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"Beginning with the embittered recluse lends the text a more retrospective gaze than many memoirs, allowing readers a view into the origins of the actor's self-destructive attitudes and habits which sits well with Butters' analytical style. It's hard not to find tragedy in this layout, as the hero's numerous mistakes and flaws lead him to a miserable finale from a beginning as a talented and humorous child actor with the seeds of destruction for both himself and his profession clear to see. Even dedicated Carry On fans are likely to be surprised by Hawtrey's fascinating connections with stage and screen legends that I won't spoil here." -- Britmovie.co.uk
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At last - the definitive biography of Charles Hawtrey! From Wes Butters, Sony award winning broadcaster and author of "Kenneth Williams Unseen", comes an extensively researched and compelling book almost fifteen years in the making, featuring scores of exclusive interviews, including Hawtrey's inner circle and surviving descendents, never-before-seen photographs, and private documents and correspondence. The result is the first definitive account of a life Hawtrey himself was keen to see evaporate into the mist of history. Years before, Hawtrey started out as a child actor in silent films, he was England's leading boy soprano and worked alongside a positive who's who of the thirties and forties. He had directed films and produced West End shows, starred in three hit TV series and was a prolific radio actor for the BBC. Yet he was never content and spent his life desperately searching for stardom and success, which, in his own deluded way of thinking, always failed to live up to expectations. Like the character we see on the screen, Hawtrey never grew up. Egged on by his mentally-ill mother, he disowned the rest of his family, embarrassed by a background that included workhouses and illegitimacy. Instead, he declared himself the son of Sir Charles Hawtrey, an illustrious theatrical actor and Noel Coward's mentor. By the time the Carry Ons got going, Hawtrey was well and truly typecast as a 'funny fella with glasses' and his bid to be taken seriously was over. He wasn't the least bit interested in his reputation or leaving a legacy, growing old disgracefully in Deal, the Kent seaside town he lived in for the last twenty years of his life: collapsing in pubs; swearing at autograph-hunting children; and, taking home teenage rent boys (one of whom set fire to Hawtrey's cottage, with Hawtrey still inside it). In 1988, doctors gave him a life or death choice to amputate both his legs. Hawtrey refused, believing a transplant of pig's veins would save him, but he died a month later. Nine people were at his funeral. Wes Butters' Radio 4 documentary on Charles Hawtrey will air in May. This long-awaited book gives the whole story!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The title of this book is rather ironic as it was forever his fate that upon his appearance on the the television sets and cinemas of this Country, Charles Hawtrey's presence would be met by someone in the audience saying, "It's him, what's his name? The fella' with the funny glasses!"
What this book draws out is how much Hawtrey wanted to be recognised as so much more, an actor, nay thespian, who would garner the same respect as Guinness or Gielgud. Hawtrey's bad luck was to be born with the Peter Pan quality of always looking like a school boy, and having the general 'weedy' demeanour that the Carry On films would take to their bosom and ultimately suffocate through typecasting.
This book does a great effort in bringing to life - or misery - the peculiar, weird and downright tragic life of a comedy genius. That he was quite megalomaniac right from the off in demanding top billing, even in his early days of radio broadcasting, supports the general view that has been held that Hawtrey was ultimately dropped from the Carry On series because his demands of top billing were getting more and more strident. Indeed, one thing that does come out is that Hawtrey never learnt when to keep quiet and not rock the boat, this was at a high cost to his career as many people in the 'business' grew tired of such behaviour, or were weary of hiring him.
Hawtrey's life is therefore revealed in all its many guises, from the early years detailing his many begging letters to the BBC, to the final years when we get to see the glorious pictures of a dishevelled Hawtrey (minus toupee) outside his burning house in Kent having just been rescued from certain death after a rent boy he was entertaining decided to ignite the abode because of some argument over payment.
In a way this book is the perfect complement to Mr Butter's previous biography on Kenneth Williams. Both were similar men in many ways, although Hawtrey was never the Pied Piper that Williams used to be on Carry On sets, both were to an extent coloured far too much by their mothers and it was the fate of these two giants of post-war British comedy to end up being celebrated - and forever ingrained on our conscience - for a film series they both hated artistically.
What this book draws out is how much Hawtrey wanted to be recognised as so much more, an actor, nay thespian, who would garner the same respect as Guinness or Gielgud. Hawtrey's bad luck was to be born with the Peter Pan quality of always looking like a school boy, and having the general 'weedy' demeanour that the Carry On films would take to their bosom and ultimately suffocate through typecasting.
This book does a great effort in bringing to life - or misery - the peculiar, weird and downright tragic life of a comedy genius. That he was quite megalomaniac right from the off in demanding top billing, even in his early days of radio broadcasting, supports the general view that has been held that Hawtrey was ultimately dropped from the Carry On series because his demands of top billing were getting more and more strident. Indeed, one thing that does come out is that Hawtrey never learnt when to keep quiet and not rock the boat, this was at a high cost to his career as many people in the 'business' grew tired of such behaviour, or were weary of hiring him.
Hawtrey's life is therefore revealed in all its many guises, from the early years detailing his many begging letters to the BBC, to the final years when we get to see the glorious pictures of a dishevelled Hawtrey (minus toupee) outside his burning house in Kent having just been rescued from certain death after a rent boy he was entertaining decided to ignite the abode because of some argument over payment.
