Art & Hue

Frankie Howerd

Frankie Howerd pop art prints by Art & Hue, available in three sizes and many colours, including “Up Pompeii” & “The Great St. Trinian’s Train Robbery“.

It seems Frankie Howerd took every opportunity to entertain whereever he could – from his days in the British Army to his professional career in theatres, clubs, film and television.

Frankie Howerd had many television shows over the years, including “Frankly Howerd” in 1959, “Frankie Howerd” in 1966, “The Howerd Confessions” in 1976, to name a few, but it was his popular character Lurkio in “Up Pompeii!” set during the days of the Ancient Roman Empire that many will always associate him with.

With a nod to the stage musical “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”, in which Howerd starred in London’s West End, it was his successful TV show “Up Pompeii!“, with his seemingly off-the-cuff remarks, such as “Titter ye not” and “Ooo, no missus”, that led to three spin-off films with Frankie Howerd as the star.

Opening at London’s ABC Cinema on Shaftesbury Avenue on the 18th of March 1971, the box office success of the first film “Up Pompeii”, also starring Barbara Murray, led to two further cinematic outings, “Up the Chastity Belt”, and “Up the Front”.

He also performed stand-up on “That Was The Week That Was”, the first satirical comedy show on British television which featured John Cleese, Hattie Jacques, and Billy Liar writer Keith Waterhouse among its contributors.

A close friend of singer Cilla Black, Howerd had his own chart success with singles including “Up Je t’aime” with June Whitfield, a comedy parody of the Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg hit.

With a film career starting in 1954 with “The Runaway Bus” with Margaret Rutherford, Howerd went on to appear in Ealing Comedy “The Ladykillers“, “An Alligator called Daisy” with Diana Dors & Margaret Rutherford, “Jumping for Joy” with Stanley Holloway, “Watch it Sailor” with Liz Fraser & Irene Handl, “The Fast Lady” with Julie Christie, “The Mouse on the Moon” with Margaret Rutherford, Bernard Cribbins, and Terry-Thomas, as well as a couple of Carry On films.