Kenneth Williams: Rare Interview Footage

It's funny what you find lying around, isn't it? Whilst most of us would be happy finding our favourite long-lost jumper, or that elusive second sock, during a tidy up here at Network HQ we stumbled upon something even better. An incredibly rare interview with legendary actor and comedian Kenneth Williams.
The footage, that offers an extensive and fascinating insight into the man himself, is from the Network archive of interviews from The Electric Theatre Show, much of it previously unseen. The interview took place in the late 70s during the filming of The Hound of the Baskervilles in which Williams plays Sir Henry Baskerville alongside Peter Cook and Dudley Moore who play Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson respectively.

[@johnsmith-rd5li]

This is a lovely piece of film because Kenneth really does appear to be relaxed during it. I must say, I could listen to his voice for hours. Am currently reading his diaries and I feel that people in the UK should be proud that he's "one of their own". A tragic figure who gave great pleasure to his audience. God bless him.

[@robertjones9160]

One in a million

[@silliusbillius1338]

@@robertjones9160 At the time he was most certainly 1 in 55 million... nowdays it would be more like 1 in 70+ million.

[@kelman727]

He was an atheist.

[@danhagerdanhager]

@@kelman727 Possibly at the very end, but for most of his life he professed to be a Christian. See his diaries.

[@meichong8278]

@@kelman727 He was brought up Wesleyian and I know he was disappointed when they merged but didnt hear him renounce his faith

[@shaunigothictv1003]

A wonderfully eccentric man. As he speaks his face is ablaze with his emotions.

[@LordHeath1972]

Kenneth Williams - a legend; a one-off; a National treasure.

[@chrisevans5259]

A unique character, and very intelligent and well read, great actor, but a very lonely sad man, troubled , and deep down he felt like an under achiever and worthless, which left him feeling down, and was an outcast in many ways. But his wonderful Carry-on performance's were comedy gold, and his exemplary timing and deliverance were spot on. Still sadly miss to this day, great Talented man. (K.Williams (rip).

[@iainholmes2735]

Agreed. An absolute national treasure. I liked his interview about Joe Orton: very calm, sensible and analytical. We have lost an enormous amount of talent over the years.

[@blueskye6372]

Agree. Same scenario with many talented entertainers. 👏🙏

[@philwilliams2505]

And you know this How ??

[@whatonearth9809]

The way he slips from Upper class to cockney eastender and his use of language is incredible

[@Knappa22]

Listening to him is completely mesmerising - what presence and eloquence. He was a one-off.

[@NetworkDistributing]

He certainly was

[@paulwhitehouse8911]

A very sad man but he brought so much joy to so many. One of the funniest men ever

[@sylviatohpaikchoo377]

One can never hv enuff of listening to Kenneth Williams. Huge talent so erudite, well-read, gosh he deserves much more recognition.

[@redmondial]

What a character! One of a kind, shame he didn’t have a happy life himself because he made all of our lives a little better … rest in peace.

[@channelfogg6629]

Such a funny man, a genius of comedy. Still missed after all these years.

[@sumthingwickedly]

The internets not the devil when you get to watch old things

[@servalan65]

I adore Mr Williams. He was a genius of comedy.

[@gavinstarling8737]

Agreed, he was a truly unique human being. It's a shame that he couldn't find happiness when he brought happiness to so many others.

[@roblewis3565]

In comedy, he and Maggie Smith were twins. He taught Maggie a lot of her comic mannerisms.

[@cadetmouse]

A man of many characters and voices...quite amazing was he...

[@SuperOldShows]

Such a nice, eloquent man, but so troubled. I recommend reading his diaries.

[@t.p.mckenna]

I'm not sure I do. They're fascinating, but just so terribly dark and troubled. All the people that worked with him professionally said they had no sense of this turmoil he appeared to be in. Only the very close people got to see the two sides and feel the lash of his tongue. So, maybe the more we get to know is not always the best.

[@lorenzomagazzeni5425]

I' d rather not.

[@thespiritworldawaits6244]

His diaries are amazingly funny and very sad sometimes with only 24hrs seperating the episodes. A brilliant wit and a sad loss. One can only hope wherever he is now he's settled and happy.

