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William John Owen Rowbotham, (14 March 1914 – 12 July 1999) was an English actor and songwriter. He was the father of actor Tom Owen. He is best known for portraying

Compo Simmonite William Simmonite, better known by his nickname of Compo (from unemployment compensation, as in the phrase "he's on the compo", according to series writer Roy Clarke), was a character in the world's longest-running sitcom, ''Last of the Summer W ...

in the

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

-based

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

comedy series ''

Last of the Summer Wine ''Last of the Summer Wine'' is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke and originally broadcast by the BBC from 1973 to 2010. It premiered as an episode of ''Comedy Playhouse'' on 4 January 1973, and the first series of episodes foll ...

'' for over a quarter of a century. He died on 12 July 1999, his last appearance on-screen being shown in April 2000.

Early life and career

Born at Acton Green, London to a working-class family (his father a staunchly left-wing tram-driver), Owen made his first film appearance in 1945, but did not achieve lasting fame until 1973, when he took the co-starring role of William "Compo" Simmonite in the long-running British sitcom ''

''. Compo is a scruffy working-class pensioner, often exploited by the bossy characters played by Michael Bates,

Brian Wilde Brian George Wilde (13 June 1927 – 20 March 2008) was an English actor, best known for his roles in television comedy, most notably Mr Barrowclough in '' Porridge'' and Walter "Foggy" Dewhurst in ''Last of the Summer Wine''. His lugubrious ...

Michael Aldridge Michael William ffolliott Aldridge (9 September 1920 – 10 January 1994) was an English actor. He was known for playing Seymour Utterthwaite in the television series ''Last of the Summer Wine'' from 1986 to 1990 and he had a long career as a ...

and

Frank Thornton Frank Thornton Ball (15 January 192116 March 2013), professionally known as Frank Thornton, was an English actor. He was known for playing Captain Peacock in ''Are You Being Served?'' and its sequel ''Grace & Favour'' (''Are You Being Served? ...

for dirty jobs, stunts and escapades, while their indomitably docile friend

Norman Clegg Norman Clegg, often nicknamed Cleggy, is a fictional character from the world's longest-running sitcom, ''Last of the Summer Wine''. Fictional character biography Early life Norman Clegg was the only child of a builder and decorator, David Cleg ...

, played by

Peter Sallis Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

, follows and watches with a smirk. He wore a woollen hat and spent much of his time lusting after dowdy housewife

Nora Batty Nora Batty (née Renshaw) is a fictional character in the world's longest-running sitcom, ''Last of the Summer Wine''. Nora became a national icon, recognised by her wrinkled stockings, pinny and distinctive style of hair curlers. She appeared in ...

. The series, starting in 1973 and finishing in 2010, is today the world's longest-running comedy series. Owen became an icon, a darling of its audience and central to its success and episodes for 26 years, right until his death. The threesome of Compo, Clegg and Foggy (this third character was initially Blamire, played by Michael Bates, and when Brian Wilde's Foggy took a hiatus, replaced by Michael Aldridge's, Seymour Utterthwaite) remains the most popular group of three the show ever produced. Foggy was replaced in 1997 by Frank Thornton's character Herbert 'Truly' Truelove, who remained in the show until its final episode in 2010. Owen served in the

Royal Army Ordnance Corps The Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) was a corps of the British Army. At its renaming as a Royal Corps in 1918 it was both a supply and repair corps. In the supply area it had responsibility for weapons, armoured vehicles and other military equip ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, where he was injured in an explosion during a battle training course. His first screen role was in the 1941 short ''Tank Patrol'', produced by the Ministry of Information. During the 1960s, Owen had a successful second career as a songwriter, with compositions including the hit "

Marianne Marianne () has been the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as a personification of liberty, equality, fraternity and reason, as well as a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty. Marianne is displayed i ...

", recorded by

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...

. At this time he also collaborated with songwriter Tony Russell on the musical ''

The Matchgirls ''The Matchgirls'' is a musical by Bill Owen and Tony Russell about the London matchgirls strike of 1888. It premiered at the Globe Theatre, London, on 1 March 1966, directed and choreographed by Gillian Lynne. Overview The musical focuses o ...

