Harry H. Corbett - Revision history

Kurt: /* Other work */

2023-02-19T05:18:24Z

Other work

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:18, 19 February 2023
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	''Steptoe and Son'' led Corbett to comedy films: as James Ryder in ''[[Ladies Who Do]]'' (1963); with [[Ronnie Barker]] in ''[[The Bargee]]'' (1964), written by Galton and Simpson; ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966); the "Lust" segment of ''[[The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins]]'' (1971); and [[Terry Gilliam]]'s ''[[Jabberwocky (film)\|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977). There were two ''Steptoe and Son'' films: ''[[Steptoe and Son (film)\|Steptoe and Son]]'' (1972) and ''[[Steptoe and Son Ride Again]]'' (1973). In 1966 he appeared as a narrator in [[List of Jackanory episodes\|four episodes]] of the BBC children's television series ''[[Jackanory]]'', and he also had the leading role in two other television series, ''Mr. Aitch'' (written especially for him, 1967) and ''Grundy'' (1980). Corbett had a supporting role in the [[David Essex]] film ''[[Silver Dream Racer]]'' (1980), and also appeared in the film ''[[Hardcore (1977 film)\|Hardcore]]'' (1977). In addition, he had a supporting role in ''Potter'' (1980) with Arthur Lowe on the BBC.		''Steptoe and Son'' led Corbett to comedy films: as James Ryder in ''[[Ladies Who Do]]'' (1963); with [[Ronnie Barker]] in ''[[The Bargee]]'' (1964), written by Galton and Simpson; ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966); the "Lust" segment of ''[[The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins]]'' (1971); and [[Terry Gilliam]]'s ''[[Jabberwocky (film)\|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977). There were two ''Steptoe and Son'' films: ''[[Steptoe and Son (film)\|Steptoe and Son]]'' (1972) and ''[[Steptoe and Son Ride Again]]'' (1973). In 1966 he appeared as a narrator in [[List of Jackanory episodes\|four episodes]] of the BBC children's television series ''[[Jackanory]]'', and he also had the leading role in two other television series, ''Mr. Aitch'' (written especially for him, 1967) and ''Grundy'' (1980). Corbett had a supporting role in the [[David Essex]] film ''[[Silver Dream Racer]]'' (1980), and also appeared in the film ''[[Hardcore (1977 film)\|Hardcore]]'' (1977). In addition, he had a supporting role in ''Potter'' (1980) with Arthur Lowe on the BBC.

	Corbett recorded multiple 45rpm records, most of which were novelty songs based upon the rag-and-bone character, including "Harry, You Love Her" and "Junk Shop".~~{{citation needed\|date=January 2020}}~~ He recorded a number of sea shanties and folk songs. In 1973, he recorded an album titled ''Only Authorised Employees To Break Bottles'' which was a "showcase of accents", with songs from Corbett in a range of accents, including [[Liverpool\|Liverpudlian]], [[Birmingham\|Brummie]] and [[Manchester\|Mancunian]]; the title echoes a notice which is visible in the bottle-smashing scene in the film 'The Bargee'. The album was recorded in 1973 and<ref>http://peterice.com/RA.htm</ref> released in 1974 on the Torquay, Devon-based RA record label with support from seventies folk band 'Faraway Folk': RALP 6022. Including the album, he released over 30 songs.		Corbett recorded multiple 45rpm records, most of which were novelty songs based upon the rag and bone character, including "Harry, You Love Her" and "Junk Shop". He recorded a number of sea shanties and folk songs. In 1973, he recorded an album titled ''Only Authorised Employees To Break Bottles'' which was a "showcase of accents", with songs from Corbett in a range of accents, including [[Liverpool\|Liverpudlian]], [[Birmingham\|Brummie]] and [[Manchester\|Mancunian]]; the title echoes a notice which is visible in the bottle-smashing scene in the film 'The Bargee'. The album was recorded in 1973 and<ref>http://peterice.com/RA.htm</ref> released in 1974 on the Torquay, Devon-based RA record label with support from seventies folk band 'Faraway Folk': RALP 6022. Including the album, he released over 30 songs.

	==Personal life==		==Personal life==

Kurt: /* Other work */

2023-02-19T05:17:57Z

Other work

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:17, 19 February 2023
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	''Steptoe and Son'' led Corbett to comedy films: as James Ryder in ''[[Ladies Who Do]]'' (1963); with [[Ronnie Barker]] in ''[[The Bargee]]'' (1964), written by Galton and Simpson; ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966); the "Lust" segment of ''[[The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins]]'' (1971); and [[Terry Gilliam]]'s ''[[Jabberwocky (film)\|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977). There were two ''Steptoe and Son'' films: ''[[Steptoe and Son (film)\|Steptoe and Son]]'' (1972) and ''[[Steptoe and Son Ride Again]]'' (1973). In 1966 he appeared as a narrator in [[List of Jackanory episodes\|four episodes]] of the BBC children's television series ''[[Jackanory]]'', and he also had the leading role in two other television series, ''Mr. Aitch'' (written especially for him, 1967) and ''Grundy'' (1980). Corbett had a supporting role in the [[David Essex]] film ''[[Silver Dream Racer]]'' (1980), and also appeared in the film ''[[Hardcore (1977 film)\|Hardcore]]'' (1977). In addition, he had a supporting role in ''Potter'' (1980) with Arthur Lowe on the BBC.		''Steptoe and Son'' led Corbett to comedy films: as James Ryder in ''[[Ladies Who Do]]'' (1963); with [[Ronnie Barker]] in ''[[The Bargee]]'' (1964), written by Galton and Simpson; ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966); the "Lust" segment of ''[[The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins]]'' (1971); and [[Terry Gilliam]]'s ''[[Jabberwocky (film)\|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977). There were two ''Steptoe and Son'' films: ''[[Steptoe and Son (film)\|Steptoe and Son]]'' (1972) and ''[[Steptoe and Son Ride Again]]'' (1973). In 1966 he appeared as a narrator in [[List of Jackanory episodes\|four episodes]] of the BBC children's television series ''[[Jackanory]]'', and he also had the leading role in two other television series, ''Mr. Aitch'' (written especially for him, 1967) and ''Grundy'' (1980). Corbett had a supporting role in the [[David Essex]] film ''[[Silver Dream Racer]]'' (1980), and also appeared in the film ''[[Hardcore (1977 film)\|Hardcore]]'' (1977). In addition, he had a supporting role in ''Potter'' (1980) with Arthur Lowe on the BBC.

	Corbett recorded multiple 45rpm records, most of which were novelty songs based upon the rag-and-bone character, including "Harry, You Love Her" and "Junk Shop".{{citation needed\|date=January 2020}} He recorded a number of sea shanties and folk songs. In 1973, he recorded an album titled ''Only Authorised Employees To Break Bottles'' which was a "showcase of accents", with songs from Corbett in a range of accents, including [[Liverpool\|Liverpudlian]], [[Birmingham\|Brummie]] and [[Manchester\|Mancunian]]; the title echoes a notice which is visible in the bottle-smashing scene in the film 'The Bargee'. The album was recorded in 1973 and<ref>http://peterice.com/RA.htm</ref> released in 1974 on the Torquay, Devon-based RA record label with support from seventies folk band 'Faraway Folk': RALP 6022 ~~http://peterice~~.~~com/RA.htm {{citation needed\|date=January 2020}}~~ Including the album, he released over 30 songs.		Corbett recorded multiple 45rpm records, most of which were novelty songs based upon the rag-and-bone character, including "Harry, You Love Her" and "Junk Shop".{{citation needed\|date=January 2020}} He recorded a number of sea shanties and folk songs. In 1973, he recorded an album titled ''Only Authorised Employees To Break Bottles'' which was a "showcase of accents", with songs from Corbett in a range of accents, including [[Liverpool\|Liverpudlian]], [[Birmingham\|Brummie]] and [[Manchester\|Mancunian]]; the title echoes a notice which is visible in the bottle-smashing scene in the film 'The Bargee'. The album was recorded in 1973 and<ref>http://peterice.com/RA.htm</ref> released in 1974 on the Torquay, Devon-based RA record label with support from seventies folk band 'Faraway Folk': RALP 6022. Including the album, he released over 30 songs.

