Benny Hill

Benny Hill (1924-1992) was one of the better known British comedians, some even say he was the best known one. His visual burlesque style humor needs no translation and hence it is more easily exported. Hill was attacked by the alternative comedians of the 80s as the prime example of the old stylish sexist buffoonery they wanted to avoid. Though it is true that sex related topics were often dominant in his shows, and that he became most well known for his visual Chaplin style gags in an age when this was/is considered by many to be regressive, I think the whole case is a bit more complex than that. To illustrate this point, I have decided to post here a few of his sketches in which he shows talent for a more intellectual sort of comedy and which are still exemplary of his style. Note that I also think that some valuable peaces may also be found among his quasi-silent visual gags. The first video is a parody of Brando and Steiger in On the Waterfront, from Hill's early BBC shows. The next two are then parodies of two extreme types of movie making, the highly artistic, and the very cheap. The first is an interview with an Avant-garde director whose experimental techniques seem to be more accidental than artistic. The second is a sketch of a hurriedly made movie so full of goofs that it makes you wonder what goes wrong next. I think these also indicate how Hill was able to creatively use the technical side of the visual medium which he was familiar with, being one of the first comedians made by television.