This article is about the baseball play. For double play magnetic tape, see audio tape length and thickness. For the jazz album, see Double Play!.

After stepping on second base, the fielder throws to first to complete a double play

In baseball, a double play (denoted on statistics sheets by DP) for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two".

Double plays are also known as "the pitcher's best friend" because they disrupt offense more than any other play, except for the rare triple play. Pitchers often select pitches that make a double play more likely (typically a pitch easily hit as a ground ball to a middle infielder) and teams on defense alter infield positions to make a ground ball more likely to be turned into a double play. Because a double play ends an inning in a one-out situation, it often makes the scoring of a run impossible in that inning. In a no-out situation with runners at first base and third base, the double play may be so desirable that the defensive team allows a runner to score from third base so that two outs are made and further scoring by the batting team is more difficult.

Scoring of double plays[link]

Double plays in which both outs are recorded by force plays are referred to as "force double plays".^[1] Double plays in which the first out is recorded in a force play and the second out by tagging a runner who would have been forced out but for the first out (as when a first baseman fields a ground ball, steps on first base, and then throws to second) are referred to as "reverse force double plays". Should a run score on a play in which a batter hits into either a force double play or a reverse force double play, the official scorer may deny the batter credit for an RBI, although the batter always gets credit for an RBI on a one-out groundout or a fielder's choice play in which a baserunner scores.

Records of double plays were not kept regularly until 1933 in the National League and 1939 in the American League. Double plays initiated by a batter hitting a ground ball (but not a fly ball or line drive) are recorded in the official statistic GIDP (Grounded Into a Double Play).

Types of double plays[link]

Common double plays[link]

The most common type of double play occurs with a runner on first base and a ground ball hit towards the middle of the infield. The player fielding the ball (generally the shortstop or second baseman) throws to the fielder covering second base, who steps on the base before the runner from first arrives to force that runner out, and then throws the ball to the first baseman to force out the batter for the second out. If the ball originated with the shortstop and was then thrown to the second baseman, the play is referred to as a "6-4-3 double play", after the numbers assigned to the players in order of field position; if it is hit to the second baseman and then thrown to the shortstop, it is known as a 4-6-3 double play (6-shortstop, 4-second base, 3-first base; see baseball positions). A slightly less common ground ball double play is the 5-4-3 double play, also called the "Around the Horn" double play which occurs on a ground ball hit to the third baseman (5), who throws to the second baseman (4) at second base, who then throws to the first baseman (3). Comparatively few third basemen succeed often at turning such double plays which require a third baseman with good range and a great throwing arm. Rarer still is a 4-3-6 or 6-3-4 double play in which a middle infielder throws first to the first baseman to retire the batter and the first baseman then throws to the other middle infielder who tags the runner from first base (the force situation having been removed when the batter was put out).

Double plays also occur on ground balls hit to the pitcher. Most of the time, these double plays will go 1-6-3 (pitcher to shortstop to first baseman), though sometimes these double plays will go 1-4-3 (pitcher to second baseman to first baseman). 6-3 and 4-3 double plays occur on ground balls to the shortstop or second baseman, respectively, which the fielder takes for an unassisted putout at second before throwing to first. The 3-6-3 double play occurs on a ground ball to the first baseman, who throws to the shortstop at second base before stepping on first. Thus, the shortstop can throw back to the first baseman, who is still able to get the force out at first. Variants of this double play include the 3-6-1 double play (where the pitcher covers first) and the 3-6-4 double play (where the second baseman covers first). Also, the first baseman may choose to retire the batter at first before throwing to the shortstop at second, who then tags the runner coming from first (tag because the force has been removed). More rare double plays include the 1-6-4-3, and the 1-4-6-3 double play. In these, the pitcher will "kick-save" the ball (instinctively knocking down the batted ball with his foot), or the ball will deflect off some other part of the pitcher's body.

Another class of double plays include those in which infielders catch line drives and then throw or run to a base to catch a baserunner who fails to return to the base from which he has started. The batter is out because his ball has been caught on the fly, and a runner is out at another base. For example, if a batter hits a line drive to the second baseman (or any other infielder, or the pitcher) that a baserunner from first base thinks is a clean hit and the second baseman catches before it drops, then the second baseman can throw to first base to the fielder (usually the first baseman) covering the base; should the first baseman either touch first base with any part of his body (usually his feet) or tag the baserunner returning to first (not necessary), then a double play is completed. More rare is an unassisted double play in which the fielder catches a line drive and either tags a runner off base or tags a base that a baserunner cannot return to on time.

A "strike 'em out, throw 'em out" double play requires that a base runner is caught stealing immediately after the batter strikes out. The batter is out on a called or swinging third strike while the runner is caught (typically for this play the shortstop). Such is a 2-6 double play unless a rundown ensues or the play is made at some base other than second base. The catcher gets a putout for the strikeout and an assist for the throw that leads to the caught stealing.

On occasion, bad bunts can result in double plays. An attempted sacrifice bunt may be laid down such that a charging pitcher, first baseman or catcher (the typical initiators of such plays) is able to field the ball, throw to second base to force a runner out, and the shortstop (the usual fielder at second base on a bunt play) then is able to throw to the fielder covering first base (usually the second baseman) to put out the batter. With a runner on first base, should the batter bunt a ball fair as an infield fly, the infield fly rule that protects baserunners is no longer applicable. At his discretion, the fielder in position to catch the bunted fly ball may elect to 'trap' the fly ball (that is, put his glove on the ground but over the ball to secure it) or (a fielder is not allowed to drop a ball deliberately to force runners to advance) catch it on a short bounce, in which case the runner at first must reach second base before a throw is made to second base. The fielder covering second base can throw to first base to complete the double play. Should the runner at first stray too far from first base, however, and the infielder catches the pop fly, the infielder gets the out for catching an infield fly and throws to first base to complete the double play.