'' about the

London matchgirls strike of 1888 The matchgirls' strike of 1888 was an industrial action by the women and teenage girls working at the Bryant & May match factory in Bow, London. Background Match making In the late nineteenth century, matches were made using sticks of popl ...

. He co-starred as

Spike Milligan Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Raj, British Colonial India, where h ...

's straight man in the West End hit ''Son of Oblomov'' in 1964. Owen also recorded a

novelty song A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and wit ...

with

Kathy Staff Kathy Staff (born Minnie Higginbottom; 12 July 1928 – 13 December 2008) was an English actress known for her work on British television. She is best known for her portrayal of Nora Batty in ''Last of the Summer Wine'', the longest running sit ...

in 1983 called "Nora Batty's Stockings". Owen was a regular in the early ''

Carry On Carry On may refer to: * ''Carry On'' (franchise), a British comedy media franchise *Carry-on luggage or hand luggage, luggage that is carried into the passenger compartment * ''Carry On'' (film), a 1927 British silent film * ''Carry On'' (novel), ...

'' films - ''

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

'' (1958), ''

Nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

'' (1959), '' Regardless'' (1961) and '' Cabby'' (1963) and also featured in several

Lindsay Anderson Lindsay Gordon Anderson (17 April 1923 – 30 August 1994) was a British feature-film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading-light of the Free Cinema movement and of the British New Wave. He is most widely remembered for h ...

films including ''

O Lucky Man! ''O Lucky Man!'' is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film directed by Lindsay Anderson, and starring Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Ander ...

'' (1973) and '' In Celebration'' (1974). On TV had had regular roles playing Fred Cuddell in 13 episodes of ''Taxi!'' (1963); Sergeant Sam Short in 13 episodes of ''Copper's End'' (1971), George Edwards in 4 episodes of

Emergency-Ward 10 ''Emergency Ward 10'' is a British medical soap opera series shown on ITV between 1957 and 1967. Like ''The Grove Family'', a series shown by the BBC between 1954 and 1957, ''Emergency Ward 10'' is considered to be one of British television's f ...

and George Chambers in 4 episodes of

Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? ''Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?'' is a British sitcom which was broadcast on BBC1 between 9 January 1973 and 9 April 1974. It was the colour sequel to the mid-1960s hit '' The Likely Lads''. It was created and written, as was its prede ...

. He also had a cameo appearance in ''

Brideshead Revisited ''Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder'' is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. It follows, from the 1920s to the early 1940s, the life and romances of the protagonist Charles ...

'' as Lunt, Charles Ryder's

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...

during his days at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

Personal life

Owen was a staunch socialist and supporter of the Labour Party.

described Owen as being "slightly to the left of

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...

" and claimed that Owen's left-wing views contrasted so much with the right-wing opinions of Michael Bates that ''Last of the Summer Wine'' was almost not made because of their arguments. Owen was a founding member of the

Keep Sunday Special Keep Sunday Special is a British campaign group set up in 1985 by Dr. Michael Schluter CBE to oppose plans to introduce Sunday trading in England and Wales (there are different arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland). The Keep Sunday Sp ...

campaign group, and president of Arts for Labour, a campaign group of performers linked to the Labour Party. He was awarded the MBE in 1977. He was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1980 when he was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson commemo ...

Illness and death

While filming the ''Last of the Summer Wine'' French special for the millennium of 2000, Owen fell ill but insisted on continuing despite being in pain; when he got back to England, he was confirmed as having pancreatic and bowel cancer. He continued working right up to his death from pancreatic cancer in

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

, London, on 12 July 1999. Owen is buried in the churchyard of St John's Parish Church,

Upperthong Upperthong is a village approximately above sea level, near the town of Holmfirth in Holme Valley, approximately south of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. History The name Upperthong may derive from Old English 'uferra' (upper) + ' thw ...

, near his beloved town of

Holmfirth Holmfirth is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England, on the A635 and A6024 in the Holme Valley, at the confluence of the River Holme and Ribble, south of Huddersfield and west of Barnsley. It mostly cons ...