	==Personal life==		==Personal life==

Kurt: /* Early life */

2023-02-19T05:12:18Z

Early life

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:12, 19 February 2023
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	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Corbett, the youngest of seven children, was born in [[~~Rangoon~~\|Rangoon]], [[British Burma\|Burma]], where his father, George Corbett (1885/86–1943), was serving as a company [[quartermaster sergeant\|quartermaster sergeant]] in the [[South Staffordshire Regiment\|South Staffordshire Regiment]] of the [[British Army\|British Army]], stationed at a [[cantonment\|cantonment]] as part of the Colonial defence forces. Corbett was sent to Britain after his mother, Caroline Emily, ''née'' Barnsley, (1884–1926) died of [[dysentery\|dysentery]] when he was eighteen months old. He was then brought up by his aunt, Annie Williams, in Earl Street, [[Ardwick\|Ardwick]], [[Manchester\|Manchester]] and later on a new [[council estate\|council estate]] in [[Wythenshawe\|Wythenshawe]]. He attended Ross Place and Benchill Primary Schools; although he passed the scholarship exam for entry to [[Chorlton-cum-Hardy\|Chorlton]] Grammar School, he was not able to take up his place there and instead attended [[Sharston\|Sharston]] Secondary School.<ref name=FrontLegs>Corbett, S. (2012). ''Harry H. Corbett – The Front Legs of the Cow''. The History Press, Stroud, Glos. {{ISBN\|978-0-7524-7682-7}}</ref>		Corbett, the youngest of seven children, was born in [[Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[British Burma\|Burma]], where his father, George Corbett (1885/86–1943), was serving as a company [[quartermaster sergeant\|quartermaster sergeant]] in the [[South Staffordshire Regiment\|South Staffordshire Regiment]] of the [[British Army\|British Army]], stationed at a [[cantonment\|cantonment]] as part of the Colonial defence forces. Corbett was sent to Britain after his mother, Caroline Emily, ''née'' Barnsley, (1884–1926) died of [[dysentery\|dysentery]] when he was eighteen months old. He was then brought up by his aunt, Annie Williams, in Earl Street, [[Ardwick\|Ardwick]], [[Manchester\|Manchester]] and later on a new [[council estate\|council estate]] in [[Wythenshawe\|Wythenshawe]]. He attended Ross Place and Benchill Primary Schools; although he passed the scholarship exam for entry to [[Chorlton-cum-Hardy\|Chorlton]] Grammar School, he was not able to take up his place there and instead attended [[Sharston\|Sharston]] Secondary School.<ref name=FrontLegs>Corbett, S. (2012). ''Harry H. Corbett – The Front Legs of the Cow''. The History Press, Stroud, Glos. {{ISBN\|978-0-7524-7682-7}}</ref>

	Corbett enlisted in the [[Royal Marines\|Royal Marines]] during the Second World War, and served in the [[Home Fleet\|Home Fleet]] on the heavy cruiser [[HMS Devonshire (39)\|HMS ''Devonshire'']]. After [[Victory over Japan Day\|VJ Day]] in 1945, he was posted to the [[Far East\|Far East]], where he was involved in quelling unrest in [[New Guinea\|New Guinea]] and reportedly killed two [[Imperial Japanese Army\|Japanese soldiers]] there whilst engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. He was then posted to [[Tonga\|Tonga]], but deserted and remained in [[Australia\|Australia]] before handing himself in to the [[Military Police\|Military Police]]. His military service left him with a damaged bladder following an infection, and a red mark on his eye caused by a thorn, which was not treated until late in his life.<ref name=FrontLegs />		Corbett enlisted in the [[Royal Marines\|Royal Marines]] during the Second World War, and served in the [[Home Fleet\|Home Fleet]] on the heavy cruiser [[HMS Devonshire (39)\|HMS ''Devonshire'']]. After [[Victory over Japan Day\|VJ Day]] in 1945, he was posted to the [[Far East\|Far East]], where he was involved in quelling unrest in [[New Guinea\|New Guinea]] and reportedly killed two [[Imperial Japanese Army\|Japanese soldiers]] there whilst engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. He was then posted to [[Tonga\|Tonga]], but deserted and remained in [[Australia\|Australia]] before handing himself in to the [[Military Police\|Military Police]]. His military service left him with a damaged bladder following an infection, and a red mark on his eye caused by a thorn, which was not treated until late in his life.<ref name=FrontLegs />

Kurt at 05:11, 19 February 2023

2023-02-19T05:11:23Z

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	\| image = Harry H. Corbett.jpg		\| image = Harry H. Corbett.jpg
	\| caption = Publicity photo of Corbett in the 1970s		\| caption = Publicity photo of Corbett in the 1970s
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1925\|02\|28\|df=y~~}}{{citation needed\|date=November 2019~~}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1925\|02\|28\|df=y}}
	\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[British Burma\|British Burma]]}}		\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[British Burma\|British Burma]]}}
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|3\|21\|1925\|2\|28\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|3\|21\|1925\|2\|28\|df=y}}

Kurt at 05:11, 19 February 2023

2023-02-19T05:11:07Z

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	\| children = 2, including [[Susannah Corbett\|Susannah Corbett]]		\| children = 2, including [[Susannah Corbett\|Susannah Corbett]]
	}}		}}
	'''Harry H. Corbett''' [[Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]<ref name="MC">{{cite video \|title=The Maureen Corbett (Wife of Harry) Interview \|url=http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|people=Dave Cosgrove (presenter); Maureen Corbett (interviewee); [[Galton and Simpson\|Alan Simpson]]; [[Galton and Simpson\|Ray Galton]]; Steve O'Brien (writer, director) \|time=21:00 \|access-date=14 May 2009 \|publisher=Steptoe-and-Son.com – The new OFFICIAL 2009 Steptoe & Son Appreciation Society \|format=RealPlayer \|quote=the OBE which he was very pleased to receive \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105045429/http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|archive-date=5 November 2009}}</ref> (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing [[rag-and~~-bone man\|rag-and-~~bone man]] Harold Steptoe alongside [[Wilfrid Brambell]] in the long-running [[BBC\|BBC]] television sitcom ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'' (1962–65, 1970–74). His success on television led to appearances in comedy films including ''[[The Bargee\|The Bargee]]'' (1964), ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966) and ''[[Jabberwocky (film)\|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977).		'''Harry H. Corbett''' [[Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]<ref name="MC">{{cite video \|title=The Maureen Corbett (Wife of Harry) Interview \|url=http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|people=Dave Cosgrove (presenter); Maureen Corbett (interviewee); [[Galton and Simpson\|Alan Simpson]]; [[Galton and Simpson\|Ray Galton]]; Steve O'Brien (writer, director) \|time=21:00 \|access-date=14 May 2009 \|publisher=Steptoe-and-Son.com – The new OFFICIAL 2009 Steptoe & Son Appreciation Society \|format=RealPlayer \|quote=the OBE which he was very pleased to receive \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105045429/http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|archive-date=5 November 2009}}</ref> (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing [[rag and bone man]] Harold Steptoe alongside [[Wilfrid Brambell]] in the long-running [[BBC\|BBC]] television sitcom ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'' (1962–65, 1970–74). His success on television led to appearances in comedy films including ''[[The Bargee\|The Bargee]]'' (1964), ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966) and ''[[Jabberwocky (film)\|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977).

	==Early life==		==Early life==

Kurt at 05:10, 19 February 2023

2023-02-19T05:10:43Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:10, 19 February 2023
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	~~{{Short description\|English actor}}~~
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2021}}~~
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| ~~name~~ = ~~Harry H. Corbett<br><small>~~[[w:Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]~~</small>~~		\| honorific_suffix = [[Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]
			\| name = Harry H. Corbett
	\| image = Harry H. Corbett.jpg		\| image = Harry H. Corbett.jpg
	\| caption = Publicity photo of Corbett in the 1970s		\| caption = Publicity photo of Corbett in the 1970s
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1925\|02\|28\|df=y}}{{citation needed\|date=November 2019}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1925\|02\|28\|df=y}}{{citation needed\|date=November 2019}}
	\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[w:Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[w:British Burma\|British Burma]]}}		\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[British Burma\|British Burma]]}}
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|3\|21\|1925\|2\|28\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|3\|21\|1925\|2\|28\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = {{nowrap\|[[w:Hastings\|Hastings]], [[w:East Sussex\|East Sussex]], England}}		\| death_place = {{nowrap\|[[Hastings\|Hastings]], [[East Sussex\|East Sussex]], England}}
	\| nationality = British		\| nationality = British
	\| notable_works = [[#Filmography\|See below]]		\| notable_works = [[#Filmography\|See below]]
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	* {{marriage\|Maureen Blott<br>\|1969}}		* {{marriage\|Maureen Blott<br>\|1969}}
	}}		}}
	\| children = 2, including [[w:Susannah Corbett\|Susannah Corbett]]		\| children = 2, including [[Susannah Corbett\|Susannah Corbett]]
	}}		}}
	'''Harry H. Corbett''' [[w:Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]<ref name="MC">{{cite video \|title=The Maureen Corbett (Wife of Harry) Interview \|url=http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|people=Dave Cosgrove (presenter); Maureen Corbett (interviewee); [[Galton and Simpson\|Alan Simpson]]; [[Galton and Simpson\|Ray Galton]]; Steve O'Brien (writer, director) \|time=21:00 \|access-date=14 May 2009 \|publisher=Steptoe-and-Son.com – The new OFFICIAL 2009 Steptoe & Son Appreciation Society \|format=RealPlayer \|quote=the OBE which he was very pleased to receive \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105045429/http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|archive-date=5 November 2009}}</ref> (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing [[w:rag-and-bone man\|rag-and-bone man]] Harold Steptoe alongside [[Wilfrid Brambell]] in the long-running [[w:BBC\|BBC]] television sitcom ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'' (1962–65, 1970–74). His success on television led to appearances in comedy films including ''[[w:The Bargee\|The Bargee]]'' (1964), ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966) and ''[[w:Jabberwocky (film)\|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977).		'''Harry H. Corbett''' [[Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]<ref name="MC">{{cite video \|title=The Maureen Corbett (Wife of Harry) Interview \|url=http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|people=Dave Cosgrove (presenter); Maureen Corbett (interviewee); [[Galton and Simpson\|Alan Simpson]]; [[Galton and Simpson\|Ray Galton]]; Steve O'Brien (writer, director) \|time=21:00 \|access-date=14 May 2009 \|publisher=Steptoe-and-Son.com – The new OFFICIAL 2009 Steptoe & Son Appreciation Society \|format=RealPlayer \|quote=the OBE which he was very pleased to receive \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105045429/http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|archive-date=5 November 2009}}</ref> (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing [[rag-and-bone man\|rag-and-bone man]] Harold Steptoe alongside [[Wilfrid Brambell]] in the long-running [[BBC\|BBC]] television sitcom ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'' (1962–65, 1970–74). His success on television led to appearances in comedy films including ''[[The Bargee\|The Bargee]]'' (1964), ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966) and ''[[Jabberwocky (film)\|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977).

