{"product_id":"9781529450316","title":"The Man Who Was Private Widdle","description":"\u003cp\u003eCharles Hawtrey, the skinny one with the granny glasses, was everybody's favourite in the Carry Ons - but who exactly was he? Up to now the man has remained a mystery. Examining Hawtrey's origins as a child star and as a performer in revue and the Will Hay films, this book also looks at his career in radio and television, and then to the sad and slow decline of a belligerent recluse in Deal, on the Kent coast. The high camp exuberance of his acting gave way to bitterness and alcoholism - if you asked Hawtrey for an autograph he'd be more likely to call the police instead. In this work, Roger Lewis conjures this sense of doom and acute melancholy which is at the same time hysterically funny. The book opens out like a Chinese box to address such issues as the nature of fame, neglect, loss, sexual confusion, Drambuie, betrayal, Royal Marines bandsmen, and fine cambric knickers trimmed with lace and blue ribbon.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Roger Lewis","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57358700675450,"sku":"9781529450316","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0423\/0240\/6809\/files\/9781529450316.jpg?v=1791360644","url":"https:\/\/winstonebooks.co.uk\/products\/9781529450316","provider":"Winstone's Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}