Born in 1912, Eric Barker enjoyed considerable success as one of the best known faces (and, in the case of radio, voices) in British comedy. Described as a thinking man's comedian, Barker was moderately successful during his early years, but didn't really find true success until he was in his mid-40s.
As with many comedians of his era, his first taste of real success came during the war years, when Barker was involved in the forces radio show, Merry Go Round. This show was later to go on to spawn the immortal Much Binding in the Marsh. Barker's segment of Merry Go Round, entitled HMS Waterlogged, continued after the war as The Waterlogged Spa, and starred his wife Pearl Hackney. The Waterlogged Spa was followed by a string of other popular shows, including Barker's Folly and Just Fancy.
In the mid 1950s, Barker moved into feature films, starring in such classics as the St Trinians films and, of course, the Carry On series. He was perhaps ideal for a place in the Carry On team, his typecasting as an interfering busybody in films of the time made him the perfect foil for the rest of the gang. As a result, he was continually on the brunt of the antics of the likes of Williams, Hawtrey and Connor.
