Last Of The Summer Wine character | |
---|---|
William 'Compo' Simmonite | |
Nationality | English |
Gender | Male |
Hair | Grey |
Job | Retired |
Actor | Bill Owen |
Appearances | |
First | The Last of the Summer Wine |
Last | Magic and the Morris Minor |
(1973-2000) - Dressed in scruffy trousers and Wellington boots, Compo rarely (if ever) worked for a living, preferring the lazy life. The name probably derived from the term 'compo' a shortened version of the word 'compensation',[2] sometimes used to refer to people living off compensation from an on-the-job injury.
A great physical comedian, Compo was often the butt of jokes arising from the many dirty jobs, stunts and escapades that were a central feature of the series. The jokes always went wrong, and Compo (to show that he was annoyed) would either hit one of the group members with his hat, stick his two fingers up, or blow a raspberry. Another recurring theme was Compo's lust for his next-door neighbour, Nora Batty, of whose 'wrinkled stockings' he would frequently despair.
Compo leads a seemingly idyllic lifestyle, chatting and bickering with others, betting on horses, and playing with his ferrets. In fact, Compo was written as a fragile underdog, with a childlike addiction to fun and the joys of living. He thrives on the authority and argument he gets from the third member of the trio, as is evident from the regret he expresses in his moping around the café after the departure of Blamire in the third series episode, "The Man from Oswestry."[3]
Compo was written out of the series in 2000 following the death of actor Bill Owen the year before. Although Owen had been seriously ill, according to Truly and Clegg, Compo died from a heart attack after catching the sight of Nora Batty in chorus girl clothes. However, he died with a smile on his face (as claimed by Truly, Clegg and Nora).[4]