Peter William Shorrocks Butterworth (4 February 1915''Prisoner of War Collection''
National Archives – 17 January 1979) was an English actor and comedian, best known for his appearances in the ''Carry On'' series of films. He was also a regular on children's television and radio, and was known for playing

The Monk ''The Monk: A Romance'' is a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis, published in 1796. A quickly written book from early in Lewis's career (in one letter he claimed to have written it in ten weeks, but other correspondence suggests that he ha ...

on ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

''. Butterworth was married to the actress and impressionist

Janet Brown Janet McLuckie Brown (14 December 192327 May 2011) was a Scottish actress, comedian and impressionist who gained considerable fame in the 1970s and 1980s for her impersonations of Margaret Thatcher. Brown was the wife of Peter Butterworth, who ...

Biography

Early life and war service

Butterworth was born at 29 Princes Street,

Ulverston Ulverston is a market town and a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 11,524, increasing at the 2011 census to 11,678. Historically in Lancashire, it lies a few mi ...

. Before his acting career started, Butterworth served as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in the

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...

of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

during the

Second World War 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 ...

.Brown, p. 64 Whilst at ''Stalag Luft III'' he met

Talbot Rothwell Talbot Nelson Conn “Tolly” Rothwell, OBE (12 November 1916 – 28 February 1981) was an English screenwriter. Life and career Rothwell was born in Bromley, Kent, England. He had a variety of jobs during his early life: town clerk, poli ...

, who later went on to write many of the

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 in which Butterworth was to star. Having never performed in public before his imprisonment, Butterworth formed a duo with Rothwell and sang in the camp shows. They delivered a song which Rothwell called "The Letter Edged In Black". The performance was followed by some comic repartee which, according to Butterworth's account, provoked enough boos and hisses to have the desired effect of drowning out the sounds of an escape tunnel being dug by other prisoners' escape party. After the war, Butterworth kept a photo of the concert party line-up, something which offered inspiration to him when starting a career in acting. Butterworth was one of the vaulters covering for the escapers during the escape portrayed by the book and film ''

The Wooden Horse ''The Wooden Horse'' is a 1950 British Second World War war film directed by Jack Lee and starring Leo Genn, David Tomlinson and Anthony Steel. It is based on the book of the same name by Eric Williams, who also wrote the screenplay. The f ...

''. Butterworth later auditioned for the film in 1949 but "didn't look convincingly heroic or athletic enough" according to the makers of the film. Within the same camp as Butterworth and Rothwell were the future actors

Rupert Davies Rupert Davies FRSA (22 May 191622 November 1976) was a British actor. He is best remembered for playing the title role in the BBC's 1960s television adaptation of ''Maigret'', based on Georges Simenon's novels. Life and career Military serv ...

and John Casson, the son of

Lewis Casson Sir Lewis Thomas Casson MC (26 October 187516 May 1969) was an English actor and theatre director, and the husband of actress Dame Sybil Thorndike.Devlin, DianaCasson, Sir Lewis Thomas (1875–1969) ''The Oxford Dictionary of National Biograph ...

and

Sybil Thorndike Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969. Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her ...

. All five remained very close friends after the war ended and they all appeared on '' This Is Your Life'' when Butterworth was a subject of the programme in 1975.

Early acting career

Butterworth came to notice after appearing in pantomime around the UK. His first film appearance was in the

Val Guest Val Guest (born Valmond Maurice Grossman; 11 December 1911 – 10 May 2006) was an English film director and screenwriter. Beginning as a writer (and later director) of comedy films, he is best known for his work for Hammer, for whom he direct ...

film ''

William Comes to Town ''William Comes to Town'' is a 1948 British comedy film directed by Val Guest and starring William Graham and Garry Marsh. It was based on the Just William series of novels by Richmal Crompton. It served as a loose sequel to 1947 film '' Just ...

'' (1948). Guest and Butterworth became close friends and the two worked on a further seven films together during their careers. His first major success was on television in the

Terry-Thomas Terry-Thomas (born Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens; 10 July 19118 January 1990) was an English character actor and comedian who became internationally known through his films during the 1950s and 1960s. He often portrayed disreputable members of th ...

sketch show '' How Do You View?'' in which he played the chauffeur "Lockitt": his wife,

, was also a cast member. Butterworth also presented successful programmes aimed at children in the 1950s including ''

Whirligig A whirligig is an object that spins or whirls, or has at least one part that spins or whirls. It can also be a pinwheel, spinning top, buzzer, comic weathervane, gee-haw, spinner, whirlygig, whirlijig, whirlyjig, whirlybird, or simply a whirly ...

