Eric Barker
Encyclopedia
Eric Leslie Barker born in Thornton Heath
, Surrey
, was an English
comedy actor
. He is most remembered for his roles in the popular British Carry On films.
playing the role of the sickly Arthur.
He later became one of the most familiar faces in British comedy in his day. Eric Barker gained his renewed start in show business during World War II
, when he was part of the armed forces radio show Merry Go Round
, which he helped to write. After the war the show continued, though renamed The Waterlogged Spa, with Barker and his wife, fellow actor Pearl Hackney
. His "Steady Barker" catchphrase and verbal stumbling over words beginning with the letter 'h' became well known to audiences. The show's success led to Barker's starring in other radio shows, where he achieved a sizeable following due to his versatility at doing voices.
In the 1950s he moved into television and films. On television he wrote and appeared in his own show, The Eric Barker Half-Hour, a black-and-white comedy sketch show on the BBC
. The cast included his wife, Nicholas Parsons
and Deryck Guyler
. It ran for three series (21 episodes) between 1951 and 1953, and was broadcast fortnightly on Wednesdays around 9.00pm. Such was his success that it led to him writing his autobiography Steady Barker in 1956.
He had appeared as an adult in nine films, including Carry on London a 45-minute crime short in 1937. It is ironic therefore that in 1958 he received a BAFTA as "Most Promising Newcomer" for his role as a barrister's clerk in the film Brothers in Law
(1957). The award led to more film work over the next 20 years, including three St Trinians films, and four in the classic Carry On British comedy film series. He found his niche in playing variations on the busybody sticking his nose in everyone's business, or as some authority figure, Carry On Constable
(1960) being a good example. Along with Kenneth Williams
and Kenneth Connor
he is the only actor in the Carry On films
to appear in the first, Carry On Sergeant
in 1958 and the last of the original series of Carry On films Carry On Emmannuelle
in 1978.
(b. 28 October 1916, d. 18 September 2009) with whom he often worked, though she also had a comedy career of her own. They had a daughter Petronella in 1945, who also appeared in films and television between 1964 and 1983. Petronella married Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins
in September 1967. They divorced in 1972 and had a daughter in 1967, Abigail Hopkins
, who is a singer and actress.
In 1971 Barker was the subject of the British ITV
television show This is Your Life
.
Thornton Heath
Thornton Heath is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south-southeast of Charing Cross.-Geography:...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
comedy actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is most remembered for his roles in the popular British Carry On films.
Career
Eric Barker first appeared in films as a child actor, including in 1916 with an early production of Tom Brown's SchooldaysTom Brown's Schooldays
Tom Brown's Schooldays is a novel by Thomas Hughes. The story is set at Rugby School, a public school for boys, in the 1830s; Hughes attended Rugby School from 1834 to 1842...
playing the role of the sickly Arthur.
He later became one of the most familiar faces in British comedy in his day. Eric Barker gained his renewed start in show business during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when he was part of the armed forces radio show Merry Go Round
Merry-Go-Round (radio programme)
Merry-Go-Round, also known as Mediterranean Merry-Go-Round and Middle East Merry-Go-Round, was a BBC comedy-variety radio show introduced as entertainment for British troops during World War II. It led to several spin-offs, such as Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh, Waterlogged Spa and Puffney Post Office...
, which he helped to write. After the war the show continued, though renamed The Waterlogged Spa, with Barker and his wife, fellow actor Pearl Hackney
Pearl Hackney
Pearl Hackney was a British actress and the wife of comedian Eric Barker. She was born in Burton upon Trent, but spent much of her early life in Liverpool....
. His "Steady Barker" catchphrase and verbal stumbling over words beginning with the letter 'h' became well known to audiences. The show's success led to Barker's starring in other radio shows, where he achieved a sizeable following due to his versatility at doing voices.
In the 1950s he moved into television and films. On television he wrote and appeared in his own show, The Eric Barker Half-Hour, a black-and-white comedy sketch show on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. The cast included his wife, Nicholas Parsons
Nicholas Parsons
Nicholas Parsons OBE is a British actor and radio and television presenter.-Early life:...
and Deryck Guyler
Deryck Guyler
Deryck Guyler was an English actor, best known for his portrayal of officious, short-tempered middle-aged men in sitcoms such as Please Sir! and Sykes.-Early life:...
