Born on 6 December, 1888, in Stockton-on-Tees in the north of England, William Thomson Hay went on to become one of Britain's most popular comedians, starring in a total of 19 films before his death in 1949. His radio performances for the BBC were among the most popular shows of the day and he was among the top ten moneymaking British stars of the era, having a comedic big-screen career that was only bettered in Britain by George Formby.

Hay started his career in the music halls. In 1914, he joined the Fred Karno troupe, famous for its comedy talent, which included Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin. He left the troupe in 1918, going on to tour Australia, the USA and South Africa. He specialised in playing the 'bumbling schoolmaster', and had huge success with his schoolmaster routines on stage and on the radio. His earliest radio appearances were made under the name of 'Charlie Kidd', as he did not want to risk the reputation he had built up around his stage career on the then new medium.

It was only natural that he should move into movies, and in 1934 he made his first film, which was called Those Were the Days. Hay went on to make another 18 films, and he is, interestingly, credited as the director or writer/co-writer of several of the films that he starred in.

Filmography

• Those Were The Days (1934) - Directed by Thomas Bentley. Screenplay by Fred Thompson, Frank Launder and Frank Miller.

• Radio Parade of 1935 (1934) - Directed by Arthur Woods. Screenplay by Jack Davies, Paul Perez, James Bunting and Arthur Woods.

• Dandy Dick (1935) - Directed by William Beaudine. Screenplay by Will Hay, Frank Miller, William Beaudine and Clifford Grey.

• Boys Will Be Boys (1935) - Directed by William Beaudine. Screenplay by Will Hay and R.Edmunds.

• Where There's a Will (1936) - Directed by William Beaudine. Screenplay by Will Hay, Robert Edmunds and William Beaudine.

• Windbag the Sailor (1936) - Directed by William Beaudine. Screenplay by Will Hay, Marriott Edgar and Stafford Dickens.

• Oh, Mr Porter! (1937) - Directed by Marcel Varnel. Screenplay by Val Guest,Marriott Edgar and JOC Orton.

• Good Morning Boys (1937) - Directed by Marcel Varnel. Screenplay by Val Guest, Marriott Edgar and Leslie Arliss.

• Old Bones of the River (1938) - Directed by Marcel Varnel. Screenplay by JOC Orton, Val Guest and Marriott Edgar.

• Hey! Hey! USA! (1938) - Directed by Marcel Varnel. Screenplay by JOC Orton.

• Where's That Fire? (1939) - Directed by Marcel Varnel. Screenplay by Val Guest, Marriott Edgar and JOC Orton.

• Convict 99 (1939) - Directed by Marcel Varnel. Screenplay by Val Guest and Marriott Edgar.

• Ask a Policeman (1939) - Directed by Marcel Varnel. Screenplay by Val Guest, Marriott Edgar and JOC Orton.

• The Ghost of St. Michael's (1941) - Directed by Marcel Varnel. Screenplay by Angus Macphail and John Dighton.

• The Black Sheep of Whitehall (1942) - Directed by Will Hay and Basil Dearden. Screenplay by Angus MacPhail and John Dighton.

• The Goose Steps Out (1942) - Directed by Will Hay and Basil Dearden. Screenplay by Angus MacPhail and John Dighton.

• Go to Blazes (1942) - Directed by Walter Forde. Screenplay by Angus MacPhail and Diana Morgan.

• The Big Blockade (1942) - Directed by Charles Frend. Screenplay by Angus MacPhail.

• My Learned Friends (1943) - Directed by Will Hay & Basil Dearden. Screenplay by Angus MacPhail and John Dighton.

At the age of 19, Will Hay married Gladys Perkin. It was a happy marriage for many years, but in 1936 a decree of judicial separation was granted. Will and Gladys Hay then went on to live separate lives but did not get divorced as Gladys was a Roman Catholic and so did not believe in divorce. Will gained a reputation as a ladies' man, and eventually he settled down with a Norwegian woman named Randi Kopstadt who was several years younger than him. They stayed together until shortly before his death.

Will Hay was also a keen amateur astronomer having both 6" refractor and 12" reflector telescopes at his home in Norbury, in the suburbs of London. In 1933, he was credited by the British Astronomical Society with the discovery of a large white spot 20,000 miles across on Saturn.

During the Second World War, he was made a Sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. As part of his duties he would talk about navigation and astronomy to cadets and, on occasions, to the House of Commons Select Committee.

In 1943, Hay was diagnosed as having cancer of the rectum in its early stages, for which he undertook a successful operation after which he resumed his stage shows and radio broadcasts, but in 1946 he suffered a stroke which resulted in the right side of his body being paralysed. He spent most of his remaining years alone and died in Chelsea on Easter Monday, 18 April, 1949, of another stroke.