LGBT People Of History Part Seventy Eight Charles Hawtrey
Charles Hawtrey
George Frederick Joffre Hartree (1914 – 1988) was a British actor, musician and eccentric! His surname became known as ‘Hawtrey’.
He was born in Hounslow, England. His father was a car mechanic, not Sir Charles Hawtrey (actor), as he encouraged people to think. His long career took in many areas of entertainment – theatre, music, radio, movies and television.
In film, he started acting early and because of his youthful looks he became a foil to Will Hay’s blundering character in many movies. Later he became one of the staples in the famous ‘Carry On’ movies of the 60s and 70s. Here he played characters that were effeminate, eccentric or wimpish. Due to his increasing reliance on alcohol he was dropped from this series of films.
In theatre, he had many roles both comedic and serious. These included in ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Bats in the Belfry’ and ‘The Taming of the Shrew’. Later he also starred in pantomime. He also was a successful director.
He was also a musician, having been a semi-professional pianist and a boy soprano. He also appeared in various radio productions with people like Patricia Hayes and Bernard Bresslaw.
In television, he started with ‘The Army Game’ comedy series in the 1950s, which became a big hit. After this came ‘Our House’ with co-stars Hattie Jacques, Joan Sims and Bernard Bresslaw. After this came ‘Best of friends’ and subsequently he took part in other TV programmes.
Charles was gay but little is known about his private life. Callum heard from an old colleague of Charles’ that he ‘would go out at night searching for Marines’. He was very eccentric hoarding brass bedsteads, putting out handbag fires with cups of tea and walking along the seafront of Deal in flamboyant attire.
He became more and more addicted to alcohol as he grew older and was admitted to hospital after he fell over in front of a pub. He died in 1988 and none of his friends or family attended his cremation – very sad.
Callum and Ian.
With thanks to Wikipedia and Callum’s acquaintance.
Here Are Links To Our Many More LGBT People Of History Series
- Raiders Of The LGBT Vault - Raiders of the LGBT Vault
Our site brings to light our LGBT History and Biographies Of International LGBT People of the past. Some you will know and some you wont know about. Our aim is to educate and bring the lives of legendary historical LGBT people to light and give insig - LGBT People Of History Collection
Here are the links to each of the LGBT People Of History hubs that Ian and I have wrote. As mentioned above, each time a new one is published you will find it on here. - LGBT People Of History Part Seventy Albert Cashier
Albert Cashier (1843 – 1915) was born Jennie Irene Hodgers in County Lough, Ireland, the daughter of Sallie and Patrick Hodgers. Later he moved to the US and lived as a man. - LGBT People of History 71 - Billy Lee Tipton
Billy Lee Tipton (1914 – 1989) was an American band leader and jazz musician. He was born Dorothy Lucille Tipton in Oklahoma and grew up in Kansas City, where he developed an interest in jazz music. He played piano and saxophone. As he grew older he - LGBT People Of History Part Seventy Two Barbra Gittings
Born Barbra Gittings in Vienna, Austria on July 31st 1932. Her father was John Sterett Gittings and her mother was Elizabeth Brooks. Her father was a US Diplomat. During the outbreak of World War Two the family left Austria and returned to America - LGBT People of History 73 - Elisabeth de Gramont
Antoinette Corisande Élisabeth, Duchess of Clermont-Tonnerre (born, de Gramont) (1875 – 1954) was born in Nancy, France. She was of aristocratic stock having many titled persons as her antecedents. Her mother died giving birth to her. - LGBT People Of History Part Seventy Four Eva Gore-Booth
Eva Selina Laura Gore-Booth (1870 – 1926) was a writer, suffragist and activist. She came from a very privileged background and was born in County Sligo in Ireland. Later she reacted against this background and helped people in need. In 1895, she cam - LGBT People of History 75 - Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson (1925 – 1985) was the epitome of the male movie star- tall, smouldering good looks, masculine – a star all the girls – and boys - would fall for – and GAY. Born Roy Harold Scherer Junior on November 17th 1925 in Winnetka, Illinois. - LGBT People Of History Part Seventy Six Allen Ginsberg
Born Irwin Allen Ginsberg on June 3rd 1926 in Newark, New Jersey, Allen was to become an American poet and a leading figure of the beat movement of the 1950s. He was born in to a Jewish family in Newark but was brought up in nearby Patterson. - LGBT People of History 77 - John Schlesinger
John Richard Schlesinger, CBE (1926 – 2003) was a British movie and stage director and actor. He was born in London to a middle class Jewish family. His father was a doctor. After he attended Balliol College, Oxford he took up a career in acting.