Rare double plays[link]

Another double play occurs when a fly ball is hit to the outfield and caught, but a runner on the basepath strays too far away from his base. If the ball is thrown back to that base before the runner returns or tags up to go to the next base, the runner is out along with the batter for a double play.

A strike-'em-out-throw-'em-out double play at third base is rare, and an unassisted double play by the catcher on a play in which a baserunner tries to steal home base on a straight steal during a strikeout is highly unlikely. It is possible that a risky baserunning play will ensue during a strikeout in which a baserunner attempts to score from third base on a successful steal of second or a rundown play in which an infielder or pitcher throws to the catcher who then tags a runner trying to score, in which case the catcher gets two putouts (one for the strikeout and one for the tag play at home) and one assist for a throw to the infield. A catcher might also initiate a double play on a strikeout that begins with a dropped third strike and a throw to first to put out the batter-runner and a baserunner attempts to reach third or home on an attempted steal.

Two others involve outfield flies: more commonly, a baserunner tags up from third base on an outfield fly, attempting to score before a throw from the outfielder (more rarely an infielder) can be thrown to the catcher. Should the catcher tag the runner before he can score, the play is considered a double play, and the outfielder is credited with an assist. Similar plays can be made at second base or third base, or in rundown plays on the infield. Many outfield assists are made on such plays, and the most assists made in any given year by a single outfielder is typically about twenty (they need not be made on double plays).

Far rarer is a play in which the runner attempts to advance before the outfielder catches the fly ball. As a rule the double play is completed after the pitcher receives the ball and throws to the base that the runner has left too soon; on appeal the base-runner who left the base too early is called out on the play.

A rare double play that can only take place with the bases loaded is a play in which a sharply-hit ball is fielded by an infielder, who throws to home to force the runner coming in from third. The catcher then throws the ball to the fielder covering first base to retire the batter. Such a double play ended the top half of the 8th inning during Game 7 of the 1991 World Series: With one out and the bases loaded, Atlanta's Sid Bream hit a ground ball at Twins first baseman Kent Hrbek, who fielded it and threw it to catcher Brian Harper to retire Lonnie Smith at home. Harper then threw back to Hrbek to retire the side. Another variation of this play, in which the pitcher, and not an infielder, first fields the ground ball is the "1-2-3 double play." Such a play occurred in the no-hit shutout that Jack Morris pitched in 1984.^[2]

A bizarre double play occurred in a nationally televised game between the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox on August 2, 1985 when both Bobby Meacham and Dale Berra were tagged out at home by Carlton Fisk on a deep drive single to left-center by Rickey Henderson. An identical situation would occur again in the 2006 NLDS between the Dodgers and Mets when Russell Martin hit a single to right field and Paul Lo Duca tagged out Jeff Kent and J.D. Drew at the plate.

An unusual double play occurred on April 12, 2008, Yankees at Red Sox. The infield was shifted right for Jason Giambi, with a baserunner on first. Giambi grounded to 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia, who threw to the 3rd baseman Kevin Youkilis, who because of the shift actually had to cover 2nd base. Youkilis tagged second, then turned the DP by throwing to 1st baseman Sean Casey, to get Giambi out. This would therefore be a rare "4-5-3" double play. A similar double play occurred in the interleague game in Nippon Professional Baseball on June 14, 2009, where Hiroshima Toyo Carp against Saitama Seibu Lions, which Carp placed a five-man infield with left fielder covered the place between pitcher and 2nd base, and finally grounded into a rare "7-2-3" double play when the ball grounded to the shifted man.^[3]

Another rare double play includes interference, where an offensive player hinders a defensive player's attempt at throwing the ball to make an out. Such a double play happened on July 24, 2000 in a game between the Anaheim Angels and the Texas Rangers. In the first inning, Mo Vaughn of the Angels struck out swinging, and the Ranger catcher Pudge Rodriguez attempted to throw out Kevin Stocker, who was trying to steal 2nd base. In his follow through, Rodriguez's hand hit Vaughn's bat, preventing him from making an accurate throw to 2nd base. Home plate umpire Gerry Davis called Stocker out at 2nd due to batter's interference. Scoring wise, the play went as a strike out for the pitcher Kenny Rogers, an unassisted double play for Rodriguez, and batter's interference on Vaughn.

On May 27, 2011, the AA New Britain Rock Cats had a double play against the Binghamton Mets involving seven defenders. With runners on second and third, a ground ball was hit to the first baseman. The first basemen threw to the catcher to tag the runner from third. The catcher chased the runner back to third. By then, the runner from second was most of the way to third, so the catcher threw to the shortstop. Then the runner from third tried to go home again so the shortstop threw to the pitcher now covering home, who then threw to the third basemen who got the runner out. At this point, the batter was between first and second, so the third basemen threw to the first baseman to chase him down. He threw to the second basemen. Then the runner from second ran again, so the second baseman threw to the shortstop. The shortstop threw to the center fielder now covering second, who tagged the runner for the second out. The play was scored as a 3-2-6-1-5-3-4-6-8 double play.^[4][5]

Strategy[link]

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Almost invariably highly desirable to the pitching team and highly undesirable to the batting team, the double play often proves critical to wins and losses of specific games. The pitching team is likely to change pitch selection and defensive alignment to make one of the more common double plays—the ones involving infield ground balls—more likely. Batting teams may adapt themselves to thwart or even exploit the situation.

