Benny Lee

2022-04-14T11:30:46Z

2A02:C7D:D627:9100:20DB:3892:5A29:3379:

{{short description|Scottish actor}}
{{for|the American badminton player|Benny Lee (badminton)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Benny Lee
| image = Singer_Benny_Lee.jpg
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1916|08|11}}
| birth_place = [[Glasgow]], [[Scotland]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1995|12|09|1916|08|11}}
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| othername =
| occupation = {{hlist | Comedy actor | singer}}
| yearsactive =
| spouse =
| website =
| awards =
}}
'''Benny Lee''' (11 August 1916 – 9 December 1995)<ref name="Gifford">{{cite news|last=Gifford|first=Denis|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituaries-benny-lee-1527812.html|title=Obituary: Benny Lee|work=[[The Independent]]|date=30 December 1995|access-date=6 December 2020}}</ref> was a [[Scottish people|Scottish]] comedy actor and singer. He started his career in stage roles, and developed a television and film career.

==Early life==
Lee was born on 11 August 1916 to a [[Jewish]] family in [[The Gorbals]], [[Glasgow]], [[Scotland]].<ref name=theo>{{Cite web|url=http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-1QSY/benny-lee/|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20150419092034/http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-1QSY/benny-lee/|url-status=dead|title=Benny Lee - Scottish actor -Theiapolis|archivedate=19 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="Hrld19960113">{{cite news|last=Young|first=Andrew|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12054159.benny-lee/|title=Benny Lee|work=The Herald|location=Glasgow|date=13 January 1996|access-date=6 December 2020}}</ref> He began his singing career as [[tenor]] in the school choir. Leaving school at 14, he became a [[tailor]]'s [[apprentice]], but soon left to join an all-purpose act, which sang, danced and performed [[acrobatics]] all around one of the main variety circuits of [[United Kingdom|Britain]].<ref name="Gifford"/>

Lee's acrobatic days lasted for only one evening on account of a nose injury. He was back in Glasgow, tailoring shirts and in his spare time playing drums for his own semi-professional dance-band. He also worked as a song-plugger for Essex Music Publishers. Wishing to return to the stage full-time he joined the Princess's Theatre (now the [[Citizens Theatre]]) in the Gorbals), where he gained experience in straight acting. This led to his first [[BBC radio]] audition in 1938.<ref name="Gifford" /><ref name="Hrld19960113" />

==Music==

In 1941, Lee was heard singing by [[Johnny Claes]], a trumpeter who had recently formed a swinging dance-band called the "Claepigeons". He liked the sound of Lee's voice and signed him on as a vocalist. Soon Lee was singing and recording with many bands of the day, including that of [[Sid Phillips (musician)|Sid Phillips]]. He was frequently heard on the [[radio]], and not only as a band singer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f4c035a9338643b9b3638638c3dd09d5|title=Bedtime with Braden|date=16 June 1951|issue=1439|pages=34|via=BBC Genome}}</ref> He played the part of [[Eddie Cantor]] in a radio version of the film ''[[Show Business (1944 film)|Show Business]]'' (1944). His other radio series included ''Top Ten'' (1944) and ''Music from the Movies'' (1946).<ref name="Gifford"/>

Lee became sufficiently popular for him to be featured as a solo singer, rather than only fronting a band. As a crooner, he performed in over 2,000 broadcasts.<ref name="Hrld19960113" /> In 1948, he was supported by the close-harmony group the Keynotes on "Rambling Rose". A 1948 review in ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' for "[[You're in Kentucky]]" said, "Poor recording balance, bad song submerges the work of a fine English singer named Benny Lee."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Record Reviews |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=May 8, 1948 |volume=60 |issue=19 |page=33 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jPUDAAAAMBAJ&q=%22benny+lee%22+comedy&pg=PA38 |access-date=6 December 2020}}</ref>

Next year he duetted with [[Joy Nichols]], the star of ''[[Take It From Here]]'', singing "On the 5.45".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/on-the-545-mt0046915238|title=On the 5.45 - Benny Lee, Joy Nicholls | Song Info | AllMusic|via=www.allmusic.com}}</ref> The Decca company came in with a contract and from 1950 he recorded such hits of the time as "[[Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)]]", and "Down at the Ferry Boat Inn" with the Stargazers. Every type of pop song seemed to suit Lee, and he covered [[Guy Mitchell]]'s no 1, "Pretty Little Black-Eyed Susan", and the [[Hank Williams]] [[hillbilly]] hit, "[[Your Cheatin' Heart]]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/f10091|title=78 Record: Benny Lee - Pretty Little Black-Eyed Susie (1953)|via=www.45worlds.com}}</ref> He enjoyed comedy numbers and sang "Close the Door" with a chorus of young children on a special series made for Christmas 1955 entitled Benny Lee's Children's Party.<ref name="Gifford"/>

