Connor Carries On … As Captain S. Melly

Next month will mark Kenneth Connor's centenary. This feels like the right time to celebrate the man's legacy and what better a legacy that his seventeen glorious performances in the Carry On films. As I've already done with the three main leading ladies of the series, I plan to embark on a series of blogs profiling each of Kenneth's roles in the Carry Ons, giving my own take on his contributions.

Kenneth is another one of those actors who worked steadily, prolifically and across all mediums throughout his career. From his very early days in film before the outbreak of World War Two, through the 1950s which saw him become an integral part of British radio comedy to the Carry Ons and his unforgettable roles in several 1980s sitcoms, Connor was an incredibly gifted actor. He worked right up until his death at the age of 75 in November 1993. However unlike Sid, Kenneth Williams or Barbara Windsor, I feel that Connor never really got the credit he deserved. He didn't have an outrageous private life, no scandals to be told. He shunned the limelight and his many performances as the ordinary man in the street mirrored his own life away from the cameras. 

Kenneth was also one of the precious few actors who's career spanned pretty much the entire run of the Carry Ons. He was there at the very beginning in Carry On Sergeant and, a five year gap in the mind 1960s aside, remained loyal to the films until the very end of the original run in 1978. Connor, along with Williams and Eric Barker were the only actors to appear in the very first and the very last of the series. Kenneth was still around when Columbus was made in 1992 but declined to take part, probably very wisely. This new series of blogs will be a celebration of all those wonderful comedy performances in the Carry Ons - from bumbling romantic lead through to crumbling character parts, Kenneth could play them all.

So let's continue with Kenneth's sixteenth and penultimate role in the series, as Captain S. Melly in the 1976 film, Carry On England!

Carry On England, a return to a period costume subject matter for the series, came at a dark time for the films. The film went into production just weeks after the death of their leading light, the irreplaceable Sid James. Despite this sad news, Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas decided to go ahead with their latest project, a story about a mixed platoon of male and female soldiers during the Second World War. Now I normally like a period setting for a Carry On but this one, not so much. It's dull and dowdy with all the brown uniforms and low key sets. All shot in the Pinewood orchard which had previously produced the likes of Carry On Camping and Behind, England is a far cry from even the most recent Carry On films. 

The basic premise is slim - a new bombastic Captain is sent to take command of the platoon and instil some discipline into them. The soldiers don't take kindly to this and set about disrupting his tactics, driving him potty and hopefully, driving him away. Ok, it has potential as a Carry On story, however it's all in the telling and sadly this story is told without a modicum of the lighthearted, innocent mirth which graced so many of the previous films. For me there are just too many changes in personnel with this film which means it just can't succeed. Instead of keeping on Dave Freeman who had made a success of the Carry On Behind script, Rogers for some reason overlooked Dave and brought in David Pursall and Jack Seddon. Both experienced writers but not experienced in the art of Carry On. Eric Rogers, who had beautifully scored many of the previous films, was absent for England with music duties taken on by Max Harris. Again, the difference is palpable.

With the death of Sid James, Charles Hawtrey in permanent exile and Hattie Jacques, Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Williams and Bernard Bresslaw busy elsewhere, there is also a distinct lack of regulars in Carry On England. Joan Sims and Peter Butterworth are given pitiful roles which give them little more than cameo screen time. Jack Douglas is treated better but plays very much to type. There is a huge amount of new talent in England - again all successful elsewhere but not practiced in the world of Carry On. The like of Judy Geeson, Diane Langton, Patrick Mower and Melvyn Hayes can all act and act well, but they can't pull it off like Sid, Charles and Hattie. There is such a dearth of recognisable faces that one almost gets giddy with excitement when brief scenes with Julian Holloway or Patricia Franklin appear. The only regular Carry On actor to receive major screen time in Kenneth Connor, the subject of this very blog.

Kenneth grabs the starring role as Captain S. Melly (yes the script is that awful). Storming through the action with the best military character the film has to offer, Connor clearly relishes being top dog instead of supporting player. He goes gamely through all the uncomfortable, frankly denigrating comedy sequences which see his character fall for ever nasty prank the platoon can come up with, losing his clothes, falling into goodness knows what (twice) and basically being the laughing stock of the entire barracks. 