, the home of ''Last of the Summer Wine''. His co-star Peter Sallis was buried next to him after his death aged 96 in June 2017.

Selected television roles

Selected filmography

* ''Breathing Space'' (1943) - Songwriter (Uncredited) * ''

The Way to the Stars ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1945) – 'Nobby' Clarke (as Bill Rowbotham) * '' Perfect Strangers'' (1945) – (uncredited) * ''

School for Secrets ''School for Secrets'' (also known as ''Secret Flight'') is a 1946 British black-and-white film written and directed by Peter Ustinov and starring Ralph Richardson. In leading supporting roles were David Tomlinson, Raymond Huntley, Finlay Currie ...

'' (1946) – Paratroop Sergeant (as Bill Rowbotham) * ''

Dancing with Crime ''Dancing with Crime'' is a 1947 British film noir film directed by John Paddy Carstairs, starring Richard Attenborough, Barry K. Barnes and Sheila Sim. It was shot at Southall Studios with sets designed by the art director Andrew Mazzei. P ...

'' (1947) – Dave Robinson (as Bill Rowbotham) * ''

Holiday Camp A holiday camp is a type of holiday accommodation that encourages holidaymakers to stay within the site boundary, and provides entertainment and facilities for them throughout the day. Since the 1970s, the term has fallen out of favour with term ...

'' (1947) – Bit Role (uncredited) * '' When the Bough Breaks'' (1947) – Bill Collins * '' Easy Money'' (1948) – Mr. Lee * '' Daybreak'' (1948) – Ron * '' My Brother's Keeper'' (1948) – Syd Evans * ''

The Weaker Sex ''The Weaker Sex'' is a 1948 British drama film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Ursula Jeans, Cecil Parker and Joan Hopkins. It was one of the most popular films at the British box office in 1948. The film's subject was what ''The Ne ...

'' (1948) – Soldier with Chicken * ''

Once a Jolly Swagman ''Once a Jolly Swagman'' is a 1949 British film starring Dirk Bogarde, Bonar Colleano, Bill Owen, Thora Hird and Sid James. It is centred on the sport of motorcycle speedway racing, which was at its peak of popularity at the time. It was relea ...

'' (1949) – Lag Gibbon * ''

Trottie True ''Trottie True'' is a 1949 British musical comedy film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Jean Kent, James Donald and Hugh Sinclair. It was known as ''The Gay Lady'' in the US, and is an infrequent British Technicolor film of the per ...

'' (1949) – Joe Jugg * '' Diamond City'' (1949) – Pinto * ''

The Girl Who Couldn't Quite ''The Girl Who Couldn't Quite'' is a 1950 British drama film directed by Norman Lee and starring Bill Owen, Elizabeth Henson and Iris Hoey. It is based on a play by Leo Marks, with its title thought up during a conversation he had with Noor ...

'' (1950) – Tim * '' The Astonished Heart'' (1950) – Mr. Burton (uncredited) * ''

Hotel Sahara ''Hotel Sahara'' is a 1951 British war comedy film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Yvonne De Carlo, Peter Ustinov and David Tomlinson. It was produced and co-written by George Hambley Brown. Plot The Hotel Sahara, situated in a desert oasi ...

'' (1951) – Private Binns * ''

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men ''The Story of Robin Hood'' is a 1952 action-adventure film produced by RKO- Walt Disney British Productions, based on the Robin Hood legend, made in Technicolor and filmed in Buckinghamshire, England. It was written by Lawrence Edward Watkin and ...

'' (1952) – Stutely * ''

The Square Ring ''The Square Ring'' is a 1953 British tragi-comic drama, directed by Basil Dearden and made at Ealing Studios. It stars Jack Warner, Robert Beatty and Bill Owen. The film, based on a stage play by Ralph Peterson, centres on one night at a f ...

'' (1953) – Happy Burns * '' There Was a Young Lady'' (1953) – Joe * ''

A Day to Remember A Day to Remember (often abbreviated ADTR, and previously known as End of an Era) is an American rock band from Ocala, Florida, founded in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs. They are known for their amalgamation of meta ...

