Wednesday 26 August 2015

Carry On Fan of the Week: Mike!


It's time once again to meet another Carry On Fan of the Week! This week it's over to Mike to explain why he loves Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques and Carry On Camping!



What was the first Carry On film you ever saw?
Carry On Camping at the Picture House in Cannock, Staffordshire. I was very young at the time & the film had only just been released. From that moment I was hooked

Who is your favourite Carry On actor and why?
It is a very difficult choice as I admire them all. However, for me, Kenneth Williams is the King of the Carry Ons. His voice, his flaring nostrils, his hysterical laughter & his suppressed sexuality are all only parts of what made this very complex man so great. I adored it when he was being pursued by a love struck Hattie Jacques - even more when the tables were turned & he pursued Hattie in Carry On Matron.



Who is your favourite Carry On actress and why?
Again, I love them all. In this case, I am going to say Hattie Jacques. Every scene she was in brings a smile to my face. As I have said above, her scenes with Kenneth Williams are movie gold. For me, her greatest role is as Peggy Hawkins in Carry On Cabby - the downtrodden wife of Sid James's Charlie, Hattie went through a range of emotions as it seemed her marriage was fracturing.

Who is your favourite Carry On supporting actor?
I am going to choose two here. My first choice is Esma Cannon, for her work in the earlier films. What a talented actress she was. As the passenger who liked a tipple in Carry On Cruising she was incredible. The ping pong match between her & Kenneth Williams is one of my favourite moments from the earlier movies. My favourite though is her work as Flo Sims in Carry On Cabby.




My other favourite is the incredible Patsy Rowlands. A stand out of the later movies she seemed to fit into the team seamlessly. She was magnificent in At Your Convenience as the put upon secretary Hortence Withering with designs on  Kenneth WIlliams's WC Boggs. Also, in Carry On Behind I loved her scenes with Bernard Bresslaw & Joan Simms.

Have you ever visited any Carry On film locations?
Yes, I have looked up several of the London locations, including Westbourne Street (the nursing home in Doctor) & Addison Road, Kensington (Emmanuelle). I also very much enjoyed walking down Maidenhead High Street from Camping.

Have you ever met any Carry On actors?
During my time working backstage in London Theatres I have had the pleasure of meeting Fenella Fielding in the musical The Canterbury Tales - an absolute delight, Richard O'Callaghan several times at the Catholic Stage Guild - a lovely man who had time for all, & Margaret Nolan at the Pentameters Theatre in Hampstead - also lovely. I used to live just around the corner from Liz Fraser & often saw her out shopping or walking her dog. I didn't get to know her though.

Do you have any Carry On memorabilia?
I have all of the DVDs, books, CDs etc plus several autographs.

Finally, what's your all Time favourite Carry On film?
It is such a difficult choice to name only one. I am going to say Carry On Camping as it is the film that got me hooked on the series. I also have very soft spots for Don't Lose Your Head & Matron.



Thanks again to Mike for taking part. If you would like to be one of my Carry On fans of the week, all you have to do is email your answers to carryonfan15@gmail.com 



You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

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