Kenneth Williams

Michael Sheen and Richard III’s “radial dysplasia”….

Oct 10, 2023

anniversaries, archaeology, Science, The play’s the thing

“Tudor” propaganda, “withered arm”, actors, Arthur Hughes, Brian Clough, Chris Tarrant, disability, Harry Lloyd, Kenneth Williams, Michael Sheen, radial dysplasia, Richard III, roles, scoliosis, Sir David Frost, The Lost King, Tony Blair, Wales

Well, this only such-and-such actors can play such-and-such roles has reared its silly head again. I thought the whole point of being an actor was to play (and immerse yourself in) numerous different roles, but now we have Michael Sheen pronouncing that only Welsh actors should play Welsh roles, see here. Eh? Why, pray? Aren’t…
More coins found in Suffolk

Sep 1, 2022

anniversaries, art, battles

Ashbocking Hoard, Carry On Cleo, coins, East Anglian Daily Times, George Ridgway, invasions, Julius Caesar, Kenneth Williams, metal detecting, Roman Britain, Suffolk

Gaius Julius Caesar (left) may not have spent much time in Britain during his invasions of 55-54 BC, but his troops and their followers left rather a lot of evidence. Here, the East Anglian Daily Times details a hoard found in Ashbocking during 2019, consisting of 180 silver denarii and provisionally valued at £65,000.
Would YOU include some of these in a list of all-time best historical films…?

Aug 14, 2022

battles, films, humour, The play’s the thing

A Man for all Seasons, Amanda Barrie, Anastasia, Azincourt, Carry On Cleo, Cleopatra, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II, Henry V, Henry VIII, Kenneth Branagh, Kenneth Williams, Liz Taylor, More, musicals, Nicholas II, Paul Scofield, Peter O’Toole, Rasputin, Richard Burton, Richard III, Romanovs, Russian Revolution, Sid James, Sir Ian McKellen, The King, The King and I, The Lion in Winter, The Other Boleyn Girl, Timothee Chalomet

Here’s an interesting list of the “best historical royalty” films. Interesting….and peculiar. As well as some excellent period-based movies we have the likes of The King and I, the animated Anastasia musical and the Taylor-Burton Cleopatra. Maybe the latter will be acceptable to many, but to me it was a circus because of what…
A film scene rewritten

May 8, 2021

anniversaries, films, humour

Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head, Charles Hawtrey, French Revolution, Kenneth Williams, planned executions, rewritten scenes, Shakespeare, Sid James

Rather than Shakespeare, this one is from a 1960s film: (Carry On) Don’t Lose Your Head. Most people are probably familiar with the early scene in which Sir Rodney ffing, who is the Black Fingernail, interrupts le Duc de Pommes Frites’ execution, overseen by Camembert, to try to sell him life insurance. Pommes Frites escapes…
So if Edward IV ….

Apr 1, 2019

humour, law

“Tudor” propaganda, ballads, Brat Farrar, Captain Mainwaring, Edward IV, Edward Rochester, Elizabeth of York, Elizabeth Wydeville, Henry VII, Huckleberry Hound, Josephine Tey, Kenneth Williams, Manuel, marriage, Oh my darling Clementine, Portuguese marriage plans, Rambling Syd Rumpo, Round the Horne

… is either Mr. Rochester or Captain Mainwaring and other characters have been identified, is Henry VII represented in popular culture, other than here? You may recall that he promised to marry Elizabeth of York, OR one of her sisters if she was already taken, which is more about becoming Edward IV’s posthumous son-in-law than is…
Richard the football commentator….?

May 2, 2018

anniversaries, Events, humour

Daleks, Jamie Vardy, Kenneth Williams, Leiccester City, Michael Sheen, Richard III

“…Hollywood actor Michael Sheen has rather bizarrely given his take on how Richard III would have sounded commentating on England and Leicester man Jamie Vardy…” (a player whose middle name is Richard). This is from two years ago now, but is funny. Definitely a Dalek, I fear. Go to this link and listen in …
Did the producers recognise him?

Feb 22, 2018

anniversaries, genealogy, television reviews

Carry On Henry, Earls of Essex, films, Henry VIII, humour, Kenneth Williams, Lord Privy Seal, Oliver Cromwell, Richard Cromwell, Thomas Cromwell

Here is a picture you may well have seen. It shows, from Carry On Henry, Kenneth Williams as Thomas Cromwell, Lord Privy Seal to Henry VIII and briefly Earl of Essex. In fact, Cromwell’s sister married one Thomas (or Morgan) Williams, although their descendants took the Cromwell surname.