	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Corbett, the youngest of seven children, was born in [[w:Rangoon\|Rangoon]], [[w:British Burma\|Burma]], where his father, George Corbett (1885/86–1943), was serving as a company [[w:quartermaster sergeant\|quartermaster sergeant]] in the [[w:South Staffordshire Regiment\|South Staffordshire Regiment]] of the [[w:British Army\|British Army]], stationed at a [[w:cantonment\|cantonment]] as part of the Colonial defence forces. Corbett was sent to Britain after his mother, Caroline Emily, ''née'' Barnsley, (1884–1926) died of [[w:dysentery\|dysentery]] when he was eighteen months old. He was then brought up by his aunt, Annie Williams, in Earl Street, [[w:Ardwick\|Ardwick]], [[w:Manchester\|Manchester]] and later on a new [[w:council estate\|council estate]] in [[w:Wythenshawe\|Wythenshawe]]. He attended Ross Place and Benchill Primary Schools; although he passed the scholarship exam for entry to [[w:Chorlton-cum-Hardy\|Chorlton]] Grammar School, he was not able to take up his place there and instead attended [[w:Sharston\|Sharston]] Secondary School.<ref name=FrontLegs>Corbett, S. (2012). ''Harry H. Corbett – The Front Legs of the Cow''. The History Press, Stroud, Glos. {{ISBN\|978-0-7524-7682-7}}</ref>		Corbett, the youngest of seven children, was born in [[Rangoon\|Rangoon]], [[British Burma\|Burma]], where his father, George Corbett (1885/86–1943), was serving as a company [[quartermaster sergeant\|quartermaster sergeant]] in the [[South Staffordshire Regiment\|South Staffordshire Regiment]] of the [[British Army\|British Army]], stationed at a [[cantonment\|cantonment]] as part of the Colonial defence forces. Corbett was sent to Britain after his mother, Caroline Emily, ''née'' Barnsley, (1884–1926) died of [[dysentery\|dysentery]] when he was eighteen months old. He was then brought up by his aunt, Annie Williams, in Earl Street, [[Ardwick\|Ardwick]], [[Manchester\|Manchester]] and later on a new [[council estate\|council estate]] in [[Wythenshawe\|Wythenshawe]]. He attended Ross Place and Benchill Primary Schools; although he passed the scholarship exam for entry to [[Chorlton-cum-Hardy\|Chorlton]] Grammar School, he was not able to take up his place there and instead attended [[Sharston\|Sharston]] Secondary School.<ref name=FrontLegs>Corbett, S. (2012). ''Harry H. Corbett – The Front Legs of the Cow''. The History Press, Stroud, Glos. {{ISBN\|978-0-7524-7682-7}}</ref>

	Corbett enlisted in the [[w:Royal Marines\|Royal Marines]] during the Second World War, and served in the [[w:Home Fleet\|Home Fleet]] on the heavy cruiser [[w:HMS Devonshire (39)\|HMS ''Devonshire'']]. After [[w:Victory over Japan Day\|VJ Day]] in 1945, he was posted to the [[w:Far East\|Far East]], where he was involved in quelling unrest in [[w:New Guinea\|New Guinea]] and reportedly killed two [[w:Imperial Japanese Army\|Japanese soldiers]] there whilst engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. He was then posted to [[w:Tonga\|Tonga]], but deserted and remained in [[w:Australia\|Australia]] before handing himself in to the [[w:Military Police\|Military Police]]. His military service left him with a damaged bladder following an infection, and a red mark on his eye caused by a thorn, which was not treated until late in his life.<ref name=FrontLegs />		Corbett enlisted in the [[Royal Marines\|Royal Marines]] during the Second World War, and served in the [[Home Fleet\|Home Fleet]] on the heavy cruiser [[HMS Devonshire (39)\|HMS ''Devonshire'']]. After [[Victory over Japan Day\|VJ Day]] in 1945, he was posted to the [[Far East\|Far East]], where he was involved in quelling unrest in [[New Guinea\|New Guinea]] and reportedly killed two [[Imperial Japanese Army\|Japanese soldiers]] there whilst engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. He was then posted to [[Tonga\|Tonga]], but deserted and remained in [[Australia\|Australia]] before handing himself in to the [[Military Police\|Military Police]]. His military service left him with a damaged bladder following an infection, and a red mark on his eye caused by a thorn, which was not treated until late in his life.<ref name=FrontLegs />

	==Career==		==Career==
	Upon returning to civilian life, Corbett trained as a [[w:radiographer\|radiographer]] before taking up acting as a career, initially in [[w:repertory\|repertory]]. In the early 1950s, he added the initial "H" to avoid confusion with the television entertainer [[w:Harry Corbett\|Harry Corbett]], known for his act with the glove-puppet [[w:Sooty\|Sooty]]. He joked that "H" stood for "hennyfink", a [[w:Cockney\|Cockney]] pronunciation of "anything". In 1956, he appeared on stage in ''[[w:The Family Reunion\|The Family Reunion]]'' at the [[w:Phoenix Theatre, London\|Phoenix Theatre]] in London.		Upon returning to civilian life, Corbett trained as a [[radiographer\|radiographer]] before taking up acting as a career, initially in [[repertory\|repertory]]. In the early 1950s, he added the initial "H" to avoid confusion with the television entertainer [[Harry Corbett\|Harry Corbett]], known for his act with the glove-puppet [[Sooty\|Sooty]]. He joked that "H" stood for "hennyfink", a [[Cockney\|Cockney]] pronunciation of "anything". In 1956, he appeared on stage in ''[[The Family Reunion\|The Family Reunion]]'' at the [[Phoenix Theatre, London\|Phoenix Theatre]] in London.

	From 1958, Corbett began to appear regularly in films, coming to public attention as a serious, intense performer, in contrast to his later reputation in sitcom. He appeared in television dramas such as ''[[w:The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)\|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (as four characters in episodes between 1957 and 1960) and ''[[w:Police Surgeon (UK TV series)\|Police Surgeon]]'' (1960). He also worked and studied [[w:Stanislavski's system\|Stanislavski's system]] at [[w:Joan Littlewood\|Joan Littlewood]]'s [[w:Theatre Workshop\|Theatre Workshop]] at the [[w:Theatre Royal Stratford East\|Theatre Royal]] in [[w:Stratford, London\|Stratford]], London.		From 1958, Corbett began to appear regularly in films, coming to public attention as a serious, intense performer, in contrast to his later reputation in sitcom. He appeared in television dramas such as ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)\|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (as four characters in episodes between 1957 and 1960) and ''[[Police Surgeon (UK TV series)\|Police Surgeon]]'' (1960). He also worked and studied [[Stanislavski's system\|Stanislavski's system]] at [[Joan Littlewood\|Joan Littlewood]]'s [[Theatre Workshop\|Theatre Workshop]] at the [[Theatre Royal Stratford East\|Theatre Royal]] in [[Stratford, London\|Stratford]], London.

	In 1962, scriptwriters [[Galton and Simpson]], who had been successful with ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]'', invited Corbett to appear in "The Offer", an episode of the [[w:BBC\|BBC]]'s anthology series of one-off comedy plays, ''[[Comedy Playhouse]]'', written by Galton and Simpson. He played Harold Steptoe, a [[w:rag-and-bone man\|rag-and-bone man]] who lives with his irascible widower father, Albert ([[Wilfrid Brambell]]) in a dilapidated house attached to their junkyard and stable for their cart horse, Hercules. At the time, Corbett was working at the Bristol Old Vic, where he appeared as ''Macbeth''.		In 1962, scriptwriters [[Galton and Simpson]], who had been successful with ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]'', invited Corbett to appear in "The Offer", an episode of the [[BBC\|BBC]]'s anthology series of one-off comedy plays, ''[[Comedy Playhouse]]'', written by Galton and Simpson. He played Harold Steptoe, a [[rag-and-bone man\|rag-and-bone man]] who lives with his irascible widower father, Albert ([[Wilfrid Brambell]]) in a dilapidated house attached to their junkyard and stable for their cart horse, Hercules. At the time, Corbett was working at the Bristol Old Vic, where he appeared as ''Macbeth''.

