Henry McGee

2022-08-02T15:36:33Z

2A00:23C6:3310:E101:BCA6:51BE:A986:ACFF:

{{short description|British actor}}
''For the American businessman and academic, see [[Henry W. McGee]].''
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2013}}
{{refimprove|date=July 2012}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}

{{Infobox person
| name = Henry McGee
| image = File:Henry McGee.jpg
| caption =
| birth_name = Henry James Marris-McGee
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1929|05|14|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[South Kensington]], [[London]], England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2006|01|28|1929|05|14|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Twickenham]], London, England
| resting_place = [[Brompton Cemetery]], London
| other_names =
| education = [[Stonyhurst College]]
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1950-2003
| known_for = [[Benny Hill]]'s [[double act|straight man]]
}}

[[File:Brompton Cemetery, London 60.JPG|thumb|Brompton Cemetery monument]]

'''Henry James Marris-McGee'''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/L-58041-002 |title=Henry MARRIS-MCGEE - Deceased Estates - The Gazette |accessdate=18 April 2016}}</ref> (14 May 1929 – 28 January 2006) was a British actor, best known as [[double act|straight man]] to [[Benny Hill]] for many years. McGee was also often the announcer on [[The Benny Hill Show|Hill's TV programme]], delivering the upbeat intro "Yes! It's ''The Benny Hill Show!''". He was familiar to British children throughout the 1970s as "Mummy" in the [[Sugar Puffs]] commercials, the catchphrase of which was "Tell them about the honey, Mummy".

==Biography==
Born in [[South Kensington]], London, and educated at [[Stonyhurst College]], McGee hoped to become a doctor, but the death of his father when he was 17 put financial strains on the family that ended his plans.<ref name=independent/> Having enjoyed acting as a boy, McGee decided to follow his mother's side of the family, which could trace its involvement in acting back to [[Kitty Clive]].<ref name="auto"/> He went on to play supporting roles in films and television series and dramas, including ''[[The Italian Job]]'' (1969), ''[[The Saint (TV series)|The Saint]]'' and ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]'', but it is for comedy roles that he is best remembered, primarily and most famously for his straight man interviewer in ''[[The Benny Hill Show]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=11597|title=Henry McGee|website=www.aveleyman.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/583757/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Benny Hill Show, The (1969-89)|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> He was also remembered by some as the 'mummy' of Honey Monster, a large, yellow, furry creature in advertisements for the breakfast cereal [[Sugar Puffs]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/ive-left-you-my-money-honey-7202791.html|title=I've left you my money, honey|date=13 January 2007|website=Evening Standard}}</ref>

McGee played Two-Ton Ted in the video of "[[Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)]]".<ref name=independent>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/henry-mcgee-6110081.html|title=Henry McGee|date=2 February 2006|website=The Independent}}</ref> Other comedy roles included the [[holiday camp|holiday centre]] manager in the 1973 film ''[[Holiday on the Buses]]'', officious policemen in ''[[Adventures of a Taxi Driver]]'' (1976) and ''[[Revenge of the Pink Panther]]'' (1978), the TV presenter Harold Hump in ''[[Carry On Emmannuelle]]'' (1978), opposite [[Charlie Drake]] in the [[Associated Television|ATV]]/[[ITV Network|ITV]] [[situation comedy]] ''[[The Worker (TV series)|The Worker]]'' (1965–1978), and ''There Was An Englishman, An Irishman and a Scotsman'', a BBC Scotland comedy series written by Lew Schwarz.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba02564a9|title=Henry McGee|website=BFI}}</ref> McGee was the Englishman, with [[Harry Towb]] as the Irishman and [[Roy Kinnear]] as the Scot. The show ran for one series in 1972. He also appeared in an episode of ''[[Rising Damp]]'' as a conman, Seymour.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/ch9fz/rising-damp--s2-e5-the-perfect-gentleman/|title=Rising Damp - S2 - Episode 5: The Perfect Gentleman|website=Radio Times}}</ref> In 2003, he appeared in the episode "The Miraculous Curing of Old Goff Helliwell" in ''[[Last of the Summer Wine]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/mnwx/last-of-the-summer-wine--s24-e6-the-miraculous-curing-of-old-goff-helliwell/|title=Last of the Summer Wine - S24 - Episode 6: The Miraculous Curing of Old Goff Helliwell|website=Radio Times}}</ref> He had a long and successful theatre career, during which he tackled a wide range of roles, receiving plaudits for deadpan delivery in [[farce]]s such as ''[[Plunder (play)|Plunder]]''.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |title=Obituary: Henry McGee |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1509339/Henry-McGee.html |publisher=The Telegraph |accessdate=22 July 2012 |author=Associated Press |date=1 Feb 2006}}</ref>

==Personal life==
McGee had one daughter, Stephanie (born November 1963). He spent his last six months in a [[nursing home]], suffering from [[Alzheimer's disease]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/feb/03/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries1|title=Obituary: Henry McGee|first=Dennis|last=Barker|date=3 February 2006|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref> He is buried at [[Brompton Cemetery]], London.<ref name="auto"/>

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1950|| ''[[Seven Days to Noon]]'' || Soldier Marching Next to Jackson || Uncredited
|-
|1956|| ''[[Sailor Beware! (1956 film)|Sailor Beware!]]'' || Milkman || Uncredited
|-
|1965|| ''[[Fanatic (film)|Fanatic]]'' || Rector || Uncredited
|-
|1969|| ''[[The Italian Job]]'' || Tailor || Uncredited
|-
|1973|| ''[[Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World]]'' || TV Announcer ||
|-
|1973|| ''[[Holiday on the Buses]]'' || Holiday Camp Manager ||
|-
|1974|| ''[[The Cherry Picker]]'' || Pilkington ||
|-
|1974|| ''[[The Best of Benny Hill]]'' || Himself / Rodney Fairchild / Customs Agent / Various ||
|-
|1976|| ''[[Adventures of a Taxi Driver]]'' || Inspector Rogers ||
|-
|1977|| ''[[Come Play with Me (1977 film)|Come Play with Me]]'' || Deputy Prime Minister ||
|-
|1978|| ''[[Revenge of the Pink Panther]]'' || Officer Bardot ||
|-
|1978|| ''[[Carry On Emmannuelle]]'' || Harold Hump ||
|-
|1994|| ''[[Asterix Conquers America]]'' || Caesar || English version, Voice
|}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|id=0569077|name=Henry McGee}}

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McGee, Henry}}
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:People from South Kensington]]
[[Category:Burials at Brompton Cemetery]]
[[Category:People educated at Stonyhurst College]]
[[Category:Deaths from dementia in England]]
[[Category:Deaths from Alzheimer's disease]]
[[Category:Male actors from London]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]

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Henry McGee