70 Years of Ealing Comedies with Art & Hue

Art & Hue has created a new collection of stylish pop art prints to celebrate the 70th anniversary of classic Ealing Comedies.

1949 saw Ealing Studios release "Passport to Pimlico", “Whisky Galore!“, and “Kind Hearts & Coronets”, all within the space of two months, and the British film institution of the Ealing Comedies was firmly established.

In many ways, the Ealing comedies set the groundwork for the Carry On films: an ensemble cast, much like a repertory theatre in that they were employed across different films, and a very home-grown British humour with no concessions made to international audiences. 

Sid James was in "The Titfield Thunderbolt" and "The Lavender Hill Mob", Charles Hawtrey was in "Passport to Pimlico" and "Who Done It?", Hattie Jacques was in "The Love Lottery", Joan Sims and Irene Handl appeared in "Meet Mr. Lucifer", and Liz Fraser's first ever film role was in an Ealing comedy.

Many Carry On actors cut their teeth in the Ealing comedies, for example, the cast of "Passport to Pimlico" included Sydney Tafler, who went on to appear in Carry On Regardless, Reg Thomason from Carry On Cowboy, Jim O'Brady from Carry On Jack, Hyma Beckley from Carry On Cruising, Fred Griffiths from Carry On Loving, and many other crossover connections of supporting cast.

Another example, the Ealing comedy "Who Done It?", starring Benny Hill, featured a whole host of supporting cast members who went on to appear in future Carry Ons, such as Fred Machon, Ernie Rice, Denis Shaw, Pat Ryan, Chris Adcock, Philip Stewart, Rita Tobin-Weske, Ronnie Brody, Mabel Etherington, Anthony Lang, Chick Fowles, Ian Selby, Gey Standeven, and Terence Alexander.

An official collaboration with Studiocanal, Art & Hue has delved into the archives to create these stylish pop art prints, featuring Ealing Studios regulars Alec Guinness, Alastair Sim, Stanley Holloway, Joan Greenwood, Gordon Jackson, and Basil Radford, who all appeared in more than one of the Ealing comedies.

Exclusively by Art & Hue, the collection is available in three sizes and 18 colour options, printed on museum-quality archival card of 310gsm, made from 100% cotton, with fine-art pigment inks for longevity. 

Visit artandhue.com/ealing to see the full collection.

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Why Barbara Shines in Sparrows Can't Sing

The other day I caught the 1963 film Sparrows Can't Sing for the very first time. Of course I was aware of it, mainly through Barbara Windsor's starring role and the fact it came from the legendary Joan Littlewood's Stratford East stable. Anyway, finding the time to actually sit down and watch it I quickly became hooked. It's magnificent. 

Sparrows tells the story of the East End of London in flux. The old traditions are all on display: the culture, the language, the range of ethnicities and backgrounds and the pride in who the characters are despite the obvious poverty. The early 1960s saw a great deal of change as this area began to recover from the ravages of the war. Bomb sites are still in evidence although the slums were being cleared and brand spanking new high rise blocks of flats were climbing into the sky. Joan Littlewood notoriously hated all the change, loving the old community feel of the East End. I can see the pros and cons of both sides of that argument but fast forward several decades and we can see how successful some of those new developments were in reality. Breaking up tight communities is never a good thing.

Anyway, the social commentary is the backdrop to this story but it's really important and fascinating for me. The film sprang to life thanks to a script from Stephen Lewis, the man behind Blakey in On The Buses. However the original premise came from Joan's revolutionary improvisational theatre techniques. The original play premiered at Joan's Theatre Royal, Stratford East three years earlier and the success of it led to it transferring to the West End amid much fanfare in 1961. Being loyal and with a beady eye for raw talent, Joan brought most of the cast from her theatre workshop production to the big screen and directed the film herself. 

The cast of characters are loud, proud and vivid. And the actors are thoroughly legendary. While James Booth and Barbara Windsor play the leading parts, the rogues gallery includes the likes of Roy Kinnear, Brian Murphy, Harry H Corbett, Arthur Mullard, Yootha Joyce, Victor Spinetti, Bob Grant, Murray Melvin, George Sewell, Barbara Ferris and Avis Bunnage. Littlewood certainly knew what she was doing and she nurtured each of these individual talents over countless productions. 