Despite England being pretty damn woeful, it does provide bucket loads of Kenneth Connor and once again proves what an excellent comic actor and an excellent all round actor Kenneth was. He must have been to make some of this awful material fly. At the heart of England is one blessed consolation. A superb double act between Connor and his second in command, the wonderful Windsor Davies in full It Ain't Half Hot Mum mode. Yes Windsor is really just recreating his small screen character for the Carry Ons, but he's a natural and just excellent at it. Combined with Connor's little man of authority and the film improves ten fold every time they have a scene together.

Sadly though that isn't enough to help Carry On England join the ranks of the true classics in the Carry On series. Indeed the film was removed from general release in many cinemas after only three days. Yes the film is dire, yes it's unfunny and has an air of mean spirited cheapness about it but it does have a fairly patriotic ending. Throughout the film the cast of characters have been pretty woeful at fighting the war. However they are given their moment to shine at the end of the film as they all come together to fight the enemy. Yes it's corny and lacking depth but given the majority of the film hasn't managed to keep the audience awake, the almost rousing finale, complete with archive footage of Churchill, does nearly get the patriotic juices flowing.

Personally, I'd rather forget Carry On England ever existed, despite it featuring several actors I cherish. Kenneth Connor works so bloody hard throughout the film to salvage what he can which begs the question, just how awful would it have been without him?

Stay tuned for the next (and final) blog in this series, in which I take a look at Kenneth Connor's role in the 1978 film, Carry On Emmannuelle. 



You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Happy Birthday Diane Langton!

 

Many happy returns to the actress Diane Langton who celebrates her birthday today. Diane has a long career on stage and screen, is well known to Carry On fans for her performance as Alice Easy in the less than successful Carry On England, released in 1976. 

As the rather busty young Private, Langton was pretty much cast in the Barbara Windsor role in this film and despite the overall film being a complete stinker, she's good in the part. England wasn't Diane's only brush with Carry On though. Way back in 1959 she appeared in a non-speaking role as one of the children in Carry On Teacher. Along with the likes of David Barry, Jeremy Bulloch and Francesca Annis, Diane can be spotted in several crowd scenes. Fast forward to 1975 and Langton joined many familiar faces in the ATV Carry On Laughing television series. Diane appeared in three episodes, which must have led to her being cast in England the following year.

Away from the Carry Ons, Diane has appeared in films like Ray Cooney's Don't Just Lie There, Say Something with Leslie Phillips, Joan Sims and Joanna Lumley and Confessions of a Pop Performer, co-starring with fellow England actress Linda Regan. Diane has also had many stage successes in her career, appearing in the likes of Billy Elliot and Sondheim's A Little Night Music. 

On television, Diane can currently be seen in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks - she has been part of the cast of this show for nearly a decade. Other roles on the small screen have included the 1970s reboot of The Rag Trade, Only Fools and Horses, Doctors, Heartbeat and EastEnders.

 

Whatever Diane is up to today, I hope she has a wonderful birthday.


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An Update on Whatever Happened to Valerie Shute

With thanks to Joe D'Souza-Eva for leaving a comment on the blog, I've managed to find out a little more information on the whereabouts of the Carry On supporting actress Valerie Shute. 

In September last year I wrote a blog about Valerie's life and career which you can read that here and it seems she's been quite busy recently with a new theatre production. Valerie, now under the name of Hall (her husband was the writer Willis Hall), is living in London although her project at Christmas last year was at Birmingham City University's Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Valerie wrote a brand new full-length festive musical called The Last Christmas Tree.

And it was a bit of a family affair it seems. The musical features pieces written by her step-grandson Joel Hall, who has studied at the Conservatoire. The article also provides some interesting information on some of Valerie's future projects, including adapting one of her late husband's radio plays into a stage play with songs. This project will see her collaborate with Joel once again.

Back in the day, Valerie appeared in five Carry Ons. Her debut was in Carry On Camping in 1968, playing one of Barbara Windsor's fellow Chayste Place girls. Further appearances including Again Doctor the year later, the role of the girl lover in Carry On Loving, a small part in Henry and finally, the cameo of Miss Smethurst opposite Terry Scott in Carry On Matron. 

It's great to hear more about some of the more elusive Carry On faces who are still out there leading interesting, creative lives. I wish both Valerie and Joel all the best with their future endeavours. You can read the full article here and it even features a lovely photo of Valerie as she is today.


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Fenella Fielding returns for more Memoir Shows in 2018!