	The programme was a success and a full series followed, continuing, with breaks, until 1974, when the [[Christmas special]] became the final episode. Although the popularity of ''Steptoe and Son'' made Corbett a star, it damaged his serious acting career, as he became irreversibly associated with Steptoe in the public eye. As a result, severe typecasting forced him to come back to the role of Harold Steptoe over and over. Before the series began, Corbett had played Shakespeare's ''Richard II'' to great acclaim; however, when he played ''Hamlet'' in 1970, he felt both critics and audiences alike were not taking him seriously and could only see him as Steptoe. Corbett found himself receiving offers only for bawdy comedies or loose parodies of Steptoe.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.thisisannouncements.co.uk/5848606\|title=Family Announcements, Harry H Corbett - Funeral Directors and services - Family Announcements Announcements\|website=www.thisisannouncements.co.uk}}</ref> Production of the sitcom was stressful in the last few years, as Brambell was an alcoholic, often ill-prepared for rehearsals and forgetting his lines and movements.<ref name="dirtytruth">{{cite news \|first=David \|last=Barrie \|title=The dirty truth: The tortured world of Steptoe and Son \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/arts/features/story/0,11710,776815,00.html \|date=19 August 2002 \|work=The Guardian \|access-date=12 March 2008}}</ref> A tour of a ''Steptoe and Son'' stage production in Australia in 1977 proved a disaster due to Brambell's drinking.<ref name="dirtytruth"/> During the tour, the pair appeared in character in an advert for Ajax soap powder.		The programme was a success and a full series followed, continuing, with breaks, until 1974, when the [[Christmas special]] became the final episode. Although the popularity of ''Steptoe and Son'' made Corbett a star, it damaged his serious acting career, as he became irreversibly associated with Steptoe in the public eye. As a result, severe typecasting forced him to come back to the role of Harold Steptoe over and over. Before the series began, Corbett had played Shakespeare's ''Richard II'' to great acclaim; however, when he played ''Hamlet'' in 1970, he felt both critics and audiences alike were not taking him seriously and could only see him as Steptoe. Corbett found himself receiving offers only for bawdy comedies or loose parodies of Steptoe.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.thisisannouncements.co.uk/5848606\|title=Family Announcements, Harry H Corbett - Funeral Directors and services - Family Announcements Announcements\|website=www.thisisannouncements.co.uk}}</ref> Production of the sitcom was stressful in the last few years, as Brambell was an alcoholic, often ill-prepared for rehearsals and forgetting his lines and movements.<ref name="dirtytruth">{{cite news \|first=David \|last=Barrie \|title=The dirty truth: The tortured world of Steptoe and Son \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/arts/features/story/0,11710,776815,00.html \|date=19 August 2002 \|work=The Guardian \|access-date=12 March 2008}}</ref> A tour of a ''Steptoe and Son'' stage production in Australia in 1977 proved a disaster due to Brambell's drinking.<ref name="dirtytruth"/> During the tour, the pair appeared in character in an advert for Ajax soap powder.

Kurt: /* External links */

2022-12-14T21:03:12Z

External links

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:03, 14 December 2022
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	* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=corbett&GSfn=harry&GSmn=h&GSby=1925&GSbyrel=in&GSdy=1982&GSdyrel=in&GScntry=5&GSob=n&GRid=21560219&df=all& Harry H. Corbett at Findagrave]		* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=corbett&GSfn=harry&GSmn=h&GSby=1925&GSbyrel=in&GSdy=1982&GSdyrel=in&GScntry=5&GSob=n&GRid=21560219&df=all& Harry H. Corbett at Findagrave]

	~~{{British Academy Television Award for Best Actor 1960–1979}}~~
	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Corbett, Harry H.}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Corbett, Harry H.}}

Kurt at 00:41, 11 September 2022

2022-09-11T00:41:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:41, 10 September 2022
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	{{Short description\|English actor}}		{{Short description\|English actor}}
	~~{{About\|the English actor Harry H. Corbett\|other people\|Harry Corbett (disambiguation)}}~~
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2021}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2021}}
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
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	\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[w:Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[w:British Burma\|British Burma]]}}		\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[w:Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[w:British Burma\|British Burma]]}}
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|3\|21\|1925\|2\|28\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|3\|21\|1925\|2\|28\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = {{nowrap\|[[Hastings]], [[East Sussex]], England}}		\| death_place = {{nowrap\|[[w:Hastings\|Hastings]], [[w:East Sussex\|East Sussex]], England}}
	\| nationality = British		\| nationality = British
	\| notable_works = [[#Filmography\|See below]]		\| notable_works = [[#Filmography\|See below]]
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	* {{marriage\|Maureen Blott<br>\|1969}}		* {{marriage\|Maureen Blott<br>\|1969}}
	}}		}}
	\| children = 2, including [[Susannah Corbett]]		\| children = 2, including [[w:Susannah Corbett\|Susannah Corbett]]
	}}		}}
	'''Harry H. Corbett''' [[Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]<ref name="MC">{{cite video \|title=The Maureen Corbett (Wife of Harry) Interview \|url=http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|people=Dave Cosgrove (presenter); Maureen Corbett (interviewee); [[Galton and Simpson\|Alan Simpson]]; [[Galton and Simpson\|Ray Galton]]; Steve O'Brien (writer, director) \|time=21:00 \|access-date=14 May 2009 \|publisher=Steptoe-and-Son.com – The new OFFICIAL 2009 Steptoe & Son Appreciation Society \|format=RealPlayer \|quote=the OBE which he was very pleased to receive \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105045429/http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|archive-date=5 November 2009}}</ref> (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing [[rag-and-bone man]] Harold Steptoe alongside [[Wilfrid Brambell]] in the long-running [[BBC]] television sitcom ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'' (1962–65, 1970–74). His success on television led to appearances in comedy films including ''[[The Bargee]]'' (1964), ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966) and ''[[Jabberwocky (film)\|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977).		'''Harry H. Corbett''' [[w:Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]<ref name="MC">{{cite video \|title=The Maureen Corbett (Wife of Harry) Interview \|url=http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|people=Dave Cosgrove (presenter); Maureen Corbett (interviewee); [[Galton and Simpson\|Alan Simpson]]; [[Galton and Simpson\|Ray Galton]]; Steve O'Brien (writer, director) \|time=21:00 \|access-date=14 May 2009 \|publisher=Steptoe-and-Son.com – The new OFFICIAL 2009 Steptoe & Son Appreciation Society \|format=RealPlayer \|quote=the OBE which he was very pleased to receive \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105045429/http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|archive-date=5 November 2009}}</ref> (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing [[w:rag-and-bone man\|rag-and-bone man]] Harold Steptoe alongside [[Wilfrid Brambell]] in the long-running [[w:BBC\|BBC]] television sitcom ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'' (1962–65, 1970–74). His success on television led to appearances in comedy films including ''[[w:The Bargee\|The Bargee]]'' (1964), ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966) and ''[[w:Jabberwocky (film)\|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977).

	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Corbett, the youngest of seven children, was born in [[Rangoon]], [[British Burma\|Burma]], where his father, George Corbett (1885/86–1943), was serving as a company [[quartermaster sergeant]] in the [[South Staffordshire Regiment]] of the [[British Army]], stationed at a [[cantonment]] as part of the Colonial defence forces.~~{{citation needed\|date=November 2019}}~~ Corbett was sent to Britain after his mother, Caroline Emily, ''née'' Barnsley, (1884–1926) died of [[dysentery]] when he was eighteen months old. He was then brought up by his aunt, Annie Williams, in Earl Street, [[Ardwick]], [[Manchester]] and later on a new [[council estate]] in [[Wythenshawe]]. He attended Ross Place and Benchill Primary Schools; although he passed the scholarship exam for entry to [[Chorlton-cum-Hardy\|Chorlton]] Grammar School, he was not able to take up his place there and instead attended [[Sharston]] Secondary School.<ref name=FrontLegs>Corbett, S. (2012). ''Harry H. Corbett – The Front Legs of the Cow''. The History Press, Stroud, Glos. {{ISBN\|978-0-7524-7682-7}}</ref>		Corbett, the youngest of seven children, was born in [[w:Rangoon\|Rangoon]], [[w:British Burma\|Burma]], where his father, George Corbett (1885/86–1943), was serving as a company [[w:quartermaster sergeant\|quartermaster sergeant]] in the [[w:South Staffordshire Regiment\|South Staffordshire Regiment]] of the [[w:British Army\|British Army]], stationed at a [[w:cantonment\|cantonment]] as part of the Colonial defence forces. Corbett was sent to Britain after his mother, Caroline Emily, ''née'' Barnsley, (1884–1926) died of [[w:dysentery\|dysentery]] when he was eighteen months old. He was then brought up by his aunt, Annie Williams, in Earl Street, [[w:Ardwick\|Ardwick]], [[w:Manchester\|Manchester]] and later on a new [[w:council estate\|council estate]] in [[w:Wythenshawe\|Wythenshawe]]. He attended Ross Place and Benchill Primary Schools; although he passed the scholarship exam for entry to [[w:Chorlton-cum-Hardy\|Chorlton]] Grammar School, he was not able to take up his place there and instead attended [[w:Sharston\|Sharston]] Secondary School.<ref name=FrontLegs>Corbett, S. (2012). ''Harry H. Corbett – The Front Legs of the Cow''. The History Press, Stroud, Glos. {{ISBN\|978-0-7524-7682-7}}</ref>

	Corbett enlisted in the [[Royal Marines]] during the Second World War, and served in the [[Home Fleet]] on the heavy cruiser [[HMS Devonshire (39)\|HMS ''Devonshire'']]. After [[Victory over Japan Day\|VJ Day]] in 1945, he was posted to the [[Far East]], where he was involved in quelling unrest in [[New Guinea]] and reportedly killed two [[Imperial Japanese Army\|Japanese soldiers]] there whilst engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. He was then posted to [[Tonga]], but deserted and remained in [[Australia]] before handing himself in to the [[Military Police]]. His military service left him with a damaged bladder following an infection, and a red mark on his eye caused by a thorn, which was not treated until late in his life.<ref name=FrontLegs />		Corbett enlisted in the [[w:Royal Marines\|Royal Marines]] during the Second World War, and served in the [[w:Home Fleet\|Home Fleet]] on the heavy cruiser [[w:HMS Devonshire (39)\|HMS ''Devonshire'']]. After [[w:Victory over Japan Day\|VJ Day]] in 1945, he was posted to the [[w:Far East\|Far East]], where he was involved in quelling unrest in [[w:New Guinea\|New Guinea]] and reportedly killed two [[w:Imperial Japanese Army\|Japanese soldiers]] there whilst engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. He was then posted to [[w:Tonga\|Tonga]], but deserted and remained in [[w:Australia\|Australia]] before handing himself in to the [[w:Military Police\|Military Police]]. His military service left him with a damaged bladder following an infection, and a red mark on his eye caused by a thorn, which was not treated until late in his life.<ref name=FrontLegs />

