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Whatshisname: The Life and Death of Charles Hawtrey Hardcover – January 1, 2010

by Wes Butters (Author)

4.4 46 ratings

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At last - the definitive biography of Charles Hawtrey! From Wes Butters, Sony award winning broadcaster and author of Kenneth Williams Unseen, comes an extensively researched and compelling book almost fifteen years in the making, featuring scores of exclusive interviews, including Hawtrey's inner circle and surviving descendents, never-before-seen photographs, and private documents and correspondence. The result is the first definitive account of a life Hawtrey himself was keen to see evaporate into the mist of history. Years before, Hawtrey started out as a child actor in silent films, he was England's leading boy soprano and worked alongside a positive who's who of the thirties and forties. He had directed films and produced West End shows, starred in three hit TV series and was a prolific radio actor for the BBC. Yet he was never content and spent his life desperately searching for stardom and success, which, in his own deluded way of thinking, always failed to live up to expectations. He wasn't the least bit interested in his reputation or leaving a legacy, growing old disgracefully in Deal, the Kent seaside town he lived in for the last twenty years of his life: collapsing in pubs; swearing at autograph-hunting children; and, taking home teenage rent boys (one of whom set fire to Hawtrey's cottage, with Hawtrey still inside it). He died in 1988. Nine people were at his funeral.

Print length

296 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Tomahawk Pr
Publication date

January 1, 2010
Dimensions

7 x 1 x 10 inches
ISBN-10

9780955767074
ISBN-13

978-0955767074
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0955767075
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tomahawk Pr; 1st edition (January 1, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780955767074
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0955767074
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.09 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 1 x 10 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #8,082,175 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6,570 in Comedy (Books)
- #18,610 in Movie History & Criticism
- #39,848 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies

Customer Reviews:
4.4 46 ratings

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4.4 out of 5

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Pablo H

A brilliant biography

Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2010

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Wes Butters has succeeded where so many have failed - writing a biography of the reclusive actor Charles Hawtrey.

Primarily recognised as the funny man in the Carry On films, his career spanned six decades - a former boy soprano and star of the Will Hay comedies in the 1930s. However, alcoholism and caring for his mother who suffered from senile dementia took its toll on the man. He felt aggrieved that he never received due recognition for his immense talent.

Butters has given us a well rounded picture of this tortured genius - from comments of residents of Deal in Kent where Hawtrey spent the last 20 years of his life being a misanthropist to funny anecdotes from former co-stars.

2 people found this helpful

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sharon_beth_long

What A Sad Story

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2013

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I agree with Pablo H. It is unfortunate that because people from Hawtrey's early life are no longer alive the focus is on the later life but in such a biography that is to be expected. The author did the best he could in describing Hawtrey's early life with the materials that he had available. It is well written. Hawrtrey's life is the ultimate cautionary tale on the dangers of defining oneself solely through one's work and on alcoholism.

One person found this helpful

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Traffic

Very well written about a man that not much is known about.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 13, 2023

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Not much is know about Charles Hawtrey’s private life. Yet the author has done very well to write his biography.

Charles was always my favourite Carry On team member, and it’s so sad to read about his decline both in his acting and mental health. I was unaware of his acting life before Carry On and was surprised to read that he was a successful child actor on stage, radio and TV. He was even Britain’s leading boy soprano in his mid-teens at one point.

There is a lot of information here in this biography that will satisfy any fan of Charles Hawtrey. When I finished the book I was left feeling very sad for the man. He’ll always be my favourite Carry On team member

3 people found this helpful

James P. Thomson

Sad downfall

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 17, 2023

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A well written account of a genuinely talented artiste who through drink and eccentricity was unappreciated in his latter years by the show business in the UK