[@miketravis6149]

He always came across from his diaries that he hated the Carry on films. I have been fascinated by Kenneth and the Carry on crew. I enjoyed Fantabulosa with Micheal Sheen, the Kenneth Williams story. I grew up with these people.

[@thespiritworldawaits6244]

@@miketravis6149 Yeh I think the public forget that they are just humans with all the need of privacy and love and the like. They arnt gods they cant walk on water and they expect far to much from them. Its just a profession like any other but one that places your face in the public domain. Kenneth I think hated the constant pestering and acting advice and criticisn he got from the man in the street. I find myself reading the diaries thinking "yeh i'd have said that too, I'd have told them to sod off too". I think when you read the diaries you see yourself in them everyone will see themselves in them, all the conflicts of thought and the sad bits and joyous bits. He often needed help but didnt often seek it or get it.

[@rexel666]

I miss him terribly.

[@NxDoyle]

If only we could pause in the nanosecond between Kenneth's grand voice and gutter voice. Somewhere in that nanosecond was the real Kenneth.

[@smudger671]

Nixer Doyle: So true!

[@tjfSIM]

Very true - you hear glimpses of his real voice, such as when he says ‘end of a day’ - I think he got better at disguising it as he got older, but in these earlier interviews it’s fascinating to see.

[@smudger671]

@@tjfSIM Around the 1.25 mark is when he sounds unaffected - at least for a short period.

[@citizen1163]

@@tjfSIM Agree. I was born a couple of miles from King's X & my children playfully laugh at the way I say hospital as 'horspittle'. I can't hear it but they do. It's almost impossible to disguise your roots, should you choose to. Sad to think British regional accents have been almost wiped out.

[@stephentaylor2066]

Great observation.

[@EmmaRiddle543]

If he was still alive he would have done a fantastic Alan Rickman impression They will both be truly missed by many people

[@Dannycarry]

I love how quick his mind and his mouth works, none of these umms and ahhs

[@blazingsaddle166]

Literally everything he talks about results in some sort of hilarious anecdote. It's how he frames his stories that makes him so interesting. Absolutely one of a kind.

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Very talented man.

[@degsbabe]

Very interesting to see him just before the interview starts. No hint of nerves at all.

[@t9j6c6j51]

Such a natural story teller. I bet he was the life and soul at dinner parties.

[@lorenzomagazzeni5425]

Are you surre ?

[@erwinwoodedge4885]

Never ever have I seen the colour of the background wallpaper so similar to the colour of the facial skin.

[@johnsmith-rd5li]

Me thinks you need to go and have the Barclays.

[@JoseighBlogs]

Assuming it's his home I suspect he might have concurred and roared with the likes of "Of course, I had it done purposefully, you see, so that if an unwanted visitor came in when I chanced to be naked they wouldn't see me you see - well that would be the ruse - although, on hearing disembodied screeching I might let out at the inadvertent revealing as I was with my modesty upon entry of an uninvited interloper without as much as a 'by your leave' - and with said surprised caterwauling seemingly to emanate out of the pink wallpaper as far as the visitor was aware, said visitor would doubtless scarper pretty pronto bellowing (in common parlance) 'There's a bleedin’ screamin' poltergeist in that there boudoir'..."

[@susandavies9310]

That was so Kenneth, I could hear his distinctive voice speaking , are you channeling him, lol, loved it !

[@weitzen]

A real treat.....Kenneth in full flow.Brilliant! Thankyou!!!

[@unicornloverjones8513]

Thank you so much for sharing this - really enjoyed - would have loved to have seen more.

[@beefwisdom]

"Even Valentino blew off!" "Yes but they were silent films." Classic.

[@citizen1163]

Thank you. .marvellous!

[@JoseighBlogs]

Such a brilliant self-crafted contrivance in voice and manner he made of himself on stage and, as we see here so entertainingly off (stage) and only possible with great intellect. Perhaps, his personal loneliness, sadness, what-have-you we are told he suffered facilitated him artfully smothering the true Kenneth Williams he preferred we most definitely didn't get a look-in on. When such treasures one notices with these playbacks are noticeably gone one regrets ruefully one didn't necessarily take more notice when they were so outrageously and wonderfully present.

[@BarbieLiu]

Loved Kenneth starring in the carry on series. Played brilliantly as a hilarious character in each films! He and sid james were my 2 fav actors!