A so-called double-play position involves the second baseman and shortstop moving away from second base so that one of the fielders can field a ground ball and the other can run easily to second base to catch a ball thrown to him so that he can tag the base before the baserunner from first base can reach second base, the infielder tagging second base then throwing to first base to complete the double play. The pitcher tries to throw a pitch in the strike zone that, if hit, is likely to be grounded to an infielder (or the pitcher) and turned into a double play.

In a situation with runners on second and third and fewer than two outs, a team may decide to give an intentional pass to a hitter, often a slow baserunner who is perceived as one of the more dangerous hitters on the team or to the pitcher. A double play is then possible on a ground ball to a middle infielder. However:

(1) a subsequent walk scores a run, and

(2) the batter reaching first base on the intentional walk may score on subsequent plays should no outs be made.

This situation allows a great reward to the pitching team should it succeed in inducing a double play (far less opportunity of scoring) but also great reward to the batting team should it fail.

Batting teams can select lineups to reduce the likelihood of double plays by alternating slow right-handed hitters with left-handed hitters or hitters who are fast baserunners, or by putting a slow-running slugger (typically a catcher) in a low spot in the batting order (often #7 where there is no designated hitter). In a situation where a double play is possible, the batting team can

• attempt to steal second base if it is unoccupied (but only with a fast baserunner)
• sacrifice bunt, which concedes an out but advances the baserunner and prevents a double play
• either avoid swinging at pitches likely to become infield ground outs or foul them off
• avoid pulling the ball (a ground ball "pulled" by a right-handed batter to the left side of the infield is a likely double-play ball)
• hit and run, a play in which the baserunner on first runs to second immediately after the pitch is thrown in the hope that the batter makes contact with the pitch
• try to hit the ball as a long fly ball, ideally a home run

All of these strategies entail risk and may be either inappropriate or impossible, depending on the situation. A stolen base attempt ensures that the runner on first base is either at second (making a double play impossible) or out (likewise, but with an out and the loss of a baserunner). Some batters cannot bunt well, and poor bunts can themselves result in double plays. Avoiding the double-play pitch may mean taking a called strike. Trying not to pull the ball decreases the possibility of a home run that scores two or more runs. The hit-and-run play requires that the batter hit the ball, lest the baserunner be caught stealing on a throw from the catcher to the shortstop or second baseman covering second base and makes a pick-off of a baserunner more likely. A strikeout-prone hitter who swings wildly in the hope of getting a pitch that he can hit as a long fly ball as a sacrifice fly, double, triple, or home run is more likely to strike out.

Because the rarer double plays require baserunning errors, no team relies upon them to get out of a bad situation unless the opportunity arises. Even extreme strikeout pitchers such as Randy Johnson or Pedro Martínez sometimes have to rely on double plays to be effective.

The ability to "make the pivot" on an infield double play, i.e. receive a throw from the third-base side, then turn and throw the ball to first in time to force-out the batsman, while avoiding being "taken out" by the runner, is considered to be a key skill for a second baseman.

Cal Ripken, Jr. holds the major league record for most double plays grounded into in a career, with 350. He also holds the American League record for most double plays made by a shortstop. Both records are a consequence of his longevity as a player and the long grass at the Baltimore baseball stadium (Camden Yards and Memorial Stadium) as well as an accurate and strong throwing arm that allowed him to start more double plays than most other shortstops. As a batter, Ripken was a slow baserunner throughout his career, so he was less likely to reach base safely on a ground ball hit to the infield. A reasonably powerful right-handed hitter who frequently hit near the middle of the batting order and did not strike out at a high rate, he frequently came to the plate with runners on base, and usually made solid contact (as opposed to bunting) to usually put the ball in play. More likely to hit the ball sharply to the left side of the infield, placed in the order of the lineup so that he usually had runners on base ahead of him, and less likely to beat throws to first base, and having a very long career because he was a good hitter for average and power, this competent hitter grounded into an unusual number of double plays.

A batter who grounded into comparatively few double plays (72 in his long career)[2] was Kirk Gibson, a left-handed hitter and a fast runner who struck out often but largely hit fly balls and hit few ground balls. As a left-handed hitter, if he pulled the ball and put it on the ground, he usually pulled the ball to the right side of the infield. To complete a double play on a ground ball that he did hit, a team had to complete the usually-difficult 3-6-3 or 3-6-1 double play; Gibson would usually reach first base before the double play could be completed in part because the 3-6-3 and 3-6-1 double plays take two long throws and in part because as a left-handed hitter he had a slightly-shorter run to first base. Like Ripken he was a power hitter; unlike Ripken he hit far fewer balls toward fielders who could turn double plays upon him and struck out far more often, his strikeouts making a GIDP impossible.

All-time single season double play leaders by position[link]

First Base[link]

1. Ferris Fain: 194 (Philadelphia A's 1949)
2. Ferris Fain: 192 (Philadelphia A's 1950)
3. Donn Clendenon: 182 (Pittsburgh Pirates 1966)
4. Andrés Galarraga: 176 (Colorado Rockies 1997)
5. Ron Jackson: 175 (Minnesota Twins 1979)
6. Albert Pujols: 175 (St. Louis Cardinals 2005)
7. Gil Hodges: 171 (Brooklyn Dodgers 1951)
8. Mickey Vernon: 168 (Cleveland Indians 1949)
9. Carlos Delgado: 167 (Toronto Blue Jays 2001)
10. Ted Kluszewski: 166 (Cincinnati Reds 1954)

Second Base[link]

