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

Jayne Tunnicliffe's Cracking Carry On Prints!

One of the joys of Twitter for me over the past few months 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 now own one of her prints myself.

Jayne has recently 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 

And you can read my blog interview with Jayne here: Carry On Blogging Interview: Jayne Bickerton

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Carry On Cabby on Film4 this Wednesday!

I like to keep you in touch with the television companies' schedules whenever a Carry On is showing and this Wednesday Film4 are showing my favourite ever Carry On. As regular readers will know, the 1963 comedy, Carry On Cabby is my all time favourite film in the series so thank you Film4 for giving it another outing.

The first film in the series to be written by Talbot Rothwell, with music from Eric Rogers, Cabby originally wasn't a Carry On at all, down to be released as Call Me A Cab. In the early 1960s Peter Rogers Productions was still making other comedy films alongside the established Carry On series, often featuring many of their familiar faces. Cabby is a grittier, kitchen sink style comedy which marks it out as a bit different from many of the other films in the series. Shot in black and white and focussing on a marriage in crisis, Cabby provides Hattie Jacques with her best role (in my opinion at least) in the series. It was also Hattie's own personal favourites of all her fourteen Carry Ons.

Cabby features a compact cast of series favourites. Alongside Hattie, there's Sid James as her screen husband Charlie, Charles Hawtrey as Pintpot and Kenneth Connor as Ted Watson. Semi-regular Carry On actors Liz Fraser, Esma Cannon and Bill Owen also appear while Cabby also sees the series debuts of two instantly recognisable faces in Peter Gilmore and Jim Dale. Amanda Barrie also makes an eye-catching appearance as a pre-Cleo Glam Cab driver, Anthea.

Further reading:

Carry On Blogging: My Top Ten Favourite Carry Ons - Number 1
Carry On Blogging: Hattie Carries On as Peggy Hawkins
Carry On Blogging: Connor Carries On as Ted Watson
Carry On Blogging: My Favourite Scene - Carry On Cabby


Film4 are showing Carry On Cabby on Wednesday 7 November at 5pm.

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Five Reasons Why I Love … Carry On Up The Jungle

Carry On Up The Jungle has never really been at the top of the pile for me but on watching it again after a long time this afternoon, it really made me laugh. Sure, it's not necessarily a classic of the series and several key figures are missing but it's still hilarious in places and gives us some wonderful performances from a handful of brilliant comedy actors.

Although almost completely set in a studio and featuring certain elements which probably wouldn't be condoned these days, it still stands up reasonably well. With a cast featuring Frankie Howerd, Joan Sims, Terry Scott, Bernard Bresslaw, Sid James and Kenneth Connor, what's not to love? Anyway, perhaps it's time for me to reappraise Carry On Up The Jungle, so here, without further ado are five reasons why I've come to love this innuendo-laden journey up the Limpopo! 

Francis is back!

Frankie Howerd was a stand out reason for Carry On Doctor's success two years earlier. Without a doubt Frankie is the very best guest star the Carry Ons ever had. Although he made other films and was considered a good comic actor, Frankie was at heart a comedian, a stand up and a raconteur. The Carry Ons fitted him like a glove. While ostensibly playing characters in both his Carry Ons, Frankie is essentially just giving us a bit of himself, as it were. He sticks to the narrative occasionally, but all our favourite Howerd expressions and catchphrases are there as he consistently and rather beautifully breaks away from the script in a way no other actor could. In Jungle, Frankie makes a triumphant return and reunites with familiar co-stars Joan Sims and Sid James and also forms a deliciously camp and bickering double act with a returning Kenneth Connor. Fabulous stuff. And speaking of Connor…

The return of a Carry On Original…

After a five year break away to pursue other projects, Kenneth Connor rejoined the Carry On team for Jungle and stayed pretty much until the end of the original run in 1978. Kenneth coming back to the team should not be understated - he was there at the very beginning and was the main stand out star of the first six or seven films in the series. The beauty of Kenneth's return in Jungle is that he pretty much picks up as he left off. He's slightly older yes, but Connor is still playing the rather frustrated little man he played in the likes of Teacher, Constable and Regardless. As a major link to past successes, Kenneth Connor is a priceless piece of casting. As I've already mentioned, Kenneth forms a wonderful double act with Frankie Howerd as a pair of bickering ornithologists and it's just magic!

Man. Woman. Bang! 

