkhouse as Fred Scrutton*Leslie Phillips as Timothy Gray...
1962 - She'll Have to GoShe'll Have to GoShe'll Have to Go is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Robert Asher and starring Bob Monkhouse.-Cast:* Bob Monkhouse - Francis Oberon* Alfred Marks - Douglas Oberon...
1962 - Thunderbirds Are GoThunderbirds Are GOThunderbirds Are Go is a 1966 British science-fiction film based on Thunderbirds, a 1960s television series starring marionette puppets and featuring scale model effects in a filming process dubbed "Supermarionation"...
1966 - The Bliss of Mrs. BlossomThe Bliss of Mrs. BlossomThe Bliss of Mrs. Blossom is a 1968 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath. The screenplay by Alec Coppel and Denis Norden was adapted from a play by Coppel that was based on a short story by Josef Shaftel, who served as the film's producer.-Plot:...
1968 - Simon, SimonSimon, SimonSimon, Simon is a 1970 Sound Effect comedy short film directed by Graham Stark.-Synopsis:Two handymen, cause chaos on a new crane while haphazardly trying to accomplish jobs for their ever more frustrated boss...
1970
Stand-Up videos
- Exposes Himself (17 October 1994)
- Live And Forbidden (23 October 1995)
- Way Over The Limit (23 November 1998)
Notable one-liners
- "They laughed when I said I was going to be a comedian. They're not laughing now."
- "Personally, I don't think there's intelligent life on other planets. Why should other planets be any different from this one?"
- "Silence is not only golden, it is seldom misquoted."
- "Marriage is an investment which pays dividends if you pay interest."
- "I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my father. Not screaming and terrified like his passengers." (Said on the advert which was broadcast after he had died)
- "Growing old is compulsory - growing up is optional."
- "As a comic, you need every wrinkle. Having a facelift would be like asking a tap dancer to have his feet chopped off."
- "I came home and found that my son was taking drugs - my very best ones too!" (on Have I Got News For YouHave I Got News for YouHave I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
) - "I'm rather relaxed about death. From quite an early age I've regarded it as part of the deal, the unwritten guarantee that comes with your birth certificate."
- "So you are half Welsh and half Hungarian, that means you are well-hung!" (on V Graham NortonV Graham NortonV Graham Norton was an entertainment programme shown on Channel 4 in the UK starring Graham Norton, broadcast every weeknight as a successor to the weekly So Graham Norton. It aired from 6 May 2002 to 26 December 2003. It featured celebrities who chatted with Graham and became involved in studio...
) - (on stage as a veteranVeteranA veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
comic)"You'll be glad to hear, I can still enjoy sex at 74, which is great because I live at 76." - "I can remember when safe sex meant a padded headboard."
- "It got up to 94 degrees today - that's pretty good at my age."
- "People often think I'm from Kent. I hear them whisper it as I walk past."
- On his visits to Princess Grace Hospital for treatment after being diagnosed with prostate cancer--"I've been in and out of Princess Grace more often than Prince Rainier."
- "With my wife it was sex, sex, sex...Yes, three times in 35 years."
- "Should you wish to piss...." (an infamous blooper when presenting The $64,000 Question in which he mispronounced the word "pass")
- "Dulwich College takes me back after seventy years: My Mum must have written one hell of a sick note!"
- "The Doctor said have you heard of faecal impaction? I said, I think I saw that with Glenn Close" Joking about his cancer battle on Parkinson in 2003.
Game show catchphrases
- "Bernie.... the bolt!" - catchphrase on The Golden ShotThe Golden ShotThe Golden Shot is a British television game show produced by ATV for ITV between 1 July 1967 and 13 April 1975, based on the German TV show Der goldene Schuss. It is most commonly associated with host Bob Monkhouse, though, three other presenters also hosted the show during its lifetime...
. - "In Bingo lingo clickety-clicks, it's time to take your pick of the six"- catchphrase on Bob's Full HouseBob's Full HouseBob's Full House was a popular quiz programme hosted by Bob Monkhouse which was based on the popular game 'Bingo' and aired on BBC1 from 1 September 1984 until 27 January 1990.-Gameplay:...
.