1. Bill Mazeroski: 161 (Pittsburgh Pirates 1966)
2. Jerry Priddy: 150 (Detroit Tigers 1950)
3. Bill Mazeroski: 144 (Pittsburgh Pirates 1961)
4. Dave Cash: 141 (Philadelphia Phillies 1974)
5. Nellie Fox: 141 (Chicago White Sox 1957)
6. Carlos Baerga: 138 (Cleveland Indians 1992)
7. Bill Mazeroski: 138 (Pittsburgh Pirates 1962)
8. Buddy Myer: 138 (Washington Senators 1935)
9. Red Schoendienst: 137 (St. Louis Cardinals 1954)
10. Jackie Robinson:137 (Brooklyn Dodgers 1951)
11. Jerry Coleman: 137 (New York Yankees 1950)

Shortstop[link]

1. Rick Burleson: 149 (Boston Red Sox 1980)
2. Roy Smalley: 144 (Minnesota Twins 1979)
3. Bobby Wine: 137 (Montreal Expos 1970)
4. Lou Boudreau:134 (Cleveland Indians 1944)
5. Spike Owen: 133 (Seattle Mariners/Boston Red Sox 1986)
6. Rey Sánchez: 130 (Kansas City Royals/Atlanta Braves, 2001)
7. Rafael Ramirez: 130 (Atlanta Braves 1982)
8. Jack Wilson: 129 (Pittsburgh Pirates, 2004)
9. Roy McMillan: 129 (Cincinnati Reds 1954)
10. Gene Alley: 128 (Pittsburgh Pirates 1966)
11. Vern Stephens: 128 (Boston Red Sox 1949)
12. Hod Ford: 128 (Cincinnati Reds 1928)

Third Base[link]

1. Graig Nettles: 54 (Cleveland Indians 1971)
2. Harlond Clift: 50 (St. Louis Browns 1937)
3. Johnny Pesky: 48 (Boston Red Sox 1949)
4. Paul Molitor: 48 (Milwaukee Brewers 1982)
5. Sammy Hale: 46 (Philadelphia A's 1927)
6. Clete Boyer: 46 (New York Yankee 1965)
7. Gary Gaetti: 46 (Minnesota Twins 1983)
8. Eddie Yost: 45 (Washington Senators 1950)
9. Frank Malzone: 45 (Boston Red Sox 1961)
10. Darrell Evans: 45 (Atlanta Braves 1972)
11. Jeff Cirillo: 45 (Milwaukee Brewers 1998)

Catcher[link]

1. Steve O’Neill: 36 (1917)
2. Frankie Hayes: 29 (1945)
3. Yogi Berra: 25 (1951)
4. Ray Schalk: 25 (1916)
5. Tom Haller: 23 (1968)
6. Muddy Ruel:23 (1924)
7. Jack Lapp: 23 (1915)
8. Bob O’Farrell: 22 (1922)
9. Steve O’Neill: 22 (1914)
10. Wes Westrum: 21 (1950)
11. Gabby Hartnett: 21 (1927)

Pitcher[link]

1. Bob Lemon: 15 (Cleveland Indians, 1953)
2. Randy Jones: 12 (San Diego Padres, 1976)
3. Curt Davis: 12 (Philadelphia Phillies, 1934)
4. Eddie Rommel: 12 (Philadelphia Athletics, 1924)
5. Kirk Rueter: 11 (San Francisco Giants, 2001)
6. Gene Bearden: 11 (Cleveland Indians, 1948)
7. Burleigh Grimes: 11 (Brooklyn Dodgers, 1925)
8. Art Nehf: 11 (New York Giants, 1920)
9. Scott Perry: 11 (Philadelphia Athletics, 1919)
10. Tom Rogers: 11 (Philadelphia Athletics, 1919)

Left Field[link]

1. Jimmy Sheckard: 12 (Chicago Cubs, 1911)
2. Max Carey: 10 (Pittsburgh Pirates, 1912)
3. Alfonso Soriano: 9 (Washington Nationals, 2006)
4. Duffy Lewis: 9 (Boston Red Sox, 1910)
5. Harry Stovey: 9 (Philadelphia Athletics, 1889)
6. Kip Selbach: 8 (New York Giants, 1900)
7. Ed Delahanty: 8 (Philadelphia Phillies, 1893) [*includes 17 games in CF]
8. Albert Belle: 7 (Cleveland Indians, 1993)
9. Zack Wheat: 7 (Brooklyn Superbas, 1913)
10. Sherry Magee: 7 (Philadelphia Phillies, 1907)
11. Joe Kelley: 7 (Brooklyn Superbas, 1899)
12. Jesse Burkett: 7 (Cleveland Spiders, 1892)
13. Billy Hamilton: 7 (Philadelphia Phillies, 1892)
14. Billy Hamilton: 7 (Philadelphia Phillies, 1891)

Center Field[link]

1. Happy Felsch: 15 (Chicago White Sox, 1919)
2. Tom Brown: 13 (Louisville Colonels, 1893)
3. Mike Griffin: 12 (Brooklyn Grooms, 1895)
4. Cy Seymour: 12 (Cincinnati Reds, 1905)
5. Ginger Beaumont: 12 (Boston Doves, 1907)
6. Tris Speaker: 12 (Boston Red Sox, 1909)
7. Tris Speaker: 12 (Boston Red Sox, 1914)
8. Bill Lange: 11 (Chicago Orphans, 1899)
9. Fielder Jones: 11 (Chicago White Sox, 1902)
10. Ben Koehler: 11 (St. Louis Browns, 1905)
11. Burt Shotton: 11 (St. Louis Browns, 1913)

Right Field[link]

