Bob Monkhouse

One of British TV's most popular performers with a career that spanned over four decades, funny-man 'Bob Monkhouse' (qv) started off as a radio broadcaster (1947) and stand-up comic. He earned success early on as a gag writer, partnering with 'Denis Goodwin' (qv).In 1953, the duo won their own TV show called _Fast and Loose (1954)_ (qv), which was sketch-comedy based. A nightclub comedian to boot, he also pursued films on occasion appearing in such slapstick dillies as _Carry On Sergeant (1958)_ (qv), _Dentist in the Chair (1960)_ (qv), Dentist on the 'Job' (qv) (1961) and _A Weekend with Lulu (1961)_ (qv). But TV would be his prime venue, and he moved quite easily into various parlor game and variety show hosting duties._For Love or Money (1959)_ (qv) was his first, a Brit version of "Candid Camera". Along the way, he found emceeing chores with _The London Palladium Show (1966)_ (qv), _The Golden Shot (1967)_ (qv) (which made him a household name), _Celebrity Squares (1975)_ (qv) (based on _The Hollywood Squares (Daytime) (1965)_ (qv)), _Family Fortunes (1980)_ (qv), "The $64,000 Question", _Opportunity Knocks (1956)_ (qv), _The National Lottery (1994)_ (qv), and many others. Monkhouse died in 2003 of prostate cancer.::Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net