'' and ''Butterworth Time''. He continued to take minor parts in films and went on to appear alongside actors including

Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...

,''The First Great Train Robbery''
The British Film Institute, accessed September 2011

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in ''Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...

and

Douglas Fairbanks Jr Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), ''Gunga Din'' (1939) a ...

during his career. Around the time his work in the Carry On films began, he guest appeared in two

First Doctor The First Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor William Hartnell. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time L ...

'' stories, starring

William Hartnell William Henry Hartnell (8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975) was an English actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the First Doctor, first incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in ''Doctor Who'' from 1963 to 1966. In film, ...

, in 1965/66, (''

The Time Meddler ''The Time Meddler'' is the ninth and final serial of the second season of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. Written by Dennis Spooner and directed by Douglas Camfield, the serial was broadcast on BBC1 in four ...

'' and ''

The Daleks' Master Plan ''The Daleks' Master Plan'' is the mostly missing third serial of the third season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which originally aired in twelve weekly parts from 13 November 1965 to 29 January 1966. Thi ...

''), playing

. He starred in the children's TV show ''Saturday Special'' (with the puppet Porterhouse the Parrot), broadcast on Saturdays at 5:00 pm, alternating with ''Whirligig''.

''Carry On'' films

Butterworth's association with the Carry On series began mid-way through the series with ''

Carry On Cowboy ''Carry On Cowboy'' is a 1965 British comedy Western film, the eleventh in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It was the first film to feature series regulars Peter Butterworth and Bernard Bresslaw. Series regulars Sid James, Ken ...

'' (1965), playing the part of "Doc". He was put in touch with the creator of the series,

Peter Rogers Peter Rogers (20 February 1914 – 14 April 2009) was an English film producer. He is best known for his involvement in the making of the ''Carry On'' series of films. Life and career Rogers began his career as a journalist for his loc ...

, by his friend

, the writer of ''Carry On Cowboy'' and who had written the previous four films. Out of the actors who were considered to be the ''Carry On'' team, he was the sixth most prolific performer in the series, making sixteen film appearances, two Christmas specials, the television series in 1975 and the west end theatre productions which also toured the country, alongside

Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. He was best known for numerous roles in the Carry On film series. Born to a mid ...

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.Kenneth Connor Kenneth Connor, (6 June 1918 – 28 November 1993) was a British stage, film and broadcasting actor, who rose to national prominence with his appearances in the ''Carry On'' films. Early life Connor was born in Highbury, Islington, London ...

. His Carry On appearances portrayed his characters as typically quiet and subtly eccentric. He was often cast as a stooge for another character. Thus, in ''

Carry On Screaming! ''Carry On Screaming!'' is a 1966 British black comedy horror film, the twelfth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It was the last of the series to be made by Anglo-Amalgamated before the series moved to The Rank Organisati ...

'' he played Detective Constable Slobotham, the assistant for Detective Sergeant Bung (

Harry H. Corbett Harry H. Corbett OBE (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing rag-and-bone man Harold Steptoe alongside Wilfrid Brambell in the long-running BBC television sitcom ''Steptoe and Son'' ( ...

); while in ''

Don't Lose Your Head ''Don't Lose Your Head'' is a 1967 British swashbuckling comedy film, the 13th in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It features regular team members Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey, and Joan Sims. Set ...

'' he played Citizen Bidet, the assistant to Citizen Camembert (

Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was an English actor of Welsh heritage. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 Car ...

). In ''

Carry On Camping ''Carry On Camping'' is a 1969 British comedy film, the 17th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Terry Scott, Hattie Jacques, Bar ...

'' he played Joshua Fiddler, the laid-back and eccentric camp site manager, who persuades

character to part with most of his money when booking into the camp site. Such was his loyalty to

and

Gerald Thomas Gerald Thomas (10 December 1920 – 9 November 1993) was an English film director, best known for the long-running ''Carry On'' series of British film comedies. Biography Born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Thomas was educated ...

, that Butterworth agreed to play three small roles, in ''

Carry On Again Doctor ''Carry On Again Doctor'' is a 1969 British comedy film, the 18th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It was released in December 1969 and was the third to feature a medical theme. The film features series regulars ...

