The classic BBC situation comedy series Dad's Army will reach a major milestone this summer. The venerable series, which spanned eighty episodes over nine years, debuted on 31st July 1968 making it an amazing fifty years old. Written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, Dad's Army told the story of the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard, a platoon of older men who would defend home soil as they were considered to old to fight overseas. As a child I didn't really appreciate just how wonderful this show is. I was put off by the old fashioned sets and costumes and the mainly older cast of actors. What a short-sighted boy I was!
It is only now, in adulthood, that I have come to view Dad's Army as a complete and utter joy. It is packed with sublime acting talent with a cast headed by Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier and Clive Dunn and the scripts from Perry and Croft are, if you pardon the pun, uniformly superb. The series has different layers of humour from quite smart, subtle jibes at the class divisions between Lowe's Mainwaring and Le Mesurier's Wilson. There is also a fair amount of slapstick too which means it appeals on a broader level, and still to this day. I love the ensemble feel to the programme and so do the audiences of 2018 as the series is still shown each week on BBC Two.
So in this, the Golden Anniversary year of Dad's Army, what better time than to take a look back at some of the intriguing Carry On links with this best of British sitcom for the glory days of comedy?
Let's begin with a Carry On connection you may not be completely aware of. Dad's Army only really came to fruition in the guise we've come to know, love and cherish thanks to the then Head of Comedy at the BBC, Michael Mills. Not only did Michael rename the original setting for the show from Brightsea-on-Sea to Walmington-on-Sea, he also came up with the title for the series itself. And Dad's Army is a term which is still very much in common parlance to this day. Perhaps Michael's biggest and best decision was to pair Jimmy Perry with David Croft to work together on the series. Thus began one of the most successful comedy writing and producing partnerships in British television history. And the Carry On connection here? Well, Michael Mills was married to the very glamorous star of six Carry Ons, the lovely Valerie Leon.
So what of the on-screen talent then? Let us start off with the main cast. In the role of Private "stupid boy" Pike was the actor Ian Lavender. Ian, by far the youngest cast member in Dad's Army, appeared in the 1975 Carry On film, Carry On Behind, in the supporting role of Joe Baxter. Next up is the wonderful actor Arnold Ridley, who played the beloved, gently bewildered Private Godfrey in all eighty episodes. In 1973, Arnold's small screen fame led to him making a cameo at the beginning of Carry On Girls. Playing the sleepy Alderman Pratt in the initial council offices scene saw him work with Sid James, Marianne Stone, June Whitfield and Kenneth Connor. The brilliant James Beck played the spiv Private Walker in the series from 1968 until 1973, when the actor died very suddenly at the age of just 44. Sadly, James was one of the many actors who filmed scenes for a Carry On only to find them cut from the final print. In 1970 he shot scenes as a Mr Roxby, a client of Kenneth Williams (I believe) in Carry On Loving.
Finally, another regular in the series, best remembered for playing ARP Warden Hodges, the thorn in the side of Captain Mainwaring in Dad's Army - yes Bill Pertwee. Pertwee popped up briefly in two Carry Ons, first of all playing a barman in Carry On Loving in 1970. Bill did film scenes for Carry On At Your Convenience the following year as the manager of The Whippit Inn, however his performance was cut. He did return once more to the world of Carry On, playing the local fire chief in the 1973 film Carry On Girls.
Now to the legion of guest actors who dropped in for some fun with the platoon during their nine year reign. Let's start with main Carry On team members. The classic 1975 episode "The Face on the Poster" guest starred one of my all-time favourite Carry On actors, the late great Peter Butterworth, in the role of Mr Budgen. Another leading Carry On face to appear in Dad's Army was the brilliant Barbara Windsor. In the very first series in 1968, Barbara played Laura La Plaz in "Shooting Pains". One of Barbara's longest serving EastEnders co-stars who found lasting fame as Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served? also appeared in Dad's Army. The much-missed Wendy Richard made four separate appearances in the series between 1970 and 1973. Wendy played Edith Parish in two episodes in 1970 - "The Two and a Half Feathers" and one of my favourites, "Mum's Army". In 1972 she returned to play Private Walker's cockney girlfriend Shirley in the episode "The King was in his Counting House". Wendy came back again the following year to reprise the role of Shirley in the episode "My British Buddy".
