Johnny Hutch; acrobat & stooge (Benny Hill)
Hyfler/Rosner
Here's another obit, anyway.
The Times (London)
February 20, 2007, Tuesday
Johnny Hutch
Johnny Hutch, acrobat and stooge, was born on August 8,
1913. He died on December 9, 2006, aged 93 Johnny Hutch had
a long career as an acrobat in variety and circus, but he
was also well known to viewers of the Benny Hill show as the
bald-headed stooge always having his head patted and his ear
tweaked.
Born John Hutchinson in Middlesbrough, he began performing
as an acrobat at the Middlesbrough Empire at 14. His
speciality "cross trick" involved about 20 somersaults. In
the 1930s he toured with Casey's Court, where he met his
wife, the dancer Jean Phillips. They were married in 1940.
During the war Hutch appeared at London's Windmill Theatre,
where he was a favourite of the manager, Vivian Van Damm. He
served in the Army, rising to the rank of staff sergeant in
the 2nd Independent Para Brigade.
After the war he formed his own troupe, the Rapid Four,
working in variety. In the 1950s he had great success with
the acrobatic tumbling act the Seven Volants, regulars at
the London Palladium. Hutch went on to develop two other
acrobatic comedy acts, the Herculeans and the Half Wits.
They appeared in Las Vegas and in France with Cirque Jean
Richard. In 1976 Hutch won the World Circus Championships,
turning a full-twisting backward somersault at the age of
64.
More recently he was an adviser to the RSC on falls and
stunts, and he worked with Greg Doran and Anthony Sher on
their production of Tamburlaine the Great. In 1992 he helped
Richard Attenborough and Robert Downey Jr to film Chaplin,
for which his memory of the great filmmaker's early stage
routines proved invaluable. Two years later he was appointed
MBE for his services to fringe theatre.
Brad Ferguson
<rel...@rcn.com> wrote:
> I could swear this was already posted, but I can't find it.
> Here's another obit, anyway.
>
>
>
> The Times (London)
>
> February 20, 2007, Tuesday
>
> Johnny Hutch
>
>
>
> Johnny Hutch, acrobat and stooge, was born on August 8,
> 1913. He died on December 9, 2006, aged 93 Johnny Hutch had
> a long career as an acrobat in variety and circus, but he
> was also well known to viewers of the Benny Hill show as the
> bald-headed stooge always having his head patted and his ear
> tweaked.
Maybe you're thinking of another Hill stooge, Henry McGee? debdav
posted his BBC obit on 31 Jan 2006, and I remember some discussion
about which stooge was which:
> Actor Henry McGee, famed for playing the stooge in the Benny Hill TV
> show, has died at the age of 77.
>
> He died on Saturday and had been battling Alzheimer's, his agent said.
> He spent the last six months of his life in a nursing home.
>
> McGee played Hill's sidekick in the comedy sketch show for 20 years and
> was also appeared alongside the Honey Monster in the Sugar Puffs
> commercials.
>
> He became an actor after finishing his National Service in the Navy.
> The actor was descended from a theatrical family dating back to an 18th
> Century actress, Kitty Clive.
>
> "I couldn't understand why they did it," he once said. "I thought they
> must be barmy.
>
> Mousetrap joke
>
> "They would be talking about it all the time and everything they were
> talking about was a disaster. It was the last thing I wanted to do."
>
> The actor joked that his greatest claim to fame was that he was
> contracted to play for two weeks in The Mousetrap, giving him the
> distinction of being cast for the shortest time in the longest-running
> show.
>
> He also carved out a film career with roles in The Italian Job, The
> Pink Panther, Carry on Emmanuelle and Holiday On The Buses.
>
> His TV work included parts in Last Of The Summer Wine, Z Cars, Rising
> Damp, The Goodies, The Saint and The Avengers.
>
> The actor also played the lead in television's Jimmy and the Desperate
> Woman. He appeared in No That's Me Over There with Ronnie Corbett and
> The Worker with Charlie Drake.
>
> And his stage work included sharing the limelight with Terry Scott,
> Dick Emery, Eric Sykes, Tommy Cooper, Rod Hull and Jimmy Tarbuck.
Brian Watson
"Hyfler/Rosner" <rel...@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:T_2dnb5GRZsUtEbY...@rcn.net...
>I could swear this was already posted, but I can't find it.
I think it appeared in uk.people.dead about a week ago.
--
Brian
"Fight like the Devil, die like a gentleman."
Jane Margaret Laight
> In article <T_2dnb5GRZsUtEbYnZ2dnUVZ_oann...@rcn.net>, Hyfler/Rosner
>
> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
hi there--
you haven't lost it--his obit was posted here back before Christmas--I
think the 20th of December, give or take a day.
best wishes--JML
Jerry
his head patted and his ear tweaked," Jackie Wright,
(http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0942461/) who died in 1989. Hutch was only
with Hill in the last two years of shows (photo at
http://www.runstop.de/bennysplace/johnnyhutch.jpg)
Jerry
Brad Ferguson
<jsl...@NOTME.verizon.net> wrote:
> Not to be confused with the original "bald-headed stooge always having
> his head patted and his ear tweaked," Jackie Wright,
> (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0942461/) who died in 1989.
Johnny Hutch, Henry McGee and now Jackie Wright.
I guess death always comes in three stooges.
Alan Hope
Henry McGee was a straight man, not a stooge.