The main plot of the film sees Cockney sailor Charlie (Booth) return from a long trip overseas to find a great number of numbing changes to his old life. His home has been demolished and his wife Maggie (Windsor) is nowhere to be found. The film follows Charlie as he reconnects with old faces, friends and family in search of his wayward wife. This allows us to see large swathes of the authentic East End and meet many very typical characters, portrayed honestly but also with great affection. We quickly learn that Maggie isn't missing, she's now living in one of the new high-rise blocks with another man, a bus driver called Bert and a child or indeterminable parentage! While little of this is particularly shocking or out of the ordinary nowadays, portraying ordinary people with such real life issues was novel and added to the groundswell of so-called 'kitchen sink' drama. The rest of the film sees Charlie try to woo his wife back in typically colourful, memorable fashion.

James Booth was new to me, although I had seen him years ago in Zulu. He's magnificent in this film though - brooding, handsome, very much of his time. Deeply charismatic with a terrific screen presence. I think many will agree that the real star of the film however, is Barbara. Barbara had been acting for nearly a decade by this point, mainly in small film parts and television guest roles. She was experiencing her first taste of fame already though, on the small screen. The year before Sparrows was filmed Barbara had starred in the first series of The Rag Trade, a BBC sitcom. Her association with Joan Littlewood at Stratford East would make her a star, and this film launched her film career. 

Windsor is simply brilliant throughout the film. She can sing, she can do comedy and tug at the heart strings. Most of all, she's real. This is the Barbara I love and the Barbara that became somewhat lost on the big screen as she became more deeply involved in the Carry Ons. We saw her true talent re-emerge many years later in EastEnders thankfully, but I can't help but wish, having watched Sparrows Can't Sing, is that she'd made a few more films like this before launching herself fully into the Carry Ons. There was certainly a buzz around Babs immediately after Sparrows came out. The premiere of the film attracted a wealth of publicity and many celebrities attended. Barbara was nominated for a BAFTA and was courted by American agents, making appearances on U.S chat shows. Of course, there was a certain notoriety linked to the fame, as the Kray twins were always there or thereabouts as the film was made, with some even suggesting they can be glimpsed in the film itself. Cutting all that circus away though and it's clear to me just how talented Barbara was. Her star quality and natural confidence just burst out of the screen and she's a joy to watch.

So if you haven't seen Sparrows Can't Sing, look it up next time it's scheduled on the brilliant Talking Pictures TV. And if you're already a fan, why not brighten up your life with some pop art with a Theatre Workshop theme? Art & Hue has a wonderful range of 'From Stage to Screen' prints and Sparrows Can't Sing features amongst them. Find out more here: http://artandhue.com/plays/

And of course the Theatre Royal, Stratford East is still going strong and thriving in 2019. You can find out more about the theatre and its current productions right here: http://www.stratfordeast.com

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Art & Hue Presents: Funny Women

Regular blog readers will know I'm a big fan of Art & Hue. I've featured many of their other collections, from the Carry On range of prints covering the Anglo Amalgamated era to '70s Cops' and the more recent 'Funny Men' range. To bring style and fun to your walls, Art & Hue has now launched a new collection of stylish pop art prints featuring British comediennes and comic actresses.

Funny-"ha-ha", in a humorous and comical way, but also funny-"peculiar" with their unique, quirky characters and work, these distinctive talents have brought joy to countless listeners & viewers across the years through their idiosyncratic performances. 

Liz Fraser, Yootha Joyce, June Whitfield, Joyce Grenfell, Mollie Sugden, Gracie Fields, Irene Handl, Margaret Rutherford, Penelope Keith, and Beryl Reid all get the pop art treatment in this collection of iconic funny men from British film & television. 

Carry On links are clear to see - Liz Fraser appeared in four of the films - Regardless, Cruising, Cabby and Behind while her close friend, the late Dame June starred in Nurse, Abroad, Girls and Columbus, as well as the film of Bless This House. Meanwhile the iconic Irene Handl had cameos in both Carry On Nurse and Carry On Constable. Beryl Reid came late to the series, but was probably the best thing in Carry On Emmannuelle in 1978. Even Penelope Keith had a brush with the Carry On phenomenon. Her small role in Doctor may have been cut, but stills remain while she was allegedly offered the role Joan Sims went on to play in Carry On England.

An official collaboration with Studiocanal, Art & Hue has delved into the archives to uncover images of classic British comedy stars which have been transformed into ten stylish pop art prints.

Exclusively by Art & Hue, the collection is available in three sizes and 18 colour options, printed on museum-quality archival card of 310gsm, made from 100% cotton, with fine-art pigment inks for longevity.

Visit artandhue.com/funnywomen to see the full collection. 





You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Art & Hue Presents: Funny Men

To bring style and fun to your walls, Art & Hue has launched a new collection of stylish pop art prints featuring British comedians and comic actors.

Funny-"ha-ha", in a humorous and comical way, but also funny-"peculiar" with their offbeat, quirky characters and work, these unique talents have brought joy to countless listeners & viewers across the years through their idiosyncratic performances.

