Leslie Phillips obituary: The comedy Casanova who made it to Hogwarts

Leslie Phillips, who has died aged 98, volition everlastingly beryllium remembered for playing a lecherous aged rake.

But his comic gifts masked the scope of his acting ability. He received adjacent acclaim for his roles successful Chekhov and Shakespeare.

In fact, Phillips was not peculiarly arrogant of his Carry On films, chiefly due to the fact that helium saw himself arsenic a superior actor.

But for many, helium volition everlastingly beryllium the antheral who oozed faux-suave antheral lust; the older antheral hopelessly chatting up charismatic women with a "Hell-ay-o!" and "Ding Dong!"

Leslie Samuel Phillips was calved successful Tottenham, northbound London connected 20 April 1924. For a antheral known arsenic a toff, his roots were thoroughly working-class.

His father, Frederick, worked successful a mill making cookers, wherever filthy conditions led to his decease astatine the property of 44. Young Leslie was conscionable 7 years old.

This near his mother, Cecilia, to bring up 3 children connected her own. Sensing Leslie had endowment arsenic an actor, she sent him to the Italia Conti theatre schoolhouse to person his wide cockney accent transformed.

The determination paid disconnected earlier than expected. By Christmas 1937, Phillips had landed himself a relation successful Peter Pan astatine the London Palladium and was capable to supplement the family's meagre income.

Despite his aboriginal success, helium ever remembered however mediocre they had been. He recovered it hard to crook down enactment for fearfulness that helium would extremity up backmost successful poverty.

A twelvemonth later, helium made his archetypal movie appearance, successful Lassie from Lancashire. He near schoolhouse astatine 14, absorbing the experiences and mannerisms of the show-business people helium present mixed with, successful lieu of a ceremonial education.

As warfare broke retired Phillips was playing juvenile leads successful London's West End, wherever performances were often interrupted by the Luftwaffe.

He besides worked successful the container bureau and arsenic an adjutant for stars specified arsenic Vivien Leigh. "She was sweet," helium recalled. "She utilized to buss maine erstwhile she came into the theatre."

In 1942, erstwhile helium was aged capable to articulation up, his caller posh accent helped him beryllium selected for serviceman grooming with the Royal Artillery, earlier helium transferred to the Durham Light Infantry.

But helium was discharged conscionable weeks earlier D-Day. Training alongside thunderous artillery had near his tense strategy successful ribbons.

"I was successful a unspeakable mess," helium said. "I was not terribly good and virtually astatine a crossroads of my life. I didn't privation to beryllium an actor. I thought I ought to get a due job."

But an aged interaction offered him a portion connected stage, and dilatory helium was drawn back.

In the 1950s, helium began making important advancement successful the movie manufacture - starring successful Brothers successful Law and The Smallest Show connected Earth.

He besides became known for his a quality successful the deed BBC vigor show, The Navy Lark - a clueless officer, who featured alongside Jon Pertwee and Ronnie Barker.

His catchphrase, "left manus down a bit", usually heralded a resounding clang arsenic HMS Troutbridge ploughed into the nearest jetty.

In 1956, helium went to Hollywood - to enactment with Gene Kelly successful Les Girls. But helium missed England excessively overmuch to stay.

Three years later, helium was paid a "measly 500 quid" to look arsenic Jack Bell, a diligent suffering from unspeakable bunions, successful the 2nd Carry On film, Carry On Nurse.

It was conscionable 5 weeks' work, but 1 country came everlastingly to specify his nationalist image.

A sexy nurse, played by aboriginal Bond miss Shirley Eaton, politely greets him with the inquiry: "Mr Bell?"

Phillips' reply, "Ding dong! You're not wrong", became the catchphrase that would prosecute him for years. To his irritation, helium was ever asked to repetition it for strangers connected the tube.

He ne'er regarded himself arsenic 1 of the halfway Carry On formed - though helium did look successful some Carry On Teacher and Carry On Constable.

He recovered the filming a riot. Kenneth Williams erstwhile held up postulation successful Ealing wearing a constabulary uniform, earlier taking a pee successful the thoroughfare - to the helpless amusement of his chap actors. But Phillips ne'er rather understood wherefore the films held specified an enduring appeal.

"In the aged days astir of the Carry On films would person died a earthy decease aft doing the rounds astatine the cinemas," helium said. "But past tv came along, and they were perfectly flogged to death."

In 1960, Phillips appeared successful different classical British drama bid and acquired a 2nd catchphrase.

In Doctor In Love, helium played Dr Tony Burke, who greeted charismatic women with a suggestive drawl: "Hell-ay-o!" The quality was astir apt based connected acting workfellow - and chap portrayer of cads - Terry-Thomas.

In aboriginal life, Phillips grew bushed of playing libidinous, cravat-wearing libertines and took the brave determination to shelve airy comedy, and person a spell astatine superior stuff.

"I felt I was successful a spot of a rut," helium recalled. "It wasn't needfully a atrocious rut, and immoderate radical mightiness really privation to beryllium successful that peculiar rut, but I wanted to get out."

For him, his vocation precocious came arsenic Falstaff, successful The Merry Wives of Windsor, connected signifier successful Stratford. "That was precise exciting," helium recalled. "It thrilled maine to pieces."

He appeared successful a bid of good received films - including Out of Africa and Empire of the Sun. Television enactment included dramas specified arsenic Chancer and Summer's Lease.

That celebrated dependable was heard by a caller generation, arsenic the Sorting Hat successful the Harry Potter series. He made a akin publication to the Lara Croft movie, Tomb Raider.

The legendary on-screen seducer was joined 3 times, archetypal to fellow-actor Penelope Bartley successful the 1940s and past to erstwhile Bond miss Angela Scoular.

When Bartley died successful a occurrence successful 1981, Phillips decided to enactment connected circuit successful Australia and not to be the funeral. He admitted successful his autobiography that his household recovered that hard to take.

Angela Scoular took her ain beingness successful 2011 - having lived with crab and bipolar disorder. In December 2013, astatine the property of 89, Phillips joined his 3rd wife, Zara Carr.

Leslie Phillips volition beryllium remembered for his impeccable comic timing and that silky, suggestive voice.

He was a earthy comedian - a peerless echo of the benignant of antheral who utilized to twirl his moustache and thrust an open-top MG.

But helium worked hard successful the twilight of his vocation to beryllium himself a superior actor.

He starred with Peter O'Toole successful the fashionable comedy, Venus, for which helium received a Bafta information successful 2007. A twelvemonth later, helium was made a CBE.

It was testament to his determination that helium tried to interruption distant from playing drama Casanovas - and a measurement of his endowment that helium succeeded.