Charles Hawtrey(1914-1988).
Charles Hawtrey was born in November 1914 and he made his professional debut at the age of 11 as a street urchin in the play The Windmill Man having spent three years at the world famous Italia Conti acting school. He was also a fine boy soprano and recordings of him singing exist and are played on radio even today, and although he never learnt to read music he was an excellent pianist.
Hawtrey appeared in films as far back as 1930 (a silent feature entitled Marry Me) but his 30s and 40s career was mainly spent on the stage, appearing in revues, comedies and pantomimes and such-like. His talent was considered good enough for him to appear with the Old Vic in Shakespeare comedies.
His slight figure and effeminate ways meant that he was usually cast as the drippy type and it was this character that brought him to the attention of the producer for Carry On Sergeant. He appeared in a total of 23 Carry On films until ill health forced him to leave the series in 1972 and was more often than not cast in exactly the same way. Occasionally he was permitted to break away from this and become a lover, a private detective or a doctor. He was once quoted as saying that although he hadn't made a great deal of money from the series they had made him famous - but he also said that once the series started he became typecast and couldn't find other work; this can be seen by the very few other films he made after Carry On Sergeant.
In his later life he was dogged by ill health and lived alone, almost hermit-like, in his simple house in Deal, Kent. He died in 1988, aged 73.
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