Terry Scott

For other people named Terry Scott, see Terry Scott (disambiguation).

Terry Scott
Terry Scott
Born
Owen John Scott

4 May 1927
Watford, Hertfordshire, England
Died26 July 1994(1994-07-26) (aged 67)
Witley, Surrey, England
OccupationsActor, comedian
Years active1957-1994
Spouses
Mary Howard
​
​
(m. 1949; div. 1957)​
Margaret Peden
​
(m. 1957)​
Children5

Terry Scott (born Owen John Scott; 4 May 1927 – 26 July 1994) was an English actor and comedian who appeared in seven of the Carry On films.[1] He is also well known for appearing in the BBC1 sitcoms Happy Ever After and Terry and June with June Whitfield.

Early life

Scott was born and brought up in Watford, Hertfordshire,[2] and educated at Watford Field Junior School and Watford Grammar School for Boys. He was the youngest of three children, and the only surviving son after his brother Aubrey died when Scott was six.[2] After National Service in the Navy at the end of the Second World War, he briefly studied accounting.

Career

Scott began his acting career with appearances on radio shows such as Workers Playtime, which were followed by appearances on television. He gained an opportunity to perform in farce when he joined the Whitehall Theatre Company. With Bill Maynard he appeared at Butlin's Holiday Camp in Skegness, Lincolnshire and partnered him in the TV series Great Scott - It's Maynard!.[3] During the 1960s he appeared alongside Hugh Lloyd in Hugh and I (1962–1967).[4] They both appeared as Ugly Sisters in pantomime at The London Palladium; Scott reappeared in later years in the same role alongside Julian Orchard. Scott and Lloyd later appeared in Hugh and I Spy (1968) and, as gnomes, in the sitcom The Gnomes of Dulwich (1969).

In 1966 Scott was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance, for his performances on Scott on Birds; Scott on Money; Scott on Food; Hugh and I; and Christmas Night with the Stars.[5]

Scott's novelty record "My Brother" (written by Mitch Murray, and released in 1962 on Parlophone) was based on a schoolboy character (he dressed in school uniform to sing it on TV). In the 1970s he had a role in TV commercials for Curly Wurly caramel bars, in which he again appeared dressed as a schoolboy, with short trousers and cap. He repeated this performance several times on BBC TV's long-running variety show The Good Old Days. Scott had played a small role in the very first of the Carry On films series of films, Carry On Sergeant in 1958. In 1968 he returned to the series with a role in Carry On Up the Khyber (1968), playing main roles in six of the later films.

Scott starred alongside June Whitfield in several series of the comedy Happy Ever After and its successor Terry and June.[6] They had first worked together making a series of the sketch show Scott On (1968).[2] They also featured in supporting roles together (as a couple) in the film version of Bless This House. Although both Scott and Whitfield made several Carry On appearances, they never appeared in the same film. From 1981 to 1992, Scott was the voice of Penfold the hamster in the animated series Danger Mouse.

Personal life and death

Scott suffered from ill health for several years in the latter part of his life. In 1979, he had a life-saving operation after a brain haemorrhage.[7] He also suffered from creeping paralysis and had to wear a neck brace.

Scott was also diagnosed with cancer in 1987 and besides voicing Penfold, gradually wound down his performing career. He died from its effects at his family home in Witley, Surrey, on 26 July 1994, at the age of 67.[8] He said of his last illness: "I know it would be better to give up the booze, fags and birds, but life would be so boring, wouldn't it?"[9]

When Terry and June ended in 1987, Scott suffered a nervous breakdown. The breakdown was in part brought on by his public confession that he had indulged in a series of affairs since his marriage to dancer Margaret Peden in 1957. The couple had four daughters.[2]

Filmography

Title Year Role Notes
Blue Murder at St Trinian's 1957 Police Sergeant
Carry On Sergeant 1958 Sergeant O'Brian
Too Many Crooks 1959 Fire Policeman James Smith
The Bridal Path 1959 Police Constable Donald
I'm All Right Jack 1959 Crawley
And the Same to You 1960 Police Constable
The Night We Got the Bird 1961 P. C. Lovejoy
Nearly a Nasty Accident 1961 Sam Stokes
Double Bunk 1961 2nd River Policeman
Mary Had a Little... 1961 Police Sergeant
No My Darling Daughter 1961 Constable
Nothing Barred 1961 P. C. Budgie
What a Whopper 1961 Sergeant
A Pair of Briefs 1962 Policeman at Law Courts
Father Came Too! 1964 Executioner
Murder Most Foul 1964 Police Constable Wells
Gonks Go Beat 1965 PM
Doctor in Clover 1966 Robert
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery 1966 Policeman
A Ghost of a Chance 1967 Mr. Perry
Carry On Up the Khyber 1968 Sergeant Major MacNutt
Carry On Camping 1969 Peter Potter
Carry On Up the Jungle 1970 Cecil The Jungle Boy
Carry On Loving 1970 Terence Philpott
Carry On Henry 1971 Cardinal Wolsey
Carry On at Your Convenience 1971 Mr Allcock (scenes deleted)
Carry On Matron 1972 Dr Prodd
Bless This House 1972 Ronald Baines

Discography

  • "Don't Light The Fire 'Til After Santa's Gone" / "My Brother", Parlophone R 4967 (December 1962)[10]

