Top 10 Fun Facts About Harry H. Corbet

Actor Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash

Top 10 Fun Facts About Harry H. Corbett

Harry H. Corbett was born on February 28, 1925, in Rangoon, British Burma and died on March 21, 1982, in Hastings, East Sussex, England. He was the son of George Corbett (father) and Caroline Emily (mother), who died of dysentery when he was eighteen months old. He was raised by his aunt, Annie Williams in Earl Street, Ardwick, Manchester.

He was married to actress Sheila Steafel from 1958 to 1964 who later divorced, and he married his second wife actress Maureen Blott in 1969, they were blessed with 2 children Susannah Corbett and Johathan Corbett.

He was an English actor and comedian best known and remembered for playing rag-and-bone man. Corbett started to appear regularly in film in 1958. He appeared in television dramas such as The Adventures of Robin Hood and Police Surgeon among others.

1. He Married an Actress

photo of a lady acting Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

It is fun to note that Harry H. Corbett was an actor and comedian and he ended up marrying an actress. Corbett married twice, he married two wives and both were actresses, this is one of the most fun facts about Harry.

In the year 1958 -1964, he married his first wife actress Sheila Steafel, a British actress who was born in Johannesburg but lived all her life in the United Kingdom. He later married actress Maureen Blott known by the stage name ‘Crombie’, from 1969 to 1982. Corbett together with Maureen they were blessed with two children Jonathan and Susannah.

2. Harry’s Daughter Susannah is an actress and author

Susannah’s mother and father were both in acting careers. It is interesting to note that Harry’s daughter followed in her parent’s footsteps and she became an actress.

Susannah since she is an author has written a biography of her father, Harry H. Corbett; known as The Front Legs of the Cow. It was published in March 2012.

3. He Smoked 60 Cigarettes a Day

Harry H. Corbett, was a heavy smoker all his adult life. His daughter stated that his father smoked 60 cigarettes a day until when he had his first heart attack and he reduced them to 20 per day.

In 1979, is when Harry had his first heart attack due to excessive smoke of cigarettes. However, In the year 1982,21 March Corbett died of a heart attack in Hastings, East Sussex.

4. He Added the Initial ‘H’ in his Name

Initially, Harry H. Corbett was known as Harry Corbett. He added the initial “H in his name to avoid confusion between him and the television entertainer Harry Corbett, an English magician, puppeteer, and television presenter who was best known as the creator of the glove puppet character Sooty in 1952.

He said that the “H” stood for “Henny fink”, a Cockney pronunciation of anything. This is a fun fact about Corbett changing his name and giving it meaning. At the time he was changing his name he was training as a radiographer.

5. He Appeared in Several Movies

Actor Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash

The actor appeared in several movies. He was best known for his starring role in the popular and long-running BBC Television sitcom Steptoe and Son in the 1960s and 1970s.

some of the other movies, Harry acted in include; Silver Dream Racer, Jabberwocky, Percy’s Progress, Steptoe and Son Ride Again, The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins, Carry On Screaming, The Bargee, Ladies Who Do, and Sammy Going South among others.

6. He was an Actor

Actor Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash

Harry was an actor and a comedian. He is best known and remembered for playing rag and bone man (collecting unwanted household items and selling them to merchants), Harold Steptoe alongside Wilfrid Brambell in the long-running BBC television Sitcom Steptoe and Son.

7. He is Educated

Harry H. Corbett disputes the challenges he faced when he was still young, like not being raised by his parent he pursued his education.

He went to Ross Place and Benchill Primary School, he passed the scholarship exam for entry to Chorlton Grammer School. Unfortunately, he was not able to take up his place in Chorlton Grammer School and instead attended Sharston Secondary School.

8. Recorded Multiple Songs

Despite him being an English actor and comedian, Corbett recorded songs as well. He recorded multiple 45rpm records, most of them novelty songs based upon the rag-and-bone character. Some of these novelty songs include Harry, You Love Her, and Junk Shop.

Harry recorded several sea shanties and folk songs and released them in 1965, the top 10 best of these songs to listen to include A Hundred Years Ago, A Sailor’s Garland, Blow Boys Blow, Blow The Man Down, Chants De Marins Anglais, Haul On The Bowline, Off To Sea Once More, Row Bullies Row, Shanties And Fo’c’sle Songs, Singing Sailors, Thar She Blows, The Blackball Line, The Coast Of Peru, and The Singing Sailor.

He as well recorded an Album titled Only Authorised Employees To Break Bottles which was a showcase of accents in 1973, with songs from Corbett in a range of accents, they include Liverpudlian, Brummie, and Mancunian.

9. He had a Red Mark on his Eye but was Never Treated Until Late in his Life

Any mark or anything in an eye is always a pain. It is fun to note that Harry had a red mark on his eye and he was never treated till his late life.

When he was serving in the military before returning to civilian life he was left with a damaged bladder due to infection and this is when he obtained a red mark on his eye which was caused by a thorn.  It is surprising and fun at the same time to know that Harry bared all that pain and never bothered to treat it.

10. He was Confused with “Harry Corbett” Despite Adding ‘H’ in his Name

When Harry H. Corbett was training as a Radiographer before taking acting as a career, he added the initial “H’ in his name to avoid being confusing with the Television entertainer Harry Corbett, an English magician.

However, Wilson, the prime minister wished to have Harry appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). But in the process, the initial “H” was lost and the award went to Harry Corbett the Sooty puppeteer instead of Harry Corbett the Actor.