'', ''

Carry On Loving ''Carry On Loving'' is a 1970 British comedy film, the 20th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Hattie Jacques, Terry Scott and ...

'' and ''

Carry On Henry ''Carry On Henry'' is a 1971 British historical comedy film, the 21st release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It tells a fictionalised story involving Sid James as Henry VIII, who chases after Barbara Windsor's charact ...

''. He was unable to take larger parts, due to other work and stage commitments, but these minor roles were specially written into the films for him. Butterworth returned to playing more substantial parts within the ''Carry On'' films with ''

Carry On Abroad ''Carry On Abroad'' is a 1972 British comedy film, the 24th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw, Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Con ...

'' (1972), in which he played 'Pepe' the manager of an unfinished hotel, who greets his unexpected guests in the guise of the builder, the porter, the receptionist and telephone operator. He spends the first half of the film furiously trying to placate and accommodate them and the last half desperately trying to save the building from a flood, and whilst all this is going on, put up with his nagging wife (

Hattie Jacques Hattie Jacques (; born Josephine Edwina Jaques; 7 February 1922 – 6 October 1980) was an English comedy actress of stage, radio and screen. She is best known as a regular of the ''Carry On'' films, where she typically played strict, no-non ...

). Butterworth remained with the series until the final film in the main series, ''

Carry On Emmannuelle ''Carry On Emmannuelle'' is a 1978 British comedy film, the 30th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film was to be the final ''Carry On'' for many regulars, including Kenneth Williams (in his 26th ''Carry On'') ...

'' (1978).

Later acting career

Having appeared in many of

's films during the beginning of his career, he also made three appearances in the films of

Richard Lester Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is an American retired film director based in the United Kingdom. He is best known for directing the Beatles' films '' A Hard Day's Night'' (1964) and '' Help!'' (1965), and the superhero films ' ...

. He appeared in Lester's film version of '' A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' (1966). A decade later, he appeared consecutively in '' The Ritz'' and ''

Robin and Marian ''Robin and Marian'' is a 1976 British-American romantic adventure film from Columbia Pictures, shot in Panavision and Technicolor, that was directed by Richard Lester and written by James Goldman after the legend of Robin Hood. The film stars Sea ...

'' (both 1976) alongside

Richard Harris Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in '' This Sporting ...

and

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...

. He had an uncredited cameo part in the film version of the musical ''

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...

'' (1968) as a shopkeeper in court, and made a special appearance in an episode of ''

Catweazle ''Catweazle'' is a British children's fantasy television series, starring Geoffrey Bayldon in the title role, and created by Richard Carpenter for London Weekend Television. The first series, produced and directed in 1969 by Quentin Lawren ...

'' (" The Demi Devil"

970 Year 970 ( CMLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 970th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' designations, the 970th year of the 1st millennium, the 70th yea ...

and the ''

Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard (United Kingdom), Home Guard during the World War II, Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft (TV producer), David Crof ...

'' episode " The Face on the Poster" (1975). In 1975 he was the subject of an episode of ''This Is Your Life'' whereby

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 ...

surprised him while he was shopping in

Selfridges Selfridges, also known as Selfridges & Co., is a chain of high-end department stores in the United Kingdom that is operated by Selfridges Retail Limited, part of the Selfridges Group of department stores. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridg ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Friends who took part in the show included

Terry Scott Owen John "Terry" Scott (4 May 1927 – 26 July 1994) was an English actor and comedian who appeared in seven of the ''Carry On films''. He is also best known for appearing in the BBC1 sitcom ''Terry and June'' with June Whitfield. Early lif ...

Jimmy Jewel James Arthur Thomas Jewel Marsh (4 December 1909 – 3 December 1995),Gifford, Denni''The Independent'', 5 December 1995. Note: This obituary wrongly gives the year of birth as 1912, which is contradicted by the Ben Warriss obituary. Retrie ...

, John Casson and

. Butterworth's wife and their two children,

Tyler Tyler may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name * Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer * John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...

and Emma were also at the recording. When the

Carry on films The ''Carry On'' series of 31 British comedy films were released between 1958 and 1978, produced by Peter Rogers with director Gerald Thomas. The humour of ''Carry On'' was in the British comic tradition of music hall and bawdy seaside postca ...

finished in 1978, Butterworth began to concentrate on straight roles, taking a small part in the feature film ''

The First Great Train Robbery ''The First Great Train Robbery'' (known in the United States as ''The Great Train Robbery'') is a 1978 Irish heist comedy film directed by Michael Crichton, who also wrote the screenplay based on his 1975 novel '' The Great Train Robbery''. ...