The role of the fairly mute Tarzan-like character in Jungle was originally mooted for Jim Dale, then the series' leading man and dashing romantic lead. Jim had started to branch out and spread his wings the year before after a concurrent run of starring roles in the Carry Ons. Returning for Again Doctor earlier in 1969, Jim received the script for Jungle and turned it down both due to the lack of dialogue and his renewed desire to do more live theatre. Sadly the cinema-goers of 1970 were therefore denied the spectacle of lovely Jim in a loin cloth but full kudos to Terry Scott for taking on the part of 'Jungle Boy' and really makes it his own. The childlike, innocent character is all Terry's making and is so different from his other characters like Peter Potter in Camping and Dr Prodd in Matron. It's a classic portrayal and despite the fact he was in reality three years older than Joan Sims (who was playing his mother), if you can suspend belief for ninety minutes, it's a highlight of the film. 

Pinewood invention at its best

Looking at it now, it's fairly obvious Carry On Up The Jungle is entirely set in a Pinewood Studios soundstage. The slightly naff attempts at blending real archive footage of jungle wildlife don't really cut it but do provide laughs all of their own. Despite this, credit must be given to the Pinewood technicians and set designers for creating such a lush looking set. The campsite, the jungle backgrounds and particularly the lovely lagoon used for June's meeting with Jungle Boy, are all brilliantly conceived and really make the film. You soon forget that they're not out on location and join in with all the usual highjinks. 

A late arrival who steals the film

Although briefly glimpsed half asleep in the audience at the very beginning of the film, Charles Hawtrey leaves it pretty late to make his first proper appearance. Charles comes into his own in the last twenty minutes of the film after Sid, Frankie and the gang are kidnapped by Valerie Leon's all female tribe. Unveiled as Tonka The Great, it must be one of Charles' best entrances as from all the build up you expect anyone other than Hawtrey and his Oh Hello! Add in Joan's shock and Charles' line "Oh my God, it's the wife!" and you have a classic Carry On moment. Charles is on fine form, twinkling away mischievously and sharing some delightful scenes with Joan Sims. It's a relatively small role for a leading team member but such was the power of Charles Hawtrey that he could wander in in the last half hour and pretty much steal the film! 


So there you have it, five reasons why I think Carry Up The Jungle is a keeper. I hope you've enjoyed it on ITV3 this afternoon, despite all the cuts! 



You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Why must Comedy Snobbery Carry On?

This morning I read an article on The Guardian website about a recent fan convention in Hungary for the Perry and Croft sitcom You Rang M'Lord? The article referred to the comedy series, broadcast between 1988 and 1993, as "dodgy" and "old" - hardly a ringing endorsement. Sure, the Upstairs Downstairs parody is not perhaps the best remembered or favourite of all Perry and Croft's work but a recent repeat of the series showed to me at least, that it stood the test of time.

I understand the possible incredulity that the show was still so massively popular in Hungary but I found the efforts of the legion of Hungarian fans deeply touching. They crowd funded to organise a special 30th anniversary event which saw five original stars from the series fly over for a weekend of special celebrations. Odd to the Guardian journalist perhaps, but it warmed my bitter, cynical little heart. I grew up watching You Rang M'Lord? and it was one of the series that provided a helpful gateway to the very best of British comedy for me. I look back on it very fondly and I still love it now. And I make no apologies for saying so. Sure, Carry On Blogging is no Guardian Culture section, and neither does it claim to be. Thank goodness. But I know what I like.

This article, although by no means the worst piece I've ever read on so-called populist British comedy, still set my mind racing about comedy snobbery in media, and particularly amongst newspaper critics. It's certainly nothing new. I remember Fenella Fielding being shocked when she read a review of Carry On Screaming way back in 1966. Fenella described it as a 'posh paper' and said she was appalled by how much hatred these critics had for Screaming. I think those critics have since been made to eat their words as Carry On Screaming is now widely seen as a classic of its kind. Carry On comedies have long been chastised or at best ignored by proper critics and when anybody with a remotely serious profile gives them credit, they are quickly lambasted. 

At the 40th anniversary of the series in 1998, the What's A Carry On? documentary brought us an interview with the academic Professor Colin MacCabe who claimed two of the Carry Ons were amongst the best 100 British films ever made. The films he chose, Cleo and Up The Khyber, are often cited as the best in the series so it was no surprise to fans. However fellow film expert and historian Tony Sloman was appalled to see two Carry Ons in the Sight and Sound list of films and in the documentary declared MacCabe's decision as "clearly an abrogation of responsibility". Undeterred, early the next year MacCabe wrote a piece for The Guardian titled Why Carry On Cleo and Carry On Up the Khyber are two of the best films ever. Touche! 

