Best known for his gruff manner, his preposterous looks and his filthy cackle. Key roles included: Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond in "Carry On Up The Khyber", Sid Boggle in "Carry On Camping" and Henry VIII in "Carry On Henry". A South African-born former hairdresser, he was a prodigiously hard worker - just as well, since he was a chronic gambler who borrowed from friends (usually without repaying them), and was invariably in debt to the Inland Revenue (The UK equivalent of the IRS). With Kenneth Williams, he was the best paid "Carry On" actor, earning £5000 per film. In 1976, at the age of 62, he had a heart attack on the opening night of "The Mating Season" at the Sunderland Empire, and died on the way to the hospital.


Carry On... Up the Khyber (1968): £ 4,500

Arrived in Britain on Dec 25th 1946, spending his army demob money on one-way tickets. Once described as "The man with a face like an unmade bed!". Voted (some time ago) to have the world's dirtiest laugh. Sid and Meg had a daughter Reine (named after Sid's mother) He is the father of Stephen James, a musician and sound technician who appeared on Fortran 5's debut album "Blues", in October 1991. The song "Bike" heavily sampled Sid's voice and distinctive laugh. Also, Sidney James' portrait appears on the album cover. Was the regular sidekick-cum-bête noir of Tony Hancock throughout the six series of the radio series "Hancock's Half Hour". Likewise, became Hancock's regular pal in the TV series "Hancock's Half Hour" (1956), until the final series when Hancock decided it was getting too much like a double act. In late 1960s, he attended a showbusiness houseparty near the Thames and, according to a TV news bulletin, was the hero of the hour because fire broke out and Sid kept dashing back indoors to help others to safety. Apparently, the emergency services had to eventually restrain him from re-entering the fire. Had an affair with "Carry On..." series star Barbara Windsor from 1973 until his death in 1976. Their life together is chronicled in the movie Cor, Blimey! (2000) (TV). Ms. Windsor is an advisor to the cast. Suffered a serious heart attack in 1967, and was therefore replaced by Phil Silvers as the star of Follow That Camel (1967). His best friends were his Carry On co-stars Patsy Rowlands and Peter Butterworth.