1. Jimmy Sheckard: 14 (Baltimore Orioles, 1899)
2. Tom Brown: 12 (Pittsburgh Alleghenys, 1886)
3. Tommy McCarthy: 12 (St. Louis Browns, 1888)
4. Jimmy Bannon: 12 (Boston Beaneaters, 1894)
5. Danny Green: 12 (Chicago Orphans, 1899)
6. Ty Cobb: 12 (Detroit Tigers, 1907)
7. Mel Ott: 12 (New York Giants, 1929)
8. Sam Thompson: 11 (Detroit Wolverines, 1886)
9. Tommy McCarthy: 11 (St. Louis Browns, 1889)
10. Sam Thompson: 11 (Philadelphia Phillies, 1896)
11. Jimmy Sebring: 11 (Pittsburgh Pirates, 1903)
12. Chief Wilson: 11 (St. Louis Cardinals, 1914)

References[link]

• James, Bill (2002). The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. The Free Press. ISBN 0-684-80697-5. 

(see Granny Hamner comment, SS # 76)

• Career GIDP leaders, Baseball-Reference.com

Joey Wong Cho-Yee (AKA Joey Wang, Wang Tsu Hsien, or Joey Ong Jyo Han/Hen) (Chinese: 王祖賢; pinyin: Wáng Zǔxián, born (1967-01-31)January 31, 1967) is a Hong Kong based Taiwanese-born actress.

Biography[link]

Wong was born on January 31, 1967 and raised in Taipei and also received a secondary school education there. She was enrolled in the drama program of Guoguang Arts School (now National Taiwan College of Performing Arts (Chinese article). She has an older brother, a younger brother and one sister.

Her father is a basketball player and he encouraged her to become a professional basketball player when she was fourteen. Shortly thereafter she shot a TV commercial for sport shoes which drew the attention of a film producer who made her the leading lady of film It'll Be Very Cold by the Lakeside This Year. This movie attracted the attention of producer Mona Fong of Shaw Brothers and she invited Wong come to Hong Kong to make her first Hong Kong movie Let's Make Laugh II, opposite Derek Yee Tung Sing.

In 1987, she portrayed a beautiful ghost in A Chinese Ghost Story and her beauty and grace made her a film idol in Japan and South Korea. She made a dozen movies in the following years playing similar characters, either ghost or vixen, gliding across the screen.

In 1989 she went to Japan to star in the TV series A Woman From Hong Kong. Later she also made commercials and published photo albums. In 1992 she made her singing debut with the Japanese and Mandarin CD single, "Hold You In My Arms Forever". In 1993, she appeared as the White Snake in Tsui Hark's Green Snake, a revision of the Madame White Snake legend told from the perspective of the younger Green Snake, though White Snake remains the romantic lead.

Wong expressed a desire to retire from film making in 1994 and stayed away from the limelight until 1997 when she returned to the silver screen in the Japanese movie Peking Genjin (Peking Man) and released the companion CD single "Who Are You?".

In 1998 she released the extended Japanese CD Angelus and her first and only full CD, in Mandarin, Isolation a.k.a. Isolated From The World.

She returned to semi-retirement after the release of Isolation, but returned once again to films in 2001 with Peony Pavilion, then once again announced her retirement.

In 2004 she appeared in Beautiful Shanghai a.k.a. Shanghai Story and reportedly appeared in a Taiwanese TV series with on again, off again beau Chyi Chin. It was reported that she enjoyed her return to films and reportedly signed a multi-film contract. However, the unexpected suicide of her friend and former movie co-star Leslie Cheung caused her to withdraw once again from the limelight.

In September 2005, coinciding with the worldwide release of Beautiful Shanghai (Shanghai Story), she once again announced her formal retirement. She currently resides in Vancouver, Canada and is studying English.

Joey Wong was also very well known for the relationship with Chyi Chin, who was a Taiwanese singer. Their relationship lasted about 16 years, from 1985 to 2002. Now they remain friends.

Selected filmography[link]

• Beautiful Shanghai Girl a.k.a. Shanghai Story (2004)
• Peony Pavilion (2001)
• Peking Man a.k.a. Peking Genjin (1997)
• The Wonderful Portrait (1997)
• The Beheaded 1000 (1994)
• Green Snake (1993)
• Chez N'Ham (1993)
• Painted Skin (1993)
• All Men Are Brothers - Blood of the Leopard (1993)
• Dong Cheng Xi Jiu a.k.a. Eagle Shooting Heroes a.k.a. 13 Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993)
• The East is Red (1993)
• City Hunter (1993)
• Butterfly and Sword a.k.a. Comet, Butterfly and Sword (1993)
• The Beheaded 1000 (1993)
• An Eye for an Eye (1993)
• The Prince of Temple Street (1992)
• Casino Tycoon II (1992)
• Casino Tycoon (1992)
• Ming Ghost - alternate Hong Kong Cat III version of Little Woman (1992)
• Little Woman a.k.a. Ah Ying (1992)
• The Banquet (1991)
• Fox Legend a.k.a. Foxy Lady (1991)
• Hong Kong Godfather (1991)
• A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991)
• A Chinese Legend (1991)
• Fantasy Romance (1991)
• Lake Sprite (1991)
• An Eternal Combat (1991)
• Red and Black (1991)
• The Cyprus Tigers (1991)
• The Big Score (1990)
• Demoness from Thousand Years (1990)
• Kung Fu Vs. Acrobatic (1990)
• A Chinese Ghost Story II (1990)
• Point of Return (1990)
• A Tale from the East (1990)
• Family Honor a.k.a. Nameless Family (1990)
• Killer's Romance (1990)
• Spy Games (1990)
• An Eye for an Eye (1990)
• God of Gamblers (1989)
• Gift from Heaven (1989)
• Web of Deception a.k.a. Deception (1989)
• The Reincarnation of Golden Lotus (1989)
• Missing Man (1989)
• Little Cop (1989)
• My Heart is that Eternal Rose (1989)
• Mr. Coconut (1989)
• The Dream is Yours (1988)
• Law or Justice (1988)
• The Big Heat (1988)
• The Diary of a Big Man (1988)
• Fractured Follies (1988)
• Carry on Hotel (1988)
• Picture of a Nymph (1988)
• To Err is Humane (1987)
• Private Life a.k.a. Miss Hong Kong a.k.a. (incorrectly) Private Lift (1987)
• A Chinese Ghost Story (1987)
• The Legend of Wisely a.k.a. Legend Of Wu, Legend of the Golden Pearl (1987)
• Walking Beside Me (1986)
• A Hearty Response (1986)
• The Ghost Snatchers (1986)
• 100 Ways to Murder Your Wife (1986)
• Last Song in Paris (1986)
• Where's Officer Tuba? (1986)
• Working Class (1985)
• Let's Make Laugh II (1985)
• I'll Be Very Cold at the Lakeside This Year a.k.a. It Will Be Cold By the Lakeside this Year (1984)

