What A Carry On this Saturday!

This Easter weekend sees ITV3 once again roll out several classic Carry On films for your viewing pleasure. In what has become a bit of a tradition on the ITV station, any bank holiday weekend seems the right time to trot out some tried and trusted Pinewood favourites and why not?

Over the course of Saturday, Sunday and Monday, ITV3 will be showing a range of wonderful Carry On films, so stay tuned to the blog for the low down on which films will be showing and when.


12.20 - Carry On Cruising (1962)

The weekend begins with the very first colour Carry On and it's all fairly innocent by today's standards! The last film in the series to be written by Norman Hudis, Cruising follows the chaotic happenings of a new crew on a luxury cruise ship, without actually leaving Pinewood Studios. The first of the films to feature less than the standard cosy main cast list which had been assembled during the black and white era, the mainstays appearing are Sid James, Kenneth Williams and Kenneth Connor. While the film misses the likes of Hattie Jacques, Charles Hawtrey and Joan Sims, there is still much fun to be had from the likes of Liz Fraser, Dilys Laye and the ever excellent Esma Cannon.

Further Reading: Carry On Blogging: In Praise of Carry On Cruising

14.05 - Carry On Up The Khyber (1968)

Carry On Up the Khyber is a British comedy and the sixteenth in the series to be made, released in 1968. It stars Carry On regulars Sid James, Joan Sims, Kenneth Williams, Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth and Charles Hawtrey. Roy Castle makes his only Carry On appearance in the romantic male lead part usually played by Jim Dale. Terry Scott returned to the series after his minor role in the first film of the series, Carry On Sergeant a decade earlier. The film is, in part, a spoof movies and television series about life in the British Raj both contemporary and from earlier, Hollywood, periods. 

Further reading:  Carry On Blogging: Joan Carries On as Lady Ruff-Diamond



15.55 -  Carry On Forever Documentary - all three parts (2015)

A real treat to end the day. I loved this three part documentary first broadcast on ITV3 two years ago. Narrated by Martin Clunes, it tells the story of our favourite series of comedy films from the very beginning, going through the series in chronological order (although missing out the likes of Again Doctor and Behind for some reason!) There are plenty of wonderful interviewees including Liz Fraser, Amanda Barrie, Sally Geeson, June Whitfield, Fenella Fielding, Patrick Mower, Margaret Nolan and Rosalind Knight. My two favourite sequences see Carry On Jack stars Juliet Mills and Bernard Cribbins reunite for the first time since they made the film in 1963 and contributions from the sons of Peter Butterworth, Kenneth Connor and Bernard Bresslaw. If you've not seen it before, do not miss this and I think it's always worth another viewing even if you saw it first time round.

Further reading: Carry On Blogging: My Verdict on Carry on Forever


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Carrying On this Boxing Day on ITV3!

If you've been following the blog over the past few days you'll know I've been blogging details of when Carry Ons are appearing in the Christmas television schedules and fortunately this year there's plenty to view! I've already blogged about the Carry On films on ITV3 on Christmas Day and the Anglo-Amalgamated Carry Ons on Channel 4 next week and now it's over to Boxing Day back on ITV3. 

Here's the schedule: 

9.30am - Carry On At Your Convenience (1971)

The first Carry On to fail at the box office, this one is now hailed as a classic of its kind. Tackling the thorny issue of trade unions put off the films' core audience when the film was released but Convenience is arguably the purest Carry On of them all. A wonderful prime cast of favourites headed by Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw, Hattie Jacques and Charles Hawtrey and a bigger than usual supporting turn from fan favourite Patsy Rowlands make this toilet factory farce hard to resist! Throw in a memorable trip to Brighton and you're all set for a joyous lesson in labour relations!