Peter Sellers, John Cleese, Benny Hill, Tony Hancock, Frankie Howerd, Bernard Cribbins, John Inman, Leonard Rossiter, Ronnie Barker, & Ronnie Corbett all get the pop art treatment in this collection of iconic funny men from British film & television. 

An official collaboration with Studiocanal, Art & Hue has delved into the archives to uncover images of classic British comedy stars which have been transformed into ten stylish pop art prints.

Exclusively by Art & Hue, the collection is available in three sizes and 18 colour options, printed on museum-quality archival card of 310gsm, made from 100% cotton, with fine-art pigment inks for longevity.

Visit artandhue.com/funnymen to see the full collection.

And if you are looking for something extra special for Valentine's Day check out the Art & Hue range of stylish cards and pop art here: http://artandhue.com/valentines-day/


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram  

From Stage to Screen: A New Range of Pop Art 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  

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Art & Hue Presents: Funny Men!

To bring style and fun to your walls, Art & Hue has launched a new collection of stylish pop art prints featuring British comedians and comic actors.

Funny-"ha-ha", in a humorous and comical way, but also funny-"peculiar" with their offbeat, quirky characters and work, these unique talents have brought joy to countless listeners & viewers across the years through their idiosyncratic performances.

Peter Sellers, John Cleese, Benny Hill, Tony Hancock, Frankie Howerd, Bernard Cribbins, John Inman, Leonard Rossiter, Ronnie Barker, & Ronnie Corbett all get the pop art treatment in this collection of iconic funny men from British film & television. 

An official collaboration with Studiocanal, Art & Hue has delved into the archives to uncover images of classic British comedy stars which have been transformed into ten stylish pop art prints.

Exclusively by Art & Hue, the collection is available in three sizes and 18 colour options, printed on museum-quality archival card of 310gsm, made from 100% cotton, with fine-art pigment inks for longevity.

Visit artandhue.com/funnymen to see the full collection.

And if you are looking for something extra special for Valentine's Day check out the Art & Hue range of stylish cards and pop art here: http://artandhue.com/valentines-day/


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram 

Art & Hue's Christmas Gift Guide!

Stuck for a last minute gift idea for the cultured art loving Carry On comedy fan in your life? Look no further than the brilliant Art and Hue. 

Made in Britain, Art & Hue creates stylish pop art inspired by various themes including the 1960s, cult film & TV, and Mid-Century Modernism. Alongside studio collections, Art & Hue creates bespoke art from your photographs for personalised gifts. An ideal present to commemorate a birthday, wedding, house-warming, or milestone, Art & Hue can transform your preferred photos, including Instagram snaps, into stylish contemporary pop art.

Called Art & Hue because of the combination of imagery and colour, the fact it sounds like two boys names is a delightful coincidence.

Images are given the Art & Hue halftone treatment before blocks of colour are applied. Halftone is an age-old technique that uses dots to make up the printed image, similar to newspapers or comic books – difficult to demonstrate on-screen but looks great printed.

As well as bespoke art prints, customised to the recipients specifications, there are “ready-to-buy” prints on many themes including royalty, London and food to name a few, available in various colours. All art prints are open edition unless otherwise specified as limited.

Struggling to choose? Use the handy Gift Guide to work out exactly what you want! 

Need some last minute Christmas cards? Check out this stylish range right here: Greetings Cards

Art and Hue are also wonderful at reminding us of all the important pop culture milestones across the year. Check them out here: 2018 Anniversaries (including of course, 60 Years of Carry On)

Whatever you choose, you won't be disappointed. So Carry On shopping! And Happy Christmas! 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Art & Hue's Christmas Gift Guide!

Stuck for a last minute gift idea for the cultured art loving Carry On comedy fan in your life? Look no further than the brilliant Art and Hue. 

Made in Britain, Art & Hue creates stylish pop art inspired by various themes including the 1960s, cult film & TV, and Mid-Century Modernism. Alongside studio collections, Art & Hue creates bespoke art from your photographs for personalised gifts. An ideal present to commemorate a birthday, wedding, house-warming, or milestone, Art & Hue can transform your preferred photos, including Instagram snaps, into stylish contemporary pop art.

Called Art & Hue because of the combination of imagery and colour, the fact it sounds like two boys names is a delightful coincidence.

Images are given the Art & Hue halftone treatment before blocks of colour are applied. Halftone is an age-old technique that uses dots to make up the printed image, similar to newspapers or comic books – difficult to demonstrate on-screen but looks great printed.

As well as bespoke art prints, customised to the recipients specifications, there are “ready-to-buy” prints on many themes including royalty, London and food to name a few, available in various colours. All art prints are open edition unless otherwise specified as limited.