. It ran for three series (21 episodes) between 1951 and 1953, and was broadcast fortnightly on Wednesdays around 9.00pm. Such was his success that it led to him writing his autobiography Steady Barker in 1956.
He had appeared as an adult in nine films, including Carry on London a 45-minute crime short in 1937. It is ironic therefore that in 1958 he received a BAFTA as "Most Promising Newcomer" for his role as a barrister's clerk in the film Brothers in Law
Brothers in Law
Brothers in Law is a 1955 comedy book by Henry Cecil, himself a County Court judge, about Roger Thursby — a young barrister — experiencing his first year in chambers.-Television and Film:...
(1957). The award led to more film work over the next 20 years, including three St Trinians films, and four in the classic Carry On British comedy film series. He found his niche in playing variations on the busybody sticking his nose in everyone's business, or as some authority figure, Carry On Constable
Carry On Constable
Carry On Constable is the fourth Carry On film. It was released in 1960. Of the regular team, it featured Kenneth Connor, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims and Hattie Jacques. Sid James makes his debut in the series here, while early regulars Leslie Phillips, Eric Barker and Shirley...
(1960) being a good example. Along with Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Charles Williams was an English comic actor and comedian. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the Carry On films, and appeared in numerous British television shows, and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne.-Life and career:Kenneth Charles Williams was born on 22 February...
and Kenneth Connor
Kenneth Connor
Kenneth Connor MBE was an English comedy stage, radio, film and TV actor, best known for his appearances in the Carry On films.-Career:...
he is the only actor in the Carry On films
Carry On films
The Carry On films are a series of low-budget British comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. They are an energetic mix of parody, farce, slapstick and double entendres....
to appear in the first, Carry On Sergeant
Carry On Sergeant
Carry On Sergeant is the first Carry On film. Its first public screening was on 1 August 1958 at Screen One, London. Actors in this film who went on to be part of the regular team in the series were Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor and Terry Scott...
in 1958 and the last of the original series of Carry On films Carry On Emmannuelle
Carry On Emmannuelle
Carry On Emmannuelle is the 30th Carry On film, and was released in 1978. This was the last Carry On film to be made until Carry On Columbus in 1992. The film was to be the final Carry On for many regulars including Kenneth Williams , Kenneth Connor , Joan Sims and Peter Butterworth...
in 1978.
Personal life
He married the actress Pearl HackneyPearl Hackney
Pearl Hackney was a British actress and the wife of comedian Eric Barker. She was born in Burton upon Trent, but spent much of her early life in Liverpool....
(b. 28 October 1916, d. 18 September 2009) with whom he often worked, though she also had a comedy career of her own. They had a daughter Petronella in 1945, who also appeared in films and television between 1964 and 1983. Petronella married Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
in September 1967. They divorced in 1972 and had a daughter in 1967, Abigail Hopkins
Abigail Hopkins (singer)
Abigail Rhiannedd Hopkins is an English singer-songwriter, actress and theatre director. She is the daughter of the actor Anthony Hopkins and his former wife, Petronella Barker, daughter of the renowned British comic actor Eric Barker....
, who is a singer and actress.
In 1971 Barker was the subject of the British ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
television show This is Your Life
This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961. In the show, the host surprises a guest, and proceeds to take them through their life in front of an audience including friends and family.Edwards...
.
Selected filmography
- Tom Brown's SchooldaysTom Brown's Schooldays (1916 film)Tom Brown's Schooldays is a 1916 British silent drama film directed by Rex Wilson and starring Joyce Templeton, Jack Coleman and Evelyn Boucher. It is an adaptation of the novel Tom Brown's Schooldays by Thomas Hughes...
(1916) - NelsonNelson (1918 film)Nelson is a 1918 British historical film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Donald Calthrop, Malvina Longfellow and Ivy Close. It was based on the biography of Admiral Horatio Nelson by Robert Southey.-Cast:* Donald Calthrop - Horatio Nelson...
