Peter Butterworth

Peter William Shorrocks Butterworth, born on February 4, 1915, in Bramhall, Cheshire, was a British actor and comedian. His career spanned from 1965 to 1978, encompassing 85 film and television projects. Butterworth’s prominence in British comedy history is largely due to his roles within the ‘Carry On’ series. Janet Brown, an actress and impressionist, was Butterworth's wife; together they had two children: Tyler and Emma.

Butterworth's early life was significantly impacted by World War II. In 1940, while serving as a lieutenant with the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy, he was captured as a prisoner of war after his aircraft was shot down. Held at Stalag Luft III near Sagan in Poland, he formed a duo with Talbot Rothwell, performing in camp shows. These performances included a song called 'The Letter Edged In Black'. He was involved in escape plots from the prison, including being on the organizing committee for The Wooden Horse and contributing to preparations for 'The Great Escape', and was a member of MI9.

After World War II, Butterworth began to receive wider acclaim through pantomime performances across the United Kingdom and subsequently debuted on film in William Comes to Town (1948). He appeared in Terry-Thomas’ sketch show How Do You View? (1953) as Lockitt, and presented children's television programs such as Saturday Special (1951-1953) and Butterworth Time . He joined the ‘Carry On’ film series in 1965 with Carry On Cowboy , appearing in sixteen films including Carry On Abroad (1973), Carry On Henry (1971), Carry On Behind (1975), and Carry on Dick (1976). He frequently played quiet and subtly eccentric characters, often cast as a stooge, and collaborated with Joan Sims in 21 projects. Other frequent collaborators included Sid James, Bernard Bresslaw, and Kenneth Williams.