'' (1953) – Shorty Sharpe * ''

The Rainbow Jacket ''The Rainbow Jacket'' is a 1954 British drama film directed by Basil Dearden, and featuring Robert Morley, Kay Walsh, Bill Owen, Honor Blackman and Sid James. It was made at Ealing Studios produced by Michael Balcon and Michael Relph and sho ...

'' (1954) – Sam * ''

The Ship That Died of Shame ''The Ship That Died of Shame'', released in the United States as ''PT Raiders'', is a black-and-white 1955 Ealing Studios crime film directed by Basil Dearden and starring George Baker, Richard Attenborough, Roland Culver and Bill Owen. T ...

'' (1955) – Birdie * '' Not So Dusty'' (1956) – Dusty Grey * ''

Davy Davy may refer to: * Davy (given name) * Davy (surname) * Davy lamp, a type of safety lamp with its flame encased inside a mesh screen * Davy, West Virginia, United States, a town * Davy Sound, Greenland * Davy (crater), a crater on the moon ...

'' (1958) – Eric * '' Carve Her Name with Pride'' (1958) – N.C.O. Instructor * ''

Carry On Sergeant ''Carry On Sergeant'' is a 1958 British comedy film about National Service starring William Hartnell, Bob Monkhouse and Eric Barker; it is the first in the series of ''Carry On'' films, with 31 entries released from 1958 to 1992. The film was ...

'' (1958) – Corporal Bill Copping * ''

Carry On Nurse ''Carry On Nurse'' is a 1959 British comedy film, the second in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). Of the regular team, it featured Joan Sims (in her ''Carry On'' film debut), Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor and Charles Hawt ...

'' (1959) – Percy 'Perc' Hickson * '' The Shakedown'' (1960) – David Spettigue * ''

The Hellfire Club Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high-society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century. The name most commonly refers to Francis Dashwood's Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe. Such clubs, r ...

'' (1961) – Martin * '' Carry On Regardless'' (1961) – Mike Weston * ''

On the Fiddle ''On the Fiddle'' (released as ''Operation Snafu'' and ''Operation War Head'' in the United States) is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Sean Connery, Alfred Lynch, Cecil Parker, Stanley Holloway, Eric Barker, Mi ...

'' (1961) – Corporal Gittens * ''

Carry On Cabby ''Carry On Cabby'' is a 1963 British comedy film, the seventh in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). Released on 7 November 1963, it was the first to have a screenplay written by Talbot Rothwell (although the first screenplay "To ...

'' (1963) – Smiley Sims * ''

The Masque of the Red Death "The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plagu ...

'' (1964) – Male Dancer (uncredited) * ''

The Secret of Blood Island ''The Secret of Blood Island'' is a 1964 British war film directed by Quentin Lawrence and starring Jack Hedley, Barbara Shelley and Patrick Wymark. The film is a prequel to the 1958 film ''The Camp on Blood Island''. Premise British Prisone ...

'' (1964) – Bludgin * ''

Georgy Girl ''Georgy Girl'' is a 1966 British romantic comedy-drama, starring Lynn Redgrave in the titular role, with Charlotte Rampling, Alan Bates, and James Mason. Directed by Silvio Narizzano, the film was based on the 1965 novel by Margaret Forster. ...

'' (1966) – Ted * ''

The Fighting Prince of Donegal ''The Fighting Prince of Donegal'' is a 1966 adventure film starring Peter McEnery and Susan Hampshire, based on the novel ''Red Hugh: Prince of Donegal'' by Robert T. Reilly. It was released by the Buena Vista Distribution Company. Plot Set i ...

'' (1966) – Officer Powell * '' Headline Hunters'' (1968) – Henry * ''

'' (1973) – Supt. Barlow / Insp. Carding * '' In Celebration'' (1975) – Mr. Shaw * '' The Comeback'' (1978) – Mr. B

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Owen, Bill 1914 births 1999 deaths Deaths from cancer in England Deaths from pancreatic cancer English male film actors English male television actors English songwriters British novelty song performers Members of the Order of the British Empire Royal Army Ordnance Corps soldiers British Army personnel of World War II 20th-century English male actors British male comedy actors People from Acton, London