Fenella Fielding will reading from her fabulous memoirs in several more live shows all in the diary across the rest of the year. Having attended a couple of the shows earlier this year, I can tell you her performances are amazing.

Fenella Fielding is best known for her 1960s film appearances in classic comedies including ‘Carry On Screaming’, ‘Doctor in Clover’ and ‘Carry On Regardless’. She was the voice of the Blue Queen in ‘Dougal and the Blue Cat’ and the telephone operator and loudspeaker voice in ‘The Prisoner’. Her illustrious career in theatre includes the title roles in ‘Hedda Gabler’ and ‘Colette’. She’s fondly remembered for a number of appearances on the ‘Morecambe & Wise Show’ as well as playing The Vixen in ‘Uncle Jack’. 

They are very personal stories about innocence, early struggles, professional jealousies and intriguingly a chapter about London tarts and gangsters. The stories are witty, warm and beautifully observed scenes from an extraordinary life – expressing great warmth for the characters encountered… and all told in that unmistakable, ever alluring Fenella Fielding voice.

The performances will conclude with short Q&As with Fenella hosted by Simon McKay, co-author of the book and a personal friend of Fenella. 

Fenella will be performing on the following dates and venues:

Crazy Coqs, Piccadilly, London:

Saturday 2nd June, 2pm
Tuesday 10th July, 7pm
Tuesday 11th September, 7pm

Darlington Forum Music Centre:

Thursday 28th June, 7pm

Fenella will also be performing "Just a Little Murder" with Stephen Greif at The Tabard, Chiswick on Sunday 8th July at 3pm.

You can buy tickets for any of the shows and also purchase a signed copy of Fenella's memoirs via her website 

And you can read more about the publication of Fenella's book here

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From Stage to Screen: A new range of Pop Art Prints from Art & Hue

Art & Hue treads the boards for the new collection of stylish pop art inspired by plays adapted into films.

From the glitzy showbiz of musicals to the provocative black comedy of Joe Orton, Art & Hue has transformed images from the archives of Studiocanal into eight stylish pop art prints which celebrate iconic productions and actors.

All prints in the "From Stage to Screen" collection are available in three sizes and a wide choice of colour options, including a new combination of vibrant orange & purple inspired by posters from the 1968 production of "The Anniversary" starring Bette Davis.

The theatrical collection includes a re-imagined poster for the first all-British "talking picture" with sound released in 1929, "BlackMail" directed by Alfred Hitchcock, as well as Joe Orton's "Entertaining Mr Sloane" with Beryl Reid, Peter McEnery & Harry Andrews.

Screen doyenne Bette Davis in "The Anniversary" gets the Art & Hue treatment as does the cult B-movie sci-fi production of "Devil Girl From Mars" with Patricia Laffan.

The Edinburgh-set musical "Let's Be Happy" is pure Strictly-come-dancing ballroom glamour, with Tony Martin in his white tuxedo and Vera-Ellen as a high-kicking showgirl.

Completing the collection, ukelele king George Formby features in an illustrated reworking of "Turned Out Nice Again" and Barbara Windsor takes centre-stage as the prominent star of Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop production of "Sparrows Can't Sing".

A stylish way to bring the theatre into the home, the collection features Art & Hue's signature halftone style (halftone is an age-old technique that uses dots to make up the printed image, similar to newspapers or comic books).

Unlike traditional posters, which are printed on thin paper with inks that fade, Art & Hue creates giclée art prints, printed on 310gsm archival card, made from 100% cotton, with fine-art museum-grade pigment inks to last hundreds of years.

 

Usher stylish pop art prints into your home, exclusively online at artandhue.com/plays  

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Carrying On with Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)

Scrolling through the countless television channels the other evening in a desperate search for something to watch, I stumbled upon an episode of the 1960s series Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). I watched repeats of this series avidly as a child but haven't seen the show for at least twenty years now. As with other classics like The Saint and The Avengers, it has a wonderful charm and quality that sets it apart from many others which means it's still very watchable today.

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) was a private detective series starring the late Mike Pratt and the brilliant Kenneth Cope, fresh from his fame in Coronation Street (as Jed Stone). The series was created by Dennis Spooner and was first broadcast in 1969 and 1970. Interestingly, when broadcast in the United States the show was renamed My Partner the Ghost. I wonder if American audiences were a tad squeamish back then?