My question is, when will such dreadful cultural snobbery ever come to an end? Well I think I'm pissing in the wind if I think it'll just disappear. Sixty years on from the very first Carry On film and forty years since the last of the original run was released, it shows no signs of abating. The review of What's A Carry On? in The Guardian (a regular offender) describes the film series as "absolute tripe". Don't hold back there Adam Sweeting. And no, I won't be taking a minute to support The Guardian by donating money at the bottom of the article.

There was a rash of articles in the quality press around the sixtieth anniversary of Carry On Sergeant and they all took the same boring, repetitive line. The Telegraph described the films as "crude" and "rude" in an article on 31 August. By 17 September the same paper was asking Should the Carry Ons be consigned to history? Sigh. Thankfully, and it's a small mercy perhaps, you can only access these articles if you are prepared to wade behind the newspaper's paywall. 

Back in 2008 as the series turned 50 years old, even the BBC had a go, describing the films as "low brow and smutty". By far the worst piece I've ever read about the Carry Ons was written by Guardian columnist (yes them again) Tanya Gold in April 2008. Entitled, rather humourlessly "Infamy? They've Got It" Ms Gold manages to tarnish one of the Carry Ons' finest tag lines in one cheap headline. Gold went on: "The Carry On films were crass and populated by misfits. And sadly, they mirrored people's lives". Well, Tanya, the Carry Ons are often criticised these days for dealing in stereotypes but I think you were front and centre when it comes to those. Not only does Gold not get her facts right - she can't even spell Peter Rogers' name correctly - she also dirties her keyboard by going into lurid detail on the private lives and deaths of many of the actors we know and love. Shame on you Ms Gold.

Worse still perhaps, is Gold's description of the actresses in the Carry Ons. According to Tanya, "they are either stupid and beautiful (Barbara Windsor), bossy and masculine (Hattie Jacques), or ugly and bitter (Joan Sims). Carry On everywoman, personified by Sims, is a loveless harpy, atrophied by loneliness and only able to rage" To say I disagree with Gold on her description of three actresses I'd defend to my last breath is an understatement. I'm not sharing a link to the article on the blog as I don't want it to tarnish me any further.

So what is it that seems to threaten these high brow, lofty critics about the Carry Ons? Is it because they were wildly successful and made money at the box office at a time when the British film industry was in massive decline? Is it because they were populated by a vast range of incredibly gifted, clever and original comedy actors who the nation and many further afield have come to love and respect? Or the range of amazing people behind the camera who brought the films to life with care and skill well beyond their pay grade? Or is it because ordinary bods on the street loved them for their straight forward, down to earth humour which didn't challenge but merely sought to entertain? I'm eternally grateful to the Carry Ons and their stars for being with me from childhood to the present day. I've lost count of how many times Sid, Joan, Charles, Hattie and the gang have cheered me up and helped me forget my worries for an hour and a half. And that, to me, is priceless.

I'm not taking a swipe at more learned forms of art. I love a trip to the National Theatre or the Royal Court. I'm never off BBC4 and I adore an afternoon in one of London's amazing galleries or museums. Even if I don't understand Beckett or think the latest installation at Tate Modern is a bit 'out there' I still give it a chance. I don't instantly pick it apart or demean those responsible. The BFI, an institution I adore, is putting on a series on "Comedy Genius" which covers everything from Lucille Ball to Jo Brand. I love them for this and all the more for a special screening of the joyous Carry On Cleo. However, does Cleo have to be packaged with a day of talks on "Great British Smut"? Are the Carry Ons smutty? I don't think so. Indeed I can think of much more recent, current comedy on television and in film which I'd class as ruder and cruder. 

I've got over 17,000 followers on Twitter, so there's obviously still a very real love for the Carry Ons and the easy going antics of Sid James, Kenneths Williams and Connor, Charles Hawtrey, Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth and Jim Dale. And of course those three GORGEOUS ladies - the stunning Barbara Windsor, who's characters often easily bettered the men; the warm, loveable, sexy Hattie Jacques who brought layers to every character she played and the gorgeous, talented Joan Sims - a woman bursting with talent. That's how these wonderful women should be remembered, not the negativity that fills certain newspapers.

