Actors - Bob Monkhouse

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	Actors - Bob Monkhouse

Robert (Bob) Allen Monkhouse OBE (June 1, 1928 - December 29, 2003), was a British entertainer in the traditional sense, though primarily known as a comedian and game show host.

Biography

Bob Monkhouse was born in Beckenham, Kent, and educated at Dulwich College, from which he was expelled; he worked briefly as an animator before his national service. On leaving the RAF in 1948, he was one of the first comedians to be given a contract by the BBC.

Originally employed as a scriptwriter for radio comedy in partnership with Dennis Goodwin, Monkhouse gradually moved over to television, hosting programmes such as Candid Camera in the early 1960s. He also had an income as a gag-writer for many visiting American comedians including Bob Hope when they wanted topical jokes for their British tours. He also appeared in comedy films, including the first of the Carry On
film series, Carry On Sergeant. One of his biggest television successes was as host of The Golden Shot during the late 1960s. He went on to host several quiz shows, including Celebrity Squares, Bob's Full House, Family Fortunes and Wipeout. He also starred in the 1979 sketch comedy television series Bonkers with the Hudson Brothers.

An expert on the history of the silent cinema and a keen movie collector, he presented Mad Movies in 1966, in which he presented clips from comic silent movies, some of which he had helped to recover and restore. His film collecting hobby caused a brush with the law in the 1980s when he was arrested for suspected theft, but was soon cleared.

Monkhouse became a favourite with impressionists, and, as his style of comedy fell out of favour, was often mocked for his slickness and apparent insincerity. He came back into fashion during the 1990s, and appearances such as guesting on Have I Got News For You restored his popularity. In July 1995, Monkhouse was in the headlines when he appealed for the safe return of his joke book which had been lost or stolen. The book, which contained notes on sketches and one-liners, for which Monkhouse was most famous, was eventually returned to its owner. He was appointed an OBE in 1993.

Monkhouse married twice, to Elizabeth in 1949 (divorced in 1972), and to Jacqueline in 1973, for the rest of his life. He had three children from his first marriage, but only his daughter Abigail survived him. His son Gary, who had cerebral palsy, died in 1992, while his son Simon, from whom he had been estranged for almost a decade, died of a heroin overdose in a Bangkok hotel in 2001.

Monkhouse died at his home in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire of prostate cancer on 29th December 2003. He was 75.

In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.

Partial filmography

TV

AS A PERFORMER

Fast And Loose UK 1954
Christmas Box UK 1955
The Bob Monkhouse Show UK 1956
Beat Up The Town UK 1957
My Pal Bob UK 1957
The Bob Monkhouse Hour UK 1958
The Big Noise UK 1964
Mad Movies UK 1966
Friends In High Places UK 1969
The Bob Monkhouse Comedy Hour UK 1972
I'm Bob, He's Dickie UK 1977
Bonkers! UK 1979
The Bob Monkhouse Show UK 1983
An Audience With Bob Monkhouse UK 1994
Bob Monkhouse On The Spot UK 1995
Bob Monkhouse - Over The Limit UK 1998
Bob Monkhouse On Campus UK 1998
BBC New Comedy Awards UK 1999
Aaagh! It's The Mr Hell Show UK/Canada 2001
$64,000 Question (UK version of The 64,000 Dollar Question)
All or Nothing
Celebrity Squares (UK version of Hollywood Squares)
Family Fortunes (UK version of Family Feud)
The Golden Shot UK 1967
Wipeout
Bob's Full House (Later made into Trump Card in the US)
Opportunity Knocks

AS A WRITER

Fast And Loose UK 1954
Cyril's Saga UK 1957
Early To Braden UK 1957
My Pal Bob UK 1957
The Bob Monkhouse Hour UK 1958
The Big Noise UK 1964
The Bob Monkhouse Comedy Hour UK 1972
I'm Bob, He's Dickie UK 1977
Marti UK 1977
Bonkers! UK 1979
An Audience With Bob Monkhouse UK 1994
Bob Monkhouse On The Spot UK 1995
Bob Monkhouse - Over The Limit UK 1998

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Bob Monkhouse ]

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