- Born
- Died
- Birth nameFrancis Alick Howard
- Height6′ 0½″ (1.84 m)
- Francis Alick Howerd, who grew up to become popular British comedian Frankie Howerd, was born in 1917 and first stepped onstage at age 4. As a teen he taught Sunday school; not long after his Army-man father died in 1934, 17-year-old Frankie was invited to audition for RADA. After a poor audition, he knew his calling was as a comedian instead of an actor. At 19 he put together revues for music halls that included monologues, impressions, jokes, and comic songs. This was difficult since he suffered from major stage fright, a life-long debilitation. Following war service, Frankie refocused on his career with radio and theatre appearances. In the 1950s he finally earned his own TV variety show, but his burgeoning reputation, coupled with a lack of self-confidence, led the painfully shy man to suffer severe emotional conflicts with this newfound success. In the 1960s this culminated in a severe nervous breakdown. Prone to melancholia and deep depression, he somehow managed to recover, and he earned high praise for both his musical-comedy performance in the London production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" (in the Zero Mostel role) and his work on the popular satire series That Was the Week That Was (1962). Though never a strong film performer, he managed to find work in such films as The Ladykillers (1955), Further Up the Creek (1958), The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery (1966), some 'Carry On' appearances, and the lead role in The House in Nightmare Park (1973). Frankie was awarded the OBE in 1977, the year his autobiography, "On My Way I Lost It," was published. In early April 1992 he went to the hospital for respiratory problems; he died of heart failure on April 19. He was buried at St. Gregory's Church in Weare, Somerset.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net
- His nervous stammer caused him to fail auditions at RADA and 4 times for the Carroll Levis Discovery Show. He left the army in 1946 after war service and appeared at the Stage Door Canteen and was booked for the road show of For the Fun of it He made his professional debut at the Empire Sheffield on 19th July 1947 with Max Bygraves as joint bottom of the bill, Within a year he was resident comedian on Radio Band Box and topping variety bills.- IMDb Mini Biography By: tonyman 5
- Frankie was raised in Eltham by his mother, Edith and his soldier father, when he was at home, His mother encouraged him to act in school plays and at 17 he auditioned for RADA but was turned down, In the army during the war he auditioned for everything - ENSA, Stars in Battledress but again was turned down then Captain Ian Carmichael and Richard Stone auditioned for new concert parties. Ian turned him down but Richard booked him as principal comic in Waggoners Concert Party. On demob he performed at every opportunity and at Stage Door Canteen he was spotted by an agent and booked on a variety circuit. He made his film debut in The Runaway Bus then in 1962 he was invited to perform at Peter Cooks establishment then tv called with Up Pompeii which was followed by a film version,- IMDb Mini Biography By: Tonyman 5
- ParentsEdith Florence HowardFrancis Alfred William
- His manager and partner was Dennis Heymer. They first met in 1955 and stayed together until Frankie's death.
- His famous stammering and hesitation bits actually stemmed from a severe, longstanding case of stage fright.
- Died just before he was to begin filming his third "Carry On..." movie, Carry on Columbus (1992). in which he and Joan Sims were to have played the King and Queen of Spain. They were replaced by Leslie Phillips and June Whitfield.
- Died during the same weekend as fellow comedian Benny Hill.
- He was considered for Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971).
- [on Ray Milland] This enormously famous star is so self-effacingly modest, he's an object lesson for the rest of us in show business.
- [on Tony Hancock] I do not think he died simply because his career had slipped. He was a spiritual man, a good man who was lost in an emotional jungle. He couldn't get out. He was a performer of genius. He lost his judgment of what was the best thing for him to do simply and solely because of the emotional turmoil going on inside him.
- Carry on Up the Jungle (1970) - £9,000
- Carry on Doctor (1967) - £7,500
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