Further reading: Carry On Blogging: My Top Ten Carry Ons: Convenience
Carry On Blogging: Why Was Convenience Such a Flop? 
Carry On Blogging: My Favourite Scene in Convenience 

11.25am - Carry On Matron (1972)

The next film in the series, made in the Autumn of '71 and released the following year, Matron was the ultimate tribute to Hattie Jacques' legendary Carry On character and the last medical film in the run. This maternity hospital comedy is a trip down the oh so familiar wards one last time coupled with a bit of a Carry On tribute to the wonderful 1950s crime caper, Too Many Crooks. Sid James and his gang (Kenneth Cope, Bernard Bresslaw and Bill Maynard) are intent on stealing birth control pills from a hospital staffed by Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Williams, Terry Scott and Charles Hawtrey. What could go wrong?

Further reading: Carry On Blogging: Hattie Carries on as Matron (Again!)
Carry On Blogging: Joan Carries On as Mrs Tidey 

13.15pm - Carry On Abroad (1972)

Continuing on in chronological order is this classic, one of my all time favourites and a film many would argue is the last truly great Carry On in the series. The gang take on the fashionable 70s trend for foreign package holidays and there is much rich comedy and farcical situations to be found in sending the great bunch of British eccentrics ever to take to the silver screen! Sid James and Joan Sims are the best pub landlords in comedy film history and Kenneth Williams excels as a rather posh, frustrated package holiday tour guide. A lovely supporting cast includes Bernard Bresslaw, June Whitfield, Kenneth Connor, Carol Hawkins, Jimmy Logan and Gail Grainger while Peter Butterworth and Hattie Jacques are the best as the Spanish hosts! Sadly this film also marked Charles Hawtrey's last Carry On and indeed his last ever film role.

Further reading: Carry On Blogging Interview: Sally Geeson 
Carry On Blogging: Whatever Happened to Gail Grainger? 
Carry On Blogging: My Top Ten Carry Ons - Carry On Abroad 
 

15.05pm - Carry On Girls (1973)

So bad it's almost brilliant, this has beauty contest comedy has never been one of my favourites and is the first Carry On not to feature either Kenneth Williams or Charles Hawtrey. Sid James plays a rather dubious local councillor who attempts to cheer up his dreary seaside town with a controversial beauty contest. High spots for me are Kenneth Connor's deliciously pitiful little man Mayor and his gloriously awful, put upon wife played by the always good value Patsy Rowlands. Joan Hickson also puts in a gem of a supporting role as Mrs Dukes, despite limited screen time and I can't go any further without mentioning June Whitfield as the superbly named feminist Augusta Prodworthy! However Joan Sims is given a woefully underwritten role and turns up for a middle aged nag-a-thon while there is far too much Barbara Windsor and Jack Douglas for my liking.

Further reading: Carry On Blogging: Whatever Happened to the Carry On Girls?
Carry On Blogging: Barbara Carries On as Hope Springs
Carry On Blogging Interview: Robin Askwith Part 1 and Part 2

16.55pm -  Carry On Forever Documentary - all three parts (2015)

A real treat to end the day. I loved this three part documentary first broadcast on ITV3 two years ago. Narrated by Martin Clunes, it tells the story of our favourite series of comedy films from the very beginning, going through the series in chronological order (although missing out the likes of Again Doctor and Behind for some reason!) There are plenty of wonderful interviewees including Liz Fraser, Amanda Barrie, Sally Geeson, June Whitfield, Fenella Fielding, Patrick Mower, Margaret Nolan and Rosalind Knight. My two favourite sequences see Carry On Jack stars Juliet Mills and Bernard Cribbins reunite for the first time since they made the film in 1963 and contributions from the sons of Peter Butterworth, Kenneth Connor and Bernard Bresslaw. If you've not seen it before, do not miss this and I think it's always worth another viewing even if you saw it first time round.

Further reading: Carry On Blogging: My Verdict on Carry on Forever


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

Please Broadcast Bless This House ITV3!

 

I don't often get on my soap box but I really do think ITV3 are missing a trick here. I have come to love this ITV station for showing some classic British comedy. Of course ITV3 also gave us the wonderful Carry On Forever series last year which brought back together some familiar Carry On stars and breathed fresh life into many classic tales.

