Web Page No 2658
7th February 2020
1st Picture. Publicity Photograph
2nd Picture. From Carry on Nurse3rd Picture. At The Palace
4th Picture. Leslie with Zara
Well
Hello
How else could I start a
page about Leslie Phillips?
A highly comic actor who
has specialized in playing plummy, quintessentially English stereotypes he
started acting from a very young age. He received elocution lessons as a child
in order to lose his natural cockney accent and he attended the Italia Conti
School.
During the Second World
War, he served with the Durham Light Infantry (1942-45) until he was invalided
out suffering from shellshock. He returned to acting, and it was during the
1950s that he established himself in
British movies. His greatest claim to fame to this day are the
"Doctor" series of movies, which he inherited from Dirk Bogarde. He
also worked on radio, most notably 'The Navy Lark' for the BBC.
In later life, he
returned to playing supporting roles and even appeared in Steven Spielberg's
Empire of the Sun (1987). He continues to make cameo appearances in films and
television and is a regular guest on British chat shows.
He was a model and child
actor from the mid 1930's he returned to acting after war service including supporting
roles opposite Norman Wisdom in Just My Luck (1957) and Bill Travers in The
Smallest Show on Earth (1957) this led to Hollywood and a role in the Gene
Kelly film Les Girls (1957). Returning to England he started a long run, 1959
to 1977 in the radio series 'The Navy Lark' and in the comedy films Doctor in
Love (1960), Doctor in Clover (1966) and Doctor in Trouble (1970). Through the
1970's he directed and starred in stage farces and starred in the films Don't
Just Lie There, Say Something! (1974) and Spanish Fly (1976).
He then changed track
appearing in the title role of the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of
'Falstaff' and as Chekhov in 'August'. He then did a one man show 'On the Whole
it's Been Jolly Good' which won praise at the Edinburgh Festival.
On television he played
the scheming James Blake in the series Chancer (1990) (1990-91), and returned
to films in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and provided the voice of the
Sorting Hat in the 'Harry Potter' films.
His first wife was
Penelope Bartley, they divorced in 1965 and had 4 children. He married Angela Scoular in 1982 which
lasted until her death in 2011; he is at present married to Zara Carr (2013 -
present)
Catchphrases
"Helloooo" and "Ding dong!"
He was awarded the OBE in
the 1998 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to drama. He was
awarded the CBE in the 2008 Queen's New Year Honours List for further services
to drama.
He supports Tottenham
Hotspur Football Club and his association with the catchphrase "Ding
dong," said whenever he saw an attractive women, first started when he
played Jack Bell in Carry On Nurse (1959).
Incidentally, he always
says that he enjoyed recording the Navy Lark so much that wherever he was
working during the week he would pay his own fare to get back to London in time
for the recording.
He was friends with
actors Denholm Elliott and Jon Pertwee for many years, both of whom, like himself,
had homes in Ibiza and his favourite actor is Kenneth Connor.
Family life:- he is the father,
with Penelope Bartley, of daughters Caroline Phillips and Claudia Phillips, and
sons Roger Phillips and Andrew Phillips and the
son of Frederick and Cecelia Phillips, he has an older brother, Fred and
sister, Dorothy.
When age 14, he appeared
in Otello and Turandot at Covent Garden.
Leslie Phillips considers
Carry On Nurse (1959) to be his funniest film.
David Jason considers him
a legend of British comedy.
Took over the role of the
King of Spain in Carry on Columbus (1992) after the death of Frankie Howerd,
who'd been due to play the part. He and Bob Monkhouse swapped roles in A
Weekend with Lulu (1961). He suffered a stroke in 2014 but still keeps working
when he can..
Stay in
touch
Peter
You Write:
News and Views:
On this Day 7th
February 1960-1965
On 07/02/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The
top rated TV show was not listed
and the box office smash was Some Like
It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley
were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news
story of the day was Biblical scrolls
found in Israeli desert.
On 07/02/1961 the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI
Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A
pound of today's money was worth £13.25
and Tottenham Hotspur were on
the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
On 07/02/1962 the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Blue
Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and
the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was
worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to
becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Mine blast kills 249 in Germany.
On 07/02/1963 the number one single was Diamonds - Jet Harris & Tony Meehan and the number one album
was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard
& the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and
the box office smash was The Great
Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton
were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news
story of the day was Nelson Mandela
jailed for 5 years.
On 07/02/1964 the number one single was Needles & Pins - Searchers and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The
top rated TV show was Steptoe & Son (BBC) and
the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was
worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming
the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was 25000 greet Beatles at JFK airport.
On 07/02/1965 the number one single was You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - Righteous Brothers and the number one album was Rolling
Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and
the box office smash was The Sound of
Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester
United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
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