^{[1] [2]}

References[link]

External links[link]

• Joey Wang fan site
• Joey Wong at the Internet Movie Database
• baidu post－largest fanclub in china (Chinese)
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Benny Hill
A waxwork of Hill in character as Fred Scuttle on The Benny Hill Show
Birth name	Alfred Hawthorne Hill
Born	(1924-01-21)21 January 1924[1] Southampton, Hampshire, England
Died	20 April 1992(1992-04-20) (aged 68) Teddington, London, England
Medium	Comedian, actor
Nationality	British
Years active	1937–1992
Genres	Comedy, television
Influences	Jack Benny
Notable works and roles	The Benny Hill Show (1951–91) Who Done It? (1956) Light Up the Sky! (1960) Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) The Italian Job (1969)

Benny Hill (21 January 1924 – 20 April 1992) was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.

Early life[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Alfred Hawthorne Hill was born in Southampton and attended Taunton's School. During World War II, he was evacuated to Bournemouth.^{[citation needed]}

After leaving school, Hill worked at Woolworth's,^[2] as a milkman, a bridge operator, a driver and a drummer before he finally got a foot in the door of the entertainment industry by becoming assistant stage manager with a touring review. He was called up in 1942 and trained as a mechanic, but transferred to the Combined Services Entertainment^[3] division before the end of the war. It was there that he met his future agent, Richard Stone, then a colonel.^{[citation needed]}

Inspired by the "star comedians" of British music hall shows, Hill set out to make his mark in show business. For the stage, he changed his first name to 'Benny', in homage to his favourite comedian, Jack Benny.^[2] Hill began appearing at working men's clubs and Masonic dinners before moving on to nightclub and theatre jobs. Hill auditioned for Soho's famed Windmill Theatre (home of Revudeville, a popular show of singers, comedians and nude girls), but he was not hired. Hill's first job in professional theatre as a performer was as Reg Varney's straight man, beating a then unknown Peter Sellers to the role.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

Between the end of World War II and the dawn of television, Hill worked as a radio performer. His first appearance on television was in 1950. In addition, he attempted a sitcom anthology, Benny Hill, which ran from 1962 to 1963, in which he played a different character in each episode. In 1964, he played Nick Bottom in an all-star TV film production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. He also had a short-lived radio programme, Benny Hill Time, on BBC Radio's Light Programme from 1964 to 1966.

Films and recordings[link]

Benny Hill's film credits include parts in nine films including Who Done It? (1956); Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965); Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), in which he played the relatively straight role of the Toymaker; The Italian Job (1969); and, finally, a clip-show film spin-off of his early Thames shows (1969–73), called The Best of Benny Hill (1974). Hill's audio recordings include Gather in the Mushrooms, (1961), Pepys' Diary (song), (1961), Transistor Radio (1961), Harvest of Love (1963), and Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West) (1971). He also appeared in the 1986 video of the song Anything She Does by the band Genesis. Hill's song, Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West), on the Best of Benny Hill album, was the UK Singles Chart Christmas number one single in 1971.^[4]

The Benny Hill Show[link]

Hill had struggled on stage and had uneven success in radio. But in television he found a form that played to his strengths, allowing him a format that included live comedy and filmed segments, with him at the focus of almost every segment. It was to prove one of the great success stories of television comedy, keeping Hill a star for nearly four decades, generating impressive revenues for Thames TV, and remaining a cult series in much of the world long after Hill's death.

The show had a music hall-derived format and its humour relied on slapstick, innuendo, and parody. Recurring players on his show during the BBC years included Patricia Hayes, Jeremy Hawk, Peter Vernon, Ronnie Brody, and his co-writer from the early 1950s to early 1960s, Dave Freeman. He remained mostly with the BBC through to 1968, except for a few sojourns with ITV station ATV between 1957 and 1960 and again in 1967. In 1969, his show moved from the BBC to Thames Television, where it remained until cancellation in 1989, with an erratic schedule of one-hour specials. The series showcased Hill's talents as an imaginative writer, comic performer and impressionist. He also bought scripts from various comedy writers but they never received an onscreen credit. He had a need to be in sole control of the show. There is evidence that he bought a script from one of his regular cast members in 1976, Cherri Gilham, whom he wrote to from Spain and told her he was using her "Fat Lady idea on the show" in January 1977.

