Hill's Angels in
Hot Gossamer

Pauline Crawford

IMDB Entry

Pauline Crawford: from the March 14, 1979 "Hot Gossamer" segment. She was a key member of Pan's People from its second incarnation in the late 1970's, including the two aforementioned TBHS episodes on which the troupe appeared. Was one of the dancers in the 1982 movie Nutcracker.

Louise English

Regular Performer/Hill's Angel (1978-1986)

IMDB Entry

Louise English as she appeared in the March 14, 1979 "Hot Gossamer" routine. For many, Louise English is considered the "unofficial" leader of Hill's Angels, alongside Sue Upton. They were both very important to the Benny Hill Show, not only as Angels, but as supporting actors in many short skits with Benny Hill. Of course today, Louise English doesn't seem to make any more TV appearances, but works on the theatrical stage in England. There was a brief period where she even had her own official website, but for some reason, the site was discontinued. Louise, if you're watching, we all miss you very much and would love to see you again in some connection with the Benny Hill Show, especially in a DVD tribute.

Nola Haynes

IMDB Entry

A shot of Nola Haynes from the March 14, 1979 "Hot Gossamer" number. She was also in the next show, April 25, 1979 (where, just as one example, she figured in the "Soar-Away Sum" blooper routine), as well as being one of the Hill's Angels in the April 16, 1980 "New York, New York" piece. Also had a role in the 1987 made-for-TV remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion (which starred Jane Curtin of Saturday Night Live, Kate & Allie and 3rd Rock from the Sun fame); her most recent role, per IMDb, was as a "Chorus Girl" in a 1992 episode of Jeeves and Wooster.

Abigail Higgins

IMDB Entry

A still of fan favorite Abigail Higgins, from: the "Hot Gossamer" routine of March 14, 1979. At the time of her two 1979 appearances (on the April 25, 1979 show, she appeared in the "Yield to the Dawn" sketch as Benny's new neighbor), Ms. Higgins was a member of the second coming of Pan's People, along with another future Hill's Angel, Louise English. Abigail became an Angel herself in the 1981 series, figuring in the dance routines of every show therein - and also displaying a knack for comedy, as evidenced in the "Channel Surfing" sketch (Feb. 11, 1981) and the "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" quickie (March 25, 1981), just as a few examples. In that latter vein, she also appeared, uncredited, on and off in sketches and quickies as aired between 1982 and 1985, with the 1984 series being her most prominent (lusting after old man Jackie Wright in "Stupid Cupid," for example, or as a bank teller in the "Fingers McNee" sketch). Her only other known TV credit, outside of TBHS, was a 1983 Bruce Forsyth special, also produced by Thames.

Sue Upton

IMDB Entry

Benny Hill's favorite Angel (and many others', too), Sue Upton, seen in "Hot Gossamer" as a schoolgirl. She first joined the show during the 1977 series, among her highlights there being as the Bionic Boy's first crush. By her third appearance on Dec. 26, 1978 (she would be in every remaining Hill show from then on), Benny noticed her upturned face lent itself to an old lady character, which she first played in the "Grand Wheelchair Rally" sketch; this led not only to the "Wondergran" sketches, but a recurring characterization as a feisty old lady - the archetype once played in the show's early Thames years by such genuine old ladies as Connie Georges. On the next-to-last Thames show in 1989, she even played Stan Laurel to Mr. Hill's Oliver Hardy in a silent sketch. Ms. Upton also figured very prominently in the Hill's Angels routines in their early years, indeed is regarded as one of the unofficial leaders of the troupe (the other being Louise English); in the show's final years, she also had a hand in the selection of future Angels. Her children, Richard and Louise Whatling (qv's), were among the "Hill's Little Angels" in the fading years of TBHS; she and her family have been widely cited as being like a "second family" to Benny outside the confines of his show. There is a website, SueUpton.net, which can give more about her illustrious career, as well as film and TV credits other than the Hill show, and several photos (in one of which she posed with Mr. Hill, Suzy Mandel, Jenny Westbrook, Anne Bruzac, and the then-current members of Love Machine of which she had been a part before either they or she first appeared on the show), than can be put in so short a space here.

Francesca Whitburn

IMDB Entry

A screencap of Francesca Whitburn as seen in "Hot Gossamer". One of the members of the late 1970's version of Pan's People, she also was in a 1980 episode of The Professionals. Is today a choreographer, among her credits in that vein being a regional (British) stage production of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (Age 13¾) in 1987 and a 2006-07 stage production of Cinderella.

Sarah Woollett

IMDB Entry

A shot of Sarah Woollett from "Hot Gossamer". Ms. Woollett was a member of the latter-day version of Pan's People at the time, together with Pauline Crawford, Francesca Whitburn, founding member/choreographer Dee Dee Wilde, and future Hill's Angels Louise English and Abigail Higgins; neither she, Ms. Crawford nor Ms. Whitburn were technically Angels, as their appearances on TBHS predated the Angels' founding.

