Benny Hill not just a funny face

Press, 4 January 1978, Page 15

Benny Hill not just a funny face

Benny Hill is widely known as television’s rolypoly mixture of sauce and smut. But he has another side — dedicated to his craft, he is a perfectionist who demands, and gets, the best from his co-stars.

This is the impression of people, who have worked closely with him during the production in Sydney of a “Benny Hill Special” for the 0-10 network.

Every person involved in the outrageous production held a high degree of admiration not only for Hill’s comic genius but also for the way in which he applied himself to his craft.

tralia briefly to appear in an advertising campaign selling salted peanuts. Mr Jim Woodcock, advertising manager with the company, says that Hill is unlike most show business people. “Over the years I’ve mixed with a lot of people in that business and the majority of them don’t want to talk about anything else,” Mr. Woodcock said.

"Benny Hill is totally different. Of course, he’s a funny man, but he can also discuss a serious subject with a great deal of intelligence. “I had dinner with him once and spent every day on set while we were doing the ads. He kept everybody amused, but when he wanted to he could discuss things like the state of the British economy and know exactly what he was talking about. "He’s not just a clown by any means. There’s a lot more to him than the public sees on TV.”

Apart from the fact that he writes and devises all the routines, he takes a close and expert interest in the whole business and knows everything about the technical side of putting a show together. In 1976, Hill was in Aus-

Benny Hill’s style is to surround himself with a bevy of beautiful young girls, usually scantily dressed.

A young Sydney actress, Luda Redding was one of those girls. She describes Hill as the “man who never turns off. . .” She said he worked all the time, even during breaks, and always thought about the job at hand. She described Hill as a perfectionist who expected perfection from his co-stars. “It honestly was a real pleasure to work with him,” she said. “He’s a complete gentleman, and really the most genuinely funny person I’ve ever met.”