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When Alice Faye left us in 1998, she did more than take with her the redeeming talents of a singer turned actress. Alice Faye emblazoned upon a number of generations the integrity, stamina, and grit of a tough and talented legend.

A child raised in Hell’s Kitchen, Alice Faye advanced early and continuously. She was a good student and she graduated from public school in New York. That same year, when she was thirteen, Alice auditioned for the Earl Carroll Vanities—instead of enrolling in high school. Initially, the mature-for-her-age Faye was grated a place with the troupe, but was turned away when it was discovered she was only thirteen.

Full text at Alice Faye Has Gone Away

A child raised in Hell’s Kitchen, Alice Faye advanced early and continuously: a good student, she graduated from public school in New York, and that same year, when she was thirteen, she auditioned for the Earl Carroll Vanities—instead of enrolling in high school. Initially, the mature-for-her-age Faye was grated a place with the troupe, but was turned away when it was discovered she was only thirteen.

Full article: Alice Faye

Benny Hill was a famous British comedian that had people laughing in over 140 countries around the world.  Best known for his television series titled ‘The Benny Hill Show’, his international audiences numbered into the billions.  Like Monty Python, Benny Hill is one of those names that instantly makes you think of absurd British comedy that you’re almost ashamed to admit you enjoy but nevertheless drives you into hysterics.

Benny Hill’s name at birth was Alfred Hawthorn Hill and he was born on January 21st, 1924 in Southampton, England.  Introduced to ‘Burlesque Shows’ by his grandfather, Benny was immediately fascinated by the comedic possibilities, and drew much of his inspiration from them. 

Benny served in the British army during the second World War, after which he moved to London and began his acting career by adopting the stage name Benny Hill and performed in a variety of shows, mostly on stage and for radio.  Hs first big break came with the television show ‘Hi There’ in 1949.  He had enough success with this show to stay more or less employed until he was given his own show in 1955, ‘The Benny Hill Show’.  It aired on BBC Television and instantly was a smash success. 

Benny’s orignal approach to slapstick, his impeccable timing, and comedic versatility lent him the ability to portray a number of different kinds of character, giving the show plenty of depth and fresh ideas to work with.  The skits were usually filmed at high speed, giving them a goofy, animated quality that worked well with their content.  Because he usually had a number of good looking and scantily clad women on his show, Benny was sometimes criticized for being sexist, though if you’ve ever seen the show you’ll see that its really men that he makes fun of. 

The Benny Hill Show would move to ITV in 1969 and would continue with an erratic schedule until 1989, making it one of the longest running shows in history.  Reruns of the show still air today on BBC America.  Benny Hill also made a number of film appearances including a role in ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and ‘The Italian Job’ (1969). 

Benny Hill began to suffer from heart related disorders due to his obesity in the 1990s.  He died on April 20th, from a coronary thrombosis.  A strange man with an even stranger sense of humor, Benny Hill is still an icon of British comedy today, and continues to make people around the world laugh themselves silly.