	==Career==		==Career==
	Upon returning to civilian life, Corbett trained as a [[radiographer]] before taking up acting as a career, initially in [[repertory]]. In the early 1950s, he added the initial "H" to avoid confusion with the television entertainer [[Harry Corbett]], known for his act with the glove-puppet [[Sooty]]. He joked that "H" stood for "hennyfink", a Cockney pronunciation of "anything". In 1956, he appeared on stage in ''[[The Family Reunion]]'' at the [[Phoenix Theatre, London\|Phoenix Theatre]] in London.		Upon returning to civilian life, Corbett trained as a [[w:radiographer\|radiographer]] before taking up acting as a career, initially in [[w:repertory\|repertory]]. In the early 1950s, he added the initial "H" to avoid confusion with the television entertainer [[w:Harry Corbett\|Harry Corbett]], known for his act with the glove-puppet [[w:Sooty\|Sooty]]. He joked that "H" stood for "hennyfink", a [[w:Cockney\|Cockney]] pronunciation of "anything". In 1956, he appeared on stage in ''[[w:The Family Reunion\|The Family Reunion]]'' at the [[w:Phoenix Theatre, London\|Phoenix Theatre]] in London.

	From 1958, Corbett began to appear regularly in films, coming to public attention as a serious, intense performer, in contrast to his later reputation in sitcom. He appeared in television dramas such as ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)\|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (as four characters in episodes between 1957 and 1960) and ''[[Police Surgeon (UK TV series)\|Police Surgeon]]'' (1960). He also worked and studied [[Stanislavski's system]] at [[Joan Littlewood]]'s [[Theatre Workshop]] at the [[Theatre Royal Stratford East\|Theatre Royal]] in [[Stratford, London\|Stratford]], London.		From 1958, Corbett began to appear regularly in films, coming to public attention as a serious, intense performer, in contrast to his later reputation in sitcom. He appeared in television dramas such as ''[[w:The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)\|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (as four characters in episodes between 1957 and 1960) and ''[[w:Police Surgeon (UK TV series)\|Police Surgeon]]'' (1960). He also worked and studied [[w:Stanislavski's system\|Stanislavski's system]] at [[w:Joan Littlewood\|Joan Littlewood]]'s [[w:Theatre Workshop\|Theatre Workshop]] at the [[w:Theatre Royal Stratford East\|Theatre Royal]] in [[w:Stratford, London\|Stratford]], London.

	In 1962, scriptwriters [[Galton and Simpson]], who had been successful with ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]'', invited Corbett to appear in "The Offer", an episode of the [[BBC]]'s anthology series of one-off comedy plays, ''[[Comedy Playhouse]]'', written by Galton and Simpson. He played Harold Steptoe, a [[rag-and-bone man]] who lives with his irascible widower father, Albert ([[Wilfrid Brambell]]) in a dilapidated house attached to their junkyard and stable for their cart horse, Hercules. At the time, Corbett was working at the Bristol Old Vic, where he appeared as ''Macbeth''.		In 1962, scriptwriters [[Galton and Simpson]], who had been successful with ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]'', invited Corbett to appear in "The Offer", an episode of the [[w:BBC\|BBC]]'s anthology series of one-off comedy plays, ''[[Comedy Playhouse]]'', written by Galton and Simpson. He played Harold Steptoe, a [[w:rag-and-bone man\|rag-and-bone man]] who lives with his irascible widower father, Albert ([[Wilfrid Brambell]]) in a dilapidated house attached to their junkyard and stable for their cart horse, Hercules. At the time, Corbett was working at the Bristol Old Vic, where he appeared as ''Macbeth''.

	The programme was a success and a full series followed, continuing, with breaks, until 1974, when the [[Christmas special]] became the final episode. Although the popularity of ''Steptoe and Son'' made Corbett a star, it damaged his serious acting career, as he became irreversibly associated with Steptoe in the public eye. As a result, severe typecasting forced him to come back to the role of Harold Steptoe over and over. Before the series began, Corbett had played Shakespeare's ''Richard II'' to great acclaim; however, when he played ''Hamlet'' in 1970, he felt both critics and audiences alike were not taking him seriously and could only see him as Steptoe. Corbett found himself receiving offers only for bawdy comedies or loose parodies of Steptoe.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.thisisannouncements.co.uk/5848606\|title=Family Announcements, Harry H Corbett - Funeral Directors and services - Family Announcements Announcements\|website=www.thisisannouncements.co.uk}}</ref> Production of the sitcom was stressful in the last few years, as Brambell was an alcoholic, often ill-prepared for rehearsals and forgetting his lines and movements.<ref name="dirtytruth">{{cite news \|first=David \|last=Barrie \|title=The dirty truth: The tortured world of Steptoe and Son \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/arts/features/story/0,11710,776815,00.html \|date=19 August 2002 \|work=The Guardian \|access-date=12 March 2008}}</ref> A tour of a ''Steptoe and Son'' stage production in Australia in 1977 proved a disaster due to Brambell's drinking.<ref name="dirtytruth"/> During the tour, the pair appeared in character in an advert for Ajax soap powder.		The programme was a success and a full series followed, continuing, with breaks, until 1974, when the [[Christmas special]] became the final episode. Although the popularity of ''Steptoe and Son'' made Corbett a star, it damaged his serious acting career, as he became irreversibly associated with Steptoe in the public eye. As a result, severe typecasting forced him to come back to the role of Harold Steptoe over and over. Before the series began, Corbett had played Shakespeare's ''Richard II'' to great acclaim; however, when he played ''Hamlet'' in 1970, he felt both critics and audiences alike were not taking him seriously and could only see him as Steptoe. Corbett found himself receiving offers only for bawdy comedies or loose parodies of Steptoe.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.thisisannouncements.co.uk/5848606\|title=Family Announcements, Harry H Corbett - Funeral Directors and services - Family Announcements Announcements\|website=www.thisisannouncements.co.uk}}</ref> Production of the sitcom was stressful in the last few years, as Brambell was an alcoholic, often ill-prepared for rehearsals and forgetting his lines and movements.<ref name="dirtytruth">{{cite news \|first=David \|last=Barrie \|title=The dirty truth: The tortured world of Steptoe and Son \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/arts/features/story/0,11710,776815,00.html \|date=19 August 2002 \|work=The Guardian \|access-date=12 March 2008}}</ref> A tour of a ''Steptoe and Son'' stage production in Australia in 1977 proved a disaster due to Brambell's drinking.<ref name="dirtytruth"/> During the tour, the pair appeared in character in an advert for Ajax soap powder.

Kurt at 00:28, 11 September 2022

2022-09-11T00:28:53Z

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	{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2021}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2021}}
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| name = Harry H. Corbett<br><small>[[Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]</small>		\| name = Harry H. Corbett<br><small>[[w:Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]</small>
	\| image = ~~harry-h-corbett~~.jpg		\| image = Harry H. Corbett.jpg
	\| caption = Publicity photo of Corbett in the 1970s		\| caption = Publicity photo of Corbett in the 1970s
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1925\|02\|28\|df=y}}{{citation needed\|date=November 2019}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1925\|02\|28\|df=y}}{{citation needed\|date=November 2019}}
	\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[British Burma]]}}		\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[w:Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[w:British Burma\|British Burma]]}}
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|3\|21\|1925\|2\|28\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|3\|21\|1925\|2\|28\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = {{nowrap\|[[Hastings]], [[East Sussex]], England}}		\| death_place = {{nowrap\|[[Hastings]], [[East Sussex]], England}}