Trivia about the real "Hot Gossip".

David Hawkins did a little research and has passed along some interesting trivia about Hot Gossip, the real dance troupe which inspired the parody, Hot Gossamer on TBHS. Test your knowledge!

• They were formed in 1975 by Arlene Phillips.

• Their first TV spot was on Top of the Pops in 1976 for on show.

• Dancer Roy Gayle worked in a sex shop supplying the troup with black plastic costumes and underwear.

• They started on the Kenny Everett Video Show 3/July/1978 dancing to "Super Nature".

• They danced to Super Nature three times on the series.

• Four Hot Gossip dancers would go on to become Angels, Lindsey Cole,Susie Waring,Frances Wingate and Lorraine Doyle. Jane Newman was also on the show as a Love Machine Dancer.

• Hot Gossip was the troup which influenced Benny Hill to form Hill's Angels.

• The main source for the Hot Gossamer parody was Hot Gossip's "Walk on the Wild Side" and "Super Nature".

• Sarah Brightman was once in Dee Dee Wilde's Pan's People,1976-1977, but left for Hot Gossip, 1978-1979.

• The troup ended in 1986 with one last season in The Kenny Everett Television Show 1986.

Hot Gossip Photos

These photos from the series "Hot Gossip" were passed along by Simon of bookingsmodels.co.uk. He is an ex-dancer and either went to school with, did class or worked with quite a few of the people from Hot Gossip & members of Hill's Angels. Thanks for passing along the photos, Simon! Click on the thumbnails and get a larger view.

Top: Frances Wingate (2nd from left) with Amanda Abbs, Floid and an unknown modelling knitting patterns, circa 1984

Bottom: Back Row is Floid, Amanda Abbs,Tristian Rafel,Titian Deakin,Lindsey Cole, Susie Waring, Heavon. Front Row is Frances Wingate, Kenny and Annie Dunkley

Commentary

This segment is one of those pivotal moments in the series after the Love Machine routines and leading straight to Hill's Angels. (I am remiss in failing to mention that Mr. McGee, on this occasion, was impersonating British radio disc jockey Kenny Everett, who hosted The Kenny Everett Video Show at the time for Thames. The real-life Everett mentioned "naughty bits" in introducing the dance numbers. - William Brown). This dance routine is also known as "Hot Gossamer" and features Louise English (white), Sarah Woollett (French Maid Costume), Pauline Crawford (pink), Francesca Whitburn (leopard skin), Abigail Higgins (black), Sue Upton (school girl) and Nola Haynes (gold). They dance along with Benny, Roger Finch, Jackie Wright and Henry McGee to a tune called "Supernature". The backdrop is a drawing of a city skyline and throughout this number the guys consistently look like fools with plenty of great gags. You'll also see the trademark scaffolding which pops up in other routines. The girls are all very sexy in their closeups and Benny and the guys are hilarious.

Note by William Brown

("Hot Gossamer" was a pun (and ostensible takeoff) on the multiracial, mixed-gender "Hot Gossip" dance troupe who appeared on not only the Everett show in question, but also on his subsequent BBC program The Kenny Everett Television Show. There are some ironies in this whole sketch, but let me take my breath. First up, the Hot Gossip troupe had at least two people who'd been involved with TBHS in the past, namely choreographer Arlene Phillips, who had been the dance director for Love Machine; and ex-Love Machinist Jane Eve (Colthorpe), who joined Hot Gossip in the same year as Hill's "Hot Gossamer" first aired (and would be a Hot Gossip mainstay throughout most of the '80's). Second, was Sue's participation in the parody, as she'd been in the Love Machine prior to Jane's joining (and their - or her - first being booked onto TBHS. - William Brown)

"Supernature"

Once upon a time
Science opened up the door
We would feed the hungry fields
Till they couldn't eat no more

But the potions that we made
Touched the creatures down below
And the Grew up in a way
That we'd never seen before

Supernature-Supernature-Supernature-Supernature
Supernature-Supernature-Supernature-Supernature
Supernature-Supernature-Supernature-Supernature

How can I explain
Things are different today
Darkness all around
And nobody makes a sound
Such a sad affair
No one seems to care

Supernature-Supernature-Supernature-Supernature
Supernature-Supernature-Supernature-Supernature
Supernature-Supernature-Supernature-Supernature

Better watch out
Don't you know Supernature
Better watch out
There's no way to stop it now
You can't escape
it's too late
Look What you've done
There's no place that you can run
The monster made
we must pay

Supernature
Better watch out
Supernature
Don't you know
Supernature
Better Watch out

Supernature-Supernature-Supernature-Supernature
Supernature-Supernature-Supernature-Supernature
Supernature-Supernature-Supernature-Supernature

Webmaster: threerandot
Contributing Editor:
William Brown
Associate Editor:
David Hawkins