Carrying On with British Pathe - Sid, Babs and Frankie at Christmas!

 

Some more wonderful old British Pathe newsreel footage has appeared on the interweb and I feel that it's my duty to share some of these gems with you! Right up until the mid-1960s, British Pathe presented regular short films and features on a wide range of subjects, promoting businesses, the best of British events and updating cinema-goers on the latest news from both near and far.

A good many of these brilliant shorts featured some very familiar faces from the world of British comedy and in particular, the Carry On films. I have tracked down a fair few and plan to share them in a series of blogs. They present a fantastic glimpse back into possibly simpler times, to a Britain that probably no longer exists and gives a precious, fleeting glance at some of our comedy heroes still on duty but away from the familiarity of Pinewood. 

Today we're going all the way back to Christmas 1963. Apologies for posting Christmas-themed videos in Summer time but I just can't resist them! This gloriously colourful festive film sees Christmas preparations getting under way in London's East End. And there's a fair few comedy heroes involved! In the film below you can spot the likes of Sid James, Barbara Windsor, Frankie Howerd and Davy Kaye. Also look out for Angela Douglas' future husband Kenneth More. 

Enjoy!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Carrying On with British Pathe - Hattie stirs the Christmas Pud!

 

Some more wonderful old British Pathe newsreel footage has appeared on the interweb and I feel that it's my duty to share some of these gems with you! Right up until the mid-1960s, British Pathe presented regular short films and features on a wide range of subjects, promoting businesses, the best of British events and updating cinema-goers on the latest news from both near and far.

A good many of these brilliant shorts featured some very familiar faces from the world of British comedy and in particular, the Carry On films. I have tracked down a fair few and plan to share them in a series of blogs. They present a fantastic glimpse back into possibly simpler times, to a Britain that probably no longer exists and gives a precious, fleeting glance at some of our comedy heroes still on duty but away from the familiarity of Pinewood.

Today we have a great clip from the 1950s showing Hattie Jacques and Harry Secombe getting stuck into a classic comedy routine as they prepare the Christmas pudding! These two old pros don't let their audience down and are obviously having terrific fun! I can only imagine that all this larking about was for a very good cause.

Both Hattie and Harry worked tirelessly for a number of charities over the years and this is just another example of them doing their bit for a good cause. It's lovely to see Hattie out and about away from the confines of Pinewood and having a good time with an old friend.

Carry On Watching!  

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also on Facebook

Carrying On with British Pathe - Film Fanfair with Joan & Shirley

 

 
Some more wonderful old British Pathe newsreel footage has appeared on the interweb and I feel that it's my duty to share some of these gems with you! Right up until the mid-1960s, British Pathe presented regular short films and features on a wide range of subjects, promoting businesses, the best of British events and updating cinema-goers on the latest news from both near and far.

A good many of these brilliant shorts featured some very familiar faces from the world of British comedy and in particular, the Carry On films. I have tracked down a fair few and plan to share them in a series of blogs. They present a fantastic glimpse back into possibly simpler times, to a Britain that probably no longer exists and gives a precious, fleeting glance at some of our comedy heroes still on duty but away from the familiarity of Pinewood. 

Today we're going all the way back to 1956 for a spot of film reviewing! Host Paul Carpenter chairs the Celebrity Film Quiz and there are a few Carry On connections. Look out for a couple of young actresses who would soon go on to become big hits in the team. Already a star name by 1956 was 19 year old Shirley Eaton, who had been making a name for herself since her eye catching appearance in Doctor In The House in 1954. Also joining in the fun is none other thanJoan Sims, two years before making her Carry On debut as Nurse Stella Dawson. Joan was going from film to film at this stage of her career, working alongside the likes of Norman Wisdom, Dirk Bogarde and Sid James in lovely cameos. 

Also look out for PEter Noble, a noted film critic and husband of that wonderful Carry On supporting actress Marianne Stone!

 

You can view the film here 

Enjoy! 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Carrying On with British Pathe - at Noel Coward's birthday party!

 

Some more wonderful old British Pathe newsreel footage has appeared on the interweb and I feel that it's my duty to share some of these gems with you! Right up until the mid-1960s, British Pathe presented regular short films and features on a wide range of subjects, promoting businesses, the best of British events and updating cinema-goers on the latest news from both near and far.

A good many of these brilliant shorts featured some very familiar faces from the world of British comedy and in particular, the Carry On films. I have tracked down a fair few and plan to share them in a series of blogs. They present a fantastic glimpse back into possibly simpler times, to a Britain that probably no longer exists and gives a precious, fleeting glance at some of our comedy heroes still on duty but away from the familiarity of Pinewood. 

