Go on Kenny, show us your diction!

Dedicated to Mr. KENNETH CHARLES WILLIAMS (1926-1988), Britain's incomparably brilliant comic actor and gay icon 🌈 ... stop messin' about! "No one matches Kenneth Williams's daring because everyone now cares too much" ~ Kate Chisholm, 'The Spectator'

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“Being nasty doesn’t require intellect; any moron can be abusive. The distinguishing factor of great wit is to be nasty with style.”

"They say I'm demonic in humor in the sense that I think people need somebody to wake up their mental processes."

"People need to be peppered or even outraged occasionally. Our national comedy and drama is packed with earthy familiarity and honest vulgarity. Clean vulgarity can be very shocking and that, in my view, gives greater involvement."

"I'm too old, too tired and too talented to care!"

KENNETH WILLIAMS in his own brilliant words ... quotes that belong to the most inspiring favourites of mine! ♡

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KENNETH WILLIAMS uniquely defines the term camp on the set of Carry On Henry.

Excerpt from a Southern Television (ITV UK licence holder 1958-1981) broadcast from 5th November 1970 ... with a sprinkle of Polari, UK's secret language, which has now largely fallen out of use, but was historically spoken by gay men and female impersonators. 🏳️‍🌈

Tuesday, 3 November 1970

It was the banquet scene with Henry throwing the table over! Sid [James] did it all very well. I was being demonic & rushing all over the set telling stories, singing dirty songs and miming in a masturbatory fashion and shouting at Gerald about how the scene should be directed. When he told me off at one point, I shouted 'I have the privilege of old acquaintance' and he said 'Old is right, looking at your face' which everyone laughed at. But there is no doubt about it, on that set, I do have privileges! and I get more fond of Gerald [Thomas] and Peter [Rogers] every time I see them. It is because, in all the years of working together, they have never lost faith in my ability, tho' goodness knows I've often lost it myself.

The Kenneth Williams Diaries

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[...] The day hangs heavily. Marilyn Monroe killed herself yesterday & today an English actress (Pat Marlowe, aged 28 and described as former friend of MM) in sympathy did the same. The pointlessness of our life - the awful cheap regard of life. [...] Rain pouring all the time.

The Kenneth Williams Diaries - 6 August 1962

In memoriam MARILYN MONROE ✨️

1 June 1926 - 5 August 1962

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KENNETH WILLIAMS recites a verse from one of his favourite poems, "The Garden of Proserpine" by Algernon Charles Swinburne (English poet, novelist and critic | 1837 - 1909), on HTV's "Recollections", broadcast 22/09/1987 ... less than 7 months before his untimely death in April 1988. 🥀

Yet again, I agree with Kenneth ... it is absolutely him and beautiful indeed! ✨️❤️‍🩹

"The Garden of Proserpine" (1866) by Algernon Charles Swinburne via Poetry Foundation

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KENNETH WILLIAMS photographed for his first Jackanory "The Land of Green Ginger" by Noel Langley, BBC broadcast in December 1968

16 December 1968

Riverside at 10 o'c. - it was pure agony. Reading these children's stories and trying to characterise loads of characters is like running a marathon: and cards keep appearing saying 'Go faster' etc. I'm dressed in a kaftan of blue silk and gold embroidery - all very lovely, I suppose.[...]

The Kenneth Williams Diaries

Kenneth mastered the format quickly enough by his second appearance in 1969 and became a regular until 1986. He always insisted he was not a physical comedian, preferring verbal humour and wordplay. Jackanory, which required its performers to sit almost perfectly still and rely chiefly on the voice, suited this side of him perfectly. As much as the also great Bernard Cribbins, he remains one of the most loved Jackanory readers to this day.

