Bernard Youens
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Bernard Youens (December 28, 1914 - August 27, 1984) was a heavyweight British character actor, best remembered for his portrayal of the workshy, beer swilling Stan Ogden in Coronation Street from 1964 until his death in 1984.
Born in Hove, East Sussex, as Bernard Popley, 'Bunny' Youens (as he was nicknamed) began his stage career as a 16 year old after becoming assistant stage manager at the Players Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne. He went on to spend much of the 1930s honing his craft in repertory theatre. His acting career was interrupted by the Second World War (during which he served in North Africa and Anzio) but he returned to rep after the War, whilst also working as a publican and a labourer.
He was a member of Frank Fortesque's Players after the war. Bernard 'Bunny' Graham, (the surname Graham was used at that time by Bernard as a stage name - Bunny was the pet name given to him by his wife) appears in the film Cup Tie Honeymoon[link], a [Mancunian Film Corporation [link]] production, with Betty Jumel [link]. This was the first film to be shot at their Rusholme Studio in Manchester, with exteriors filmed at Maine Road Football Ground and Abney Hall in Cheadle. In the film veteran comedian [Sandy Powell http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Powell_%28comedian%29] performed one of his stage sketches, ‘The Soldier’s Return Home’, with a young actress, Pat Pilkington who later became more famous as Pat Phoenix [link] in Granada TV's ‘Coronation Street’. Despite dreadful reviews the film was a huge success in the North West and you can see a Film Clip from the film showing Bernard Youens with Betty Jumel, Dan Young and Alec Pleon at [- scroll down to Cup Tie Honeymoon (1948)] (the contents of the page are listed in date order).
Youens breakthrough on television came in 1956 when he was made a continuity announcer for Granada Television, becoming popular due to his 'velvet voiced' tones, in marked contrast to the character he would later become famous for portraying. Youens also took minor roles in a number of ITV series at the time, although he declined the chance to audition for Coronation Street when it was launched in 1960, before eventually passing an audition in 1964. He uttered the words "A pint of mild and 20 fags missus" in June that year and an on-screen legend was born.
Youens suffered a series of heart attacks and strokes in the 1970s, which left him with impaired speech. However Youens refused to retire and underwent speech therapy, whilst the writers brought in Geoffrey Hughes as a lodger for Stan and Hilda (Jean Alexander) in order to reduce Youens' dialogue. Although he wasn't to know it at the time, his final ever on-screen street appearance took place on 7th March 1984.
Having suffered most of his later life with severe arthritis in the knees, Youens was taken into Hospital in early April 1984 suffering from arthritis. He had another stroke in May 1984 and then contracted gangrene in his left leg in July 1984, resulting in amputation. Youens died in his sleep with the character, still one of the most popular in the soap's history, also killed off, three months after the death of the actor who played him.
Bernard was married to Edna Swallow, known as "Teddy". They had two daughters and three sons.
When asked what he thought of the fact that a national British newspaper had dubbed his character "...the uncrowned king of the non-working classes..." he replied "Stan is my creation and I am proud of him." Bunny was delighted to meet the (then) Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman, who had, for many years, expressed a desire to meet "...Hilda and her ghastly husband." Meet they did, and Bunny often commented that Betjeman, bounding around the studios meeting everyone "like a school boy" was a fond memory. Lord Olivier also expressed a wish to appear in the programme. This was actually scheduled in a January 1978 episode in which Olivier was to play an unpublicised part as a tramp. Unfortunately, Olivier's itinerary precluded that, and, in the bar at Granada TV, Bunny told him "I'm so sorry I couldn't appear opposite you," to which Olivier replied, "Not as sorry as I am." A fitting tribute.
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