ITV3 frequently repeats many wonderful old shows but there is one in particular that hasn't seen the light of day in quite some time. I remember about twenty years ago the now defunct Granada Plus used to show the great Bless This House every morning before I went to school. It was my first introduction to this giant of the domestic sitcom and showed Sid James in a completely new light. Sadly, although the series has been made available on DVD, I don't believe it has been repeated since (I may be wrong on this, so if I am, I stand corrected!)

 

I know there are often complex reasons for not repeating old shows. For a start, television companies are constantly pilloried for the volume of repeats they broadcast instead of new material. There is also the issue of us all having moved a great deal since these shows were first aired. Society has, in some cases, thankfully moved on since the 1970s and certain content may not be totally palatable now. There are many shows that simply couldn't be repeated now and that's mainly due to changing times. Viewing some of these programmes with a modern eye may be unavoidable but sometimes not helpful. However the likes of George and Mildred, Dad's Army and Man About The House are shown again and again but no sign of the domestic life of one Sidney Abbott. 

So why do I think Bless This House deserves another viewing? Well, first of all there is undoubtedly a huge market for nostalgia. There's a reason why the BBC constantly repeat Dad's Army on a Saturday evening on BBC2. It's because people from all generations love it and watch. Also, I do believe Bless This House is probably the finest, purest example of a domestic sitcom we have ever produced. Thirdly, just look at the cast. You can never see enough of Sid, Diana Coupland, Patsy Rowlands et al as far as I'm concerned. 

 

I think the star quality of Sid James gives Bless This House currency, even in 2016. He is still such a recognisable figure - nearly everyone around today would still know Sid James. I think his role as Sidney Abbott is also one of his best performances. Sid is completely relaxed in the part, works well with his supporting cast and while there are occasional glimpses of his Carry On or Hancock persona, I think this role is the closest we ever got to the real Sid, the family man, in performance. It's a joy.

Thames Television produced 65 episodes of this classic series, over six series between 1971 and 1976. Sadly the original run was only brought to an end in '76 because of Sid's untimely demise on stage in Sunderland. And don't forget it also spawned a rather wonderful, very seventies sitcom spinoff film version, produced by the Carry On powerhouse of Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas and bringing together sitcom royalty including June Whitfield, Terry Scott, Peter Butterworth and Carol Hawkins.

So come on ITV3, don't let us down! It's time to go into the archives, dust off those old spools of film and treat both old and new generations of viewers to some prime comedy and classic Sidney James.

 

You can read more on my love of Bless This House here

And you can read more about the film version here 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

The Original Carry On Forever on BBC iPlayer

The original Carry On Forever documentary is now available to view on the BBC iPlayer. The short film was produced for the BBC Film Night programme and went behind the scenes of the latest Carry On film, Up The Jungle.

As well as some priceless behind the scenes footage of making a Carry On, the programme features tongue in cheek interviews with the stars of the film, Sidney James, Terry Scott, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor, Frankie Howerd, Bernard Bresslaw and newcomer Jacki Piper. The film's director, the legendary Gerald Thomas, is also interviewed and talks about the ongoing success of the film series. 

It's an interesting and very rare chance to see some of our favourite Carry On stars at work and at play. You can view it here 

Here's hoping the ITV documentary of the same name from earlier this year will soon be made available on DVD!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Clicking on the adverts helps to keep this blog going.

Whatever Happened To ... Julian Holloway?

I have been running a series of blogs which take a look at some of the lesser known actors involved with the Carry On films over the years. Their faces are often instantly recognisable but we seldom know a great deal about them or their careers. While they were never part of the main Carry On team, their contributions to the series should never be underestimated.

So far I have written about Gail Grainger, Esma Cannon, Carol Hawkins, Marianne Stone, June Jago, Judith Furse, Peter Gilmore and Michael Nightingale. Today I'm going to look back at the career of that marvellous cheeky chappie, Julian Holloway.

