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| Welcome to paradise. |
Best known, of course, for his work in the Carry On films (although he also played the role of 'Betting Man' in the infamous 1954 picture The Gay Dog - a film about illegal dog bumming competitions held on the western outskirts of Newcastle upon Tyne, see previous post) Peter Butterworth enjoyed no little success and was instantly recognisable by sight, if not name, to millions.
Butterworth usually played mild-mannered eccentrics: chiselling camp site owner Josh Fiddler, the randy Admiral with wandering hands in Carry On Girls, Pepe the hotel manager in Carry On Abroad - "sausage, beans and chippings!". His characters might’ve been a bit mischievous at times but they were never any bother, he had one of those faces that prevented him from playing the real villains, like a wistful conker with a glint in its eye - not completely lived in, but definitely looking like it had kipped on your settee a few times after a night out on the light ales down Ye Olde Racist Pigge.
He married the actress and impressionist Janet Brown in 1947 who later became famous for her impersonations of Margaret Thatcher. There were rumours that Butterworth struggled to come to terms with his wife's success and he infamously commented in one interview "if she's the Iron Lady then she'd better start doing my fucking laundry", Butterworth apologised for this "uncharacteristic outburst" and blamed the bibulous research he’d been doing for the role of the toby jug in the title sequence of Never The ‘Twain, the marriage survived.
Butterworth died of a heart attack in 1979. He was found in his hotel room during a run of Aladdin in Coventry, he had been playing ‘T’Widow Wankey’ – a bawdy, Lancastrian take on the traditional panto role. The remainder of the run was cancelled out of respect and Butterworth was buried in Danehill cemetery, East Sussex. And that was it, his legacy was secured in his film work, the Carry On films became an integral part of the lusty British traditions of innuendo, big tits and comedy sound effects and have continued to be shown ever since their heyday.
Then, in 2009, he surprised everyone by making a comeback ITV’s Britain's Got Talent. It was his biggest part yet - the Hairy Angel, Susan Boyle.
Butterworth usually played mild-mannered eccentrics: chiselling camp site owner Josh Fiddler, the randy Admiral with wandering hands in Carry On Girls, Pepe the hotel manager in Carry On Abroad - "sausage, beans and chippings!". His characters might’ve been a bit mischievous at times but they were never any bother, he had one of those faces that prevented him from playing the real villains, like a wistful conker with a glint in its eye - not completely lived in, but definitely looking like it had kipped on your settee a few times after a night out on the light ales down Ye Olde Racist Pigge.
He married the actress and impressionist Janet Brown in 1947 who later became famous for her impersonations of Margaret Thatcher. There were rumours that Butterworth struggled to come to terms with his wife's success and he infamously commented in one interview "if she's the Iron Lady then she'd better start doing my fucking laundry", Butterworth apologised for this "uncharacteristic outburst" and blamed the bibulous research he’d been doing for the role of the toby jug in the title sequence of Never The ‘Twain, the marriage survived.
Butterworth died of a heart attack in 1979. He was found in his hotel room during a run of Aladdin in Coventry, he had been playing ‘T’Widow Wankey’ – a bawdy, Lancastrian take on the traditional panto role. The remainder of the run was cancelled out of respect and Butterworth was buried in Danehill cemetery, East Sussex. And that was it, his legacy was secured in his film work, the Carry On films became an integral part of the lusty British traditions of innuendo, big tits and comedy sound effects and have continued to be shown ever since their heyday.
Then, in 2009, he surprised everyone by making a comeback ITV’s Britain's Got Talent. It was his biggest part yet - the Hairy Angel, Susan Boyle.
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| I Can't Believe It's Not Butterworth. |
As Susan Boyle, Butterworth captured the hearts of the nation with his ability to hold a tune whilst in character as a batty auld Scotch crone. He might not have managed to crease the poisoned veneer of BGT judge Amanda Holden but his version of I Dreamed A Dream set him on the road to stardom a second time over.
Butterworth (Boyle), or Su-Bo (Bu-Bo) may have lost the Britain’s Got Talent battle - finishing runner-up in the final to dance troupe Diversity, but ultimately won the war. His first album achieved record sales for a debut and earned him £5m in his first year back in the limelight, he has released a further two albums since and now enjoys global fame having appeared on network television in the USA, Japan and Australia – never once breaking out of the “beardy wee wifie wha’s daft in the heed” character. He learned that in rep, the young ‘uns these days wouldn’t have a clue.
See - death isn’t the end after all. Big Dave Cameron was a Beluga whale you know. He kept the looks but lost the perma-grin and swimming ability and now spends a fortune on rouge (“Keep it ruddy, ya?”). So now you know, but sometimes the big answers only lead us to bigger questions: What were you? Who were you? What will you return as next time? Sweet or salted? Open or wrapped? Complicated this life lark, innit?
Butterworth (Boyle), or Su-Bo (Bu-Bo) may have lost the Britain’s Got Talent battle - finishing runner-up in the final to dance troupe Diversity, but ultimately won the war. His first album achieved record sales for a debut and earned him £5m in his first year back in the limelight, he has released a further two albums since and now enjoys global fame having appeared on network television in the USA, Japan and Australia – never once breaking out of the “beardy wee wifie wha’s daft in the heed” character. He learned that in rep, the young ‘uns these days wouldn’t have a clue.
See - death isn’t the end after all. Big Dave Cameron was a Beluga whale you know. He kept the looks but lost the perma-grin and swimming ability and now spends a fortune on rouge (“Keep it ruddy, ya?”). So now you know, but sometimes the big answers only lead us to bigger questions: What were you? Who were you? What will you return as next time? Sweet or salted? Open or wrapped? Complicated this life lark, innit?
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