Struggling to choose? Use the handy Gift Guide to work out exactly what you want! 

Need some last minute Christmas cards? Check out this stylish range right here: Greetings Cards

Art and Hue are also wonderful at reminding us of all the important pop culture milestones across the year. Check them out here: 2018 Anniversaries (including of course, 60 Years of Carry On)

Whatever you choose, you won't be disappointed. So Carry On shopping! And Happy Christmas! 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Carry On Christmas Gifts for the Comedy Fan in your life!

With Christmas just around the corner yet again, today I'm featuring some of my favourite art work with a Carry On theme. So take a look at some of this excellent art work if you're looking for something a little different this festive season.

Jayne Bickerton's Cracking Carry On Prints

One of the joys of Twitter for me over the past few weeks has been getting to know the very talented actress and artist Jayne Tunnicliffe. Jayne is known for her work on the likes of Coronation Street, Phoenix Nights and Happy Valley, but she also runs a thriving business as a very creative artist. I love her work so much that I've just ordered a print myself.

Jayne has started creating prints of some of our favourite Carry On actors and being a fan herself, you can see the love and attention to detail that's gone into them. I can't wait to receive my Amanda Barrie print, pictured above, which sees the actress in full on Coronation  Street Alma mode. 

Other crackers include prints of Joan Sims, June Whitfield, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, Sid James and one of Jayne's mentors, the ultra talented Bob Monkhouse. Each print is signed and numbered in a limited edition run of 100 prints. They are available in two different sizes, professionally printed onto 230gm heavyweight high quality matte photo paper. 

Here are some of my favourites:

My comedy heroine, Joan Sims 

The wonderful Charles Hawtrey

Dame June! 

Brilliant Bob Monkhouse

You can check out the full range of Jayne's brilliant art here: https://folksy.com/shops/Voodooville 

You can follow Jayne on Twitter @craftedcreature 

Sam Bessant: Cult Film Posters

 

This art print pays homage to some of the most memorable places and things seen in the Carry On films. The print features a individual design from each of the 31 Carry On films such as Helping Hands Ltd from Carry On Regardless, Moore-Nookey Clinic from Carry On Again Doctor and Much Snogging-on-the-Green from Carry On Loving. 

Sam at Cult Film Posters has a genuine passion for all things Carry On and he wanted to create a print unique for Carry On fans.

 

The art print is professionally printed on 340gsm white uncoated paper that gives a soft finish and tactile quality to the print. It is standard A3 at 297 x 420 mm and will come signed by the artist. Please note: Frame is not included.

I have one of these prints myself and I absolutely love it. It's a unique and affectionate tribute to our favourite film series. 

You can follow Sam on Twitter @cultfilmposters

Greg's Art: Graphic Art by Greg Robertson

Greg Robertson produces some really wonderful, imaginative art work designs based on a wide range of well known faces. From The Golden Girls and Keeping Up Appearances to Coronation Street and of course, the Carry On films, you'll find something for everyone here. Greg has produced excellent images of the likes of Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques and Charles Hawtrey on everything from wall art, mugs and t-shirts.

You can visit Greg's online shop here

And you can follow him on Twitter @Gregs_Art

Watch out for an interview with Greg about his wonderful art work soon!  

Art & Hue: Carry On Art Work inspired by the Anglo Amalgamated films

The longest-running British film series, Art & Hue has created a pop art collection inspired by the classic Carry On films.  

The Carry On films have their own distinct style that is totally unique, beloved by many, and an important part of Britain's comedy, film, and cultural heritage. 

British film company Anglo Amalgamated distributed the first 12 Carry On films starting with "Carry On Sergeant" in 1958 and ending with "Carry On Screaming" in 1966.

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, and Barbara Windsor (Dame Babs) have been given the Art & Hue treatment to create a collection of pop art portraits, all available in three sizes & 16 colours to choose from to fit into any design scheme.

The first twelve Carry On films have also been transformed into pop art featuring 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.

See the full collection at http://artandhue.com/carryon/

And you can read more about the inspiration behind this fabulous art work in this recent blog post here: Carry On Blogging: Favourites in Five - Odysseas from Art and Hue 

Kirstie Taylor: Painter of Faces

 

The brilliant Kirstie Taylor paints a wide range of famous comedy faces and takes on individual commissions. From Kenneth Williams and Frankie Howerd to Terry-Thomas and Tommy Cooper, Kirstie is extremely talented and fans of classic British comedy should definitely check out her excellent work.

You can follow Kirstie on Twitter @Kirstiepaints 

And you can visit Kirstie's Etsy Shop here

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan