Bob Todd

Brian Todd (15 December 1921 – 21 October 1992), known professionally as Bob Todd, was an English comedy actor, mostly known for appearing as a straight man in the sketch shows of Benny Hill and Spike Milligan. For many years he lived in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

For the baseball coach, see Bob Todd (baseball). For the English footballer, see Bob Todd (footballer).

Bob Todd
Todd on The Benny Hill Show (1971)
Born
Brian Todd

(1921-12-15)15 December 1921
Faversham, Kent, England
Died21 October 1992(1992-10-21) (aged 70)
Sussex, England
OccupationActor
Spouse(s)Monica Todd

Life and career

Todd was born in Faversham, Kent. One of the great stooges of television comedy, Todd was best known for his lugubrious expression and talent for slapstick, and was known to fellow comedians by the nickname 'Silly Todd'.

He consequently amongst others, before joining The Benny Hill Show in 1968. He stayed with the programme, on and off, until Thames Television ended the show twenty one years later.

Todd gained a reputation for drunkenness while working on The Benny Hill Show. He once failed to turn up for a London Palladium show after a 'drinking episode', and eventually found himself in a Dublin hospital five days later. After this was reported in the media, Hill had Todd dropped from the show. Producer Dennis Kirkland persuaded Hill to rescind the decision, saying Todd brought much to the show and his drinking rarely affected his work. Todd was also a very heavy cannabis smoker, and was frequently under the influence of the drug during tapings of the Q and Benny Hill shows.

Todd's only starring role was as Dan the lavatory attendant in his own 1972 series In for a Penny although he did appear in the Jimmy Jewel series Funny Man. He appeared in Eric Sykes's television series, in the episode "Sykes and A Bath", broadcast on 25 January 1961, in series three of Sykes and A..., in which he played a sad-faced man with one hand stuck inside a vase.[1] He appeared in Sykes' film Rhubarb Rhubarb in 1980, as well as making guest appearances on shows by Jim Davidson and Allan Stewart and Spike Milligan's Q9. He was seen in cinema films, including Carry On Again Doctor, The Return of the Musketeers, and Mutiny on the Buses. He appeared in the 1980s series of The Sooty Show playing the part of The Black Hand, in the adventure film The Case of the Black Hand. He appeared in Gabrielle and the Doodleman as Merlin as well as an Ugly Sister with Windsor Davies in 1984.[2]

Todd was referenced in the 1985 Half Man Half Biscuit song "99% of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd" on the album Back in the DHSS.

Todd was referenced in one episode of The Thick of It.

Personal life

Todd and his wife, Monica, had one daughter and two sons. He died at the age of 70 in Sussex.

Selected filmography

References
  1. McCann, Graham (2006). Spike & Co. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-89809-7. (a)p.158, (b)pp.215-216
  2. "Gabrielle and the Doodleman (1984)". IMDb. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
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