Harold Berens (born Isadore Harold Berenbaum; 4 March 1903 – 10 May 1995) was a British comedian and character actor.
Biography He was born into a Jewish family in Glasgow, the son of a tailor, and grew up and was educated in Leeds, Harrogate, and Brussels. After his father built up a successful business in Brighton, he moved there, and began performing at show business parties organised by his father. After completing his education he worked as a shirt salesman, primarily to a show business clientele, while developing his own talent for comedy, especially his ability to imitate a wide range of different dialects, at private functions. In the 1930s he opened his own shop in Regent Street, London, where he styled himself as "Shirtmaker to the Stars". One of his customers was Carroll Levis, who thought that Berens was too professional a performer to perform in his regular amateur talent shows, and recommended that he audition for the BBC.
He won the support of BBC radio producer Ernest Longstaffe, who used him in radio programmes from the late 1930s and wrote some of his scripts. Berens compered broadcasts by Maurice Winnick and his orchestra from the Dorchester Hotel, and then, in 1939, started compering shows by Jay Wilbur and his band for Radio Luxembourg. During the Second World War, he made regular broadcasts for the services, and by 1941 was well known for his comedy routines, in which one of his characters was Mrs Twiddleswitch. He became known as "The Man with a Thousand Voices." "Harold Berens 1903-1995", Jewish Lives Project. Retrieved 28 November 2020
He featured regularly in the radio series Hoop-La, with Robb Wilton and Max Wall, and became more popular after 1945 playing the role of a Cockney ignoramus on Ignorance Is Bliss, chaired by Stewart MacPherson, which was a BBC adaptation of the American show It Pays to Be Ignorant. According to Roy Hudd, Berens' exclamations of "What a Geezer!" became a national catchphrase.Roy Hudd and Philip Hindin, Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts, Robson Books, 1998, , pp.13-14 By 1947, it was said that he had done over 2,000 radio broadcasts. He also appeared in four Royal Variety Performances.
He continued to feature on radio through the 1950s, notably as Mrs Mosseltoff on the show Ted Ray Time. He also developed a career as a supporting actor in films and television. His first film appearance was in Candlelight in Algeria (1944), followed by appearances in Third Time Lucky (1949), Up for the Cup (1950), Man from Tangier (1957), and The Pure Hell of St Trinian's (1960), among others. He also appeared in such television shows as The Avengers and It's a Square World. His final film appearances came in Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), Hear My Song (1991), and Carry On Columbus (1992).
Berens died in London in 1995, aged 92.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1944 Candlelight in Algeria Toni 1945 The Man from Morocco Ali 1947 Dual Alibi Ali 1949 Third Time Lucky Young Waiter 1950 Up for the Cup Auctioneer 1955 A Kid for Two Farthings Oliver 1955 The Secret Frank Farmer 1956 Not So Dusty Driver 1956 The Big Money Bookmaker 1957 Man from Tangier Sammy 1960 Jazz Boat Barber Shop Owner Uncredited1960 Bluebeard's Ten Honeymoons Jeweller Uncredited1960 Surprise Package Max Schissel Uncredited1960 The Pure Hell of St Trinian's British Consul 1961 A Weekend with Lulu Card Seller 1961 What a Whopper Sammy 1962 The Painted Smile Mikhala 1962 Live Now – Pay Later Solly Cowell 1964 Mozambique Banker 1969 Hostile Witness Rosen 1969 The Magic Christian Waiter Uncredited1972 Straight On till Morning Mr. Harris 1976 Queen Kong Man in Phone Booth Uncredited1976 The Pink Panther Strikes Again Hotel Clerk (scenes deleted)1982 Trail of the Pink Panther Hotel Clerk 1991 Hear My Song Benny Rose 1992 Carry On Columbus Cecil the Torturer (final film role)
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