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Henry James Marris-McGee[1] (14 May 1928 – 28 January 2006) was a British actor, best known as straight man to Benny Hill for many years. McGee was also often the announcer on Hill's TV programme, delivering the upbeat intro "Yes! It's The Benny Hill Show!". He was familiar to British children throughout the 1970s as "Mummy" in the Sugar Puffs commercials, the catchphrase of which was "Tell them about the honey, Mummy".
Henry McGee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Henry James Marris-McGee 14 May 1928 South Kensington, London, England |
| Died | 28 January 2006 (aged 77) Twickenham, London, England |
| Resting place | Brompton Cemetery, London |
| Education | Stonyhurst College |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1950–2003 |
| Known for | Benny Hill's straight man |
Biography
editBorn in South Kensington, London, and educated at Stonyhurst College, McGee hoped to become a doctor, but the death of his father when he was 17 put financial strains on the family that ended his plans.[2] Having enjoyed acting as a boy, McGee decided to follow his mother's side of the family, which could trace its involvement in theatre back to Kitty Clive,[3] and trained as an actor at the Italia Conti School.[4]
He went on to play supporting roles in numerous films and television series, including The Italian Job (1969), The Saint and The Avengers. But it is for comedy roles that he is best remembered, primarily and most famously for his straight-man interviewer in The Benny Hill Show.[5][6] He's also remembered by many as the 'mummy' of Honey Monster, a large, yellow, furry creature in advertisements for the breakfast cereal Sugar Puffs.[7]
McGee played Two-Ton Ted in the video of Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West).[2] Other comedy roles included the holiday centre manager in the 1973 film Holiday on the Buses, officious policemen in Adventures of a Taxi Driver (1976) and Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), the TV presenter Harold Hump in Carry On Emmannuelle (1978), opposite Charlie Drake in the ATV/ITV situation comedy The Worker (1965–78), and There Was An Englishman, An Irishman and a Scotsman, a BBC Scotland comedy series written by Lew Schwarz.[8] McGee was the Englishman, with Harry Towb as the Irishman and Roy Kinnear as the Scot. The show ran for one series in 1972. He also appeared in an episode of Rising Damp as a conman, Seymour.[9] In 2003, he appeared in the episode "The Miraculous Curing of Old Goff Helliwell" in Last of the Summer Wine.[10]
He had a long and successful stage career, starting at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park in 1950, subsequently receiving plaudits for deadpan delivery in such classic comedies as The Ghost Train, Plunder, The Man Most Likely To and Move Over, Mrs Markham.[3]
Personal life
editMcGee had one daughter, Stephanie (born November 1963). He spent his last six months in a nursing home, suffering from Alzheimer's disease.[11] He is buried at Brompton Cemetery, London.[3]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Seven Days to Noon | Soldier Marching Next to Jackson | Uncredited |
| 1956 | Sailor Beware! | Milkman | Uncredited |
| 1965 | Fanatic | Rector | Uncredited |
| 1969 | The Italian Job | Tailor | Uncredited |
| 1973 | Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World | TV Announcer | |
| 1973 | Holiday on the Buses | Holiday Camp Manager | |
| 1974 | The Cherry Picker | Pilkington | |
| 1974 | The Best of Benny Hill | Various roles | |
| 1976 | Adventures of a Taxi Driver | Inspector Rogers | |
| 1977 | Come Play with Me | Deputy Prime Minister | |
| 1978 | Revenge of the Pink Panther | Officer Bardot | |
| 1978 | Carry On Emmannuelle | Harold Hump | |
| 1994 | Asterix Conquers America | Julius Caesar | English version, Voice |
External links
edit- Henry McGee at IMDb
References
edit- ^ "Henry MARRIS-MCGEE – Deceased Estates – The Gazette". Retrieved 18 April 2016.
- ^ a b "Henry McGee". The Independent. London. 2 February 2006.
- ^ a b c "Obituary: Henry McGee". The Telegraph. Associated Press. 1 February 2006. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ^ Charles Vance, 'Obituaries: Henry McGee', The Stage, 9 February 2006, p. 11
- ^ "Henry McGee". aveleyman.com.
- ^ "BFI Screenonline: Benny Hill Show, The (1969-89)". BFI Screenonline.
- ^ "I've left you my money, honey". Evening Standard. London. 13 January 2007.
- ^ "Henry McGee". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 20 July 2016.
- ^ "Rising Damp – S2 – Episode 5: The Perfect Gentleman". Radio Times.
- ^ "Last of the Summer Wine – S24 – Episode 6: The Miraculous Curing of Old Goff Helliwell". Radio Times.
- ^ Barker, Dennis (3 February 2006). "Obituary: Henry McGee". The Guardian.