So will the Carry Ons and other favourites ever escape the comedy snobbery routine? I very much doubt it. Will I continue to defend them? You betcha. 


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Guest Blog: Chris Stephenson on 'Our House'

Chris Stephenson recently wrote a guest blog for me on his own top 20 favourite Carry On actors and it was a great read. Chris has also written in on how he came to become such a fan of the Carry On series and a recent discovery of a classic comedy television series with a host of Carry On links.

So without further ado, it's over to Chris…

My first recollection of the Carry Ons was Carry On Henry at Butlins, Filey as their new film of the week! Being 10 I loved the visual gags but the rest passed by by! Growing up they crept more into my life and now they're my favourite comedy film franchise. Jim Dale, Sid James and Kenneths Williams and Connor are my favourite males while my female choices are more obscure with Angela Douglas, Jacki Piper, Liz Fraser and Dilys Laye being my favourites.

I was recently looking through the Network On Air sale (a great place for old TV and movies) and noticed a DVD called Our House, written by Norman Hudis and Starring Hattie Jacques (a librarian who turns into a foghorn outside the workplace), Joan Sims (whose employment record is second to none), Charles Hawtrey (an oddball who works in a rates office) and Norman Rossington (a law student) who along with five other share the same house!

The series ran from 1960 to 1962 and there were 39 episodes recorded (some 55 minutes and some 45 minutes) but due to some errors all but three were erased and those are on the DVD! Other famous faces appearing to various episodes included Bernard Bresslaw, Johnny Vyvyan, Hylda Baker, Deryck Guyler, Roy Hudd, Frank Williams, Frank Thornton and Leonard Sachs among others although most of these have been lost.

Although Talbot Rothwell is my favourite, Our House creator Norman Hudis is a Carry On legend himself and will go down in history as the scriptwriter for the first six Carry Ons, therefore helping them gain their lasting popularity. The surviving episodes are all from the first series and were broadcast in the September, October and November of 1960. The episodes themselves are a cross between a Carry On movie and a Brian Rix farce. Plenty of one liners ('It's only 86 and a half miles as the crow flies' 'Ooh that poor crow bust be really tired!') and visual gags interspersed with running around the set including up and down the stairs. In one of the episodes Charles plays his relatives including an aunt who is the spit of Lady Puddleton from Carry On Again Doctor! And in one scene Hattie even says the immortal line 'Carry On then'!

As a footnote the Our House producer Ernest Maxin produced programmes for such comedy greats as Norman Wisdom, Charlie Drake (in which he won the Golden Rose for Drake's rendition of the 1812 Overture), Dave Allen, Dick Emery, Les Dawson and Morecambe and Wise (including the 1976 and 1977 Christmas shows!).

Many thanks again to Chris for writing this really interesting Guest Blog.

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Bernie Carries On … As Bungdit Din!

Over the past year I have written a series of blogs covering each of the roles of some of our favourite Carry On stars. I began my looking back at each film role played by the three leading ladies in the series - Joan Sims, Hattie Jacques and Barbara Windsor - and most recently I've written about all of Kenneth Connor's Carry On performances in the run up to the great man's centenary. 

Today I am beginning a new strand of this series by turning the spotlight on that gentle giant of British comedy, the late Bernard Bresslaw. Probably one of the most under-rated actors in the main team, Bernard was a part of the series for ten years and fourteen films, tackling a superb range of crumbling villains and delightfully dimwitted foils to the likes of Sid James and Kenneth Cope. Bernard enjoyed a long career away from the Carry Ons and spent much of his later life wowing audiences in legitimate theatre. However he will forever to remembered for his clutch of hilarious Carry On supporting turns. 

Bernard joined the Carry On team in the mid 1960s and along with Peter Butterworth was the last main team member to join the gang. Along with Butterworth, Bernard played a series of smaller, supporting roles to begin with before graduating to major roles towards the end of the decade. Bernard fitted in effortlessly with the rest of the team and he's the kind of actor who is working hard but making it look oh so easy. A quiet, erudite, thoughtful family man away from the film studios, I often think Bresslaw has never received the credit he's due as like Connor and Butterworth, he didn't ever seek the limelight or splash his life over the front pages.

So today, we'll continue this new series looking at Bernard's role as another fearsome villain in one of the finest films of the entire series, and certainly one of the most popular - Bungdit Din in 1968's Carry On Up The Khyber!