In the very first episode Hopkirk (Cope) is murdered during an investigation but returns as a ghost. Randall is the only character who is ever able to see or hear him, although certain minor guest characters did so during the series. A single set of 26 episodes were produced by ITC between 1968 and 1969 and the first episode went out in the September of 1969. As I was now reacquainted with the marvellous series from days gone by, I wondered if I could write a blog on any Carry On connections with the show. As with so many other classics of the era, many familiar character actors appeared throughout the run, so without further ado, let's take a closer look at some of them.

I have to start with the wonderful Kenneth Cope who excels in the pivotal role of Marty Hopkirk. Appearing in all 26 episodes, Kenneth is amazing throughout, always seen in his ghostly white suit. It was not long after this major starring role that Kenneth joined up with the Carry On team for two madcap adventures. First of all, as shop steward Vic Spanner in Carry On At Your Convenience and then later in 1971 as the softer character, Cyril Carter in Carry On Matron. 

Playing a supposed reincarnation of Marty in the 1969 episode "The Man from Nowhere" was Carry On Abroad guest actor Ray Brooks. Ray of course played Peter and Hattie's son Georgio, who romances June Whitfield's Evelyn Blunt, in the Elsbells adventure. Another instantly recognisable face to appear, this time in the episode "The House on Haunted Hill" was Peter Jones. Peter played a character called Frederick P Waller. Peter Jones popped in for two Carry On cameos during the original run of films. In 1967, two years before he shot Randall and Hopkirk, Peter played the hilarious tone-deaf vicar in Carry On Doctor. And nearly a decade later he returned to play the dreadfully unfunny Brigadier in the 1976 series entry Carry On England.

The 1970 episode entitled "It's Supposed to be Thicker than Water", which sees members of the Crackan family gather to find out which one will be the heir, stars a very familiar Carry On face indeed. First broadcast on 13 February 1970, the sublime Liz Fraser guest stars as Fay Crackan. Liz is best known for her many comedy film roles which include parts in Carry On Regardless (as Delia King); Carry On Cruising (as Glad Trimble), Carry On Cabby (as Sally) and Carry On Behind (as Sylvia Ramsden). 

Appearing in the very first episode of the series, "My Late Lamented Friend and Partner", as a Night Porter, is reliable character actor Harry Locke. Harry played similar working class roles in three medical Carry Ons - Nurse in 1959 in which he played orderly Mick; Doctor in 1967 which saw him appear as ambulance driver Sam and finally as the porter in Again Doctor in 1969. Also appearing in that very first episode is another familiar supporting player, Anthony Sagar. Playing a hotel proprietor, Sagar cropped up in several Carry Ons - Sergeant, Nurse, Constable, Regardless, Cruising, Screaming and finally Loving in 1970.

Playing Calvin P Bream in the 1970 episode "When the Spirit Moves You" was sitcom star in the making Anton Rodgers. Anton would go on to star in Fresh Fields, French Fields and May to December, but before all that he appeared in small roles in two Carry Ons. In 1962 he played a young man opposite Dilys Laye in Carry On Cruising and the following year he was  Hardy in the very first scene of Carry On Jack. The episode which aired on 21 December 1969, "Who Killed Cock Robin?" featured another very familiar Carry On face. David Lodge, who must have appeared in nearly every series at around this time, played the character of Beeches. David made his first appearance in the Carry Ons as a wine tasting patron in 1961's Carry On Regardless. After a lengthy gap he returned for a run of four more films with the team, starting with Carry On Girls in 1973, playing the Police Inspector. Further roles followed in Carry On Dick, Carry On Behind and Carry On England as well as several starring roles in the 1975 ATV Carry On Laughing series.

The 1970 episode entitled "A Sentimental Journey" features not one Carry On face but four. The superb Victor Maddern (Constable, Regardless, Spying, Cleo, Emmannuelle) plays Det. Sergeant Watts while Billy Cornelius (best known as Oddbod Junior in Carry On Screaming) plays Albert. Larry Taylor, who played tough guys in Follow That Camel, Up The Khyber and Carry On Dick also appears in the role of a Man in a Phone Booth. Finally, the actor Anthony Baird, who played a Guard in Carry On Spying, turns up playing a character called Hamilton. Baird was also, for a time, the boyfriend of a certain Joan Sims.

