Did you know...Five fun Carry On facts!

In an occasional new series for Carry On Blogging, here are five interesting facts about the Carry Ons and their stars which may be new to you...

Did you know...

Sally Geeson was not the original first choice for the role of Lily in Carry On Abroad? After impressing Gerald Thomas and Peter Rogers with her small cameo as a new mother in Carry On Matron, the glamorous Madeline Smith was offered this bigger supporting role in the Elsbells caper. Sadly Madeline was already contracted to another production so Sid's Bless This House co-star gladly joined him on the big screen.

 

Patrick Mower, the leading man in the 1976 film Carry On England, dated Carry On Emmannuelle newcomer Suzanne Danielle for several years in the late 1970s. Mower, who played Len Able in England, was a big television star at the time while Danielle was just starting out in her career. Danielle would later go on to marry Scottish golfer Sam Torrance, to whom she is still happily wed today.

Bernard Bresslaw was a mainstay of the Carry On team, officially joining them for Carry On Cowboy in 1965 and playing a further thirteen roles in the series over the next ten years. Did you know, however, that Bernard had appeared as a non-speaking extra in the second film of the series, Carry On Nurse in late 1958? Bresslaw was filming Too Many Crooks at the same time as Nurse and inadvertently became a stunt double for Nurse leading man Terence Longdon. Yes, the quick cut to Terence's feet in the bath are actually those of Bernard Bresslaw! 

 

The iconic role of Hengist Pod in Carry On Cleo was not originally meant for Carry On legend Kenneth Connor. Although Connor went on to make the role very much his own, the part had been written with Bernard Cribbins in mind. Cribbins was popular with Rogers and Thomas at the time, having appeared in both Carry On Jack and Spying prior to Cleo going into production. Bernard made the decision to move away from the series to try his luck with other projects and the rest, as they say, is history.

The wonderful Fenella Fielding has become an iconic comedy horror figure thanks to her role as Valeria Watt in Carry On Screaming. Three years before she took on this landmark role, Fenella actually turned down a part in another Carry On. Having made a cameo in Carry On Regardless in 1960 and being part of the Doctor films' rep company, Fielding was offered the part of a buxom Glam Cab driver in the 1963 film Carry On Cabby. Apparently she turned down the role because it was obsessed with her bust (!) and the role subsequently went to Amanda Barrie.

 

I hope you enjoyed this fun Carry On facts! Plenty more where they came from so stay tuned!


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