Today we're going back to 1969 for a very glamorous event at the Savoy in Central London. One of the most legendary theatrical Knights was celebrating his 70th birthday and a host of famous names from the world of entertainment were there with him. While it's fascinating to glimpse the likes of Joyce Grenfell, Stanley Holloway (father of Julian) and Margaret Rutherford, there are a couple of Carry On faces in there too. Look out for the lovely Angela Douglas, fresh from starring in four Carry Ons, attending the party with her husband, the actor Kenneth More. Also watch out for the wonderful Frankie Howerd too. What a do!

Enjoy!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Carrying On with British Pathe - Barbara Windsor

 

Some more wonderful old British Pathe newsreel footage has appeared on the interweb and I feel that it's my duty to share some of these gems with you! Right up until the mid-1960s, British Pathe presented regular short films and features on a wide range of subjects, promoting businesses, the best of British events and updating cinema-goers on the latest news from both near and far.

A good many of these brilliant shorts featured some very familiar faces from the world of British comedy and in particular, the Carry On films. I have tracked down a fair few and plan to share them in a series of blogs. They present a fantastic glimpse back into possibly simpler times, to a Britain that probably no longer exists and gives a precious, fleeting glance at some of our comedy heroes still on duty but away from the familiarity of Pinewood. 

Today we're going all the way back to Christmas 1963. The year before Barbara Windsor became a Carry On star through her role as Daphne Honeybutt in Carry On Spying, Babs was promoting another film, Crooks in Cloisters. Windsor was already a rising star by '63, working alongside theatrical legend Joan Littlewood and appearing in the television sitcom, The Rag Trade. The film below sees Barbara doing a bit of publicity for Pathe as she lights up their building in Wardour Street in London's Soho.

Enjoy!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Carrying On with British Pathe - at Tommy Steele's Wedding!

 

Some more wonderful old British Pathe newsreel footage has appeared on the interweb and I feel that it's my duty to share some of these gems with you! Right up until the mid-1960s, British Pathe presented regular short films and features on a wide range of subjects, promoting businesses, the best of British events and updating cinema-goers on the latest news from both near and far.

A good many of these brilliant shorts featured some very familiar faces from the world of British comedy and in particular, the Carry On films. I have tracked down a fair few and plan to share them in a series of blogs. They present a fantastic glimpse back into possibly simpler times, to a Britain that probably no longer exists and gives a precious, fleeting glance at some of our comedy heroes still on duty but away from the familiarity of Pinewood. 

Today we're going back to all the way to 1960 and to relive one of the biggest celebrity weddings of the year. Singer and actor Tommy Steele married his wife Ann that year at St Peter's Church in Soho Square, London. And there were plenty of famous faces amongst the wedding party! Look out for Carry On leading man Sid James with his wife Valerie. By 1960 Sid was a massive star thanks to his association with Tony Hancock. When this wedding took place Sid had just starred in his first Carry On, Constable. Also in attendance is the lovely Hattie Jacques, together with her then husband John Le Mesurier. 

When your wedding guest list includes Sid, Hattie, Eric Sykes and Jimmy Edwards, you must be doing something right! 

Enjoy!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Carrying On with British Pathe - Peter Butterworth

 

Some more wonderful old British Pathe newsreel footage has appeared on the interweb and I feel that it's my duty to share some of these gems with you! Right up until the mid-1960s, British Pathe presented regular short films and features on a wide range of subjects, promoting businesses, the best of British events and updating cinema-goers on the latest news from both near and far.

A good many of these brilliant shorts featured some very familiar faces from the world of British comedy and in particular, the Carry On films. I have tracked down a fair few and plan to share them in a series of blogs. They present a fantastic glimpse back into possibly simpler times, to a Britain that probably no longer exists and gives a precious, fleeting glance at some of our comedy heroes still on duty but away from the familiarity of Pinewood.

First up today is the brilliant Peter Butterworth. This film was shot a couple of years before Peter officially joined the Carry On team, however he was already a familiar face from countless film and stage appearances, not to mention his role as a children's entertainer on television. Here he is at one of his favourite hostelries, The Trout Inn in Oxfordshire, accompanied by another comedian, Harry Worth.

Enjoy!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

These Stars Make News!

I love the old British Pathe news reels they used to show in cinemas before the main feature. They often show a Britain that quite simply doesn't exist any more. They are generally pretty charming time pieces and this one is no different.

For some reason or another, lots of stars of British film were gathering at a fair ground. Of course this brought lots of opportunities for autograph hunters and cheesy comments from the voiceover man. It's all glorious stuff. We get glimpses of the stars at play, from David Jacobs and Kenneth More to Irene Handl and Jack Hawkins. 

Of course there has to be a Carry On connection for this film to feature on the blog. We get cherished film of the late great Charles Hawtrey arriving with what looks to be his mother. The film is from 1962 so I'm not sure if his mother was still alive? We also get some joyous shots of the wonderful Sid James cavorting about on the boating lake with a beauty queen. Ah, those were the days!

You can view the short film here:

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

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