(1918) - His Dearest PossessionHis Dearest PossessionHis Dearest Possession is a 1919 British drama film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Edwards, Chrissie White and John MacAndrews. It was based on a story by Temple Thurston...
(1919) - The World Owes Me a LivingThe World Owes Me a LivingThe World Owes Me a Living is a 1945 British World War II film drama, directed by Vernon Sewell and starring David Farrar and Judy Campbell. The film is based on a novel by John Llewellyn Rhys, a young author who was killed in action in 1940 while serving in the Royal Air Force...
(1945) - Brothers in LawBrothers in Law (film)Brothers in Law is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Richard Attenborough, Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and Jill Adams...
(1957) - Blue Murder at St Trinian'sBlue Murder at St Trinian'sBlue Murder at St Trinian's is British comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School. Directed by Frank Launder and written by him and Sidney Gilliat, it was the second of the series of five films and stars Terry-Thomas, George Cole, Joyce Grenfell, Lionel Jeffries and Richard...
(1957) - A Clean SweepA Clean Sweep (1958 film)A Clean Sweep is a 1958 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Thora Hird, Eric Barker and Vera Day.-Cast:* Thora Hird ... Vera Watson* Eric Barker ... George Watson* Vera Day ... Daphne Watson* Ian Whittaker ... Dick Watson...
(1958) - Happy is the BrideHappy is the BrideHappy is the Bride is a 1958 British comedy film written and directed by Roy Boulting and starring Ian Carmichael, Janette Scott, Cecil Parker, Terry-Thomas and Joyce Grenfell...
(1958) - Carry On SergeantCarry On SergeantCarry On Sergeant is the first Carry On film. Its first public screening was on 1 August 1958 at Screen One, London. Actors in this film who went on to be part of the regular team in the series were Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor and Terry Scott...
(1958) - Bachelor of Hearts (1958)
- Left Right and CentreLeft Right and CentreLeft Right and Centre is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring Ian Carmichael, Patricia Bredin, Richard Wattis, Eric Barker and Alastair Sim. It was produced by Frank Launder...
(1959) - Watch Your SternWatch Your SternWatch Your Stern is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Gerald Thomas and starring Kenneth Connor, Eric Barker and Leslie Phillips.Watch Your Stern shares its cast and production team with the Carry On films, but the film is not an official member of the Carry On series.-Synopsis:When the crew...
(1960) - Carry On ConstableCarry On ConstableCarry On Constable is the fourth Carry On film. It was released in 1960. Of the regular team, it featured Kenneth Connor, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims and Hattie Jacques. Sid James makes his debut in the series here, while early regulars Leslie Phillips, Eric Barker and Shirley...
(1960) - Dentist in the ChairDentist in the ChairDentist in the Chair is a 1960 British comedy film, directed by Don Chaffey and starring Bob Monkhouse, Ronnie Stevens, Eric Barker and Vincent Ball. The screenplay was written by Val Guest, based on a novel by Matthew Finch...
(1960) - The Pure Hell of St Trinian'sThe Pure Hell of St Trinian'sThe Pure Hell of St Trinian's was a 1960 British comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School. Directed by Frank Launder and written by him and Sidney Gilliat, it was the third in a series of five films.-Plot:...
(1960) - Nearly a Nasty AccidentNearly a Nasty AccidentNearly a Nasty Accident is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Don Chaffey and starring Jimmy Edwards, Kenneth Connor, Shirley Eaton and Eric Barker.-Cast:* Jimmy Edwards as Group Captain Kingsley* Kenneth Connor as AC 2 Alexander Wood...
(1961) - Dentist on the JobDentist on the JobDentist on the Job is a 1961 British comedy film directed by C.M. Pennington-Richards. It was released in the US with the title Get on with it! It is the sequel to Dentist in the Chair. The film was co-written by Bob Monkhouse and Hazel Adair...
(1961) - Raising the WindRaising the Wind (1961 film)Raising the Wind is a 1961 British comedy film written by Bruce Montgomery and directed by Gerald Thomas. It starred James Robertson Justice, Leslie Phillips, Kenneth Williams, Liz Fraser, Eric Barker and Sid James...
