Interview with Billy Cornelius (2018)
William 'Billy' Cornelius was born on 18th August 1934 in London. There is not a lot he has not covered in his career from professional boxing, acting, stunt work and running a series of successful businesses. He is probably best remembered by 'Carry On' fans in his role as 'Oddbod Junior' in 'Carry On Screaming' in 1966.
He is the younger brother of Joe Cornelius who was a professional Wrestler known as Joe 'The Dazzler' Cornelius. Joe also has 'Carry On' connections having appeared (as a wrestler funnily enough) in 'Carry On Loving' in 1970.
I had been trying to contact Billy for some years and wasn't even sure if he was still with us or with the great 'Carry On' in the sky. However, thankfully all that changed in Spring 2018....
It was with a lot of excitement that Billy was announced as a star guest at this year's 'Whippet Inn' event in London. This special event, for fans and star guests, was to celebrate 60 years of the film series (1958 - 2018). The 'Whippet Inn' team really pulled a gem out the bag with Billy! I had the pleasure of meeting Billy, asking him to sign about a million pieces of memorabilia (which he did without complaint or hesitation) and then had a rare chance to interview him for this website. I also got the opportunity to spend some time int he aftrenoon with Billy's wonderful family, including his wife and Grandson (who is carving out quite a career as a professional sports photographer in his own right).
Billy's family are some of the nicest people I have ever met. They were keen to promote Billy throughout the day as Billy was being a little modest at times about his involvement in the series and his main concern was that if he turned up nobody would know who he was! To that end his family brought along a huge black and white picture of Billy in character as 'Oddbod Junior' for him to hold and point out who he was! Needless to say he didn't need to do so as we all knew who Billy was...
Above: Billy & I at the 60th Anniversary of 'Carry On' 'Whippet Inn' in Ealing, London in June 2018.
It was also great to learn that his brother, Joe, was still with us at the ripe old age of 90. Although Joe is not in great health the family do see Joe a few times a year. Joe had lived in Cyprus for many years but has now moved back to the UK.
Throughout my 'Carry On' obsession (spanning about 30 years now) I have been so lucky to meet a lot of the stars of the films. A few of those stars are extra special and Billy is one of those people. A very warm and gentle man he is one of those people that you could actually sit and talk to all day.
His stories and anecdotes (not just about the 'Carry On's' but his fantastic life) are from an era long gone and leave you quite spellbound. He speaks about his life and career with such clarity that it is as though it only happend yesterday.
Below is a extract from the interview I did with him and his recollections from his time on the 'Carry On' films.
CP: Are you amazed at the reception you got at the event today?
BC: I am! I didn’t think anyone who know who I was!
CP: You have had quite a career, stuntman, actor and boxer.
BC: (Smiling) Well, I will tell you about my life. I started out at ‘the print’ at the ‘News of the World’ when I was 21. You had to be 21 to go into the print you see. I also had a shrimp and winkle round with my brother, Joe. From there I went into films and did stunt work and acting. After that I went into the pub trade and had three pubs; one in Tooting, one in Tenterden and one in Brixton.
CP: Not a lot you haven’t done then? So, tell me about the ‘Carry On’s, do you have any special memories about them?
BC: Everyone in them was so nice. They really were.
CP: How did you get on with Kenneth Williams as he had reputation for being, let’s say, a little difficult with newcomers?
BC: Kenneth was great. I remember on ‘Screaming’ he once came up to me and asked me what I had been up to the evening before. I said, ‘well, we went out for a drink and picked up a couple of birds’. ‘We had a few drinks then took them home, we all ended up in a cupboard’. Kenneth’s eyes lit up! He loved a gossip. He said ‘ooh, tell me more!’ and so I said, ‘I will tell you later as they are still in the cupboard!’. You could really gee him up. He was great. The only one I didn’t like much was Terry Scott. I was doing the stunts for him in ‘Up the Jungle’ and he had no time for you. Everyone else would welcome you and have a chat but he would simply turn up, maybe say ‘hello’ and then just ignore you.
BC: I am! I didn’t think anyone who know who I was!
CP: You have had quite a career, stuntman, actor and boxer.
BC: (Smiling) Well, I will tell you about my life. I started out at ‘the print’ at the ‘News of the World’ when I was 21. You had to be 21 to go into the print you see. I also had a shrimp and winkle round with my brother, Joe. From there I went into films and did stunt work and acting. After that I went into the pub trade and had three pubs; one in Tooting, one in Tenterden and one in Brixton.
CP: Not a lot you haven’t done then? So, tell me about the ‘Carry On’s, do you have any special memories about them?
BC: Everyone in them was so nice. They really were.
