Frankie Howerd

From Conservapedia

Frankie Howerd OBE (March 6 1917 - April 18 1992) - born as Francis Alick Howard was a popular comedian and actor born in York, England.

Bio

Howerd began his entertainment career whilst serving in the armed forces during World War II, but suffered from stage-fright which put him at a disadvantage. His screen debut came in 1954 in the film, The Runaway Bus, which had been written for his comic talents but failed to impress at the box office.

Like Kenneth Williams, Howerd had a camp stage persona which reflected his homosexuality. Although it was illegal in the UK at the time, many comedians pushed the boundary of acceptablity with their acts and,eventually, became a major influence in the development of British Comedy.

Howerd lived with his male partner from 1955 until his death.

After suffering a nervous breakdown in the early 1960's, Howerd returned to the stage, taking the lead-role of Pseudolus in the stage-play A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum during its UK run. His portrayal of Pseudolus led to Howerd being cast in the similar television series Up Pompeii! in 1969, which proved highly successful and spawned a number of spin-offs.

After appearing in a number of specials and films, Howerd passed away of heart failure following a short illness at his home in Somerset on April 18, 1992. He had been scheduled to appear in the upcoming film Carry On Columbus and a planned reworking of Up Pompeii!, but his passing made such appearances impossible.