Frankie Howerd

Frankie Howerd, born Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 - 19 April 1992), was an English actor and comedian. He was born at the City Hospital in York, the son of a soldier, and the family later moved to Eltham, London, where he was educated at Shooter's Hill Grammar School. His first stage appearance came at age 13, but his early hopes of becoming a serious actor were dashed when he failed an audition for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He began to entertain during World War II service in the British Army, where he adapted his surname to Howerd "to be different."

His act was soon heard on radio when he made his debut in December 1946 on the BBC's Variety Bandbox, aided by material written by Eric Sykes, Galton and Simpson and Johnny Speight. He toured the Music Hall circuit with catch-phrases such as "titter ye not." In 1954 he made his screen debut opposite Petula Clark in The Runaway Bus. At the start of the 1960s he recovered his popularity with a season at Peter Cook's Establishment Club, and was boosted by success on That Was the Week That Was (1963) and on stage in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1963 to 1965).

His television work was characterised by direct addresses to camera and verbal tics such as "Oooh er, missus" and "Titter ye not," notably in Up Pompeii! (1969 to 1970). A later sale of his scripts showed that his seemingly off-the-cuff remarks had all been meticulously planned. He appeared as Francis Bigger in 1967's Carry On Doctor. Howerd was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.