Stage work

Scott’s career extended beyond television and film into a substantial body of stage work, particularly in British farce and traditional pantomime. He appeared regularly in West End comedies and in major pantomime seasons, including several productions at the London Palladium, and toured widely in farces such as A Bedfull of Foreigners and Run for Your Wife.[11][12]

Selected theatre credits
Years Production Role Venue / Company Notes
1966–1967 Cinderella Ugly Sister London Palladium Listed in contemporary Palladium pantomime material as one of the Ugly Sisters, alongside Hugh Lloyd, in the 1966–67 production of Cinderella.[13][14]
1970 Aladdin Pantomime cast London Palladium Recalled by director Christopher Luscombe as part of the 1970 Palladium production of Aladdin, in which Scott performed a celebrated comic “striptease” routine.[15]
1971–1972 Cinderella Ugly Sister London Palladium Photographic archive shows Scott and Julian Orchard as the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella at the London Palladium in December 1971; pantomime listings note Scott and Orchard as Ugly Sisters in the 1972 season.[16][17]
1974 A Bedfull of Foreigners Stanley Parker Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon World premiere production of Dave Freeman’s farce, 19 February – 2 March 1974, with Scott originating the role of Stanley Parker; the planned transfer to Bournemouth Pavilion was cancelled due to Scott’s throat infection.[18]
1976–1977 A Bedfull of Foreigners Stanley Parker Victoria Palace Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre, London West End run of the farce, produced by Triumph Theatre Productions and Pieter Toerien, at the Victoria Palace (8 April – September 1976) and Duke of York’s Theatre (4 October 1976 – 11 June 1977), with Scott starring as Stanley Parker alongside June Whitfield; also documented in contemporary programmes and rehearsal photography.[19][20][21]
1980 A Bedfull of Foreigners Stanley Parker Theatre Royal, Newcastle Photographic record shows Scott and Anita Graham in a scene from A Bedfull of Foreigners at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, dated 16 September 1980, indicating his continued association with the play on tour.[22]
1980s Run for Your Wife John Smith / Stanley Gardner (various casts) Shaftesbury, Criterion, Whitehall, Aldwych and Duchess Theatres, London During the long West End run of Ray Cooney’s farce, Scott appeared in multiple casts in the 1980s, playing the bigamist taxi driver John Smith in some engagements and the neighbour Stanley Gardner in others; cast lists on Cooney’s official site and contemporary commentary link Scott closely with the play.[23][24]
1985 Jack and the Beanstalk Pantomime cast Theatre Royal, Bath Director Christopher Luscombe recalls appearing with Scott in a production of Jack and the Beanstalk at the Theatre Royal, Bath, at Christmas 1985, highlighting Scott’s continued prominence as a pantomime performer into the mid-1980s.[25]

References

  1. ^ Stevens, Christopher (2010). Born Brilliant: The Life of Kenneth Williams. John Murray. p. 240. ISBN 978-1-84854-195-5.
  2. ^ a b c d The Unforgettable, ITV1, 22 September 2010
  3. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Scott, Terry (1927–1994) Biography".
  4. ^ Lloyd, Hugh (16 July 2008). "Much-loved comedy actor, he went on to more serious roles". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  5. ^ "Television – 1965". British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Retrieved 3 February 2026.
  6. ^ "June Whitfield Interview". The Guardian. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  7. ^ "Terry Scott, epitome of the English sit-com, dies aged 67". HeraldScotland. 27 July 1994. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Obituary: Terry Scott". Independent.co.uk. 27 July 1994. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Williams, and the cast of Carry On: what happened next?". The Telegraph. 6 May 2017.
  10. ^ "Terry Scott - My Brother/Don't Light The Fire 'Til After Santa's Gone (R 4967) Ex". Windmill-records.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Scott, Terry (1927–1994) Biography". BFI Screenonline. British Film Institute. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  12. ^ "Obituary: Terry Scott". The Independent. 27 July 1994. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  13. ^ "The London Palladium production of "Cinderella", 1966–67". It's Behind You. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  14. ^ "London Palladium pantomimes". It's Behind You. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  15. ^ Luscombe, Christopher. "My encounter with the complicated comic genius Terry Scott". Christopher Luscombe – Journalism. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  16. ^ "British comedy actors Terry Scott and Julian Orchard as the Ugly Sisters in "Cinderella" at the London Palladium". Getty Images. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  17. ^ "Christmas pantomimes at the London Palladium". Layers of London. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  18. ^ "A Bedfull of Foreigners – Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon (1974)". Theatricalia. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  19. ^ "A Bedfull of Foreigners – Victoria Palace & Duke of York's (1976–77)". Theatricalia. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  20. ^ "Terry Scott and June Whitfield rehearsing "A Bedfull of Foreigners" at the Victoria Palace Theatre". Getty Images. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  21. ^ "A Bedfull of Foreigners – Duke of York's Theatre programme". Priory Antiques. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  22. ^ "Terry Scott and Anita Graham in "A Bedfull of Foreigners" at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle". Getty Images. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  23. ^ "Run For Your Wife – More cast". Ray Cooney – Official site. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  24. ^ "Obituary: Terry Scott". The Independent. 27 July 1994. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  25. ^ Luscombe, Christopher. "My encounter with the complicated comic genius Terry Scott". Christopher Luscombe – Journalism. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
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