Kenneth Williams and Joe Orton

[Celticboi69]

Wasn't Joe gonna leave his lover for good? That what cause the killing of Joe and the sucide of his lover?

[mooneepondskid]

@Celticboi69 No,Joe had no intention of leaving Ken. But Ken Halliwell was very insecure and paranoid about Joe leaving him.

[Feisty1967]

So sad for Kenneth Williams that he lost his friend and never came to terms with his true sexuality and never found a soulmate. Thank God we live in more enlightened times these days.

[joydivision808]

love em both orton and williams

[BNCA70]

Finished Williams' diaries a few months ago (took ages!) now towards the end of Orton's. They mention each other a lot on the same dates and it's quite funny.

[plumdom]

when did the format change on you tube ?

[plumdom]

when did the format change on you tube ?

[BNCA70]

Reading Kenny's diaries at the moment. Got to 1968. They are fascinating, sad and hilarious. He mentions Joe a lot, of course.

[cheesedominiccusack2]

halliwell or williams. It's so confusing

[PeterBluth]

Where are these orgies? Why haven't we been invited? I love Kenneth Williams.

[redredreds100]

@PeterBluth are you gay?? not being disrespectful, just asking

[PeterBluth]

No, I'm not. No disrespect taken, I'm mistaken for it a lot. I was quoting Kenneth, I thought it was rather humorous.

[redredreds100]

sorry peterbluth, i commented before i heard, what you wrote was a quote

[PeterBluth]

Mistakes happen.

[soxer123]

I think Joe and Kenneth Williams would have had an absolute ball if they had only been born 20 years later (mind you Joe did have a lot of fun).

[redredreds100]

@soxer123 i think Joe had a ball period

[cindylauryn]

Orton was really a man ahead of his times

[redredreds100]

@cindylauryn bollocks, no one is ahead of their times, nothing is way ahead of it's time, when you come around, or are invented, that's your time

[XMistyWaterflowerX]

Thanks for this brilliant clip.

[gordonian69]

I was often in Tangier when kenneth was there and once when Joe Orton and friend was there .We visited kenneth a couple of times in London when he lived in kings cross .I know quite a few of the people on the photos especially the moroccan boys .great times at the Windmill bar .George hardtys atlas beach . sid and Dennis El piano bar ,bryans bar, Erics hamburger stall with all those lovely boys serving in T shirts and american sailors hats. Those were the days of Tangier .now I dont know?

[WowUsernameAvailable]

amazing. thank you so much for this bit of history.

[Lamvesp]

That was absolutely facinateing, i'm reading Kenneth's biography at the moment, late i know, but what a genius he really was.

[gluups]

thank you so much to pot this video. I tried to catch one i vain since a long time.

[jacksocket57]

I love Orton's writing. 'Entertaining Mr Sloane' is my favourite play, but 'Loot' is fantastic too. The plays are very readable. Also, John Lahr's biography is well worth reading. Thanks for posting this.

[shamidkpzd]

Thank you so much for uploading this!

[Bez1960]

This is what I love about YouTube...these amazing gems that you cannot find anywhere and on-tap...long may this website continue.  Thankyou.

[fatmaccam]

what an eye-opener: excellent.

[raahead]

Barry Wade was my landlord lol. Interesting clip this, thanks for posting.

[cotterj99]

David Benson's readings of Kenneths diary are marvellous.

[EldritchMask]

Many Thanks for this.

I never knew those two were aquainted with each other.

[dasquidbear]

I've read the Orton Diaries...it's an amazing work and i recommend it to any avid homosexual (joke), but if you will read it, skip the prefarce because it's useless.

[joeyemile]

joe orton is so adorable. he's my new crush.

[simontimelord]

Bona!

[sally27037]

I've watched this clip a million times and never get tired of it ! I was lucky enough to see the whole Eamon Andrews interview at a special BFI screening last August...totally amazing. I wish someone could get their hands on it and post it here.

[margotdarby]

The more time goes by, the more John Lahr resembles the joke version of himself played by Wallace Shawn in the movie.

[Drbiddybong]

Too true. Have you read a book on Orton called:

Because We're Queers? if not check it out, it's not bad at all.

[namatamago3000]

I agree. Then I have a giggle by imagining John Lahr pontificating while dressed as his father as the Cowardly Lion.

[yesterdaysgirl56]

haha i agree1 and of corse i can never see the princess bride again..

[doubledeckers]

@margotdarby I'll never forget the big laugh that went around the cinema when Joan Sanderson appeared offering to read the shorthand.

[naja46]

I agree , have been a fan of Joe Orton for more years than I care to remember but when I first heard his voice a long time ago I thought it seemed so odd , quite posh really & not how I expected . Thought he'd sound common as he was such a tart !! But what a brilliant tart ! He was unique , if only he was here now , such a tragic end to his too short life , R.I.P. Joe

[slobone]

Probably Gary Oldman butched him up a little...

[yesterdaysgirl56]

actually not so much. it is kinda funny. and yes the diaries are wonderful. i laughed the whole time i read them.

[katymagnets]

He was at RADA in the 1950s, so he would have had to learn to be well spoken in order to get on.

[naja46]

Indeed he did & he also had elocution lessons in Leicester before he went to RADA to try & lose his local accent . Suppose what I really meant is that his voice somehow didnt match his face if you get my meaning ! It almost makes me feel that he was putting the " posh " accent on a bit to make others think he was well bred but we'll never know if that's the case or not , it's just my opinion in any case , you may disagree !

[bloodnokian]

Wow....You know when you like someone from years ago and not much footage survives and you imagine how they would talk or sound? Joe Orton doesn't sound like how I would imagine.

Brilliant upload.

[localfreak]

Cheers for this. I have the documentary it was from (Diaries of Kenneth Williams, I think?) on video at home but having it available here is really helpful :)

[englishman10000]

this clip is taken from the second of the 2 part 'reputations' series on BBC, does anyone have both of these on youtube?

[gomboldproval]

My first exposure to Joe Orton. Quality line!!

[Larkinchance]

My first exposure to Joe Orton was in the movie "Prick up your ears" I thought it was brilliant. Acually, it was like a greek tragety.

On the other hand I remember Kenneth Williams from all those Carry on pictures (carry on nurse) that came out of the UK during the early sixties. Although words were not given to it, he played such a funny closet case. But that was exactly what we loved about him.

[rickanne]

Like all creat Comedy actors - Sadness is there in large amounts: Hancock, Sellers & even the awful Jim Davison had, or are suffering.

[puszilak]

excellent- I love both kenneth Williams and Joe Orton.

david x

[mcrmiriam98]

interesting

[cubist]

Thanks for posting this. I'd like to see him in that Call My Bluff episode from 1966 now, but I doubt the BBC will ever pull it out of their archive. =(

If any of you are on facebook, *do* join the Joe Orton group!

[genke]

God, I never thought I could watch Joe Orton on TV show. Thanks so much!

[robotrocket]

thank you for the wonderful videos.

[newmark401]

Wonderful. Would like to see more of this if you have it...

[ISB]

footage of Joe Orton, way cool.

[sandhurst5]

Amazing, Amazing To See that footage of Orton.

[Robretty]

How cute can one get? Sleeping in that deck chair? Fascinating...such a shame, being loved so much by so many, still having such an unhappy and lonely life!

Thanks for uploading!

[vogueress]

Thanks for this, interesting to see Orton being interviewed.