Julian Holloway is a familiar face to many Carry On fans. It was great to see him take part in the recent Carry On Forever documentary but as far as I can remember that is the first time he's really been interviewed about his time working on the Carry Ons. While he very nearly made it to full Carry On star status, most of his appearances are in supporting roles. I think it was a missed opportunity not to elevate Julian to a main team member following Jim Dale's departure. He was great in each of his eight Carry On roles.

Julian first appeared in Follow That Camel in 1967, playing a cheeky ticket collector who offered to punch Angela Douglas' ticket! Later that year he was back for a brief bit of fun and games with Frankie Howerd and Valerie Van Ost in Carry On Doctor. This was followed up with a further two appearances in 1968, both much more substantial. First of all he played Major Shorthouse in Up The Khyber, sharing many enjoyable scenes with Sid James. He returned in the Autumn of '68 for another bigger role as coach driver Jim Tanner. This was obviously a role meant for Jim Dale. Sadly, although he shared some effective scenes with Kenneth Williams and Barbara Windsor, the role was greatly reduced and a planned on-screen romance with Trisha Noble's character was unexpectedly scrapped.

Julian next appeared in Carry On Loving in 1970. He played Adrian, a lusty and slightly pervy fashion photographer who popped up throughout the film working mainly with the likes of Janet Mahoney, Jacki Piper and Imogen Hassall. Later in 1970 he was back for a supporting role as Sir Thomas in Carry On Henry. In 1971 he appeared in an uncredited cameo as Roger in At Your Convenience, sharing a memorable scene at The Whippit Inn with Richard O'Callaghan and Jacki Piper. Julian then had quite a long gap before rejoining the gang in 1976, with a cameo role as the medical officer in Carry On England. And sadly that was his last part in the Carry Ons.

So what else did Julian get up to in his career? During a career dating back to the early 1960s, Julian has appeared in a wide range of films such as A Hard Day's Night (1964), Scream and Scream Again and Ryan's Daughter (both 1970), Young Winston (1972) and Porridge (1979). On the small screen Julian cropped up in a lot of very popular telly during the 60s and 70s, including Elizabeth R (1971), Rebecca (1979), The Professionals (1978), The Sweeney (1976), Minder (1982) and Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads. Thankfully Julian is still acting today, most recently appearing in American television series such as Regular Show and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Julian has been based over in California for many years, forging a successful career as a voiceover artist. 

Julian Holloway was born in Oxfordshire in June 1944. His father was the famous actor Stanley Holloway, his mother Violet Lane. In the 1970s he had a relationship with Tessa Dahl, daughter of the author Roald Dahl. This relationship produced a daughter, the author and former model, Sophie Dahl. Julian married the late actress Zena Walker during the 1980s but the marriage ended in divorce. He married again, to the actress Debbie Wheeler in the 1990s.

It was great to see Julian again in Carry On Forever. He shared some affectionate memories of his time at Pinewood with the Carry On gang and he still had that cheeky twinkle in his eye. It's a shame he didn't graduate to bigger roles in the series as he was definitely a good fit. If you know any more about the life and career of Julian Holloway, do get in touch!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Clicking on the adverts helps to keep this blog going

Pinewood: 80 Years of Movie Magic

This has just flashed up on my television screen and it was too good not to share. Next Saturday, as part of a series looking at British cinema, Jonathan Ross is going behind the scenes as Pinewood Studios celebrates 80 years of film making.

The BBC Media Centre Website has released the following information on what to expect:

In 1935 the original British movie maverick, flour magnate J. Arthur Rank, began work on his greatest dream: a British film studio that would be the best in the world. Eighty years on, Pinewood Studios has become one of the most famous in cinema, the beating heart of the UK’s film industry and an artery that runs through the story of British film heritage.