Khyber is frequently quoted as the finest of all Carry Ons so it is therefore only fitting that the film provided stalwarts such as Sid, Kenneth, Joan and Bernard with some of their best roles. The film is a glorious send up of all those stiff upper lip British war films. The Carry Ons were indeed at their best when gently poking fun at an established institution. 

The film is focuses the Devil's In Skirts and the Khasi of Kalabar's (Kenneth Williams) attempts to prove that the British soldiers are not the fearsome opponents they claim to be. He does this with the help of Private Widdle (Charles Hawtrey) and the revelation that the Devils wear underwear under the dreaded kilts! Lady Ruff-Diamond, fed up with her good for nothing, womanising husband (who else but Sid James?) takes a photograph as proof and runs away to Jacksi (!) and into the arms of the Khasi. While soppy Joan thinks the Khasi has romantic intentions, the fiendish Khasi is just using her for his own ends! 

The film is beautifully written, Talbot Rothwell clearly relishing his subject matter and therefore firing on all cylinders. It's also fairly even handed, as the best Carry Ons were. Everyone comes in for ridicule, especially the British! Despite this it remains a pretty patriotic film, summed up best by the climatic dinner party sequence which sees the Brits continue with their fine dining experience while the Khasi and his men do their very best to blow up the residency and kill them all! Talk about keeping a stiff upper lip! 

Bernard Bresslaw is on tremendous form as Kenneth Williams' righthand man, Bungdit Din from Jacksi. He snarls, threatens and uses his extraordinary height to great advantage throughout and Bernard and Kenneth make for an excellent double act. Bernard is all butch machismo which clashes wonderfully well with Kenneth's camp Khasi! As with most excellent panto villains there is a heavy dollop of childish bickering between the pair as while they often have the upper hand over the British, they don't have Sir Sidney's unflappable phlegm. 

We first meet Bungdit Din at the Khyber Pass itself, well Snowdonia actually but no matter. Coming upon Charles Hawtrey's feeble Private Jimmy Widdle at the Pass, Bungdit Din soon realises the Devils in Skirts are nothing to be afraid of once he's seen under Widdle's kilt! This sets off a chain of comedic events that leads the Khasi to kidnap (not against her will) Lady Ruff Diamond and head for the hills. Bernard turns on the macho power as he dominates over his hareem girls (including Alexandra Dane as Busti and a debuting Valerie Leon in a non-speaking part). He almost uses force to part the girls as he greets his British visitors, such is his convincing power in the part. 

Bernard grabs two of his greatest Carry On lines in Up The Khyber. The first, during a dreadful performance from Cardew Robinson's Fakir, as he tells him to leave. Bernard's perfectly timed "Fakir…off!" managed to survive the censor's ire due to the length of time between the two words, however I've noticed in recent showings on television that the line is actually cut! Given what gets passed in modern films these days, I think that's a bit pathetic really, but what do I know?! Bernard also has a wonderful line as his men charge towards Sir Sidney's residency. "That'll teach 'em to ban turbans on the buses" is a rare real life political reference from the time, relating to a story ongoing in contemporary Britain as you can read about here -  Surely Tolly Rothwell at his most inspired?

Ultimately of course the Khasi and Bungdit Din are defeated, following a lengthy battle in the residency grounds which sees future Coronation legend Johnny Briggs get a bullet in his sporran. Sounds painful. Kenneth and Bernard flee the scene as they are given a flash of true British grit! 

Nobody else could have played Bernie's part in Carry On Up The Khyber. In other, less hands, it could easily have gone too far or been completely misjudged. Bresslaw was a quality actor, professional to his core and took each new part as seriously as the last, whether it be Shakespeare or camping about in costume with Kenneth and Charles up Mount Snowdon. They couldn't make a film like Carry On Up The Khyber in these ultra PC times and that's probably just as well. Anyone attempting it today couldn't manage such a representation of innocence or boast a cast full of such talented actors. And Bernard surely towers above them all.

So that's my thoughts on Bernard's role in Carry On Up The Khyber. Stay tuned for my next blog in this series, as I look back at Bernard's role in another extremely popular film from later in 1968 - Carry On Camping!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

My Top 20 Favourite Carry On Actors: Number 3 - Charles Hawtrey

This is part of a series of blogs where I will take a purely personal look at my favourite Carry On actors. I will be doing a countdown of my top twenty actors and actresses in this, the sixtieth anniversary year of Carry On. So why top twenty? Well top ten didn't allow me to include all my favourites and any more than twenty and I'd be at it forever, as it were.