(1961) - On the FiddleOn the FiddleOn the Fiddle is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Sean Connery, Alfred Lynch, Cecil Parker, Stanley Holloway, Eric Barker, Mike Sarne, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Kathleen Harrison, Victor Maddern and John Le Mesurier....
(1961) - The Fast LadyThe Fast LadyThe Fast Lady is a 1962 British comedy film, directed by Ken Annakin. The screenplay was written by Henry Blyth and Jack Davies, based on a story by Keble Howard.It marked the film debut of Julie Christie.-Plot:...
(1962) - On the BeatOn the Beat (1962 film)On the Beat is a 1962 British comedy film starring Norman Wisdom, and directed by Robert Asher.-Plot:Norman Pitkin works at Scotland Yard as a car cleaner but dreams of becoming a policeman like his late father....
(1962) - The Mouse on the MoonThe Mouse on the MoonThe Mouse on the Moon is a 1963 British comedy film, an adaptation of the novel The Mouse on the Moon by Irish author Leonard Wibberley. It was directed by Richard Lester and served as the sequel to The Mouse That Roared. In it, the people of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick, a microstate, attempt space...
(1963) - Heavens Above!Heavens Above!Heavens Above! is a 1963 British satirical comedy film starring Peter Sellers, directed by John and Roy Boulting, who also co-wrote along with Frank Harvey, from an idea by Malcolm Muggeridge...
(1963) - Father Came Too!Father Came Too!Father Came Too! is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Peter Graham Scott. It is a sequel to The Fast Lady.-Plot:Dexter and Juliet Munro are a married couple who move to a run-down cottage in hopes of escaping from Juliet's overbearing father. However, the couple are soon confronted by their...
(1963) - The BargeeThe BargeeThe Bargee is a 1964 British comedy film directed by Duncan Wood, and starring Harry H. Corbett, Hugh Griffith, Eric Sykes and Ronnie Barker. The screenplay was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.-Plot:...
(1964) - Carry On SpyingCarry On SpyingCarry On Spying is a 1964 film, the ninth movie in the Carry On film series. It marks Barbara Windsor's first appearance in the series. Series regulars Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey and Jim Dale are present. Bernard Cribbins makes the second of his three Carry On appearances...
(1964) - Three Hats for LisaThree Hats for LisaThree Hats for Lisa is a 1965 British comedy film directed by Sidney Hayers and starring Joe Brown, Sophie Hardy]], Una Stubbs and Dave Nelson.-Cast:* Joe Brown - Johnny Howjego* Sophie Hardy - Lisa Milan* Una Stubbs - Flora* Sid James - Sid Marks...
(1965) - Ferry Cross the MerseyFerry Cross the Mersey (film)Ferry Cross the Mersey is a 1965 musical film featuring Gerry and the Pacemakers.The film, directed by Jeremy Summers, is one of the more uncommon artifacts of the Mersey scene, shown very rarely on television and never issued on video...
(1965) - Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesThose Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesThose Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British comedy film starring Stuart Whitman and directed and co-written by Ken Annakin...
(1965) - Doctor in CloverDoctor in CloverDoctor in Clover is a British comedy film released in 1966, starring Leslie Phillips. The film is based on the novel by Richard Gordon.The film was shot in Carnaby Street, Wormwood Scrubs and Pinewood Studios.-Synopsis:...
(1966) - The Great St Trinian's Train RobberyThe Great St Trinian's Train RobberyThe Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery is a British comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School, released in 1966, three years after the Great Train Robbery had taken place...
(1966) - Maroc 7Maroc 7Maroc 7 is a 1967 British thriller film directed by Gerry O'Hara and starring Gene Barry, Elsa Martinelli, Leslie Phillips and Denholm Elliot...
(1967) - Twinky (1969)
- Cool It Carol! (1970)
- Carry On EmmannuelleCarry On EmmannuelleCarry On Emmannuelle is the 30th Carry On film, and was released in 1978. This was the last Carry On film to be made until Carry On Columbus in 1992. The film was to be the final Carry On for many regulars including Kenneth Williams , Kenneth Connor , Joan Sims and Peter Butterworth...
(1978)
External links
- Pearl Hackney - Daily Telegraph obituary