Johnny Morris
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- For other persons named Johnny Morris, see Johnny Morris (disambiguation)
| Johnny Morris | |
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| Born | Ernest John Morris 20 June 1916 Newport, Wales |
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| Died | May 6, 1999 (aged 82) Wiltshire, England |
Johnny Morris OBE (20 June 1916 Newport, Monmouthshire — 6 May 1999 Wiltshire, England [1]) was a Welsh television presenter for the BBC, mostly associated with children's programmes on the topic of zoology, most notably Animal Magic.
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[edit] Biography
Ernest John Morris was born in Newport, Wales, the son of a postmaster. Morris attended Hatherleigh School, Newport and worked as a Solicitor's clerk, a timekeeper on a building site, a salesman and farm manager before he was discovered telling stories in a pub.
He is sometimes wrongly stated to be a relative of British zoologist, Desmond Morris, but this is not the case. [1]
[edit] Radio and television
A farm manager in Wiltshire for thirteen years,[2] Morris was discovered telling stories in a pub with his stories by the then BBC Home Service West Regional producer Desmond Hawkins. Morris made his radio debut in 1946, and featured in a number of Regional series throughout the 1950s often employed on light and entertainment programs as a storyteller such as in Pass the Salt; or as a commentator on local events.
A natural mimic and impersonator, Morris first appeared on television as The Hot Chestnut Man, a short slot in which he was shown sitting roasting the chestnuts, he would tell a humorous yarn in a West Country accent, often ending with a moral.
In 1960 he narrated the imported, Canadian-produced Tales of the Riverbank series of stories about Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat, GP the Guinea Pig, and their assorted animal friends along a riverbank. The show used slowed-down footage of real animals filmed doing humanised things such as driving a car or boat, and living in houses. In the 1960s Morris also narrated the first few of The Railway Stories, recordings of the Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry.
Morris's ability to create a world which children could relate to through his mimicry lead to his best known role, that of the presenter, narrator and zoo keeper for Animal Magic. From 1962 until 1984, filmed in part at Bristol Zoo Gardens), Morris would carry out a comic dialogue with the animals, whom he also voiced. His regular companion on the show was Dotty the Ring-tailed Lemur, and he presented more than 400 editions. The show was only ended when more modern cameras were introduced, allowing filming to take place in natural habitats, so the idea of putting human qualities and voices to animals quickly disappeared.
Morris carried over the comedic commentary technique into other programmes, such as Follow the Rhine, a BBC2 travelogue filmed in silence but including a witty Morris commentary featuring his companion Tubby Foster – actually his producer Brian Patten.
Morris was also Vice President of the famous "Bluebell Railway" in Sussex from the early days of the 1960's up to the late 1980's. Attending several anniversaries and landmark events over the first 25+ years of the railway's existence. He also made two promotional LP's for the Railway in the 1970's.
In the 1970s, Morris read children's bedtime stories for the Post Office to be heard via the telephone. Children could dial 150 and hear a different story over the telephone each week. He was also a presenter on BBC School Radio's Singing Together and wrote and read stories on BBC School Radio's A Service for Schools which was later renamed Together.
Although latterly criticised in the 1990s for his human-qualities technique of introducing television viewers to animals, he practised what he preached in environmentalism, and in his eighties demonstrated against the building of the Newbury Bypass near his home.[2] In June 2004, Morris and Bill Oddie were jointly profiled in the first of a three part BBC Two series, The Way We Went Wild, about television wildlife presenters.
[edit] Personal life
A diabetic, Morris collapsed at his home in Hungerford, Berkshire in March 1999 when he was about to star in new animal series Wild Thing on ITV.[3] Admitted to the Princess Margaret Hospital, Swindon for tests, he was discharged to a nursing home in the Devizes and Marlborough district, where he died on 6 May 1999.[4] His wife, Eileen[5], had died ten years previously, but he had two stepsons.[6] He bequeathed his house to his co-host on Animal Magic, Terry Nutkins, and cut his family out of his will. Morris also left a large sum of cash to his housekeeper, Rita Offer, and smaller sums to his gardener and his builder. He left nothing to his stepsons, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ GRO Register of Deaths: MAY 1999 1d 263 DEV & MARL - Ernest John Morris, DoB = 20 Jun 1916, aged 82
- ^ a b Naturalist who brought Animal Magic to millions BBC News - 6 May, 1999
- ^ Illness stops Morris comeback BBC News – March 31, 1999
- ^ Friends mourn 'magic' Johnny Morris BBC News – May 7, 1999
- ^ BBC web-site
- ^ The Independent – 8 May 1999
- ^ The Independent – 17 November 1999