[@princesschloe9133]

Kenneth Williams is so Awesome!!!!!

[@NetworkDistributing]

He is indeed

[@charlesdavis7087]

Remarkable! I hadn't yet seen this interview before. Wow. !!! And thank you God. Wonderful. A moment in time with a friend no longer on the physical. The spirit comes shining through. Double WOW Thanks to all of you who have brought this to You Tube.

[@jonamore2102]

such an interesting interview atmosphere here I can't put my finger on it.

[@Knappa22]

Is it because the focus is entirely on him perhaps? The interviewer is not seen, and is only heard once or twice. The close-ups are very intimate too and show every detail of his face as he describes things with such vivacity and energy.

[@perrin6]

WOW-a Kenny appearance I've never seen, thanks!

[@pamelafrancis4476]

I grew up listening to Kenneth Williams and loved him! Watching him here can't help but think he would have made a wonderful House Elf, obviously in a very intellectual Household.

[@videocurios]

Wonderful thanks for sharing

[@jnuttso1]

I could listen to a lot more of that fabulous upload have you any more by chance :-)

[@johnsmith-rd5li]

Hear, hear.

[@redcardinalist]

He has a voice that simply....purrrrrrs :)

[@jochenstossberg5427]

He was a deeply troubled man, and hugely popular in the UK, but today, watching this clip is excrutiating. Frankly, he seems unwell. The interesting thing is that this is what he was like all the time. The voice wasn't an affectation - he always spoke like this. I thought he was hilarious when I was a kid, but today, knowing more about his inner life - it's verging on painful.

[@blueskye6372]

Understand but he looks fine to me. Rest in Paradise Kenneth. 🎊🙏🤟

[@mattuboyle5891]

What a talent.

[@anon2558]

I love this. Especially him talking about Gerald Thomas.

[@UKUAPGUY]

I love his use of English

[@philiptonee6334]

Enjoyed this viewing from the USA. ;-)

[@michelepiteo2196]

Fascinating from a theatrical point of view to see the fossell/painted mask of his persona yet like a veil breezing across it ,the young Kenneth Williams almost naked as it were....

[@virtualgaz]

thanks for sharing.

[@Lovelylove4everyone]

When celebrities were characters.

[@silverstevo]

Thanks for this - run out of footage this end and great to see new !

[@dalebaker6256]

brilliant actor, great comic, great mixture of accents! a posh type of cockney voice!

[@markusmanstroma3156]

Thank you for this.

[@deanmthomson]

wonderful!

[@iVenge]

Well, Kennetth had horrid digestive problems his entire life, so breaking wind was a constant aspect of his existence. Surely he made the best of it. Today they have better medicines, but back then there was only so much that could be done for things like IBS, reflux, GERD, Crohn’s disease, et cetera.

[@lorenzomagazzeni5425]

Yeah sure chrohn diisease.

[@TheChrisrg]

Great footage. You forget the people he knew/ worked with , he was well connected.

[@LordUhtred1]

I loved Kenneth - anyone can be ordinary.

[@TheEchovoices]

I miss him so much love him to bits

[@drwhatson]

KW looks so different in this interview! Is it the makeup or lack of? He looks slightly more disheveled and more natural than usual. Better looking even.

[@caruthersm]

"Yes, but they were silent films" LMAO

[@struttingrooster]

This is amazing. Will there be a new release featuring KW soon?

[@FJMLAM]

unique! Thanks for posting

[@PetroicaRodinogaster264]

there are multiple personalities imprisoned in him.

[@mazcluley9329]

Love kenny xx

[@pcalf101]

nice addition.

[@jozefserf2024]

A very bright but also a very guarded man with numerous coping mechanisms. Forever alone with his mother.

[@paulspydar]

I just love Kenny

[@steveemmett-inotherwords]

How we miss him

[@TheChrisrg]

I forgot KW was directed by Paul Morrissey. This is a great excerpt.

[@tonyjohn1395]

Never seen this thanks

[@terryleerose]

Very interesting interview. I read somewhere once that he used to use the same joke material again and again and he was concerned people were getting bored of him. I thought it was nonsense until I heard him tell them same story twice; the “blowing off story” in this version he credits the director as saying “yes but they were silent films” whereas in another interview he says “she” Joan Sims said it. at 1:15 kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHbGoIx8n9ShppY He references the director as “he”. So is any of this story even true ? Or has he just “evolved” it. Interesting

[@johnsmith-rd5li]

Sorry, forgot to thank you for posting.

[@marktwain380]

I loved this man, constantly talking about farting in nearly every interview!

[@marivor58]

"I quite liked Kent". Could've fooled me.

[@aalexjohna]

Only if it was shaved and freshly soaped.

[@Sameoldfitup]

We have known the days....

[@brexitannia9703]

Fabulously funny man, deeply troubled but funny such a tragic ending he did what he had been threatening to do in the end and saw himself out !

[@naly202]

Peter Rogers must have been rotten. He made so much profit with the Carry ons, but paid the actors so little. But still, they accepted and enjoyed themselves because they were true professionals and wonderful people. He didn't really deserve them.

[@johnking5174]

Kenneth was usually paid £5,000 per film. In 1966, the peak of the Carry On success, that was a fortune, as the average annual salary for a person in 1966 was £900.

[@naly202]

@@johnking5174 well, every documentary I watched about the Carry ons mention the small pay that the acyors got. They never said the amount.

[@thEannoyingE]

He would have been an excellent voice actor.

[@alexrobinson4802]

hapy news aw

[@swinnburn]

Don't we here this at PMQs time (uk)

[@phonotical]

You rendered it in the wrong ratio, 4:3 in 16:9, why pillarbox it

[@zoranstarcevic7529]

he should have been on are you being served sitcom uk dont get actors like him anymore

[@laytonjones2093]

I've seen thousands of KW interviews, but he seemed so relaxed in this. Do anyone know if the full interview is available

[@mookie2637]

You have to sympathise a little with hancock - listening to the radio shows now, Ken steals almost every scene he's in. He seems to have had several eipsodes of inopportune farting - there is more than one Just a Minute anecdote involving the same.

[@jesscooney8443]

He used to walk into Sid James dressing room...fart and walk out lol..I read that in Sid James biography . Sid would have haaated it

[@johnking5174]

People mistook Sid's anger at Kenneth to be homophobia. Sid was most certainly not homophobic, he just despised Kenneth's rude and crude behaviour.

[@lorenzomagazzeni5425]

@@johnking5174 Sid was South African...

[@johnking5174]

@@lorenzomagazzeni5425 So? What are you inferring?

[@charlesdavis7087]

I wish people would stop feeling sorry for Kenneth. It's a waste time. He's not there....... any more. Right? Right. So, here's to New Worlds... of consciousness and wonder into which we shall find our way. When you're right' you're right. My deary-o. Quit messing about. "And.............. on with the show... if you can call it that? ""

[@JOSEPHINECLAY-r6k]

I am the artist

[@michelepiteo2196]

His face mostly English/London stock. But seen ,unusually in this video with a natural very dark hair colour against a certain pallor.....that is a strain of Irish called Spanish Irish. His eyes are fey in the sense of mischievious fairy ... rather than in just gay way.

[@pigknickers]

Very perceptive, I'm impressed!

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

No, it's called hair dye

[@marcomervyn5357]

He's was Welsh both maternally and paternally

[@mikekemp9877]