The actor E.V.H Emmett makes six appearances in the first series of Dad's Army in 1968, although we only ever hear his voice. Credited as "The Voice Of…:" Emmett played a similar role four years earlier when he was the narrator in the film Carry On Cleo. Between 1969 and 1972 Larry Martyn guest starred in four episodes playing in no particular order, a soldier, a sailor, an Italian Prisoner of War and the Signals Private. Larry made cameos in two Carry Ons in the 1970s. He was the irate shooting gallery owner in Carry On At Your Convenience in 1971 while four years later he was the clubhouse electrician in Carry On Behind.
Playing a character called Mrs Prentice in a 1972 episode entitled "All is Safely Gathered in" was that familiar face the actress Brenda Cowling. Brenda cropped up in two of the later Carry Ons in small roles. In Carry On Girls she played the Matron of the maternity hospital Mayor Bumble visits to unveil a commemorative plaque. Two years later she returned for an uncredited role as a woman in the audience of the lecture Professor Crump delivers at the start of Carry On Behind. In the episode "Room at the Bottom" in 1969, character actor Anthony Sagar made the first of two appearances in the show. He played Drill Sergeant Gregory before returning the year later to play the Sergeant Major in "Fallen Idol". Sagar made several small appearances in the Carry Ons. In the very first, Carry On Sergeant, he played the Stores Sergeant. In Carry On Nurse he was the First Ambulance Man and in Carry On Constable he was an angry customer. In 1960 he played a Bus Conductor who encounters Kenneth Williams out for walkies with a chimp while Carry On Cruising saw Anthony play a cook opposite Lance Percival. He played a Policeman in Carry On Screaming in 1966 before returning for his final screen credit as a hospital patient bemused by Richard O'Callaghan and Jacki Piper in 1970's Carry On Loving. Sagar apparently filmed scenes as a Heckler in Carry On Henry later that year however the scenes were deleted.
The glamorous Penny Irving played the Chambermaid in the very clever 1975 episode "My Brother and I" which saw Arthur Lowe play the dual role of Captain Mainwaring and his scheming brother Barry. Penny was something of a regular in the works of Perry and Croft - she went on to play Mr Grace's secretary Miss Bakewell in 22 episodes of David Croft's Are You Being Served? between 1976 and 1979 before joining the Perry and Croft holiday camp comedy Hi-de-Hi, playing yellow coat Mary between 1980 and 1981. Penny had, back in 1974, played Lizzy, one of Joan Sims' Birds of Paradise in Carry On Dick. Another glamorous Carry On face to guest star was Sally Douglas. in 1969 she played Blodwen in the episode "War Dance." Sally had by then played a girl at Dirty Dick's in Carry On Jack, an Amazon Guard in Carry On Spying, Antony's Dusky Maiden in Carry On Cleo, Kitikata in Carry On Cowboy and finally, a girl in 1966's Carry On Screaming.
In 1975, the actress Janet Mahoney played a Barmaid in the Dad's Army episode "Ring Dem Bells". Janet had played the supporting role of Gay, girlfriend to Julian Holloway and "flat" mate to Jacki Piper and Imogen Hassall in the 1970 film Carry On Loving. Finally, there was the original big screen film version of Dad's Army, made in 1971. While the vast majority of the original television cast reunited for the film, there was one exception. Janet Davies played Mrs Pike over the course of thirty episodes between 1968 and 1977, however for the film her part was re-cast with familiar Carry On actress Liz Fraser in the part. Apparently this decision was down to the film company and had nothing to do with the cast or crew of the television series. Indeed, many of those involved voiced their criticism at the move, showing loyalty to Davies. Despite this, Liz is of course very good in the film.