The rather bizarrely titled "That's How Murder Snowballs" which originally aired on 19 October 1969 co-starred a young actress who had already made four Carry On appearances. Playing Kay was the gorgeous Valerie Leon. Another glamorous presence in the series was Carry On Cowboy and The Big Job star Edina Ronay. Edina played Sandra in "Never Trust a Ghost". That same episode featured the super character actor Brian Oulton, playing Dr Plevitt. Brian appeared in Carry On Nurse, Constable, Cleo and Camping. 

Future Carry On At Your Convenience and Coronation Street actor Geoffrey Hughes co-stars as Harper in the 1970 episode, "Somebody Just Walked Over My Grave". At the end of January 1970 the episode "Money to Burn" was broadcast. Co-starring in that story was the actress Olga Lowe. Olga made a brief appearance as Madame Fifi, the brothel owner in 1972's Carry On Abroad. South African born Olga was one of the first people a certain Sidney James looked up on his arrival in London after the war. In a bizarre twist of fate, Olga was also on stage with Sid in The Mating Game the night he very sadly died in 1976.

And finally, if the internet is correct, a certain Robin Askwith made a very early television appearance in the same episode of Randall and Hopkirk as future Carry On Girls co-star Valerie Leon. Robin had a small part (if you pardon the expression) as an Act Pageboy. 

So if you haven't seen Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) before or if it's just been a while since you last caught it, I hope this blog has been a bit of a nostalgic trip back in time. Next time you see it in the schedules, give it a watch! 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Classic Horror Nights with Madeline Smith!

The delightful Madeline Smith, a good friend to this blog, will be appearing at a special screening of one of best remembered horror films next June. The Colchester Arts Centre will be showing the 1974 film Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell on 7th June.

Starring the legendary Peter Cushing as Baron Victor Frankenstein and Shane Briant as Dr Simon Helder, Madeline co-stars in the role of Sarah "Angel" Klauss. There are reliable supporting turns from the likes of Norman Mitchell, Sydney Bromley and Michael Ward, all familiar Carry On faces. Also look out for David Prowse, playing the monster for the second time on screen. The film was directed by Terence Fisher and produced by Roy Skeggs for Hammer films.

The film will be followed by a special Question and Answer session with Madeline herself, as she discusses the making of the film, her co-stars and her wider career. I know from experience just what a warm, delightful and eloquent person Madeline is so it is bound to be a lively and thoroughly entertaining evening. 

Madeline is best known to comedy fans for her appearances alongside the late great Frankie Howerd on film and television as well as her role as Mrs Pullitt in Carry On Matron. Other film roles have included Theatre of Blood, The Vampire Lovers and the James Bond epic, Live and Let Die. On the small screen Madeline has appeared in the likes of The Persuaders, The Two Ronnies and All Creatures Great and Small. 

Doors open at 7pm with the film beginning at 7.30. And the rule at the door is "pay what you can afford" which I think is lovely. 

I interviewed Madeline for the blog back in September 2016 and you can read that here

And last June I attended a special illustrated talk from Madeline on her life and career and you can read all about that here

Find out more about this special evening and about the Colchester Arts Centre here



You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

My Top 20 Favourite Carry On Actors - Number 10: Bernard Bresslaw

This is part of a brand new series of blogs where I will take a purely personal look at my favourite Carry On actors. I will be doing a countdown of my top twenty actors and actresses in this, the sixtieth anniversary year of Carry On. So why top twenty? Well top ten didn't allow me to include all my favourites and any more than twenty and I'd be at it forever, as it were.

This top twenty will be a mix of regular top team actors and many of those instantly recognisable supporting actors who popped in and out of the series, adding superb cameos here and there. You will probably agree with some of my main choices and be vehemently opposed to others, but it's meant to encourage debate! 

So we are now half way through my countdown of my all-time favourite Carry On actors. The first half of the list featured mainly supporting actors who popped in and out several times throughout the films, from the likes of Joan Hickson and Cyril Chamberlain to Margaret Nolan and Peter Gilmore. Now obviously the Top Ten is going to focus on the main team members as there aren't any I can conceivably leave out.

So here we go with Number Ten: a brilliant character actor who excelled at both dimwitted sidekicks and crumbling, fearsome villains - Bernard Bresslaw.