The most common running gag in Benny Hill's shows was the closing sequence, The 'run-off', which was literally a "running gag" in that it featured various members of the cast chasing Hill as part of the chase, along with other stock comedy characters, such as policemen, vicars, old ladies, and so on. This was commonly filmed using stop motion and time-lapse techniques for comic effect, and included other comic devices such as characters running off one side of the screen and reappearing running on from the other. The tune used in all the chases, Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax", is commonly referred to as "The Benny Hill Theme". It has been used as a form of parody in many ways by television shows and a small number of films. The Wachowskis used the same style (and musical theme) in a scene in the film V for Vendetta (2006). It also appears in the cult movie The Gods Must Be Crazy.

From the start of the eighties the show featured a troupe of attractive young women, known collectively as 'Hills Angels'. They would appear either on their own in a dance sequence, or in character as foils against Hill. Sue Upton, one of the longest serving members of the Angels, said of Hill, "He was one of the nicest, kindest, most gentle of men to work with".^{[citation needed]} However, the sexual content of the routines contributed to feminist accusations of sexism.^{[citation needed]}

The alternative comedian Ben Elton made a headline-grabbing allegation, both on the TV show Saturday Live and in the pages of Q magazine (in its January 1987 issue), that The Benny Hill Show was single-handedly responsible for the incidences of rape in England during the period in question, and also suggested the programme incited other acts of violence against women.^[5] But a writer in The Independent newspaper opined that Elton's assault was "like watching an elderly uncle being kicked to death by young thugs".^[6] Elton later claimed his comment was taken out of context, and he appeared in a parody for Harry Enfield and Chums, Benny Elton, where Elton ends up being chased by angry women, accompanied by the "Yakety Sax" theme, after trying to force them to be more feminist rather than letting them make their own decisions.

In response to the accusations of sexism, defenders of Hill have said the show used traditional comic stereotypes to reflect universal human truths in a way that was non-malicious and fundamentally harmless. Hill's friend and producer Dennis Kirkland said it was the women who chased Hill in anger for undressing them, all of which was done accidentally by some ridiculous means. An article on 27 May 2006 in The Independent quoted Hill and Kirkland as saying they believed this misrepresentation demonstrated critics could not have watched his programmes.^{[citation needed]}

In an episode about Hill transmitted as part of the documentary series Living Famously, John Howard Davies, the head of light entertainment at Thames Television who had cancelled the show, stated there were three reasons why he did so: "The audiences were going down, the programme was costing a vast amount of money, and he (Hill) was looking a little tired."^{[citation needed]}

The loss of his show totally devastated Hill (or, as one former supporting player put it, "He started to die from there"), and what followed was a self-inflicted decline in his health. In 1990 a new show was produced complete with Hill and his usual team, called Benny Hill's World Tour: New York!.

In February 1992, Thames Television, which received a steady stream of requests from viewers for The Benny Hill Show repeats, finally gave in and put together a number of re-edited shows. Hill died on 20 April 1992, the same day that a new contract arrived in the post from Central Independent Television, for which he was to have made a series of specials. Hill turned down competing offers from Carlton and Thames.

Celebrity fans[link]

Charlie Chaplin was a fan of Hill's work: Hill had discovered that Chaplin, his childhood idol, was a fan when he was invited to Chaplin's home in Switzerland by Chaplin's family and discovered that Chaplin had a collection of Hill's work on video. Hill and Dennis Kirkland were the first outside the family to be invited into Chaplin's private study. Hill was awarded the Charlie Chaplin International Award for Comedy at the 1991 Festival of Comedy in Vevey, Switzerland.^[7]

Radio and TV show host Adam Carolla claimed that he was a fan of Benny Hill and that he considered Hill "as American as the Beatles." Indeed, during an episode of The Man Show, Carolla performed in what was billed as a tribute to "our favourite Englishman, Sir Benny Hill" in a more risqué takeoff of the sketches that Hill popularised. (Note: Hill was never knighted.) Carolla played a rude and lecherous waiter; a role Hill essayed numerous times in his shows—and the sketch featured many of the staples of Hill's shows, including a Jackie Wright-esque bald man, as well as the usual scantily-clad women.

Michael Jackson was a Benny Hill fan: "I just love your Benny Hill!" the young Jackson told a bemused English music-press critic during a 1970s tour. "He's so funny!". During Benny Hill's decline in his health he was visited by Jackson, who was in the UK at the time.

In Benny Hill: The World's Favourite Clown, filmed shortly before his death, celebrities such as Burt Reynolds, Michael Caine, John Mortimer, Mickey Rooney, and Walter Cronkite, among others, expressed their appreciation of and admiration for Hill and his humour – and in Reynolds' case, the appreciation extended to the Hill's Angels as well. More surprisingly, perhaps, the novelist Anthony Burgess made no secret of his admiration for Hill. Burgess, whose novels were often comic, relished language, wordplay and dialect, admired the verbal and comedic skill that underlay Hill's success. Reviewing a biography of Hill, Saucy Boy, in the Guardian in 1990, Burgess described Hill as "a comic genius steeped in the British music-hall tradition" and "one of the great artists of our age". A meeting between the two men was described in a newspaper article by Burgess and recalled in the Telegraph newspaper by the satirist Craig Brown.^[8]

In 2006, broadcaster and critic Garry Bushell launched a campaign to erect a statue of Hill in Southampton, with the support of Barbara Windsor, Brian Conley and other British comedy favourites. Those taking part in the first fundraising concert included Neville Staple, Right Said Fred and Rick Wakeman.