I hope you've enjoyed this run through some of the classic Carry On connections with the wonderful comedy series, Dad's Army. I am sure there will be many commemorations to mark this special milestone this summer, so look out for those. And of course, Carry On watching the show both on BBC2 and on GOLD.
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I have recently been enjoying repeats of one of the later Perry and Croft comedy series on GOLD. You Rang M'Lord? was originally broadcast on the BBC in the early 1990s and spanned four series, following a pilot in 1988. Focussing on life above and below stairs in a respectable London house in the 1920s, this was their comedic take on the classic period drama, Upstairs Downstairs.
The series starred several actors who were by then well known for their work with Jimmy Perry and David Croft. Hi-de-Hi stars Paul Shane, Jeffrey Holland and Su Pollard all played key members of the below stairs staff. I remember the series with great fondness, watching it as a child when it was first shown. While not as popular as some of their earlier hits, I think the show has aged rather well. The production values are high, the period is an attractive one and the comedy works on several levels. There is the broad knockabout slapstick we've come to expect, there is a regular suggestion of innuendo and also some more subtle pokes at the class divide and issues from the era. It's still a satisfying watch although I believe when it was first shown, audiences were slightly put off by its longer running time (almost an hour) and some of the main characters being portrayed as not 100% loveable. Paul Shane's head butler is rather a rogue!
Despite this, I maintain a fondness for the series and have fallen in love with it all over again. There are also a number of significant Carry On connections in You Rang M'Lord? so without further ado, let's take a look!
Let's begin with a Carry On connection we can hear but never actually see in You Rang M'Lord? The rather catchy theme tune, written by Jimmy Perry and Roy Moore and performed with an authentic 1920s style orchestra, was sung by none other than Bob Monkhouse. It's only through watching the repeats that I've realised that was Bob although I don't know why I'm surprised as we all know what an endlessly talented man he was. Over thirty years earlier Bob had starred in the very first Carry On, Carry On Sergeant.
Of the main cast, several played notable roles in the Carry On series. Playing the head of the household, Lord Meldrum, was the late actor Donald Hewlett. Donald is probably best remembered today for his role in the Perry and Croft classic It Ain't Half Hot Mum, in which he played Colonel Charles Reynolds. Back in 1975, Donald had appeared in the cameo role of the University Dean in Carry On Behind. He starred in an early scene outside Maidenhead Town Hall with Kenneth Williams and Elke Sommer. Playing Hewlett's love interest in You Rang M'Lord was a lovely actress called Angela Scoular. While Angela never actually appeared in a Carry On, she was married to the legendary star Leslie Phillips from 1982 until her sad death back in 2011.
The wonderful actor Bill Pertwee, probably most famous as ARP Warden Hodges, the thorn in Captain Mainwaring's side in Dad's Army, was a series regular in You Rang M'Lord? Bill played neighbourhood policeman, Wilson. Bill appeared in two Carry On films back in the early 1970s. In 1970 he played the role of the barman who encounters Jacki Piper, Richard O'Callaghan and Sid James in Carry On Loving. Apparently Bill was back at Pinewood the following year to play the owner of The Whippit Inn in Carry On At Your Convenience but his scenes were cut as it was felt the role was too similar to his part in Loving. Despite this Bill did go on to make one more Carry On. In 1973 Bill played the Fire Chief in Carry On Girls in a scene which saw Kenneth Connor's Mayor Bumble lose his trousers!
Another You Rang M'Lord? regular who had a small role in Carry On Girls was the actress Brenda Cowling. Brenda, in something of a homage to Hattie Jacques, played the maternity hospital Matron in Girls. Brenda returned to Pinewood two years later for an uncredited role as a lady in the audience at Professor Crump's (Kenneth Williams) accident prone lecture at the start of Carry On Behind. In You Rang M'Lord? Brenda played the wonderful role of Mrs Lipton, the cook.
You Rang M'Lord? also boasted a fine array of guest actors during its three series run. Two mainstays of the Carry On series guest starred in the series. Appearing in two 1991 episodes as the character of Myrtle was none other than Barbara Windsor. Barbara of course starred in nine Carry On films between 1964 and 1974. The other Carry On legend to pop in for a guest role was the superb Kenneth Connor. Following on from his work as Sammy Morris in Hi-de-Hi, Kenneth was asked to play the role of Professor Heinrich Van Manheim in the 1990 episode "Labour of Love". Kenneth was one of the longest serving Carry On actors, starring in seventeen of the films. He was also one of only three actors to span the entire run of films from 1958 to 1978, the others being Kenneth Williams and Eric Barker.
Playing the part of Perkins in the 1993 episode "Come to the Ball" was reliable character actor Norman Mitchell. Norman had enjoyed a long association with the Carry On films dating back to 1963 when he played a bespectacled businessman in Carry On Cabby. The following year Norman played a Native Policeman in Carry On Spying. Later in 1964 Mitchell played a Heckler in the classic Carry On Cleo. In 1966 Norman played Joan Sims' Cabby in the Hammer Horror pastiche Carry On Screaming. After many years away, Norman rejoined the team for the last of the original run in 1978 film Carry On Emmannuelle, playing a drunken husband.
The wonderfully talented and much-missed Geoffrey Hughes, probably best remembered for his role as bin man Eddie Yeats in Coronation Street and Onslow in Keeping Up Appearances, guest starred as Fred Kendall in You Rang M'Lord. He appeared in the episode "Royal Flush". Twenty years earlier Geoffrey had played the supporting role of factory employee WIllie in Carry On At Your Convenience. Fellow Convenience actor Davy Kaye played King Boris of Dalmatia in the very same episode. As well as playing Sid's bookmaker Benny in Convenience, Davy had also co-starred as the rather enthusiastic undertaker Josh in Carry On Cowboy.
One final Carry On connection before I go and it's not in front of the camera this time. Jeremy Connor, the son of the legendary Kenneth worked on two series of You Rang M'Lord? In 1991 he worked as the Assistant Floor Manager while two years later Jeremy was the show's Production Manager. As well as being Kenneth's son, Jeremy also acted in the Carry On films in his own right. Way back in November 1958 at the age of three Jeremy played Bernie Bishop's son in the closing scenes of Carry On Nurse. Bernie was of course played by Kenneth Connor. Sixteen years later Jeremy returned to the series for a run of three further films. He played a Footpad in the Dick Turpin adventure Carry On Dick in 1974, an accident prone student with an ice cream which ends up in Alexandra Dane's dress (!) in Carry On Behind and finally in 1976, Jeremy was Gunner Hiscocks.
So there you have it, some cracking Carry On connections with a really great, classic British comedy series. So why not check out the reruns of You Rang M'Lord? on GOLD? It's definitely worth a watch!
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He's a man who really needs no introduction. A complete legend in the acting world probably best remembered these days for starring roles in television series such as Doctor Who and Worzel Gummidge. Yes, I'm talking about the late, great Jon Pertwee.
I've always loved Jon's rather unique, eccentric Carry On cameos but until now I've never actually written about them. Jon Pertwee was a perfect fit for the Carry On films. He was larger than life, his performances came bursting out of the screen and really, nobody else could have played his parts quite like he did. Jon appeared in four Carry On films in total, three during the mid 1960s glory days and then a belated return nearly thirty years later, for a quick cough and a spit in Carry On Columbus. We'll gloss over that particular film and I'm sure Jon appeared in that one out of loyalty and friendship.
Back to the glory days though, I think. In the summer of 1964, Jon journeyed to Pinewood Studios for his first ever appearance in a Carry On film and what a film to start on. Carry On Cleo was in production, a very British send up of the very expensive Elizabeth Taylor epic, Cleopatra, which until recently had been filming at Pinewood. Leaving lots of sets behind when they shifted off to Italy, producer Peter Rogers seized on the opportunity to make his own version. It remains a classic of British film comedy over fifty years later and its cast led by Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor and Charles Hawtrey have never been better.
