Bristol writer and broadcaster Richard Hope-Hawkins shares his memories of actor Terry-Thomas and how he helped restore the Hollywood legend’s dignity in his final years.

GRAHAM McCann has written many entertaining biographies, including one on Bristol-born actor Cary Grant and another about the late Somerset-based Frankie Howerd.

So when he asked me to recount my friendship with iconic British comic actor Terry-Thomas, I couldn't have been more delighted.

You see, I had discovered Terry-Thomas – once a major international screen star – living in a London charity flat in 1989 suffering from Parkinson's disease and looking absolutely wretched.

With me at the time was my godfather, the actor Thorley Walters, who had starred alongside Terry in two Boulting Brothers films – Private's Progress with Richard Attenborough and Carlton-Browne of the F.O. with Peter Sellers and Ian Bannen in the Sixties.

Terry-Thomas – his real name was Thomas Terry Hoare Stephens – was born to middle class parents in London in 1911.

After leaving public school he took various menial jobs before settling down as a film extra.

Years later he would become one of our most famous comic exports – adored in America for his upper-class accent, moustache, slicked down hair, gap-tooth grin, dapper clothes, gold cigarette holders, fresh carnation and famous catchphrases such as "Jolly good show" and "you're a stinker, a rotter in the first order".

It's said that the hyphen in Terry-Thomas' name represented the gap between his teeth – his famous trademark.

In fact, the actor even refused to answer any correspondence that left it out.

As a cabaret and variety performer, Terry-Thomas entertained the troops during World War II.

He later worked in radio and television, but it was his films which brought him a house in Ibiza, a home in Hollywood (where he raised and lowered the English flag every day) and a London mews flat.

Seeing his credits on a poster, one instinctively knew that you were in for a treat.

The actor starred in more than 70 films including a string of box office hits – Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines, Monte Carlo Or Bust, It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World, I'm All Right Jack, School for Scoundrels, Blue Murder At St Trinian's and Lucky Jim.

Universally admired and loved, he enjoyed something of a playboy lifestyle. Married twice, he had two sons, Timothy (aka Tiger) and Cushan.

He told his cousin Richard Briers – who, incidentally, had followed the advice of his "Uncle Terry" to train at drama school – that he had more than £1 million in the bank.

It was during a stage tour of Australia in the late Sixties that Terry was told the devastating news that he had early stages of Parkinson's disease.

He bravely carried on until the disease took hold. But, along with the tell-tale Parkinson's shake, his voice was affected and he had to retire.

But he carried on campaigning to help others with the disease.

Eventually, Terry lost his homes as well as his savings – money that went on medical bills and numerous "cures".

Nearly 20 years ago, I found the actor and his family living in what could only be described as "reduced circumstances".

Terry-Thomas' plight was soon making headlines, and together with a Bristol PR company headed by Derek and Sally Frise, comedy actor Jack Douglas and I organised a charity gala.

The Terry-Thomas Gala held at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane raised more than £75,000 to help Terry and the Parkinson Disease Society.

Artists that appeared included Phil Collins, Eartha Kitt, Russ Conway, Sir Harry Secombe, Roy Castle, Ronnie Corbett, Susan George, Michael Winner and Barbara Windsor to name but a few.

The late Dudley Moore arranged a party in LA and messages were recorded by many Hollywood screen legends.

Frank Sinatra's widow even flew in from America especially to see the show.

The event received worldwide publicity.

On the day of the gala, the BBC screened two of Terry's films – a remarkable achievement which showed how much they admired the actor.

Numerous cameramen, technicians and others gave their services free, including local cameraman Nick Dance and HTV personality Richard Wyatt.

The edited tribute, with Phil Collins narrating the introduction, was shown later that year on ITV, raising another £23,000 for the charity.

Less than a year later, on January 8, 1990, Terry died in a Surrey nursing home, having managed to live out his last few months in dignity and comfort.

With Terry's films now reaching a new and enthusiastic audience via television, this highly entertaining and informative biography is timely and a delight to read.

McCann has produced a superb book, richly illustrated with photos that have never been published before.

I believe the author really admired Terry-Thomas – often portrayed as a "silly ass" character but who, in reality, was a true comic genius who conquered America with his English charm.

Just like Tony Hancock, Tommy Cooper, Norman Wisdom and Frankie Howerd, Terry was always a tonic to watch.

At his funeral, Eric Sykes said to me: ''I wish I was half the man Terry was" – a fitting tribute from another great comic legend.

Graham McCann's book, Bounder! The Definitive Biography Of Terry-Thomas is published by Arum and costs £16.99.

A lifetime of memorabilia

AFTER the actor's death in 1990, Richard Hope-Hawkins rescued a lot of Terry-Thomas memorabilia from his Surrey home and brought it back to Bristol.

It's since been used for several television documentaries.

But after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, Richard reluctantly decided to put the invaluable archive up for auction.

The unique collection of press cuttings, photographs, personal effects, correspondence and paintings was sold off last year by Dominic Winter of South Cerney, near Swindon.

As a "loveable rotter", Terry- Thomas was often shown sporting a cigarette holder and wearing a dressing gown while portraying disreputable members of the English aristocracy.

The archive included his collection of smoker's paraphernalia – 20 bygone cigarette holders plus his iconic, long, black bamboo holder.

Another piece of memorabilia featured cigarette ends representing a row of teeth with a Terry-Thomas style gap in the middle.

Also sold off was an archive of press cuttings spanning nearly 40 years of his theatrical and film career and a group of movie posters featuring Monte Carlo or Bust!, The Perils of Pauline, Make Mine Mink and Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines.

The "piece de resistance" of the auction, however, was a bronze bust of the actor by celebrated sculptor Ronald Moody.