Who's Who Of
The Benny Hill Show

Page 20
(Tyson - Weston)

A Special Thanks must go to contributing editor William Brown for submitting these photos and information on each of these actors / actresses. Many of them were regulars and some were actually guest stars. I have added links to the Internet Movie Database where I could find them. Hope you can find many of those stars you've been wondering about and maybe a few you hadn't thought of. If you don't find what you are looking for, fear not. This section will continue to expand. Thanks again to William Brown, who wrote all of the information. I have also taken this section and put all of the entries in alphabetical order. If you are looking for someone specific, simply place your cursor on the links on the right hand side of the page. A caption will pop up letting you know which names that link will take you to. Enjoy!

Jim Tyson (1912-1974)

IMDB Entry

Jim Tyson, aka, "the fat bald one". A drummer and comedian by profession, and bit player in films and TV since at least the 1950's. His earliest known TBHS appearance was April 26, 1958, which by some strange coincidence was also the earliest known edition of the show to exist. He played the drums in the "Poor Prunella" segment on March 22, 1972, plus appearing in five other editions, all of which were in A&E's Set 2. Died a week after his 62nd birthday.

Sue Upton

IMDB Entry

Benny Hill's favorite Angel (and many others', too), Sue Upton, seen in two ways: (top) as herself, from the Feb. 10, 1982 "Mimed Striptease" routine, and (bottom) as "Wondergran," in the Jan. 7, 1981 "Wondergran Meets Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hide" installment. 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.

Trudi Van Doorn (1950-1987)

IMDB Entry

The late Trudi Van Doorn, also known (from the late 1970's on) as Geraldine Gardner, seen here from (top) the Oct. 25, 1972 "Autumn Fashion Parade" and (bottom) the March 29, 1973 "Confrontation with Mervyn Cruddy" sketch. In the years before, during and after her TBHS appearances, she appeared in the movies Quest For Love and Not Now, Darling, and much TV including a role in the premiere episode of The New Avengers. After her name change, she made appearances on stage (in the London productions of A Chorus Line and Cats) as well as on TV shows such as Are You Being Served?, Danger UXB, Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense, and Fresh Fields. Committed suicide on a beach in southern England in 1987.

Johnny Vyvyan (1929-1984)

IMDB Entry

The late Johnny Vyvyan (1929-1984), whose credits ran the gamut from Hancock's Half-Hour (with Tony Hancock) to The Avengers to The Complete and Utter History of Britain (an early pre-Python effort from Terry Jones and Michael Palin), plus stints with the likes of Bob Monkhouse and Des O'Connor. His earliest known TBHS appearance was in January 1957 on the BBC. He was also in the first Benny Hill sitcom-anthology episode, "Portrait of a Bridegroom," in 1962. By some strange coincidence, both his and Estelle's appearances were on shows directed and produced by Ronald Fouracre. Terry-Thomas (who was in the film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines in which Mr. Hill also appeared) later died in the same house where Mr. Vyvyan was found dead.

Carla De Wansey

IMDB Entry

Here is Carla Wansey (sometimes credited as "Carla De Wansey"). Top: the B&W photo is a recent shot taken from uk.castingcallpro.com. Next, is her appearance on the "Babysitting" sketch from April 5, 1989; her appearance in "The Crook Report" of Feb. 8, 1989; and bottom: her appearance in the "Joggers" sketch from April 27, 1988.

2. 04/05/89

3. 02/08/89

4. 04/27/88

Susie Waring

Susie Waring, part of the 1989 lineup of Hill's Angels. Top: from the April 5, 1989 "Seven Foolish Virgins" segment and bottom: from the February 5, 1989 "Sport" sequence.

Vivienne Warman

IMDB Entry

A headshot of Vivienne Warman, taken sometime in the early 1980's and featured in an edition of The Spotlight from the same time. Ms. Warman was amongst the charter Hill's Angels, appearing in the first two shows (Feb. 6, 1980 and March 5, 1980) to feature that troupe.

Fizz Waters

IMDB Entry

By the looks of things, this is longtime TBHS floor manager Fizz Waters, seen here making an uncredited cameo appearance during the "Two Minutes Under" sketch of April 25, 1984. She served in that capacity on the show mainly from 1983 to 1988.