Jon appears later in the film, as an eccentric, rather hairy old Soothsayer who is summoned by Kenneth Williams' Julius Caesar to share some visions of his upcoming assignation with Cleo (played with camp relish by Amanda Barrie). Charles Hawtrey's dirty old sage Seneca leads the Soothsayer into the room and at this point his face is completely covered by his hair. It's a brilliant introduction for Jon and what follows is a classic scene where visions are conjured up, as Kenneth says, always missing out the best bits. I love Jon's character, it's spot on and very Carry On. Falling out of character, he turns all Cockney on us at one point, calling the other characters round him with the cry "well gather round and 'ave a butchers!" Excellent stuff! As an aside, Jon would be reunited with the Carry Ons' very own Queen of the Nile the very next year when he co-starred with Amanda Barrie in the Billy Fury musical comedy film I've Gotta Horse.
Pertwee was back at Pinewood the following year for another period costume epic, Carry On Cowboy. Filming over the summer of 1965, this pretty unique British comedy Western saw most of the regular Carry On cast play very different parts, taking on American accents, riding horses and carrying guns. Crikey. It's probably the first time we actually see proper comedy violence in a Carry On and Sid James clearly relishes his starring role as the menacing Rumpo Kid, who descends on the peace loving Stodge City. Angela Douglas makes her debut in the series as the gun toting Annie Oakley, who arrives in Stodge to settle some old scores, namely to find the man who killed Sheriff Albert Earp, portrayed by none other than Jon Pertwee.
Appearing near the beginning of the film, Earp meets a rather grisly end. Jon excels as the nearly blind, hard of hearing sheriff. Playing some great, farcical scenes with Kenneth Williams as Judge Burke as they bicker and stumble about! Earp more than meets his match when he encounters Sid's Rumpo and it's sadly not long before he is despatched! Another brief role for Jon but as always, he leaves you wanting more!
Jon would return to Pinewood once more to join the Carry On team and in early 1966 he struck gold with what would become yet another classic in the series. The Hammer Horror spoof Carry On Screaming featured a guest starring role for Steptoe and Son star Harry H Corbett who forms a glorious double act with Peter Butterworth as inept policemen searching for the criminal mastermind who is kidnapping young women and vitryfying them into dress shop dummies!
Jon pops up as the police doctor, Dr Fettle, and shares scenes with Corbett and Butterworth before receiving a unwelcome visitor in the form of Dr Watt's monster Oddbod! As Dr Fettle regenerates one of Oddbod's missing fingers, he gets a lot more than he bargains for! I loved Jon's eccentric Scottish doctor and although a comedy, as a child it was actually quite a shock when the gruesome discovery is made! Sadly, after this role in Screaming, Jon went on to other things so there were no more Carry On cameos for him. Of course, within a few years he had taken on the role of Doctor Who, a part which he played for four years.
Jon wasn't the only Pertwee to Carry On. Jon's first cousin Bill Pertwee, best remembered as Hodges, the irritating ARP warden and nemesis to Captain Mainwaring, popped up for two Carry On films. Both small roles, like his cousin, Bill first appeared as a barman who enjoys a quick chat with Jacki Piper and Sid James in Carry On Loving. Three years later he was back for the role of the Fire Chief in Carry On Girls who shares a very funny scene with the Mayor, played by the brilliant Kenneth Connor. Bill did film a small role as the manager of the wonderfully named Whippit Inn for Carry On At Your Convenience in 1971, however, with the film over-running his scenes were sadly cut from the final print.
Fast forward twenty years and Bill's son James Pertwee had a small role as one of the Inquisitor in the very last Carry On, Carry On Columbus, in 1992.
So there are quite a few Pertwee connections with our favourite series of British comedy films. For me though, a Jon Pertwee cameo was always a highlight and something to look forward to.
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