At the heart of the programme is Jonathan Ross’s exploration of this iconic studio. He tells the story behind some of Britain’s greatest film moments and reveals the magic behind the movies in some special sequences: he even gets behind the wheel himself to attempt an audacious car stunt, learns how to choreograph a musical sequence from The Muppets Most Wanted, before staging an ambitious underwater action sequence in the fabled underwater stage complete with burning wreckage and a damsel in distress! Jonathan will also encounter the ‘Pinewood people’, who have worked there past and present and the stars who helped make Pinewood great.

Barbara Windsor will take Jonathan on a golf buggy tour of the back lots to discover what it was like making classic comedy at Pinewood. Together they explore the exact sites where Barbara did some vigorous exercises for Carry On Camping and see how Heatherden Hall was transformed to a British Raj villa for Carry On Up The Khyber.

Inside the grand Hall itself Dame Joan Collins will reveal the secrets of J Arthur Rank’s determination to discover and nurture young stars as she returns to the very room where legendary publicity photographer Cornel Lucas spent weeks creating her iconic brand.

Jonathan will watch a special screening of Sir John Mills in Great Expectations with none other than his daughter Hayley Mills, who followed in her father’s footstep and began her own acting career as a child at Pinewood in films such as Whistle Down The Wind.

Sounds great, doesn't it? Any excuse to wallow in a bit of British film nostalgia is alright by me. I have always loved Pinewood and hope that some day someone will let me inside for a nosey! Thank goodness the Carry Ons are getting a mention, I'd be shocked and horrified if they had been left out.

One think strikes me as odd though. How come Barbara was willing to be involved in this programme, going back to the site where she famously lost her bikini in Carry On Camping, but decided not to take part in the recent (and wonderful) Carry On Forever documentary over on ITV3? 

Anyway, never mind that. It sounds like an excellent programme and one definitely not to be missed.

Pinewood: 80 Years of Movie Magic will be broadcast next Saturday 6 June at 9pm on BBC2. 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Clicking on the adverts helps to keep this blog going

Do the Blue Books deserve their own exhibition?

One of the highlights of Carry On Forever as far as I am concerned was seeing some of the stars of the films and the children of the stars, see the wonderful publicity photos for the first time.

The Blue Books, as they have become known, provide a terrific insight into life working on the Carry On films and from what we saw during the documentary, they are beautiful images showing our favourite stars looking their very best. It seems so sad that such treasured photos have been locked away in a vault for all these years.

I would dearly love if whoever owns these lovely pictures would grant permission for an exhibition to be held. It would be super if some of these photographs could be made available for public viewing. There are several places around which could hold such an event, such as the Museum of Comedy or the Cinema Museum. I think it would prove really popular, not just with diehard Carry On fans but also the wider British public. 

The Carry On films and their stars have rightfully become part of the fabric of our country's entertainment history and culture and I for one think they should all be celebrated as often as possible!

So do you agree? Would you like to see The Blue Books on display in a special exhibition?

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Clicking on the adverts helps to keep this blog going.

Carry On Artwork

One of my very lovely, talented Twitter followers has created her own line of Carry On artwork. Over at "That Agnes" you can find a brilliant selection of prints and greetings cards featuring several classic Carry On actors.

Agnes has created digital prints of some of her beautiful drawings and it is clear from both the quality of the prints and Agnes' site just how much she loves the Carry On films. You can choose from A3 prints of Hattie Jacques in her Matron outfit, Bernard Bresslaw at his scary best in Follow That Camel or Sid James as Gladstone Screwer from Carry On Again Doctor.

Also available are prints of Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey and my own personal favourite (of course), Joan Sims, looking majestic as Belle in Carry On Cowboy! You can also buy these images on lovely greetings cards.


I think these prints would make the perfect gift, not only for Carry On fans but anyone who appreciates great British comedy and wonderful artwork!

You can visit Agnes' website here and follow her on Twitter @ThatAgnes

Follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and @GraemeN82

Follow and like Carry On Blogging! on Facebook