'' with Sean Connery, and the

Alan Bennett Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. Over his distinguished entertainment career he has received numerous awards and honours including two BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and tw ...

play "Afternoon Off" (both 1979). These two productions were shown posthumously.

Personal life and death

Butterworth was introduced to actress and impressionist

by Rothwell and the two married in 1946 at St Mary's, Bryanston Square, Marylebone. Brown later became known for her television impersonations of

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...

during the 1970s and 1980s. They had two children: Their son,

Tyler Butterworth Tyler Butterworth (born 6 February 1959, Redhill, Surrey) is an English actor. Early life Tyler Butterworth was born 6 February 1959 in Redhill, Surrey. His father was Peter Butterworth, who starred in many of the '' Carry On'' films. His mo ...

, also became an actor and is married to the actress

Janet Dibley Janet Dibley (born 13 December 1958) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Elaine Walker in the 1980s sitcom ''The Two of Us'', Lorna Cartwright in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', and Elaine Cassidy in the BBC soap opera '' Doc ...

.obituaries ''The Independent'', p. 56 Their daughter, Emma, was born in 1962. She died in 1996 aged 34. In 1979, whilst ''

'' was on general release, Butterworth was starring as Widow Twankey in the

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

''Aladdin'' at the

Coventry Theatre The Coventry Theatre was a 2,000-seat theatre located on Hales Street in Coventry, England. It opened in 1937 as the New Hippodrome and was renamed the Coventry Theatre in 1955. In 1979 it was purchased by businessman Paul Gregg and became the C ...

. When the show had finished, he went back to his hotel following the evening's performance. His failure to return for the following day's matinee show caused alarm, and he was found dead in his room from a heart attack. Butterworth was buried in Danehill Cemetery, in

East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East Su ...

. Following his death, the producer of the ''Carry On'' films,

, said that Butterworth was "a thoroughly nice bloke and a dear friend".Bright, p. 127

Partial filmography

*''

'' (1948) – Postman *''

Murder at the Windmill ''Murder at the Windmill'', titled ''Mystery at the Burlesque'' in the United States, is a 1949 British crime film directed by Val Guest and featuring Garry Marsh, Jon Pertwee, and Peter Butterworth. It was shot at Walton Studios and was the ...

'' (1949) – Police Constable *'' Miss Pilgrim's Progress'' (1949) – Jonathan *''

The Adventures of Jane ''The Adventures of Jane'' is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Edward G. Whiting. It is the film version of the stage show based on the comic strip '' Jane'' originally created by Norman Pett. It was written by Alfred Goulding and Con We ...

'' (1949) – Drunken Man *''

The Body Said No! ''The Body Said No!'' is a 1950 British crime comedy film directed by Val Guest and starring Michael Rennie, Yolande Donlan, and Hy Hazell. It was shot at Walton Studios near London and distributed by Eros Films. Premise In a British TV studio ...

'' (1950) – Driver *''

Night and the City ''Night and the City'' is a 1950 film noir directed by Jules Dassin and starring Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney and Googie Withers. It is based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Kersh. Shot on location in London and at Shepperton Studio ...

'' (1950) – Thug (uncredited) *''

Double Confession ''Double Confession'' is a 1950 British crime film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Derek Farr, Joan Hopkins, William Hartnell and Peter Lorre. The screenplay, written by William Templeton, is based on the novel, ''All On A Summer's Day'' ...

'' (1950) – Joe (uncredited) *''

Paul Temple's Triumph ''Paul Temple's Triumph'' is a 1950 British crime film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring John Bentley, Dinah Sheridan and Jack Livesey. It was the third in the series of four Paul Temple films made at Nettlefold Studios, and was an adaptat ...

'' (1950) – Telephone Engineer (uncredited) *''

Mister Drake's Duck ''Misterr Drake's Duck'' is a 1951 British science fiction film, science-fiction comedy film directed by Val Guest and starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Yolande Donlan, Jon Pertwee, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Reginald Beckwith. The screenplay concerns ...

'' (1951) – Higgins *''

Circle of Danger ''Circle of Danger'' is a 1951 British thriller film directed by Jacques Tourneur which stars Ray Milland, Patricia Roc, Marius Goring, Hugh Sinclair and Naunton Wayne. An American travels to England to discover the truth behind his brother's d ...

