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Sid James (Sidney Joel Cohen) was born in Natal in South Africa. During World War II, he was enlisted in an entertainment unit, and subsequently took up acting as a career.

He came to Britain in 1946 on the back of his service gratuity. Initially he worked in repertory work before being spotted by the nascent British post-war film industry, making his first appearance in 1947 in the film Night Beat

His first major comedy was The Lavender Hill Mob: with Alfie Bass he made up the bullion robbery gang headed by Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway. In the same year he also appeared in Lady Godiva Rides Again and The Galloping Major. In 19561956 is a leap year starting on Sunday. see link for calendar) Events January January 1 End of Anglo- Egyptian Condominium in Sudan. January 16 President Gamal Abdal Nasser of Egypt vows to reconquer Palestine January 26 1956 Winter Olympic Games open in, he co-starred in the science-fiction film Quatermass 21957 advertising poster for the film's UK release. Quatermass 2 (also known as Quatermass II is a British science-fiction / horror film, produced by the famous Hammer company and released in 1957. It is based on the BBC Television serial Quatermass II and.

In 1954Events January events January 14 The Hudson Motor Car Company merges with Nash-Kelvinator forming the American Motors Corporation January 14 Marilyn Monroe weds Joe DiMaggio. January 15 Mau Mau leader Waruhiu Itote is captured in Kenya January 20 The Nati he began working with Tony HancockAnthony John Hancock best known as Tony Hancock ( May 12, 1924 June 26, 1968) was a major figure in British television and radio comedy in the 1950s and 1960s. Early Life and Career He was born in Birmingham, England, but raised in Bournemouth where his m in BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation BBC is primarily a national publicly-funded broadcaster based in the United Kingdom, which also has some international services. Some of the international services (such as BBC cable TV in America, Canada and elsewhere radio's Hancock's Half HourHancock's Half Hour was a famous BBC radio comedy series of the 1950s starring Tony Hancock. Other regular cast members were Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Bill Kerr and Kenneth Williams. Andree Melly appeared in some early episodes. The scriptwriters were Ra playing a character with his own name, who was a criminal who would usually manage to con Tony. When this was turned into a television series his part was greatly increased to the extent that some viewer considered it to be a double act. James was soon getting as many laughs as his partner. In the final series, the show was renamed simply Hancock and Sid was not included in the cast. The show was one of the most popular comedy series in Britain on both television and radio.

When Hancock had Sid dropped from the show, Sid returned to films to become a leading member of the ' Carry OnThe Carry On films were a long-running series of British low-budget comedy films made at Pinewood Studios near Windsor. The series began with Carry On Sergeant in 1958, about a group of recruits on National Service, and was sufficiently successful that ot' team, originally to replace Ted RayTed Ray ( 1905- 1977) (real name Charles Olden was a popular British comedian of the 1950s and 1960s. He was born in Wigan, Lancashire, and began his career in music hall. Besides his comedy act, he was a talented violinist. Shortly after the Second World who had appeared in Carry On Teacher in 1959. It was intended that Ray would become a recurring Carry On... star, but he had been dropped after just one film due to a complex contractural embarrassment (he was contracted to another film studio who had never used him). James ultimately made 19 Carry On... films all together.

He later enjoyed success at the head of casts of TV situation comedies, notably George and the Dragon, Taxi and Bless This House. He suffered a heart attack on the opening night of The Mating Season at the Sunderland Empire and died on the way to the hospital at the age of 62.

Later it was rumoured that a ghost of Sid was in the dressing room he occupied on the night of his death. After one experience during a gig there, the comedian Les Dawson refused to play the venue again.