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2022-08-05T14:51:08Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 09:51, 5 August 2022
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← Older revision		Revision as of 00:10, 19 February 2023
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	~~{{Short description\|English actor}}~~
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2021}}~~
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| ~~name~~ = ~~Harry H. Corbett<br><small>~~[[w:Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]~~</small>~~		\| honorific_suffix = [[Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]
			\| name = Harry H. Corbett
	\| image = Harry H. Corbett.jpg		\| image = Harry H. Corbett.jpg
	\| caption = Publicity photo of Corbett in the 1970s		\| caption = Publicity photo of Corbett in the 1970s
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1925\|02\|28\|df=y}}{{citation needed\|date=November 2019}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1925\|02\|28\|df=y}}{{citation needed\|date=November 2019}}
	\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[w:Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[w:British Burma\|British Burma]]}}		\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[British Burma\|British Burma]]}}
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|3\|21\|1925\|2\|28\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|3\|21\|1925\|2\|28\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = {{nowrap\|[[w:Hastings\|Hastings]], [[w:East Sussex\|East Sussex]], England}}		\| death_place = {{nowrap\|[[Hastings\|Hastings]], [[East Sussex\|East Sussex]], England}}
	\| nationality = British		\| nationality = British
	\| notable_works = [[#Filmography\|See below]]		\| notable_works = [[#Filmography\|See below]]
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	* {{marriage\|Maureen Blott<br>\|1969}}		* {{marriage\|Maureen Blott<br>\|1969}}
	}}		}}
	\| children = 2, including [[w:Susannah Corbett\|Susannah Corbett]]		\| children = 2, including [[Susannah Corbett\|Susannah Corbett]]
	}}		}}
	'''Harry H. Corbett''' [[w:Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]<ref name="MC">{{cite video \|title=The Maureen Corbett (Wife of Harry) Interview \|url=http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|people=Dave Cosgrove (presenter); Maureen Corbett (interviewee); [[Galton and Simpson\|Alan Simpson]]; [[Galton and Simpson\|Ray Galton]]; Steve O'Brien (writer, director) \|time=21:00 \|access-date=14 May 2009 \|publisher=Steptoe-and-Son.com – The new OFFICIAL 2009 Steptoe & Son Appreciation Society \|format=RealPlayer \|quote=the OBE which he was very pleased to receive \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105045429/http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|archive-date=5 November 2009}}</ref> (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing [[w:rag-and-bone man\|rag-and-bone man]] Harold Steptoe alongside [[Wilfrid Brambell]] in the long-running [[w:BBC\|BBC]] television sitcom ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'' (1962–65, 1970–74). His success on television led to appearances in comedy films including ''[[w:The Bargee\|The Bargee]]'' (1964), ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966) and ''[[w:Jabberwocky (film)\|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977).		'''Harry H. Corbett''' [[Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]<ref name="MC">{{cite video \|title=The Maureen Corbett (Wife of Harry) Interview \|url=http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|people=Dave Cosgrove (presenter); Maureen Corbett (interviewee); [[Galton and Simpson\|Alan Simpson]]; [[Galton and Simpson\|Ray Galton]]; Steve O'Brien (writer, director) \|time=21:00 \|access-date=14 May 2009 \|publisher=Steptoe-and-Son.com – The new OFFICIAL 2009 Steptoe & Son Appreciation Society \|format=RealPlayer \|quote=the OBE which he was very pleased to receive \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105045429/http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|archive-date=5 November 2009}}</ref> (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing [[rag-and-bone man\|rag-and-bone man]] Harold Steptoe alongside [[Wilfrid Brambell]] in the long-running [[BBC\|BBC]] television sitcom ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'' (1962–65, 1970–74). His success on television led to appearances in comedy films including ''[[The Bargee\|The Bargee]]'' (1964), ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966) and ''[[Jabberwocky (film)\|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977).

	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Corbett, the youngest of seven children, was born in [[w:Rangoon\|Rangoon]], [[w:British Burma\|Burma]], where his father, George Corbett (1885/86–1943), was serving as a company [[w:quartermaster sergeant\|quartermaster sergeant]] in the [[w:South Staffordshire Regiment\|South Staffordshire Regiment]] of the [[w:British Army\|British Army]], stationed at a [[w:cantonment\|cantonment]] as part of the Colonial defence forces. Corbett was sent to Britain after his mother, Caroline Emily, ''née'' Barnsley, (1884–1926) died of [[w:dysentery\|dysentery]] when he was eighteen months old. He was then brought up by his aunt, Annie Williams, in Earl Street, [[w:Ardwick\|Ardwick]], [[w:Manchester\|Manchester]] and later on a new [[w:council estate\|council estate]] in [[w:Wythenshawe\|Wythenshawe]]. He attended Ross Place and Benchill Primary Schools; although he passed the scholarship exam for entry to [[w:Chorlton-cum-Hardy\|Chorlton]] Grammar School, he was not able to take up his place there and instead attended [[w:Sharston\|Sharston]] Secondary School.<ref name=FrontLegs>Corbett, S. (2012). ''Harry H. Corbett – The Front Legs of the Cow''. The History Press, Stroud, Glos. {{ISBN\|978-0-7524-7682-7}}</ref>		Corbett, the youngest of seven children, was born in [[Rangoon\|Rangoon]], [[British Burma\|Burma]], where his father, George Corbett (1885/86–1943), was serving as a company [[quartermaster sergeant\|quartermaster sergeant]] in the [[South Staffordshire Regiment\|South Staffordshire Regiment]] of the [[British Army\|British Army]], stationed at a [[cantonment\|cantonment]] as part of the Colonial defence forces. Corbett was sent to Britain after his mother, Caroline Emily, ''née'' Barnsley, (1884–1926) died of [[dysentery\|dysentery]] when he was eighteen months old. He was then brought up by his aunt, Annie Williams, in Earl Street, [[Ardwick\|Ardwick]], [[Manchester\|Manchester]] and later on a new [[council estate\|council estate]] in [[Wythenshawe\|Wythenshawe]]. He attended Ross Place and Benchill Primary Schools; although he passed the scholarship exam for entry to [[Chorlton-cum-Hardy\|Chorlton]] Grammar School, he was not able to take up his place there and instead attended [[Sharston\|Sharston]] Secondary School.<ref name=FrontLegs>Corbett, S. (2012). ''Harry H. Corbett – The Front Legs of the Cow''. The History Press, Stroud, Glos. {{ISBN\|978-0-7524-7682-7}}</ref>

	Corbett enlisted in the [[w:Royal Marines\|Royal Marines]] during the Second World War, and served in the [[w:Home Fleet\|Home Fleet]] on the heavy cruiser [[w:HMS Devonshire (39)\|HMS ''Devonshire'']]. After [[w:Victory over Japan Day\|VJ Day]] in 1945, he was posted to the [[w:Far East\|Far East]], where he was involved in quelling unrest in [[w:New Guinea\|New Guinea]] and reportedly killed two [[w:Imperial Japanese Army\|Japanese soldiers]] there whilst engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. He was then posted to [[w:Tonga\|Tonga]], but deserted and remained in [[w:Australia\|Australia]] before handing himself in to the [[w:Military Police\|Military Police]]. His military service left him with a damaged bladder following an infection, and a red mark on his eye caused by a thorn, which was not treated until late in his life.<ref name=FrontLegs />		Corbett enlisted in the [[Royal Marines\|Royal Marines]] during the Second World War, and served in the [[Home Fleet\|Home Fleet]] on the heavy cruiser [[HMS Devonshire (39)\|HMS ''Devonshire'']]. After [[Victory over Japan Day\|VJ Day]] in 1945, he was posted to the [[Far East\|Far East]], where he was involved in quelling unrest in [[New Guinea\|New Guinea]] and reportedly killed two [[Imperial Japanese Army\|Japanese soldiers]] there whilst engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. He was then posted to [[Tonga\|Tonga]], but deserted and remained in [[Australia\|Australia]] before handing himself in to the [[Military Police\|Military Police]]. His military service left him with a damaged bladder following an infection, and a red mark on his eye caused by a thorn, which was not treated until late in his life.<ref name=FrontLegs />

	==Career==		==Career==
	Upon returning to civilian life, Corbett trained as a [[w:radiographer\|radiographer]] before taking up acting as a career, initially in [[w:repertory\|repertory]]. In the early 1950s, he added the initial "H" to avoid confusion with the television entertainer [[w:Harry Corbett\|Harry Corbett]], known for his act with the glove-puppet [[w:Sooty\|Sooty]]. He joked that "H" stood for "hennyfink", a [[w:Cockney\|Cockney]] pronunciation of "anything". In 1956, he appeared on stage in ''[[w:The Family Reunion\|The Family Reunion]]'' at the [[w:Phoenix Theatre, London\|Phoenix Theatre]] in London.		Upon returning to civilian life, Corbett trained as a [[radiographer\|radiographer]] before taking up acting as a career, initially in [[repertory\|repertory]]. In the early 1950s, he added the initial "H" to avoid confusion with the television entertainer [[Harry Corbett\|Harry Corbett]], known for his act with the glove-puppet [[Sooty\|Sooty]]. He joked that "H" stood for "hennyfink", a [[Cockney\|Cockney]] pronunciation of "anything". In 1956, he appeared on stage in ''[[The Family Reunion\|The Family Reunion]]'' at the [[Phoenix Theatre, London\|Phoenix Theatre]] in London.

	From 1958, Corbett began to appear regularly in films, coming to public attention as a serious, intense performer, in contrast to his later reputation in sitcom. He appeared in television dramas such as ''[[w:The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)\|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (as four characters in episodes between 1957 and 1960) and ''[[w:Police Surgeon (UK TV series)\|Police Surgeon]]'' (1960). He also worked and studied [[w:Stanislavski's system\|Stanislavski's system]] at [[w:Joan Littlewood\|Joan Littlewood]]'s [[w:Theatre Workshop\|Theatre Workshop]] at the [[w:Theatre Royal Stratford East\|Theatre Royal]] in [[w:Stratford, London\|Stratford]], London.		From 1958, Corbett began to appear regularly in films, coming to public attention as a serious, intense performer, in contrast to his later reputation in sitcom. He appeared in television dramas such as ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)\|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (as four characters in episodes between 1957 and 1960) and ''[[Police Surgeon (UK TV series)\|Police Surgeon]]'' (1960). He also worked and studied [[Stanislavski's system\|Stanislavski's system]] at [[Joan Littlewood\|Joan Littlewood]]'s [[Theatre Workshop\|Theatre Workshop]] at the [[Theatre Royal Stratford East\|Theatre Royal]] in [[Stratford, London\|Stratford]], London.

