As I blogged the other day, I've been watching a good deal of Perry and Croft's back catalogue of situation comedy gems lately. As well as the tried and trusted Dad's Army I've been getting to know You Rang M'Lord? all over again. That latter hit, set in the 1920s but shown in the early 1990s, have actress Brenda Cowling her biggest and best remembered role. As the cook Mrs Blanche Lipton, Brenda Cowling was perfectly cast in that period comedy. Jimmy Perry, who knew Brenda well, was quoted as saying Cowling "looked like a cook, spoke like a cook and walked like a cook." And she did. The ensemble cast for You Rang M'Lord? included many recognisable faces from previous Perry and Croft works - Paul Shane, Su Pollard, Jeffrey Holland, Bill Pertwee, Frank Williams and Michael Knowles to name but a few. After a career spanning forty years, Cowling had at last grabbed a starring role and over the course of four series between 1990 and 1993, was regularly seen by audiences of 12 million viewers.
By the time Brenda had made You Rang M'Lord? she had become something of a staple in Perry and Croft productions. In 1972 she had appeared as Mrs Prentice in the Dad's Army episode "All is Safely Gathered in". She was a WVS member in It Ain't Half Hot Mum in 1981, she played three different roles in Hi-de-Hi between 1984 and 1988 and even turned up as a customer in Are You Being Served? in an episode entitled "The Erotic Dreams of Mrs Slocombe." Moving on… The loyalty demonstrated here by Jimmy Perry in particular is not surprising when you learn that Perry and Cowling were at RADA together for two years from 1948 until 1950. The friendship lasted, endured and led to a fruitful working relationship spanning many, many years. Of course Brenda also had a minor Carry On connection, appearing albeit briefly in two series entries. First of all in 1973 she paid homage to the absent Hattie Jacques when she played the hospital Matron in Carry On Girls. Two years later she had an uncredited role as a woman in the audience of Dr Crump's accident prone lecture in Carry On Behind. These appearances were both fleeting, like many in Brenda's long career, however she was always instantly recognisable.
Brenda Rose Cowling was born in Islington, London, on 23 April 1925, pretty much 93 years ago at the time of writing. Brenda was convent educated and on leaving St Monica's in Palmers Green she worked as a secretary to a stockbroker in the city. However the spark of interest in the theatre had been lit and Brenda spent a great deal of her spare time acting with the Intimate Theatre amateur group in Palmers Green. As I've already mentioned, she did go on to attend RADA, winning a scholarship which would see her in the same year as not only Jimmy Perry but also Lionel Jeffries and Warren Mitchell. While still at RADA she made her film debut. Although uncredited, it was a momentous event as the film was Stage Fright, directed by none other than Alfred Hitchcock. Concentrating on repertory theatre in the early days of her career, by the late 1950s Brenda had started to appear more frequently on television and in film. Much like Marianne Stone, while many of her roles were small, Brenda always managed to make an impression as is seen by her impressive CV which boasts nearly 150 screen credits. Fellow RADA classmate Lionel Jeffries remembered Brenda when he was casting his film The Railway Children in 1970. He cast her as the housekeeper Mrs Viney. Soon after Cowling also appeared as Mrs Duffy, the briefly seen mother of main character Eric (Peter Cleall) in the big screen version of the ITV comedy series Please Sir! Other films included Terry Gilliam's Jabberwocky in 1977 in which she played Mrs Fishfinger; Pink Floyd's The Wall in 1982 which saw her cast as a Teacher and even a James Bond outing. In 1983 she played a German lady (alongside fellow Carry On alumni Gertan Klauber) in the Roger Moore film Octopussy.
It was really the small screen which suited Brenda best. While known for comedy parts, she did sometimes take roles in straight dramas. In the late 1960s and early 1970s she had two bigger than average assignments. In 1967 she played Miss Perren in The Forsyte Saga and in 1974 she took on the role of landlady Mrs Bunce in The Pallisters. Brenda also appeared in the likes of Follyfoot, Miss Marple (with Joan Hickson), The Famous Five, Romany Jones, The Bill and Casualty. Brenda will also be remembered for playing the bossy hospital sister in the classic Fawlty Towers episode, "The Germans". She also had a regular role in the comedy series Potter, starring as Jane in eighteen episodes between 1979 and 1983. The star of the original series was Arthur Lowe, who was replaced following his death in the early 1980s. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Brenda continued to work right up to and into old age. In 2004 alone she amassed seven credits on television including episodes of the daytime soap opera Doctors, the drama Jonathan Creek, Holby City and six episodes of French and Saunders. Sadly Brenda suffered a stroke two years later in 2006 and decided to retire from the acting profession. She moved to the actors' home Denville Hall where she lived until her death, at the age of 85, in 2010. Brenda never married but clearly loved to work, loved acting and was popular with her many co-stars over the years.
