An English actor. He started making a blue-collar character name for himself in such films as Johnny in the Clouds (1945), Secret Flight (1946), When the Bough Breaks (1947), Maniacs on Wheels (1949), The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952), The Square Ring (1953) and PT Raiders (1955). He continued to perform in theatre and peaked in roles with Katharine Hepburn in As You Like It in 1950, and with The Threepenny Opera and The Mikado, which made use of his musical talents. A writer at heart, he penned songs, musicals and plays over the years. Partnered with Mike Sammes, he wrote songs recorded by Pat Boone, Harry Secombe, Engelbert Humperdinck and Cliff Richard. In the 1960s he produced the stage musical The Matchgirl, and focussed heavily on film slapstick with the Carry On series, adding also to the lowbrow fun found in the comedy Operation Snafu (1961). TV stardom and a sense of renewed career came late with the role of Compo in The Last of the Summer Wine TV series in 1973.