| Variations of Name | Real name: Arthur Clifford Baynes |
| Biography | Arthur Clifford Baynes (30 November 18921971) was an English teacher and comedian from the steel-making city of Sheffield, Yorkshire, who performed under the stage name Stainless Stephen.
Never quite in the front rank of British music hall comedians, he would appear dressed in a smart tuxedo, a bowler hat with a steel band around it, a rotating bow tie, and a stainless steel vest. Perhaps third on the bill, this may explain why he did not give up his day job at Crookes Endowed School, which he joined in 1922 after his demobilisation. That is until 1935, when he moved to London to be nearer the BBC. His first stage appearance was at the Palace, Luton, in 1921.
Stainless Stephen appeared in Radio Parade (1933), a film of (then) current music hall acts. He supported Will Hay at the Victoria Palace in 1944, and appeared on the bill at the London Palladium's Royal Command Performance in 1945.
As a postscript to his career Stainless Stephen appeared as a guest on Frost on Saturday on ITV on 15 November 1969. This edition was dedicated to the history of British Broadcasting to mark the first evening of colour TV transmissions on ITV. In the show the comedian gave the television audience a sample of his somewhat unusual comedy routine. This programme survives intact in the ITV archives and is available on DVD.
In his younger days, Baynes was a racing cyclist and continued to have an interest in cycling throughout his life. His cycle racing medals are on display in the Sheffield United FC museum together with other Sharrow cycling club trophies.
He died in Leeds, Yorkshire in 1971.
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