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Kenneth Charles Williams ( February 22, 1926 - April 15, 1988) was a British comic actor, star of over twenty Carry On... films and notable radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne, as well as a witty raconteur on a wide range of subjects.1 Life and Career
Kenneth Williams was born near Euston station, London, the son of a hairdresser. He was educated at Lyulph Stanley School. His relationship with his parents - he hated his father and adored his mother - was key to the development of his personality. Williams apprenticed as a draughtsman and joined the army aged 18. He was part of the Royal Engineers survey section in Bombay when he had his first experience of going on stage with Combined Services Entertainment.
After the war, his career began with a number of roles in repertory theatre, but few serious roles were to lend themselves to his style of delivery. His failure to be established as a serious dramatic actor would disappoint him, but it was his potential as a comic actor which gained him his big break. He was spotted playing the Dauphin in George Bernard Shaw's St Joan in 1954Events January events January 14 The Hudson Motor Car Company merges with Nash-Kelvinator forming the American Motors Corporation January 14 Marilyn Monroe weds Joe DiMaggio. January 15 Mau Mau leader Waruhiu Itote is captured in Kenya January 20 The Nati by the radio producer Dennis Main Wilson who was casting Hancock's Half HourHancock's Half Hour was a famous BBC radio comedy series of the 1950s starring Tony Hancock. Other regular cast members were Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Bill Kerr and Kenneth Williams. Andree Melly appeared in some early episodes. The scriptwriters were Ra. He would lend his distinctive voice and amazing vocal talent to the radio series to almost the end of its run five years later.
Meanwhile he became a foil to Kenneth Horne in the series' Beyond Our KenBeyond Our Ken was a radio programme, the predecessor to Round the Horne also starring Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Bill Pertwee and Betty Marsden. It also featured Ron Moody, and Stanley Unwin made one appearance in the pilot episode. It was initiall ( 1958Events January January 1 Treaty of Rome founding the EU is implemented January 4 Sputnik 1 falls to Earth from its orbit (launched on October 4 1957) January 8 14 year old Bobby Fischer wins the United States Chess Championship January 18 Armed Lumbee Nat- 1963Events January-March January 11 The Whisky A Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, the first disco in the USA, is opened. January 14 George Wallace becomes governor of Alabama. January 22 Elysee treaty between France and Germany January 28 Black student Harvey, and then consolidated this with its sequel Round the HorneRound the Horne was one of the most influential BBC Radio comedy programmes, comparable to The Goon Show in its influence on other comedy programmes. It was transmitted in four series of weekly episodes from 1965 until 1968. Round the Horne was created by ( 1964Events January January 1 Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. January 3 Senator Barry Goldwater announces that he will seek the Republican nomination for President. January 5 In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Ort- 1969For other uses, see Number 1969. For the movie, see 1969 (movie). Events January January 1 Australian media baron Rupert Murdoch purchases the largest selling British Sunday newspaper The News Of The World January 5 The Derry Riots leave over 100 people i). In the latter, his roles included the eccentric folk singer, Rambling Syd Rumpo, and Sandy of the extremely camp couple, Julian and Sandy (Julian was played by Hugh Paddick), notable for their arch double entendres and use of the underground gay slang, Polari.
He also worked in television and British films, most notably the Carry On ... series. Particularly in the theatre, he was famous for breaking out of character and talking to the audience. He was a regular panellist on the BBC radio panel game, Just a Minute from its first show in 1967 until his death and regularly presented the children's story-reading series Jackanory. He was a reliable guest on any talkshow, able to regale an audience with amusing anecdotes on every subject. He was extremely well read.
Williams publicly insisted that he was celibate, but in private found his homosexuality difficult to deal with. His diaries contain many references to unconsumated or barely-consumated relationships, described in code as traditional matters or tradiola, probably because homosexuality was still a criminal offense in the United Kingdom for much of the period the diaries cover. He befriended Joe Orton who wrote the role of Inspector Truscott in Loot ( 1966) for him and enjoyed holidays with Orton and Kenneth Halliwell in North Africa. In later years his health declined. Despite making a good living, he lived throughout his life in a series of small flats in inner London.
He died on April 15, 1988 from an overdose of barbiturates. It was not definitely established whether this was accidental or suicide (Williams' father had died in similarly unclear circumstances when he had drunk a bottle of solvent). The last sentence Williams wrote in his diary was "By 6.30 pain in the back was pulsating as it's never done before … so this, plus the stomach trouble combines to torture me - oh - what's the bloody point?". The posthumous publication of his diaries, edited by Russell Davies, caused some controversy.