'' (1951) – Ernie (The Diver) (uncredited) *''

Appointment with Venus ''Appointment with Venus'' () is a novel by Jerrard Tickell published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1951, leading to a British film adaptation the same year and a Danish film adaptation in 1962. The story is based on a real incident of the evacuatio ...

'' (1951) – 1st Naval Rating *''The Case of the Missing Scene'' (1951) – George *''

Old Mother Riley's Jungle Treasure ''Old Mother Riley's Jungle Treasure'' is a low budget 1951 British comedy film, the penultimate in the long running Old Mother Riley series starring Arthur Lucan and Kitty McShane. It features an early appearance by future ''Carry On'' regular ...

'' (1951) – Steve *'' Saturday Island'' (1952) – Wounded Marine *''

Penny Princess ''Penny Princess'' is a 1952 British Technicolor comedy film written and directed by Val Guest and starring Yolande Donlan, Dirk Bogarde and A. E. Matthews. It was made by Guest for his own production company, Conquest Productions. The film star ...

'' (1952) – Julien / Postman / Farmer *'' Will Any Gentleman...?'' (1953) – Stage Manager *'' Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary?'' (1953) – Liftman *''

The Gay Dog ''The Gay Dog'' is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Wilfred Pickles, Petula Clark and Megs Jenkins. It was filmed at Southall Studios, and features Petula Clark singing "A Long Way to Go", written by Joe Henders ...

'' (1954) – Another Betting Man *''

Fun at St. Fanny's ''Fun at St. Fanny's'' is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Fred Emney, Cardew Robinson and Vera Day. The film revolves around the teachers and students of St Fanny's private school, particularly the pupil Cardew t ...

'' (1956) – The Potter *''Blow Your Own Trumpet'' (1958) – Mr. Bob Duff *''

Tom Thumb Tom Thumb is a character of English folklore. ''The History of Tom Thumb'' was published in 1621 and was the first fairy tale printed in English. Tom is no bigger than his father's thumb, and his adventures include being swallowed by a cow, tan ...

'' (1958) – Kapellmeister *'' The Spider's Web'' (1960) – Insp. Lord *''

Escort for Hire ''Escort for Hire'' is a low budget 1960 British thriller film. It starred June Thorburn, Pete Murray, Noel Trevarthen, Jan Holden and Peter Butterworth. Plot Unemployed actor Steve gets a job with Miss Kennedy's agency as an escort-bodyguard, b ...

'' (1960) – Insp. Bruce *'' Murder, She Said'' (1961) – Ticket Collector *''

Fate Takes a Hand ''Fate Takes a Hand'' is a 1961 British anthology drama film. Plot The recovery of a mail bag stolen in a robbery 15 years before has varying consequences on the lives of five of the recipients of the letters, when the post office decide that ...

'' (1961) – Ronnie *''

The Day the Earth Caught Fire ''The Day the Earth Caught Fire'' is a British science fiction disaster film starring Edward Judd, Leo McKern and Janet Munro. It was directed by Val Guest and released in 1961, and is one of the classic apocalyptic films of its era. The film o ...

'' (1961) – 2nd Sub-Editor (uncredited) *''

She'll Have to Go ''She'll Have to Go'' (released in the United States as ''Maid for Murder'') is a 1962 black and white British comedy film directed by Robert Asher and starring Bob Monkhouse. Plot When cash strapped brothers Francis and Douglas discover thei ...

'' (1962) – Doctor *'' Kill or Cure'' (1962) – Green Glades Barman *''

Live Now, Pay Later ''Live Now, Pay Later'' is a 1962 British black-and-white film starring Ian Hendry, June Ritchie and John Gregson. Hendry plays a smooth-talking, conniving door-to-door salesman. Plot Unsavoury door-to-door salesman Albert Argyle's (Ian Hendry) te ...

'' (1962) – Fred *''The Rescue Squad'' (1963) – Mr. Maggs *'' Doctor in Distress'' (1963) – Ambulance Driver *''

A Home of Your Own ''A Home of Your Own'' is a 1964 British comedy film, which is a brick-by-brick account of the building of a young couple's dream house. From the day when the site is first selected, to the day – several years and children later – when the ...