In a way this book is the perfect complement to Mr Butter's previous biography on Kenneth Williams. Both were similar men in many ways, although Hawtrey was never the Pied Piper that Williams used to be on Carry On sets, both were to an extent coloured far too much by their mothers and it was the fate of these two giants of post-war British comedy to end up being celebrated - and forever ingrained on our conscience - for a film series they both hated artistically.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The first in-depth biography of Charles Hawtrey, this book has everything you'll want to know about the Carry On legend.
Not many people know he was a boy soprano and acted in movies since the silent days. He worked with Will Hay and had a distinguished career on BBC radio and the pre-war London stage.
But the Carry On films, though his greatest achievement, typecast him heavily and made him increasingly bitter, mainly because of disputes over billing and low wages.
In his personal life, he was ashamed of his working-class roots, looked after increasingly senile mother and, after her death and his dismissal from the Carry Ons for unrealibility, lived out the rest of his days as a drunken and unsociable mess in Deal.
A very good book but a very sad story about the man who'd only have to appear in a Carry On and utter "Ooh, hello!" to made the audiences who adord him laugh.
Not many people know he was a boy soprano and acted in movies since the silent days. He worked with Will Hay and had a distinguished career on BBC radio and the pre-war London stage.
But the Carry On films, though his greatest achievement, typecast him heavily and made him increasingly bitter, mainly because of disputes over billing and low wages.
In his personal life, he was ashamed of his working-class roots, looked after increasingly senile mother and, after her death and his dismissal from the Carry Ons for unrealibility, lived out the rest of his days as a drunken and unsociable mess in Deal.
A very good book but a very sad story about the man who'd only have to appear in a Carry On and utter "Ooh, hello!" to made the audiences who adord him laugh.
31 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I will declare an interest from the start by saying I was this book's proofreader but my involvement (and financial interest) ends there, so I feel entitled as a member of the public to add that this was one of the most engrossing and affecting books I've ever had the pleasure to read, either informally or professionally. Like everybody else, I thought I knew Hawtrey the man from his iconic film and TV performances, but I was wrong. I knew nothing of his juvenile achievements (which were many) nor little of his sad and rather seedy private life. Charles Hawtrey the man, as opposed to the screen persona, embodies and defines the concepts of 'thwarted' and 'jaundiced', and Wes Butters' essentially affectionate and sympathetic rendering of the facts actually gets you to feel sorry for this diminutive 'star' whose potential for greatness was overshadowed by others, not necessarily more gifted than he, even though he ended up being forgotten by colleagues and despised by his local community.
The story isn't maudlin or exploitative. It does not ape the sensational style of the tabloids who seemed almost to delight in Hawtrey's downfall. Instead, it is told with real warmth by an author who senses the true quality of the man and wishes to set the facts in their proper context. The writing style is free and uncluttered, the book is packed with a wealth of photographs and other illustrations and, in the manner of all the best biographies, it leaves you genuinely wishing you had known the subject personally. You feel you would have liked to help him. That is a true testament to the book's achievement.
The story isn't maudlin or exploitative. It does not ape the sensational style of the tabloids who seemed almost to delight in Hawtrey's downfall. Instead, it is told with real warmth by an author who senses the true quality of the man and wishes to set the facts in their proper context. The writing style is free and uncluttered, the book is packed with a wealth of photographs and other illustrations and, in the manner of all the best biographies, it leaves you genuinely wishing you had known the subject personally. You feel you would have liked to help him. That is a true testament to the book's achievement.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Charles Hawtrey Biography
Very good book. The author had taken snippets from various sources. Undoubtedly, given the character of the subject, it must have been very difficult for various reasons. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. P. P. Empey
As comprehensive as it could be.
I enjoyed reading this book and I was impressed at the quality of the book itself and also the many photographs. Read more
Published 3 months ago by emf
What a Carry On?
On finishing this book I was saddened by the emptiness Charles Hawtrey felt with his life. He always felt he fell short of super stardom but in all his works he should have... Read more
Published 4 months ago by P. D. Roberts
Charles Hawtrey
Charles Hawtrey has always been my favourite Carry On star and I wasn't disappointed by this book.There was quite a lot of information I didn't know and lots of previously unseen... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mrs. P. Maud
This IS the definitive book of Whatshisname's life!
It was only after reading "The Man Who Was Private Widdle" I discovered that Wes Butters had written "Whatshisname" ... And I can safely say the two do not compare! Read more
Published 9 months ago by Elle Newton
charles hawtrey - biog
Basically it boils down to this. CH was such a reclusive private actor who hardly ever gave many interviews that any attempt to write a life story will inevitably have to rely on... Read more
Published 11 months ago by allister m hardwick
Not very insightful
Butters style of writing seems limited to editing together a string of previously seen quotes and press reports. Read more
Published 16 months ago by FilmFan98
Not Bad
I would agree with a previous review that this is not a substantial biography at all. Large print and many photocopies help swell the pages to be sure. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mr. D. A. Thornton
Highly enjoyable.
This book was highly enjoyable from the first to the last page. It was well put together, and the pictures were excellent. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Shaun Manning
Great read on a complicated character
As a boy going to see the carry-on films with my father was always a treat, he was a projectoinist at our local Odeon cinema, my mother an usherette,(free film, free tub at the... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Barry Stephens
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