It was hard to decide which of the main team would bring up the rear, as it were. I love them all and I do love Bernie. He was a main player in the Carry Ons for a decade, appearing in fourteen films between 1965 and 1975 as well as many television specials and even a stage show in the West End of London. A quiet, intelligent family man away from the films, less in known about Bresslaw due to the apparent lack of scandal in his personal life. This is unfair really, as he should be celebrated for the superb character comedy actor and brilliant stage actor he so obviously was.

For me though, almost like Barbara Windsor, Bernard was unfortunately stuck in quite limited roles in the Carry Ons which do not allow him to show his true range or natural intelligence. He is either the slow, dimwitted mate to the likes of Sid James (Doctor, Camping, Convenience and Girls) or fierce, snarling villains (Camel, Khyber). He is undoubtedly brilliant in all his Carry On roles but I wish he hadn't been so stereotyped. Having said that, I love his interaction with Sid, Joan and Dilys in Carry On Camping. His innocence in the face of the worldly Sid is a joy to behold.

Likewise, Bernie works so well opposite love interest Dilys Laye in Carry On Doctor. They make a delightful romantic pairing and I only wish we'd had more scenes with them in that excellent film. As a similarly slow sidekick to Kenneth Cope's irritating little union leader in At Your Convenience, Bernard provides another wonderful comedy contrast and even manages a romantic interlude with the delicious Maggie Nolan on the Brighton Pier ghost train to boot!

Bernard, much like Peter Butterworth, was never billed particularly highly in the Carry Ons despite his unfailing support and the quality of his performances. Probably one of my favourites of all his performances was that of Ernie is Carry On Matron. Yes he's playing the stereotypical thick character once again, but there's a beautiful gentle quality to his performance even though he's part of a criminal gang. Bernard works so well with Sid, Kenneth Cope and Bill Maynard. The highlight for me is when Bernie drags up as an expectant mother for the raid of the maternity hospital! It's so delightfully bonkers! Bernard, unlike co-star Sid James, seemed to relish an appearance in drag in the Carry Ons. Who can forget his dragged up beauty contest entrant in Carry On Girls? Or his carol singing school girl in the 1969 Carry On Christmas television special?!

Bernard Bresslaw was the quiet, diligent, unstarry member of the Carry On team. For ten years he turned up at Pinewood again and again, putting in reliably funny, believable performances as an integral part of the Carry On repertory company. I have no doubt that Bernie's heart lay in the serious theatre as the latter half of his career demonstrates. I for one am glad he continued to appear in the Carry Ons as they provide a lasting legacy for one of our most unsung comedy acting heroes in Britain. Good on you, Bernie!

So Bernard Bresslaw comes in at Number 10 in my top twenty list of favourite actors. Who'll be next? 

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Connor Carries On … As Major Leap

Next month will mark Kenneth Connor's centenary. This feels like the right time to celebrate the man's legacy and what better a legacy that his seventeen glorious performances in the Carry On films. As I've already done with the three main leading ladies of the series, I plan to embark on a series of blogs profiling each of Kenneth's roles in the Carry Ons, giving my own take on his contributions.

Kenneth is another one of those actors who worked steadily, prolifically and across all mediums throughout his career. From his very early days in film before the outbreak of World War Two, through the 1950s which saw him become an integral part of British radio comedy to the Carry Ons and his unforgettable roles in several 1980s sitcoms, Connor was an incredibly gifted actor. He worked right up until his death at the age of 75 in November 1993. However unlike Sid, Kenneth Williams or Barbara Windsor, I feel that Connor never really got the credit he deserved. He didn't have an outrageous private life, no scandals to be told. He shunned the limelight and his many performances as the ordinary man in the street mirrored his own life away from the cameras. 

Kenneth was also one of the precious few actors who's career spanned pretty much the entire run of the Carry Ons. He was there at the very beginning in Carry On Sergeant and, a five year gap in the mind 1960s aside, remained loyal to the films until the very end of the original run in 1978. Connor, along with Williams and Eric Barker were the only actors to appear in the very first and the very last of the series. Kenneth was still around when Columbus was made in 1992 but declined to take part, probably very wisely. This new series of blogs will be a celebration of all those wonderful comedy performances in the Carry Ons - from bumbling romantic lead through to crumbling character parts, Kenneth could play them all.

So let's continue with Kenneth's fifteenth role in the series, as Major Leap in the 1975 film, Carry On Behind!