One person found this helpful

Sarah Hapgood

Carry On Charlie

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2017

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At first I was a bit disappointed this wasn't available on Kindle, but when it arrived I could see why. It's like a very informative scrapbook, stuffed with photographs, theatre programmes, letters and newspaper cuttings. Hawtrey remains the most enigmatic of the Carry On gang, and I found this book absolutely fascinating. The author doesn't flinch from showing Hawtrey's dark side, and yet at the same time clearly retains an affection and admiration for him. Hawtrey cannot possibly have been an easy man to know. Many of the residents in Deal still seem to suffer from the memory of his rude, drunken antics. His rampant drinking, his don't-you-know-who-I-am attitude that he was a great star and no one should forget it, his reclusiveness ...and yet for all that he still remains strangely lovable. He was outrageously spoilt by his mother (whom he adored), which led to a lifetime of him thinking he was better than his co-stars. He felt he deserved higher billing than everyone else, even though it was impossible to see how he could appear above Sid James on the cast list! At the end of the book a personal letter from Hawtrey is included, in which he signs himself off as "the elderly boy actor". That was who he was I guess. The little boy who never truly grew up. That was often the character he usually played in his films, and at which he was such a delight. In the end his drinking led to his departure from the series. He had simply become too impossible to work with. As Kenneth Williams noted in his diaries, when Hawtrey ran amok in a hotel when the gang were filming on location in North Wales, "Hawtrey can be such a bore". I like the fact that the author asserts that there was a genuine affection between Hawtrey and Williams, even though Kenny was totally exasperated by his drinking, and the Jekyll and Hyde personality it produced (anyone who's ever been in a friendship/relationship with an alcoholic will understand that one). It's probably not much of a coincidence that Hawtrey died only a few months after the untimely passing of his old co-star. I found this an absolutely fascinating book, with quite a bit of information that was new to me. Recommended.

11 people found this helpful

Big Si

Good...but overrated

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 12, 2010

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On the plus side this book has been attractively produced and comes with a wonderful selection of photographs. Another plus is that it is so much better than Roger Lewis' atrocious 2001 'biography' which was nothing more than a disgraceful ego trip for the author himself. Butters' attempt is a significant improvement; he treats the subject-matter with respect and has done his homework (over many years) through trying to get to know what made Hawtrey tick. On this point, I don't think he has quite succeeded - perhaps this is because Hawtrey himself was so enigmatic and quirky and it has proved difficult to really get to know the subject-matter? For me, though, the book's style quickly became off-putting. The book consists of too many quotations and anecdotes, which makes the whole thing very bland and surface-level. I was left with the feeling that a better writer - Robert Ross perhaps or definitely Graham McCann - would have been able to weave a more convincing narrative. Read McCann's books on Frankie Howerd and Terry-Thomas; these are much better-crafted and really give you a flavour of the real men behind the public facade. I can't knock Butters for this book though as it really is a labour of love. He deserves many congratualtions for having written it. In my view, though, the 'definitive' story of Hawtrey's life has still not been told.

6 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Odd Title - Fabulous Book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2013

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An odd title for the book, seeing as Charles Hawtrey is one of the familiar and well loved stars of the Carry Ons - a better title would have been "Charles Hawtrey - Oh Hello!".

This is an extremely well researched and well written book, written by an author who appreciates, understands and has such a feel for his subject; but who never flinches from showing us the most unpleasant sides to Mr Hawtrey's character. On screen, Mr Hawtrey was a delight, gleefully flitting about with a mischievous wit and naughty élan few could ever approach. Off screen, we learn of the darkness, the loneliness, the demons and of how he was often far from a delight. This biography is by no means a dish the dirt biography, it is just that it does not attempt a whitewash. It is a touching, sad story of a man who gave such much to entertain others and was so loved, yet whose story was in so many ways so tragic. A man who was frequently hard to love, but who had love in his heart - the part covering the death of his little cat illustrates this.

For anyone who is a fan of the Carry Ons; those joyous unashamed pleasures, (and how could you not be?) this is an indispensable work. It is superb, filled with insight, information, sadness and laughter. Even if you were not a fan of the Carry Ons, this is a very well written account of a very complex and interesting man. We learn so much and gain such insight into the life and character of Mr Hawtrey, this is an illuminating work and one to be heartily recommended.

Now Mr Butters should write about Sid James.

6 people found this helpful

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