	In 1962, scriptwriters [[Galton and Simpson]], who had been successful with ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]'', invited Corbett to appear in "The Offer", an episode of the [[w:BBC\|BBC]]'s anthology series of one-off comedy plays, ''[[Comedy Playhouse]]'', written by Galton and Simpson. He played Harold Steptoe, a [[w:rag-and-bone man\|rag-and-bone man]] who lives with his irascible widower father, Albert ([[Wilfrid Brambell]]) in a dilapidated house attached to their junkyard and stable for their cart horse, Hercules. At the time, Corbett was working at the Bristol Old Vic, where he appeared as ''Macbeth''.		In 1962, scriptwriters [[Galton and Simpson]], who had been successful with ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]'', invited Corbett to appear in "The Offer", an episode of the [[BBC\|BBC]]'s anthology series of one-off comedy plays, ''[[Comedy Playhouse]]'', written by Galton and Simpson. He played Harold Steptoe, a [[rag-and-bone man\|rag-and-bone man]] who lives with his irascible widower father, Albert ([[Wilfrid Brambell]]) in a dilapidated house attached to their junkyard and stable for their cart horse, Hercules. At the time, Corbett was working at the Bristol Old Vic, where he appeared as ''Macbeth''.

	The programme was a success and a full series followed, continuing, with breaks, until 1974, when the [[Christmas special]] became the final episode. Although the popularity of ''Steptoe and Son'' made Corbett a star, it damaged his serious acting career, as he became irreversibly associated with Steptoe in the public eye. As a result, severe typecasting forced him to come back to the role of Harold Steptoe over and over. Before the series began, Corbett had played Shakespeare's ''Richard II'' to great acclaim; however, when he played ''Hamlet'' in 1970, he felt both critics and audiences alike were not taking him seriously and could only see him as Steptoe. Corbett found himself receiving offers only for bawdy comedies or loose parodies of Steptoe.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.thisisannouncements.co.uk/5848606\|title=Family Announcements, Harry H Corbett - Funeral Directors and services - Family Announcements Announcements\|website=www.thisisannouncements.co.uk}}</ref> Production of the sitcom was stressful in the last few years, as Brambell was an alcoholic, often ill-prepared for rehearsals and forgetting his lines and movements.<ref name="dirtytruth">{{cite news \|first=David \|last=Barrie \|title=The dirty truth: The tortured world of Steptoe and Son \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/arts/features/story/0,11710,776815,00.html \|date=19 August 2002 \|work=The Guardian \|access-date=12 March 2008}}</ref> A tour of a ''Steptoe and Son'' stage production in Australia in 1977 proved a disaster due to Brambell's drinking.<ref name="dirtytruth"/> During the tour, the pair appeared in character in an advert for Ajax soap powder.		The programme was a success and a full series followed, continuing, with breaks, until 1974, when the [[Christmas special]] became the final episode. Although the popularity of ''Steptoe and Son'' made Corbett a star, it damaged his serious acting career, as he became irreversibly associated with Steptoe in the public eye. As a result, severe typecasting forced him to come back to the role of Harold Steptoe over and over. Before the series began, Corbett had played Shakespeare's ''Richard II'' to great acclaim; however, when he played ''Hamlet'' in 1970, he felt both critics and audiences alike were not taking him seriously and could only see him as Steptoe. Corbett found himself receiving offers only for bawdy comedies or loose parodies of Steptoe.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.thisisannouncements.co.uk/5848606\|title=Family Announcements, Harry H Corbett - Funeral Directors and services - Family Announcements Announcements\|website=www.thisisannouncements.co.uk}}</ref> Production of the sitcom was stressful in the last few years, as Brambell was an alcoholic, often ill-prepared for rehearsals and forgetting his lines and movements.<ref name="dirtytruth">{{cite news \|first=David \|last=Barrie \|title=The dirty truth: The tortured world of Steptoe and Son \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/arts/features/story/0,11710,776815,00.html \|date=19 August 2002 \|work=The Guardian \|access-date=12 March 2008}}</ref> A tour of a ''Steptoe and Son'' stage production in Australia in 1977 proved a disaster due to Brambell's drinking.<ref name="dirtytruth"/> During the tour, the pair appeared in character in an advert for Ajax soap powder.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:41, 10 September 2022
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	{{Short description\|English actor}}		{{Short description\|English actor}}
	~~{{About\|the English actor Harry H. Corbett\|other people\|Harry Corbett (disambiguation)}}~~
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2021}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2021}}
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
Line 9:		Line 8:
	\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[w:Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[w:British Burma\|British Burma]]}}		\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[w:Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[w:British Burma\|British Burma]]}}
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|3\|21\|1925\|2\|28\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|3\|21\|1925\|2\|28\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = {{nowrap\|[[Hastings]], [[East Sussex]], England}}		\| death_place = {{nowrap\|[[w:Hastings\|Hastings]], [[w:East Sussex\|East Sussex]], England}}
	\| nationality = British		\| nationality = British
	\| notable_works = [[#Filmography\|See below]]		\| notable_works = [[#Filmography\|See below]]
Line 19:		Line 18:
	* {{marriage\|Maureen Blott<br>\|1969}}		* {{marriage\|Maureen Blott<br>\|1969}}
	}}		}}
	\| children = 2, including [[Susannah Corbett]]		\| children = 2, including [[w:Susannah Corbett\|Susannah Corbett]]
	}}		}}
	'''Harry H. Corbett''' [[Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]<ref name="MC">{{cite video \|title=The Maureen Corbett (Wife of Harry) Interview \|url=http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|people=Dave Cosgrove (presenter); Maureen Corbett (interviewee); [[Galton and Simpson\|Alan Simpson]]; [[Galton and Simpson\|Ray Galton]]; Steve O'Brien (writer, director) \|time=21:00 \|access-date=14 May 2009 \|publisher=Steptoe-and-Son.com – The new OFFICIAL 2009 Steptoe & Son Appreciation Society \|format=RealPlayer \|quote=the OBE which he was very pleased to receive \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105045429/http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|archive-date=5 November 2009}}</ref> (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing [[rag-and-bone man]] Harold Steptoe alongside [[Wilfrid Brambell]] in the long-running [[BBC]] television sitcom ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'' (1962–65, 1970–74). His success on television led to appearances in comedy films including ''[[The Bargee]]'' (1964), ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966) and ''[[Jabberwocky (film)\|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977).		'''Harry H. Corbett''' [[w:Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]<ref name="MC">{{cite video \|title=The Maureen Corbett (Wife of Harry) Interview \|url=http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|people=Dave Cosgrove (presenter); Maureen Corbett (interviewee); [[Galton and Simpson\|Alan Simpson]]; [[Galton and Simpson\|Ray Galton]]; Steve O'Brien (writer, director) \|time=21:00 \|access-date=14 May 2009 \|publisher=Steptoe-and-Son.com – The new OFFICIAL 2009 Steptoe & Son Appreciation Society \|format=RealPlayer \|quote=the OBE which he was very pleased to receive \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105045429/http://www.steptoe-and-son.com/societymedia/maureencorbett2.html \|archive-date=5 November 2009}}</ref> (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing [[w:rag-and-bone man\|rag-and-bone man]] Harold Steptoe alongside [[Wilfrid Brambell]] in the long-running [[w:BBC\|BBC]] television sitcom ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'' (1962–65, 1970–74). His success on television led to appearances in comedy films including ''[[w:The Bargee\|The Bargee]]'' (1964), ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966) and ''[[w:Jabberwocky (film)\|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977).

	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Corbett, the youngest of seven children, was born in [[Rangoon]], [[British Burma\|Burma]], where his father, George Corbett (1885/86–1943), was serving as a company [[quartermaster sergeant]] in the [[South Staffordshire Regiment]] of the [[British Army]], stationed at a [[cantonment]] as part of the Colonial defence forces.~~{{citation needed\|date=November 2019}}~~ Corbett was sent to Britain after his mother, Caroline Emily, ''née'' Barnsley, (1884–1926) died of [[dysentery]] when he was eighteen months old. He was then brought up by his aunt, Annie Williams, in Earl Street, [[Ardwick]], [[Manchester]] and later on a new [[council estate]] in [[Wythenshawe]]. He attended Ross Place and Benchill Primary Schools; although he passed the scholarship exam for entry to [[Chorlton-cum-Hardy\|Chorlton]] Grammar School, he was not able to take up his place there and instead attended [[Sharston]] Secondary School.<ref name=FrontLegs>Corbett, S. (2012). ''Harry H. Corbett – The Front Legs of the Cow''. The History Press, Stroud, Glos. {{ISBN\|978-0-7524-7682-7}}</ref>		Corbett, the youngest of seven children, was born in [[w:Rangoon\|Rangoon]], [[w:British Burma\|Burma]], where his father, George Corbett (1885/86–1943), was serving as a company [[w:quartermaster sergeant\|quartermaster sergeant]] in the [[w:South Staffordshire Regiment\|South Staffordshire Regiment]] of the [[w:British Army\|British Army]], stationed at a [[w:cantonment\|cantonment]] as part of the Colonial defence forces. Corbett was sent to Britain after his mother, Caroline Emily, ''née'' Barnsley, (1884–1926) died of [[w:dysentery\|dysentery]] when he was eighteen months old. He was then brought up by his aunt, Annie Williams, in Earl Street, [[w:Ardwick\|Ardwick]], [[w:Manchester\|Manchester]] and later on a new [[w:council estate\|council estate]] in [[w:Wythenshawe\|Wythenshawe]]. He attended Ross Place and Benchill Primary Schools; although he passed the scholarship exam for entry to [[w:Chorlton-cum-Hardy\|Chorlton]] Grammar School, he was not able to take up his place there and instead attended [[w:Sharston\|Sharston]] Secondary School.<ref name=FrontLegs>Corbett, S. (2012). ''Harry H. Corbett – The Front Legs of the Cow''. The History Press, Stroud, Glos. {{ISBN\|978-0-7524-7682-7}}</ref>

