Goons Founder Michael Bentine Dies At 74

LONDON (Reuter) - A founding member of the anarchic Goons team that transformed British comedy, Michael Bentine, has died of prostate cancer at the age of 74.

The Peruvian comic, who had already seen both his parents and two of his daughters succumb to cancer, died in a London hospital Tuesday evening, officials said.

Bentine, whose grandfather was elected president of Peru, was brought up in England and conquered a chronic stammer to become a rocket physicist, Shakespearean actor, journalist and author of 14 books.

But he achieved lasting fame as founder of the Goons radio show with Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe.

Conytemporary comics, such as the Monty Python Circus team, say that the zany Goons, with their crazy non-sequiturs and surreal characters, were a major influence on their technique.

Reuters/Variety