Charles Hawtrey; Star of British ‘Carry On’ Films

Charles Hawtrey, the spindle-legged, quizzical stalwart of the “Carry On” comedy film series that became a British institution, has died in southeast England, the Associated Press reported Friday. He was 73.

Hawtrey, star of the 1960 film “Carry On Nurse,” died Thursday at the Windthorpe Lodge nursing home at the seaside village of Walmer, 70 miles from London.

He had been suffering from an artery problem, and the British domestic news agency Press Assn. said his death came a month after Hawtrey refused to have his legs amputated to combat it.

Hawtrey, whose outrageously campy screen persona was once described by a movie critic as “a thin wet hen in granny specs,” appeared in 23 of the 28 “Carry On” films.

The series began in 1958 with “Carry On Sergeant” and carried on nearly two decades at a production rate of about two movies a year. The films included “Carry On Nurse,” “Carry On Teacher,” “Carry On England” and “Carry On Emmanuelle.”

The squawky-voiced Hawtrey popped up in one absurdly unlikely role after another as the series progressed.

The formula of bawdy slapstick, old jokes, sexual innuendo and outrageous double-entendres rarely varied but proved hugely popular with British audiences.

The movies, many of which were imported to the United States and other Western countries, are often repeated on television.

Born George Frederick Joffre Hartree, he came from a family with theatrical roots, although his father was a mechanic.

He borrowed the name Charles Hawtrey from the celebrated actor-manager Sir Charles Hawtrey, who died in 1923. He made his debut on the London stage in 1927, and in 1929 began a long career in radio comedy roles.