	Corbett enlisted in the [[Royal Marines]] during the Second World War, and served in the [[Home Fleet]] on the heavy cruiser [[HMS Devonshire (39)\|HMS ''Devonshire'']]. After [[Victory over Japan Day\|VJ Day]] in 1945, he was posted to the [[Far East]], where he was involved in quelling unrest in [[New Guinea]] and reportedly killed two [[Imperial Japanese Army\|Japanese soldiers]] there whilst engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. He was then posted to [[Tonga]], but deserted and remained in [[Australia]] before handing himself in to the [[Military Police]]. His military service left him with a damaged bladder following an infection, and a red mark on his eye caused by a thorn, which was not treated until late in his life.<ref name=FrontLegs />		Corbett enlisted in the [[w:Royal Marines\|Royal Marines]] during the Second World War, and served in the [[w:Home Fleet\|Home Fleet]] on the heavy cruiser [[w:HMS Devonshire (39)\|HMS ''Devonshire'']]. After [[w:Victory over Japan Day\|VJ Day]] in 1945, he was posted to the [[w:Far East\|Far East]], where he was involved in quelling unrest in [[w:New Guinea\|New Guinea]] and reportedly killed two [[w:Imperial Japanese Army\|Japanese soldiers]] there whilst engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. He was then posted to [[w:Tonga\|Tonga]], but deserted and remained in [[w:Australia\|Australia]] before handing himself in to the [[w:Military Police\|Military Police]]. His military service left him with a damaged bladder following an infection, and a red mark on his eye caused by a thorn, which was not treated until late in his life.<ref name=FrontLegs />

	==Career==		==Career==
	Upon returning to civilian life, Corbett trained as a [[radiographer]] before taking up acting as a career, initially in [[repertory]]. In the early 1950s, he added the initial "H" to avoid confusion with the television entertainer [[Harry Corbett]], known for his act with the glove-puppet [[Sooty]]. He joked that "H" stood for "hennyfink", a Cockney pronunciation of "anything". In 1956, he appeared on stage in ''[[The Family Reunion]]'' at the [[Phoenix Theatre, London\|Phoenix Theatre]] in London.		Upon returning to civilian life, Corbett trained as a [[w:radiographer\|radiographer]] before taking up acting as a career, initially in [[w:repertory\|repertory]]. In the early 1950s, he added the initial "H" to avoid confusion with the television entertainer [[w:Harry Corbett\|Harry Corbett]], known for his act with the glove-puppet [[w:Sooty\|Sooty]]. He joked that "H" stood for "hennyfink", a [[w:Cockney\|Cockney]] pronunciation of "anything". In 1956, he appeared on stage in ''[[w:The Family Reunion\|The Family Reunion]]'' at the [[w:Phoenix Theatre, London\|Phoenix Theatre]] in London.

	From 1958, Corbett began to appear regularly in films, coming to public attention as a serious, intense performer, in contrast to his later reputation in sitcom. He appeared in television dramas such as ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)\|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (as four characters in episodes between 1957 and 1960) and ''[[Police Surgeon (UK TV series)\|Police Surgeon]]'' (1960). He also worked and studied [[Stanislavski's system]] at [[Joan Littlewood]]'s [[Theatre Workshop]] at the [[Theatre Royal Stratford East\|Theatre Royal]] in [[Stratford, London\|Stratford]], London.		From 1958, Corbett began to appear regularly in films, coming to public attention as a serious, intense performer, in contrast to his later reputation in sitcom. He appeared in television dramas such as ''[[w:The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)\|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (as four characters in episodes between 1957 and 1960) and ''[[w:Police Surgeon (UK TV series)\|Police Surgeon]]'' (1960). He also worked and studied [[w:Stanislavski's system\|Stanislavski's system]] at [[w:Joan Littlewood\|Joan Littlewood]]'s [[w:Theatre Workshop\|Theatre Workshop]] at the [[w:Theatre Royal Stratford East\|Theatre Royal]] in [[w:Stratford, London\|Stratford]], London.

	In 1962, scriptwriters [[Galton and Simpson]], who had been successful with ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]'', invited Corbett to appear in "The Offer", an episode of the [[BBC]]'s anthology series of one-off comedy plays, ''[[Comedy Playhouse]]'', written by Galton and Simpson. He played Harold Steptoe, a [[rag-and-bone man]] who lives with his irascible widower father, Albert ([[Wilfrid Brambell]]) in a dilapidated house attached to their junkyard and stable for their cart horse, Hercules. At the time, Corbett was working at the Bristol Old Vic, where he appeared as ''Macbeth''.		In 1962, scriptwriters [[Galton and Simpson]], who had been successful with ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]'', invited Corbett to appear in "The Offer", an episode of the [[w:BBC\|BBC]]'s anthology series of one-off comedy plays, ''[[Comedy Playhouse]]'', written by Galton and Simpson. He played Harold Steptoe, a [[w:rag-and-bone man\|rag-and-bone man]] who lives with his irascible widower father, Albert ([[Wilfrid Brambell]]) in a dilapidated house attached to their junkyard and stable for their cart horse, Hercules. At the time, Corbett was working at the Bristol Old Vic, where he appeared as ''Macbeth''.

	The programme was a success and a full series followed, continuing, with breaks, until 1974, when the [[Christmas special]] became the final episode. Although the popularity of ''Steptoe and Son'' made Corbett a star, it damaged his serious acting career, as he became irreversibly associated with Steptoe in the public eye. As a result, severe typecasting forced him to come back to the role of Harold Steptoe over and over. Before the series began, Corbett had played Shakespeare's ''Richard II'' to great acclaim; however, when he played ''Hamlet'' in 1970, he felt both critics and audiences alike were not taking him seriously and could only see him as Steptoe. Corbett found himself receiving offers only for bawdy comedies or loose parodies of Steptoe.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.thisisannouncements.co.uk/5848606\|title=Family Announcements, Harry H Corbett - Funeral Directors and services - Family Announcements Announcements\|website=www.thisisannouncements.co.uk}}</ref> Production of the sitcom was stressful in the last few years, as Brambell was an alcoholic, often ill-prepared for rehearsals and forgetting his lines and movements.<ref name="dirtytruth">{{cite news \|first=David \|last=Barrie \|title=The dirty truth: The tortured world of Steptoe and Son \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/arts/features/story/0,11710,776815,00.html \|date=19 August 2002 \|work=The Guardian \|access-date=12 March 2008}}</ref> A tour of a ''Steptoe and Son'' stage production in Australia in 1977 proved a disaster due to Brambell's drinking.<ref name="dirtytruth"/> During the tour, the pair appeared in character in an advert for Ajax soap powder.		The programme was a success and a full series followed, continuing, with breaks, until 1974, when the [[Christmas special]] became the final episode. Although the popularity of ''Steptoe and Son'' made Corbett a star, it damaged his serious acting career, as he became irreversibly associated with Steptoe in the public eye. As a result, severe typecasting forced him to come back to the role of Harold Steptoe over and over. Before the series began, Corbett had played Shakespeare's ''Richard II'' to great acclaim; however, when he played ''Hamlet'' in 1970, he felt both critics and audiences alike were not taking him seriously and could only see him as Steptoe. Corbett found himself receiving offers only for bawdy comedies or loose parodies of Steptoe.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.thisisannouncements.co.uk/5848606\|title=Family Announcements, Harry H Corbett - Funeral Directors and services - Family Announcements Announcements\|website=www.thisisannouncements.co.uk}}</ref> Production of the sitcom was stressful in the last few years, as Brambell was an alcoholic, often ill-prepared for rehearsals and forgetting his lines and movements.<ref name="dirtytruth">{{cite news \|first=David \|last=Barrie \|title=The dirty truth: The tortured world of Steptoe and Son \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/arts/features/story/0,11710,776815,00.html \|date=19 August 2002 \|work=The Guardian \|access-date=12 March 2008}}</ref> A tour of a ''Steptoe and Son'' stage production in Australia in 1977 proved a disaster due to Brambell's drinking.<ref name="dirtytruth"/> During the tour, the pair appeared in character in an advert for Ajax soap powder.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:28, 10 September 2022
Line 3:		Line 3:
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2021}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2021}}
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| name = Harry H. Corbett<br><small>[[Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]</small>		\| name = Harry H. Corbett<br><small>[[w:Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]</small>
	\| image = ~~harry-h-corbett~~.jpg		\| image = Harry H. Corbett.jpg
	\| caption = Publicity photo of Corbett in the 1970s		\| caption = Publicity photo of Corbett in the 1970s
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1925\|02\|28\|df=y}}{{citation needed\|date=November 2019}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1925\|02\|28\|df=y}}{{citation needed\|date=November 2019}}
	\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[British Burma]]}}		\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[w:Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[w:British Burma\|British Burma]]}}
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|3\|21\|1925\|2\|28\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|3\|21\|1925\|2\|28\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = {{nowrap\|[[Hastings]], [[East Sussex]], England}}		\| death_place = {{nowrap\|[[Hastings]], [[East Sussex]], England}}