==Radio and television==
Starting in January 1950, Lee appeared on [[Bernard Braden|Bernard Braden's]] radio shows, including ''Breakfast with Braden'' and ''Bedtime with Braden''.<ref name="Gifford" /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Took |first1=Barry |title=Laughter in the Air: An Informal History of British Radio Comedy|location=London|publisher=Robson Books|date=1976|isbn=9780903895781}}</ref> Lee worked as both singer and comedian in these series.<ref name="Hrld19960113" />

Lee's television career began when he was cast as the host of the [[BBC]]'s first ever series for teenagers. Cautiously subtitled "a fortnightly magazine for under 21s", ''Teleclub'' on its first outing introduced the pop star [[Teddy Johnson]] and radio's "[[Appointment with Fear (radio)#The Man in Black (1949)|Man In Black]]" with [[Valentine Dyall]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1793cb8d6ce049c6b3dbae2573eaec49|title=Teleclub|date=4 December 1953|issue=1568|pages=44|via=BBC Genome}}</ref> This was in 1953, the same year that Lee played Mr Pegg the myopic tailor to [[Terry-Thomas]] in the fifth series of ''[[How Do You View?]]'' His short-sighted measuring of the elegant "Master Terry" [[Denis Gifford]] described as a highspot.<ref name="Gifford"/>

The following year Lee was cast as Arthur Honeybee in ''Friends and Neighbours'', an early sitcom, with [[Peter Butterworth]] in the other lead playing George Bird. They recorded the programme's theme tune with their screen wives, [[Avril Angers]] and [[Janet Brown]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/4ee628d7c0ce4e34a5c96c8c455bf645|title=Friends and Neighbours|date=27 January 1954|issue=1576|pages=32|via=BBC Genome}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/artist/benny-lee-avril-angers-janet-brown-and-peter-butterworth|title=Benny Lee, Avril Angers, Janet Brown And Peter Butterworth 78 RPM - Discography - UK - 78 RPM|website=www.45worlds.com}}</ref> It became a chart hit, not for the actors, but for [[Billy Cotton]] and his band.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/5/billy-cotton-and-his-band/|title=BILLY COTTON AND HIS BAND | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website=www.officialcharts.com}}</ref> Lee was later regular support for [[Michael Bentine]] in his series ''[[It's a Square World]]'' (1960), along with [[Clive Dunn]], [[Dick Emery]], and [[Bruce Lacey]], the madcap inventor.<ref name="Gifford"/> Much later, he portrayed [[List of Are You Being Served? characters#Mr Klein (Benny Lee) (series 8)|Mr. Klein]] in the British sitcom, ''[[Are You Being Served?]]'' (1981).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007bcfm|title = BBC One - Are You Being Served?, Series 8, Closed Circuit}}</ref>

==Films==
Lee also appeared in the films, ''[[Keep It Clean]]'' (1956), ''[[My Wife's Family (1956 film)|My Wife's Family]]'' (1956), ''[[The Girl Hunters (film)|The Girl Hunters]]'' (1963) and ''[[Mahler (film)|Mahler]]'' (1974), portraying Tarbottom, Arnold, Nat Drutman and Uncle Arnold respectively.<ref name=theo/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/benny-lee-58006849/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160221041502/http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/benny-lee-58006849/|archive-date = 21 February 2016|title = Benny Lee | Biography and Filmography | 1916}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/1144276%7C19197/Benny-Lee/|title=Overview for Benny Lee|website=Turner Classic Movies|accessdate=29 July 2020}}</ref>

==Stage==
Lee's stage appearances included the musical ''[[Two Gentlemen of Verona (musical)|Two Gentlemen from Verona]]'' (1973) and ''[[Windy City (musical)|Windy City]]'' (1983).<ref name="Gifford"/>

==Death==
Lee died on 9 December 1995 at the age of 79. He left behind a wife and two daughters.<ref name="Gifford"/><ref name=theo/>

==Select filmography==
*''[[Keep It Clean]]'' (1956)
*''[[My Wife's Family (1956 film)|My Wife's Family]]'' (1956)
*''[[Carry On Sergeant]]'' (1958; uncredited)
*''[[Night of the Prowler]]'' (1962)
*''[[The Girl Hunters (film)|The Girl Hunters]]'' (1963)
*''[[A Stitch in Time (film)|A Stitch in Time]]'' (1963; uncredited)
*''[[Mahler (film)|Mahler]]'' (1974)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0496861|Benny Lee}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Benny}}
[[Category:1916 births]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:Male actors from Glasgow]]
[[Category:Scottish Jews]]
[[Category:Scottish male radio actors]]
[[Category:Scottish male television actors]]
[[Category:20th-century Scottish male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century Scottish male singers]]
[[Category:Musicians from Glasgow]]

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Benny Lee