Kenneth had a warm, harmless and utterly uncynical relationship children. He loved their company and vice versa. He delightedly commented on the fondness from his young audience in 1969:

“Did you hear about the reaction? Great parcels of letters saying: please bring back that good-looking, clever, witty young Kenneth Williams. And from kids, you know, there’s no flannel – it is an honest reaction.” ❤️

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Sylvia Plath, from a letter to Ann Davidow-Goodman written c. 1951, featured in The Collected Letters

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King Key: Kenneth Williams 🇬🇧 The Closeted Comedy Icon Who Made Camp History 🏳️‍🌈

King Key on YouTube

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Kenneth Williams photographed in London for ‘Radio Times’ in connection with the BBC Radio 4 series The Secret World of Kenneth Williams, June 1971.

Friday, 4 June 1971

Off to the Paris for this radio series ‘Secret World of KW’. A  strange collection of BBC rep. types - none of whom are laugh getters, but my stuff went all right & I think on the whole, it was a success for a start to a new series. Walked to the theatre at 6.45 just saying ‘Thank God for being alive’. During the performance, I noticed everyone was being v. good, & then they said ‘Alfred Hitchcock is out front!’ Ingrid [Bergman] asked me up for drinks with him. He was enchanting and we all went off to Inigo Jones for dinner. At the restaurant Hitch said that during The Birds he's said in one sequence (where all these birds came down the chimney & attacked Jessica Tandy) ‘Listen Jessica ... if one of them gets up your skirt, grab it! Because a bird in the hand ...’ & that was certainly one of the funniest lines I’ve ever heard about filming!

The Kenneth Williams Diaries

[nixscriptum]

happy pride month. 🌈

[fantastictyphoonpeanut]

Swingin' 60s: Hospitality Hostess with the mostess.

Promo still for the 1968 British hit comedy film 'Carry on up the Khyber' Valerie Leon in her first role in the series as uncredited harem girl, Bernard Bresslaw as Bungdit Din, Kenneth Williams as the Khasi of Kalabar, Charles Hawtry as Private Widdle and Roy Castle as Capt. Keene. Classique! (FTP).

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Franz Kafka, from a letter to Felice Bauer written in 1913, featured in Letters To Felice

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Greetings ... a beautiful but quite poignant poem by Kenneth Williams, put down in his diary on 5 December 1984 to clothe his thoughts and current mood in words:

"As I was struggling up Gt. Portland St with the shopping there were cries of 'Hello Kenny!' etc. etc. I thought 'I am sick of greetings & good wishes ...' & I jotted down the results when I got home & stuck them in this diary under the heading Greetings. It all flowed quite naturally & I was pleased with the result."

... me too, Ken! ❤️‍🩹

[porcelaindeerfigurine]

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angelic ✨️

Signed photo of KENNETH WILLIAMS by John Schlesinger, 1956

This portrait is part of  Kenneth's first set of publicity shots.

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Indeed! Many thanks, my precious ... 💕

KENNETH WILLIAMS on Elinor, broadcast 25/05/1984, HTV Wales ... he was in fine form here! 💫

“I think Kenneth Williams was fantastic! He just gave a wonderful performance on the night." ~ host Elinor Jones

[philosophybits]

“Men who think deeply appear as comedians when they traffic with others, because in order to be understood they always have first to simulate a surface.”

— Friedrich Nietzsche, Assorted Opinions and Maxims, 232

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From the ITV documentary The Unforgettable ... Gordon Jackson (2012), including previously unpublished photographs of Kenneth Williams. Gordon and his wife Rona were Kenneth’s close friends for more than 30 years.

Kenneth liked to be what he called "ordinary", to spend time with "normal families". He loved to be with the Jacksons and their children, because he felt secure, probably more than anywhere else.

Friday, 31 December 1971

Got a taxi to Gordon & Rona. The house was looking beautiful, with a huge Christmas tree dominating the drawing room, and I suddenly felt so safe there. These are the friends to be really cherished because even the times when we have had disagreements are all informed by a profesional awareness of what we are as actors - I suppose that is why the only really good permanent relationships that work for me are the ones with fellow artists. Gordon played Valse Ultime and Rona & he sang it in French & as usual it enchanted me. When I drank a champagne toast with them to 1972 as Big Ben struck, I just adored them both. They've given me a wonderful present - the Oxford Companion to Eng. Lit.!!

... clearly visible secureness, balance and happiness 💖