A charity gala was held in his honour, which raised sufficient funds for him to live his remaining time in a nursing home.Īrdingly College, where Terry-Thomas engaged in amateur dramatics He spent much of his fortune on medical treatment and, shortly before his death, was living in poverty, existing on charity from the Actors' Benevolent Fund. In 1971, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which slowly brought his career to a conclusion his last film role was in 1980. From the mid-1960s on he also frequently starred in European films, in roles such as Sir Reginald in the successful French film La Grande Vadrouille. He then began appearing in American films, coarsening his already unsubtle screen character in films such as Bachelor Flat (1962), It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) and How to Murder Your Wife (1965). He appeared in Private's Progress (1956), The Green Man (1956), Blue Murder at St Trinian's (1957), I'm All Right Jack (1959) and Carlton-Browne of the F.O. He appeared on various BBC Radio shows, and made a successful transition into British films. On his demobilisation, he starred in Piccadilly Hayride on the London stage and was the star of the first comedy series on British television, How Do You View? (1949). The experience helped sharpen his cabaret and revue act, increased his public profile and proved instrumental in the development of his successful comic stage routine. He spent several years appearing in smaller roles, before wartime service with Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) and Stars in Battledress. His striking dress sense was set off by a 1⁄ 3-inch (8.5 mm) gap between his two upper front teeth.īorn in London, he made his film debut, uncredited, in The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933). He often portrayed disreputable members of the upper classes, especially cads, toffs and bounders, using his distinctive voice his costume and props tended to include a monocle, waistcoat and cigarette holder. Terry-Thomas (born Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens 10 July 1911 – 8 January 1990) was an English character actor and comedian who became internationally known through his films during the 1950s and 1960s. Terry-Thomas in Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968)
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