In 1975, after the departure of so many of the leading lights from the series (James, Jacques, Windsor and writer Talbot Rothwell) what was left of the gang reconvened for an update on the classic Carry On Camping. In Carry On Behind, several familiar looking characters went off for a summer holiday at a caravan park. As with Camping, Behind was filmed not in summer but in the early spring so the weather was less than pleasant for all involved - the mud and freezing temperatures clearly visible for most of the film!

Behind is a real hotchpotch of sitcom sequences with no real storyline to speak of - just a bunch of English eccentrics delighting in some increasingly filthy innuendos! Unlike some of the period costume Carry Ons, Behind, set in the grimy world of the mid-1970s really hasn't aged well but lovers of seventies kitch will adore it! I admit I have a real soft spot for this film and it's become something of a guilty pleasure. For me it  is the last proper Carry On ever made. It's certainly much more naughty than previous efforts with much more obvious sexual references and a fair sprinkling of nudity. The whole thing feels much more like a Confessions film, and you can tell Peter Rogers was trying to keep the Carry Ons up to speed with the latest developments at the box office. 

The film features a mix of old faces and newcomers and it is really the cast which carries the film home. As well as regulars Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, Jack Douglas, Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth, Joan Sims and Patsy Rowlands, I also really enjoy the performances from the likes of Windsor Davies, Carol Hawkins, Ian Lavender, Sherrie Hewson and of course, international guest star Elke Sommer. 

So what about Kenneth Connor's role in the film? Kenneth returns to a major starring role in Behind following his brief cameo role in the previous film, Carry On Dick. Major Leap, the owner of the caravan site the main characters all descend upon, is a rather upper-crust army type with a randy side and an eye for the ladies! Much like his character Stanley Blunt in Carry On Abroad, Major Leap is a picture of frustrated middle-aged British male. Kenneth's comic timing is sublime as ever and he pops up regularly throughout the action which is great as he gets scenes with the vast majority of the cast. 

The poor old Major tries it on with everyone from Carol Hawkins and Sherrie Hewson to Joan Sims and Elke Sommer, getting absolutely nowhere. Yes it's not exactly subtle material but Dave Freeman's script does well to follow on from the sterling work from the now absent Talbot Rothwell. Kenneth and Joan in particular, two old stagers of the Carry Ons dating back to the black and white days, work splendidly together as Leap attempts to woo Daphne Barnes with a few drinks down the pub and some military music back at his caravan to get her in the mood! Kenneth also enjoys a running gag with Peter Butterworth's lowly camp handyman, who turns out to be Joan's long lost husband at the end of the film. Kenneth and Peter are superb together and it's clear to see the two actors were the best of friends off screen as they work incredibly well in this film. Kenneth's airs and graces contrast beautifully with the bumbling, grimy Peter B!

In a film which misses the likes of Barbara Windsor, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques and Sid James, the importance of actors like Kenneth Connor cannot be understated. Connor, having rejoined the gang in the late 1960s, provides much needed continuity and the smaller cast of recognisable regulars gives Kenneth more screen time and more material to work with. As the series began to fade by the second half of the 1970s his presence would become more and more important. 

Connor is also involved in the farcical, climatic sequence at the end of the film which sees his character unveil his brand new clubhouse complete with over-painted sticky chairs and some rather unexpected entertainment in the shapely shape of a stripper played by Jenny Cox. Kenneth is a brilliantly funny mix of shame, embarrassment  and lechery as he watches the chaos unfold alongside his electrician (a fantastic cameo from Larry Martyn). Despite it all ending in utter failure as the party guests leave with dignity in shreds, Connor's Major Leap comes up trumps as he heads for the exit door with Jenny's dancer! 

The end of Carry On Behind is always a bit misty-eyed for me. Yes it's a knockabout farce which edges the series ever closer to Confessions territory but for me, Dave Freeman does an excellent job of maintaining the community feel of the earlier pictures. As Kenneth greets the various groups of holidaymakers as they leave his campsite, it really does feel like the end of an era. Audiences of the time wouldn't know it, but Behind really was the last film in the series to feature such a familiar, ensemble cast. The final two films in the original series would both feature Kenneth Connor in starring roles so we'll carry on with them next.

Stay tuned for my blog on Kenneth Connor's next role in the series, in the 1976 film Carry On England.

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