Dilys Watling (b.1946)

IMDB Entry

The lovely Dilys Watling, seen here from the "I Have To Watch My Figure" sketch of March 23, 1977. A popular entertainer in Britain during the 1960's and '70's, she was the daughter of actor Jack Watling and the sister of Deborah Watling (who was one of the traveling companions of Doctor Who during the "Patrick Troughton years." Dilys was also on the Dec. 17, 1975 show, in which (among others) she played Jill in the "Kojak" parody; she also is famous for the "Fever" sketch (also from 3/23/77) with Benny as a drumless percussionist.

Carl Wayne (1943-2004)

IMDB Entry

The late Carl Wayne (1943-2004), here seen as "Face" in the Jan. 2, 1985 "B-Team" sketch. Mr. Wayne first gained fame in 1967 as lead singer for The Move, whose "Flowers in the Rain" was the first song to be played on BBC Radio 1. His wife, Susan Hanson, was a regular on the TV series Crossroads, as was he himself, for a time. From 2000 until his death, from throat cancer, he was the lead singer for The Hollies, replacing Allan Clarke. His website: Carl Wayne.co.uk

The Other of two famous British stuntmen who were among the "Scuttle's Keep Fit Brigade" from the Feb. 23, 1972 sketch of the same name:

Malcolm Weaver

IMDB Entry

And though the image isn't all that clear, here's the other, Malcolm Weaver (with Jim Tyson behind at right).

Rita Webb (1904-1981)

IMDB Entry

The late Rita Webb (1904-1981), who appeared in much TV and films - including a total of ten TBHS episodes, one 1967 ATV special, the next-to-last BBC show a year later, and eight Thames shows. Among her roles, was the old lady in the "Starsky & Hutch" parody from 3/23/77 and, as shown here, a barmaid in the Court Jester sketch from her final TBHS on 3/5/80.

Jerold Wells (1908-1999)

IMDB Entry

Jerold Wells (1908-1999). This veteran character actor appeared on the show on and off to the end. Among his most famous moments were as one of the ship staff in the "Cruising on the S.S. Rumpo" sketch (pictured), one of the prisoners in "Coalpits," and one of the male escorts in the Scuttle Escorts sketch.

Penny Wells

IMDB Entry

From the Feb. 6, 1980 "Scarlet Pimple" sketch, Penny Wells. She was a charter member of Hill's Angels, appearing in the first two shows to feature the troupe (the other being March 5, 1980). Among her roles were: one of the restaurant patrons served three beans on toast in "Charlene's Angels", and one of the girls tending to Benny as German director "Otto Lotto" in "Hollywood Grates: Chubby Dodds."

Jade Westbrook

IMDB Entry

The charter member of the 'Little Angels,' Jade Westbrook, daughter of occasional Hill recurring player Jenny Westbrook (qv). Made her first appearance as a toddler in the "At the Beach" runoff of Jan. 16, 1984; was also in the May 27, 1985 "Dibbles Health Farm" and March 31, 1986 "Painter" runoffs before the Little Angels were formed.

Jenny Westbrook

IMDB Entry

Jenny Westbrook (who, for some reason, is listed in the IMDB as "Jennifer" Westbrook), seen here from the opening segment of the Jan. 26, 1977 "Bionic Baby" sketch. Jenny W's (to distinguish from Jenny Lee-Wright) main claim to fame besides her occasional bit appearances, came in the form of her daughter Jade Westbrook who first appeared as a tiny tot in the closing sketch/runoff of the Jan. 16, 1984 show and made two other appearances (on May 27, 1985 in the "Dibbles Health Farm" sketch and in the long March 31, 1986 runoff with Benny as a would-be artist) before being made a charter member of the "Hill's Little Angels" troupe for the final two series (and New York special).

Bill Weston

IMDB Entry

Actor and stuntman Bill Weston as seen in the runoff of the Jan. 8, 1975 show. He also was Chief Running Bare in the March 29, 1973 "The Deputy" sketch, and may have been the man in the bear suit in the March 12, 1975 "J. Arthur Mein Prevents His Behind the Bamboo Certain" sketch.

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