In a June 2011 interview in The Observer, the American rapper Snoop Dogg declared himself to be a fan of Benny Hill.^[9]

In a 2011 interview British actor and director Mark Noyce stated that Benny Hill was his all-time favourite comedian. He was quoted as saying “he was way ahead of his time and an absolute master of his art. I would have loved the opportunity to have met him and I hope he will be remembered as the genius I believe he was.”^[10]

Personal life[link]

Hill never married, although he did propose to three women—one the daughter of a British writer—but was turned down by all three. Although he owned the family home in Southampton, he never owned his own home in London, nor a car. Hill preferred to rent a place to live rather than buy one, first a large double apartment in Queensgate, London for 26 years until 1986, and then a small flat in Teddington, London, within walking distance of the studios of Thames Television where he recorded his shows.

His mother died in 1976 at age 82, and Hill kept the family house at 22 Westrow Gardens in Southampton as a shrine to her, not changing a thing. Before his move to Teddington, whilst looking for somewhere else to live in the Richmond area of London, he lived at 22 Westrow Gardens. Travelling was the one luxury Hill permitted himself; he became a francophile, enjoying frequent visits to France, and in particular Marseille, where until the 1980s he could enjoy anonymity in outdoor cafés, on public transport, and socialising with local women. Besides mastering French, Hill also spoke enough German, Dutch and Italian to get by when travelling. Such holidays were often gathering missions for comedy material, borrowed from regional acts.

Death[link]

After suffering a mild heart attack on 24 February 1992, doctors told him he needed to lose weight and recommended a heart bypass. He declined, and a week later was found to have kidney failure. Hill died at the age of 68 on 20 April 1992.^[1] On 22 April, after several days of unanswered telephone calls, his producer, Dennis Kirkland, climbed a ladder to the balcony of Hill's 3rd floor apartment and upon seeing the body through a window had the neighbours call the police. The police broke into the apartment and found Hill, dead, sitting in his armchair in front of the television. Hill's cause of death was recorded as coronary thrombosis.^[11]

Hill was buried at Hollybrook Cemetery near his birthplace in Southampton on 26 April 1992. In October 1992, following rumours that he was buried with large amounts of gold jewellery, an attempt was made by thieves to exhume his body. When authorities looked into his open grave the following morning "The vandals had dug down, exposing his coffin [...] Within two hours of the discovery, cemetery staff had refilled the grave and covered it with a half-ton concrete slab."^[12]

Hill's fortune was estimated at £10 million. His only will, however, dated from 1961 and left his entire estate to his parents, both of whom had since died. Next in line were his brother Leonard and sister Diana, both of whom were also dead. This left his seven nieces and nephews, among whom the money was divided. A note was found among his belongings assigning huge sums of money to his close friends, but because there was no witness the note had no legal standing.^{[citation needed]}

Posthumous reception[link]

Although still shown worldwide, The Benny Hill Show has not been shown on UK terrestrial, networked television since a tribute season on Channel 4 in 1992, and not on satellite or cable since a run on the now defunct channel Granada Plus – now ITV3 – in 1999. To quote his biographer Mark Lewisohn, "In Britain, Benny Hill is taboo". In the United States the show has recently been aired on the BBC America cable channel and over Tribune Broadcasting's Antenna TV digital subchannel network. An Australian channel, Seven Network, showed some episodes as part of a Great Comedy Classics slot. On the new Australian channel 7TWO, The Benny Hill Show is shown frequently. In Italy, Sky television broadcasts quite regularly on Comedy Channel. And in Finland the channel MTV3 MAX presents "The Benny Hill Show" every weekend.

In 1998 Channel 4 featured Hill in one of its Heroes Of Comedy programmes.

On 28 December 2006, Channel 4 broadcast the documentary Is Benny Hill Still Funny?. The programme featured an audience that comprised a cross-section of young adults who had little or no knowledge of Hill, to discover whether Hill's comedy was valid to a generation that enjoyed the likes of Little Britain, The Catherine Tate Show and Borat. The participants were asked to watch a 30-minute compilation that included examples of Hill's humour from both his BBC and ITV shows. The responses and results demonstrated that none of the sample of viewers took offence at any of the sketches shown.

Hill's silent "Wishing Well" sketch was discovered to be the most popular. The alternative comedian Ben Elton, who had criticised Hill for sexism, was interviewed in the programme. Elton said he still had reservations about certain aspects of Hill's sketches, but claimed to be an admirer of Hill's talent and abilities as a comic performer.

References[link]

Notes

Bibliography

• Lewisohn, Mark. Funny, Peculiar – The True Story of Benny Hill
• Smith, John. Benny Hill Story New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989
• GRO – Alfred H. Hill born MAR qtr 1924 2c 52 SOUTHAMPTON, mmn = Cave
• GRO – Alfred Hawthorne Hill died: APR 1992 14 1352 Richmond-upon-Thames, aged 68, his date of birth was 21 January 1924

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Benny Hill

Biography portal

• Benny Hill - Daily Telegraph obituary
• Benny Hill page at the Museum of Broadcast Communications
• The Benny Hill Show page at the Museum of Broadcast Communications
• Benny Hill at the Internet Movie Database
• The Eastleigh Photograph Archive Photos of the dairy and streets where Benny worked as a milkman, inspiring the song Ernie (The fastest milkman in the west)
• The Benny Hill Songbook Lyrics, guitar chords and transcripts
• Benny's Place featuring Louise English & Hill's Angels A tribute to Benny Hill and his beautiful ladies known as Hill's Angels
• Laughterlog.com Article with complete list of appearances on television, radio and record
• BBC Hampshire BBC article on Benny Hill's Hampshire connections