Was a sensation in his first big part in st joan as the dauphin and although a lot of it was due to his transformation from a young man to an old one most of it concerned his good looks and he appeared as the younggood looking second lead in ranks the seekers with jack hawkins one of those epics made in colour to compete with hollywood in the 50s about a maori uprising.so he was thought extremeley handsome.however despite his huge talent he was very insecure the young islington boy never left him he lived about two miles from where he was born worked mainly at the bbc a 5 minute walk away and only really did the carry ons as a handy pension and his annual holiday on the set ...he and hawtrey often bought their mums .. and he liked the people many of whom formed his very tight social circle.he seldom did other movies.was aghast at the dumb interviewer who having got onto welles interupts ken just as he was to say which films welles wanted him to do which would be priceless hollywood lore i could see ken fitting well into touch of evil or chimes at midnight but we will never know why he and welles parted ways as the guy cuts him off and talks about hound.met him once at abbc poetry recording he invariably dressed as a typical clerk did in his cheapish suit and obligatory tie dont think he ever did casual even on holiday was a perfect gent took us up for a cuppa in the bbc canteen where he knew all the staff we were a bunch of 6th formers and in total awe stayed for a very long time listening to him talk about maggie smith gordon jackson as great stars who had finally got worldwide fame and kenneth horne of whom he had nothing but praise interestingly he mentioned syd james with affection said they loved working together but hardly ever socialised hes into race horses and women ken theatrically shouted to the amusment of all yerse orses and wimmin thats him ...while i like ...anyway where in great portland st can you keep an orse the ideas ridiculous.he said he felt sorry for kenny connor who was the main man in the early carry ons and tipped for greater stardom however a change of scriptwriters and a desire for a more conventional leading man who was good at comedy but could wow the ladies led to jim dale replacing him as the lead after cleo then roy castle and other young men in subsequent films in which he played smaller support roles or was dropped altogether.we all got the same money but ken iwas like the big chap in the magnificent 7 no one remembered him to the public it was me james hattie babs joanie and charley frankie howard as he did a couple then bernard peter liz and the rest shame hes the most talented of us all but hell be back.as it proved on top rated tv show allo allo. the only bad word he had for anyone except the government he was a socialist tory so hated callaghan and thatcher was clement freud .id never say it to his face we get on i play off him in the show and e are casual friends but hes an odd one or a baddun as my dear father put it but you wait he said dropping into pure gruntfuttock im an ole man but you youngsters oh yes you will live to hear the truth about him.dunno what hes done but he is a ruthless so and so and it will be bad.i can tell. very prescient as freuds widow revealed that aided and abetted by her he was a lifelong paedophile.kenny didnt know but beneath the facade he was a very observant andintelligent man and obviously picked up that freud was either a sociopath or psychopath.it was probably the best two hours of our lives and after getting not ours but our mums and grandmas adresses to send them tickets for just a minute which then did arrive a week or so later he wandered down portland place in his off white raincoat deep in thought.absolutely lovely man.

[@silliusbillius1338]

@@mikekemp9877 Realise your post is a year ago... a great anecdote, you just need to punctuate it a little better to help it flow. Sounds a memorable event... wish I'd been present myself. Thanks.

[@mindfulclarity169]

His face looks so ashen.

[@Voxac100b]

I think no makeup lady was available

[@knumbugs]

You can't deny his talent for comical delivery. But he seems a bit creepy.

[@lorenzomagazzeni5425]

Of course he was.

[@oldrocker71]

Kenneth Williams was one of the most flamboyant and talented men I've ever seen ,Such a shame he was a tortured soul and struggled to find real happiness in his life,He essentially would take any job that was offered to him in his later life so he could fund his trips abroad and enjoy Buggering young Asian boys, still the funniest man I've ever seen in a comedy film !genius

[@johnsmith-rd5li]

Not sure that he ever ventured to the East. But he did get the odd bit of traditional in Tangiers...

[@deankeith830]

I think you are mixing him up with Gary Glitter !

[@kelman727]

He never had gay sex...

[@nolanbrownwig5703]

The same old fart stories....every intervew he did, pvc or farts.

[@mikekemp9877]

disliked peter cooke and jonathan miller! miller because he ruined operas by making them in different periods! if you see the mikado you see the first line is we are gentlemen of japan why are they dressed like toffs on derby day? cooke had written the one leg too few tarzan sketch for kenny . he later included it in beyond the fringe!on a show about himself presented by barry cryer bill pertwee recalled kenny bemoaning fringes sucess in america saying that should be me! bill said when kenny did the sketch he played the one legged man as his snide character a loony! didnt work became uncomfortable to watch and was cut! when dudley played it he played it as a guy who really believed he could play tarzan despite lacking a leg! it made the joke! anyway said bill i think kenny was far too subtle for u.s audiences quick as a flash barry replied yes i understand freddie parrotface davies had the same trouble! dead air on the radio as the pair couldnt stop laughing!

[@mikekemp9877]

@@paulweir7122 you should sign up for a lesson in intolerance! i am paralysed moron i can only use my mouth to write comments! makes punctuating v.hard you sneering piece of crap!

[@brecans]

Great actor and funny man but also was a very sad man.