Before I wrote this piece I read Brenda Cowling's obituary in the Guardian. Published on 11 November 2010, the week after her death, there is a lovely follow up to the article from a reader. A letter dated 24 November recalls a meeting with Brenda on a Nile cruise in the early 1990s. According to the author, although Ms Cowling was travelling alone, she proved to be the life and soul of the party every night, sharing stories from her long acting career. "A lovely, kind companion…she was a warm and very jolly person." What a smashing way to be remembered I say. Bless your heart, Brenda. You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram
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! You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoanand on Instagram
Here
we go with a brand new series of blogs looking at some of the cream of
British comedy film making from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Although this
blog is all about the Carry Ons, believe it or not, there were some
other joyous comedy films made away from Peter Rogers Productions.
However, given the quality of the actors Peter employed to make his
series, it's no wonder that most of them popped up elsewhere.
So far I've looked at the wonderful 1959 crime caper Too Many Crooksand the 1954 domestic comedy starring Dirk Bogarde, For Better For Worse Today we're moving away from the 1950s to cover another classic British comedy film, this time from 1971. The hit school-based sitcom Please Sir! had been running very successfully on the small screen since 1968. This being the era of the big screen spin off, it was only a matter of time before Please Sir! made its way to the cinema.
Who's in it?
Please Sir! stars John Alderton as teacher Bernard Hedges and features a supporting cast of Noel Howlett, Joan Sanderson, Erik Chitty, Richard Davies, Peter Cleall and David Barry.
Carry On Faces?
Deryck Guyler reprises his role as the janitor Potter. He appeared in a cameo role in Carry On Doctor as well as featured roles in Nurse On Wheels and The Big Job. Carol Hawkins grabs her first starring role in a film here as Sharon, going on to enliven Carry On Abroad, Behind and two episodes of Carry On Laughing. Patsy Rowlands, already part of the Carry On team by this stage, plays domestic science teacher Angela Cutforth. There are also cameos from Jack Smethurst (who played a recruit in Carry On Sergeant) and Brenda Cowling (Carry On Girls and Behind).
What's it about?
The film expands on the same themes from the television series. A bunch of overgrown, unruly inner city London school children battling through life with the help of their green around the gills teacher, Hedges. Bernard Hedges continues to battle against the strict authority of Miss Ewell (brilliantly played by the peerless Joan Sanderson). The film takes the established characters out of their usual classroom based surroundings at Fenn Street as the cast goes on an outward bound week where they clash with rival schools and cause all sorts of havoc. The outward bound location looks very much like Black Park, next to Pinewood Studios ;) The film also introduces Bernard's future wife Penny (Jill Kerman, who would go on to play Maggie, the florist who came between Ken and Mike in Coronation Street) while he bats off the advances of a very eager Miss Cutforth -Patsy Rowlands on terrific form. The film is harmless early 70s fluff, entirely good natured and suitable for all.
Best Bit?
For me the highlight of the film is the unrequited love Patsy Rowlands' character has for Hedges. It runs throughout the film and it's deftly, affectionately played comedy brought to life by two great actors in Rowlands and Alderton. Sadly Patsy wasn't a regular in the television series as I'm sure she would have added a great deal! It's also good to see Patsy given more to do in a film - at the time her roles in the Carry Ons were very uneven and often reduced to a maddeningly small amount of screen time. In Please Sir!, Patsy is a joy.
Did you know?
Carol Hawkins replaced Penny Spencer who had played the character of Sharon in the original television series. After her breakthrough role in this film, Carol would play Sharon again in the Please Sir! spin off The Fenn Street Gang, which followed the antics of the Fenn Street pupils in the world after school. It ran until 1973.
Also, watch out for a very brief appearance from future EastEnders actor Todd Carty as a young school boy who has a bit of an accident in the assembly at the very start of the film!
The film also boasts a very catchy theme tune, very much of its time:
There are probably only two film franchises that truly capitalise on what it means to be British. Both involved recurring actors and similar themes. Both were filmed at Pinewood Studios. And there the similarities tend to end. The Carry Ons and the James Bond films are so far apart in terms of style, content and budget that it is hard to believe they were produced in the same studios at the same time. Both franchises were highly successful though and mainly during a time when the British film industry was in crisis. The two series also occasionally used the same actors or crew. Here is a quick run down of when James Bond carried on (and no I don't mean the innuendo-encrusted Roger Moore era).
Probably the most famous link to the Carry Ons is Shirley Eaton. The original Carry On girl, who starred in early hits Carry On Sergeant and Carry On Nurse (as well as a cameo in Constable), played Jill Masterson in the 1964 epic Goldfinger. Appearing in the early part of the film, Shirley shared several scenes with the hero of the piece, Sean Connery, before meeting her untimely end after crossing Goldfinger himself. The iconic image of Eaton covered in gold paint lives long in the memory.
Shirley was not the only Carry On actress to be painted gold for that film. Model turned actress Margaret Nolan appeared in the stylish title sequence for the film, also sprayed gold. Margaret also grabbed an early acting role as Dink, again opposite Sean Connery in the same film. This was the year before her Carry On debut as Miss Jones in Carry On Cowboy. Nolan would go on to make five further Carry Ons - Henry, Convenience, Matron, Girls and Dick.