CP: How did you get on with Kenneth Williams as he had reputation for being, let’s say, a little difficult with newcomers?
BC: Kenneth was great. I remember on ‘Screaming’ he once came up to me and asked me what I had been up to the evening before. I said, ‘well, we went out for a drink and picked up a couple of birds’. ‘We had a few drinks then took them home, we all ended up in a cupboard’. Kenneth’s eyes lit up! He loved a gossip. He said ‘ooh, tell me more!’ and so I said, ‘I will tell you later as they are still in the cupboard!’. You could really gee him up. He was great. The only one I didn’t like much was Terry Scott. I was doing the stunts for him in ‘Up the Jungle’ and he had no time for you. Everyone else would welcome you and have a chat but he would simply turn up, maybe say ‘hello’ and then just ignore you.
CP: What was Charlie Hawtrey like?
BC: Again, he was great. He always turned up on set with a huge shopping bag full of goodies and carried it around with him!
CP: ‘Screaming’ is deemed one of the best of the series, did it take long to make you up as ‘Oddbod Junior’?
BC: Oh yes. It was about an hour and a half. It took ages and it was very hot. I remember one day I had to also stand in for Tommy Clegg (Tom Clegg was playing ‘Oddbod’ alongside Billy and was also a ‘Carry On regular’). Tommy had contracted Asian flu and was unwell, so I ended up having to swap into his outfit and makeup too. I was shattered!
CP: You were a professional boxer, another boxer who was also in the ‘Carry On’s’ was of course Freddie Mills. Did you know Freddie?
BC: Was he? Yes, Freddie. Well, in fact Freddie ended up threatening Joe at one point and was going to sue him! Joe would sometimes get mistaken for Freddie and once just went along with it. I can’t remember all the details, but it ended up with Freddie threatening to sue him, I remember that.
BC: Again, he was great. He always turned up on set with a huge shopping bag full of goodies and carried it around with him!
CP: ‘Screaming’ is deemed one of the best of the series, did it take long to make you up as ‘Oddbod Junior’?
BC: Oh yes. It was about an hour and a half. It took ages and it was very hot. I remember one day I had to also stand in for Tommy Clegg (Tom Clegg was playing ‘Oddbod’ alongside Billy and was also a ‘Carry On regular’). Tommy had contracted Asian flu and was unwell, so I ended up having to swap into his outfit and makeup too. I was shattered!
CP: You were a professional boxer, another boxer who was also in the ‘Carry On’s’ was of course Freddie Mills. Did you know Freddie?
BC: Was he? Yes, Freddie. Well, in fact Freddie ended up threatening Joe at one point and was going to sue him! Joe would sometimes get mistaken for Freddie and once just went along with it. I can’t remember all the details, but it ended up with Freddie threatening to sue him, I remember that.
Above: Billy at the 'Whippet Inn' event pointing out his alter ego from 'Carry On Screaming'.
CP: You always played tough guys, I’m guessing that was due to your career in boxing and build?
BC: Yes, I think it was. Although I will tell you a story…Many years later when I was up north I had a friend who had a farm. One morning I had been out for a run and got back home, showered and put clean clothes on. A short time later I got a call from my mate who said ‘Billy, I need your help on the farm’. A calf had died inside it’s mother and he needed to get it out. So, I went along with my wife and turned up at the farm. My mate ended up having to tie a rope around the calf inside the cow and pull it out. Well, that was it. I fainted. Fell clean back passed out into a pile of cowshit! All I remember my wife shouting was ‘Ooooh! And he’s got his clean clothes on ‘an all!’.
CP: (Howling) So not such a tough guy then?
BC: (Also laughing and shakes his head) ‘No!’.
BC: Yes, I think it was. Although I will tell you a story…Many years later when I was up north I had a friend who had a farm. One morning I had been out for a run and got back home, showered and put clean clothes on. A short time later I got a call from my mate who said ‘Billy, I need your help on the farm’. A calf had died inside it’s mother and he needed to get it out. So, I went along with my wife and turned up at the farm. My mate ended up having to tie a rope around the calf inside the cow and pull it out. Well, that was it. I fainted. Fell clean back passed out into a pile of cowshit! All I remember my wife shouting was ‘Ooooh! And he’s got his clean clothes on ‘an all!’.
CP: (Howling) So not such a tough guy then?
BC: (Also laughing and shakes his head) ‘No!’.
Above: Billy adds his autograph (or maybe his pawprint?) to some of my 'Carry On' signed DVD's.
My sincere thanks to Billy for his time and great anecdotes and to his family for all their time and great conversations at the event.
Join the 'Retroboy' Facebook group & follow me on Instagram for exclusive content!