'' (1965) – The Carpenter *''

The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders ''The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders'' is a 1965 British historical comedy film directed by Terence Young and starring Kim Novak, Richard Johnson, and Angela Lansbury. It is based on the 1722 novel '' Moll Flanders'' by Daniel Defoe. ...

'' (1965) – Grunt *''Never Mention Murder'' (1965) – Porter *''

'' (1965) – Doc *''

'' (1966) – Detective Constable Slobotham *'' A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' (1966) – Roman Sentry #2 *''

'' (1966) – Citizen Bidet *''Ouch!'' (1967) – Jonah Whale *'' Carry On Follow That Camel'' (1967) – Simpson *''

Carry On Doctor ''Carry On Doctor'' is a 1967 British comedy film, the 15th in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It is the second in the series to have a medical theme. Frankie Howerd makes the first of his two appearances in the film serie ...

'' (1967) – Mr. Smith *''Danny the Dragon'' (1967) – Farmer *''

Prudence and the Pill ''Prudence and the Pill'' is a 1968 British comedy film made by Twentieth Century-Fox. It was directed by Fielder Cook and Ronald Neame and produced by Kenneth Harper and Ronald J. Kahn from a screenplay by Hugh Mills, based on his 1965 novel. ...

'' (1968) – Chemist *''

Carry On Up the Khyber ''Carry On Up the Khyber'' is a 1968 British comedy film, the 16th in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It stars ''Carry On'' regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw and Peter Butt ...

'' (1968) – Brother Belcher *''

'' (1969) – Josh Fiddler *''

'' (1969) – Shuffling Patient *''

'' (1970) – Sinister Client (uncredited) *''

'' (1971) – Charles, Earl of Bristol (uncredited) *'' The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins'' (1971) – Guest Appearance (segment "Sloth") *'' A Class by Himself'' (1972) – Clutton *'' Bless This House'' (1972) – Trevor Lewis *''

'' (1972) – Pepe *''

Not Now Darling ''Not Now, Darling'' is a 1967 farce written by English playwrights John Chapman and Ray Cooney, first staged at the Richmond Theatre, in Richmond, England prior to a long West End run. The production starred Donald Sinden and Bernard Cribbi ...

'' (1973) – Painter (uncredited) *''

Carry On Girls ''Carry On Girls'' is a 1973 British comedy film, the 25th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film features regulars Sid James, Barbara Windsor, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor, Bernard Bresslaw and Peter Butterwor ...

'' (1973) – Admiral *''

Carry On Dick ''Carry On Dick'' is a 1974 British comedy film, the 26th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The story is based on the Dick Turpin legend and features Turpin (James) as an antihero, attempting to evade capture by the ...

'' (1974) – Tom *''

Carry On Behind ''Carry On Behind'' is a 1975 British comedy film, the 27th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It was the first entry in the series not to be scripted by Talbot Rothwell since ''Carry On Cruising'' 13 years previousl ...

'' (1975) – Henry Barnes *''

'' (1976) – Surgeon *'' The Ritz'' (1976) – Patron In Chaps *''

Carry On England ''Carry On England'' is a 1976 British comedy film, the 28th release in the series of the original 30 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1978). It was released in October 1976 and featured ''Carry On'' regulars Kenneth Connor, Jack Douglas, Joan Sim ...

'' (1976) – Major Carstairs *''

Odd Man Out ''Odd Man Out'' is a 1947 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, and starring James Mason, Robert Newton, Cyril Cusack, and Kathleen Ryan. Set in Belfast, Northern Ireland, it follows a wounded Nationalist leader who attempts to evade polic ...

'' (1977) – Wilf *''

What's Up Nurse! ''What's Up Nurse!'' is a 1977 British sex comedy film directed by Derek Ford and starring Nicholas Field, Felicity Devonshire and John Le Mesurier. It tells the story of the adventures of a young doctor in a hospital. A sequel ''What's Up ...

'' (1978) – Police Sergeant *''

'' (1978) – Richmond *''

'' (1979) – Putnam

References

Sources

* * *

External links

Details of Butterworth's wartime service

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Butterworth, Peter 1915 births 1979 deaths English male comedians English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors People from Bramhall World War II prisoners of war held by Germany British World War II prisoners of war Fleet Air Arm aviators Royal Navy officers of World War II People educated at William Hulme's Grammar School 20th-century English male actors British male comedy actors 20th-century English comedians Shot-down aviators Fleet Air Arm personnel of World War II People from Danehill, East Sussex