Another well-known Carry On face has made appearances in two James Bond films - one officially part of the series and one, a little more controversially, produced away from the traditional base at Pinewood. Valerie Leon made her Bond debut in the classic Roger Moore film The Spy Who Loved Me in 1977 with a few short scenes as a rather glamorous hotel receptionist. Six years later she appeared as the Lady in the Bahamas in the film Never Say Never Again, this time opposite Sean Connery, reprising his role as Bond after a twelve year absence. Valerie had by then appeared in six Carry Ons - Khyber, Camping, Again Doctor, Jungle, Matron and Girls. Leon also holds the rare distinction of appearing in all three cult British film series, with roles in not just the Carry Ons and Bond but also the Hammer Horror films.
This honour is shared with another actress from the same era, the very glamorous Madeline Smith. Smith had a cameo role as Mrs Pullitt in the last medical Carry On, Carry On Matron, made in 1971. So successful was Madeline in the role that the Carry On producers asked her back for a bigger part in the next film, Abroad. Sadly Madeline was busy and the role went to Sally Geeson. Madeline went on to appear as Miss Caruso, a young lady who appears in the opening scenes of Roger Moore's first outing as James Bond, Live and Let Die, in 1973.
Another major link with the Carry Ons actually took place behind the camera. Legendary cinematographer Alan Hume worked on countless Carry On pictures during his long career in the film industry. Although he was in great demand for many big budget films, he always made time for six weeks of constant giggling with Sid, Joan and the gang at Pinewood. Alan went on to work as Director of Photography on three 1980s Bond films, all starring Roger Moore. Alan worked on For Your Eyes Only in 1981, Octopussy in 1983 and finally A View To A Kill in 1985.
Another behind the scenes presence was the actress Nikki Van der Zyl. Nikki had the small role of the messenger in the 1966 Carry On classic, Don't Lose Your Head. She is the actress who runs up to the guillotine and drops the message in the basket for Charles Hawtrey to read later...Nikki spent most of her career as a voice over artist. Her vocal talents can be heard in nine of the James Bond films, beginning with Dr No in 1962 and ending with Moonraker in 1979. Apparently Van der Zyl also worked as a vocal coach to German actor Gert Frobe, who famously played Goldfinger in 1964.
One final behind the scenes Carry On link, although technically he was seen on screen. Stunt man Nick Hobbs, still active in the profession, made several appearances in the Bond franchise, beginning with 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me and ending with Tomorrow Never Dies in 1997. Early on in his career as a stunt man, Hobbs appeared in Carry On Girls, believe it or not, as stunt rider for Barbara Windsor in her role as Hope Springs! Although Barbara is seen riding the motorcycle (rather nervously) with Sid in the closing credits, the scene when Hope rides away from the pier was actually done using Nick Hobbs. Now there's a claim to fame!
Keep your eyes peeled for three other blink and you'll miss 'em Carry On Bond cameos. In 1963, Francis de Wolff played Vavra in the gypsy fight scenes in one of my all time favourite Bond films, From Russia with Love. The following year he filmed a cameo role as Agrippa in the wonderful Carry On Cleo. And in 1983, two small part Carry On players turned up rather unexpectedly in the Roger Moore Bond film Octopussy. Brenda Cowling and Gertan Klauber played two rather talkative Germans who give James Bond a lift! Brenda of course played Matron in the maternity hospital sequence in Carry On Girls, returning for an uncredited appearance in the audience of Professor Crump's lecture in Carry On Behind. Gertan Klauber meanwhile popped up in several Carry Ons - Spying, Cleo, Follow That Camel, Doctor, Henry, Abroad and Emmannuelle. He would return to James Bond with an uncredited role as a fairground cafe owner in 1987's The Living Daylights. He was also married to fellow Carry On actor Gwendolyn Watts.
Does the name Eva Reuber-Staier mean anything to you?The Austrian born model and actress played Rublevitch in three Rorger Moore James Bond films - The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy. Nearly a decade before her last Bond appearance, Eva had played one of the Birds of Paradise in Joan Sims' troupe who entertained the punters at the Old Cock Inn in Carry On Dick! Finally, two very small but worthwhile Bond / Carry On links. The actor Michael Medwin, still going strong at nearly 93, played a doctor in the unofficial Bond picture Never Say Never Again in 1983. Over twenty years before this, Medwin had the cameo role as Ginger opposite Kenneth Connor and Norman Rossington in the second Carry On film, Nurse, released in 1959. And before I go, I must mention the wonderful Janet Brown. The famed Mrs Thatcher impressionist played the Iron Lady in the comic scenes at the end of the 1981 film For Your Eyes Only. Janet was of course married to the Carry On legend Peter Butterworth.
So there are a fair few Carry On connections in the world of James Bond. Have I missed any out? Do get in touch if you can think of any others!