This top twenty will be a mix of regular top team actors and many of those instantly recognisable supporting actors who popped in and out of the series, adding superb cameos here and there. You will probably agree with some of my main choices and be vehemently opposed to others, but it's meant to encourage debate! 

So we are now half way through my countdown of my all-time favourite Carry On actors. The first half of the list featured mainly supporting actors who popped in and out several times throughout the films, from the likes of Joan Hickson and Cyril Chamberlain to Margaret Nolan and Peter Gilmore. Now obviously the Top Ten is going to focus on the main team members as there aren't any I can conceivably leave out.

So here we go with Number Three: An actor who became synonymous with the Carry Ons, indeed his later career was dominated by the film series. He appeared in twenty three films between 1958 and 1972, yes it's the unmistakable Charles Hawtrey.

Quite simply, nobody else could play Charles Hawtrey's parts. He was totally unique in his look, presence, delivery and even the way he stood on set! Without dwelling on his departure from the series in 1972, I just don't think the loss of any other actors affected the series and its fortunes more than that of Charles Hawtrey. He was irreplaceable and the films lost an impish charm forever once he'd departed.

His character was so strong that he very quickly gained himself a catch phrase - "Oh, hello!" usually on his first appearance in a film. Although a seasoned actor on stage and film, Hawtrey was pretty pigeon-holed in the Carry Ons, to such an extent that while the rest of the main cast in Carry On Cowboy took on American accents, Hawtrey, playing an Indian Chief, still had his usual English accent! Yes he was always cast as the eccentric, bespectacled loner but he brought such joy in every film he made. 

Right from the start in Carry On Sergeant, his effete, gentle character brought camp chaos to proceedings. His radio loving hospital patient in Carry On Nurse is one of my favourites as is his snooty music master Mr Bean in Carry On Teacher. His endless bickering with Kenneth Williams is a pure joy. As special constable Timothy Gorse in Carry On Constable, Hawtrey revelled in the department store drag scene and that lovely image of him rattling around the streets of Ealing on a scooter will stay with me forever.

A complex, sometimes challenging individual away from the film studios, nobody can doubt his incredible, one off skill as an actor. Some of his film roles later on in the series, such as James Bedsop in Carry On Loving or Dr F. A Goode in Carry On Matron, are little more than cameos, but there are precious few other actors who can make such an impact on a film with barely ten minutes total screen time. Hawtrey had charisma and twinkly charm in bucket loads. 

His last Carry On, and indeed his last film, Carry On Abroad, saw Talbot Rothwell paint his Eustace Tuttle as a loner, a mummy's boy and an alcoholic. While the impish glee is still there on Hawtrey's face, it's a rather cruel note to send such a loyal servant out on and the more I watch that brilliant film now, the more I resent the character Hawtrey was given to play. Despite that, his contribution to the Carry Ons was a joyful cavalcade of camp English eccentricity. Hawtrey instantly brought a smile to your face, whether it be way out West in Stodge City, Up The Khyber as Private Jimmy Widdle of the Third Foot and Mouth or just camping about the down the end of Brighton Pier in the blissful Carry On At Your Convenience, Charles was a vital cog in the Carry On machine and things just didn't tick along quite so smoothly once he'd gone. 

We're down to my Top Two now and I'm sure you've guessed who's still to come, but who will come out on top? Matron! Stay tuned to find out soon! 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram 

Carry On Originals: Charles Hawtrey

This is part of a new series of blogs looking back at the stars of the original Carry On film, Carry On Sergeant. 2018 marks 60 years since Sergeant was made and released so what better time to turn the focus on all those brilliant actors who brought our favourite series of comedy films to life? 

I'm continuing today with an actor who is probably the most individual performer the Carry Ons ever featured, the one and only Charles Hawtrey.

Role in Carry On Sergeant: Peter Golightly 

Other Carry On roles: Yes - Charles became one of the most prolific of all the Carry On actors, appearing in a total of 23 films between 1958 and 1972. 

Other notable film performances: The Ghost of St Michaels (1941) and The Goose Steps Out (1942) - both with WIll Hay; A Canterbury Tale (1944); Passport to Pimlico (1949); I Only Arsked (1958); Inn for Trouble (1960); What a Whopper (1961); Dentist On The Job (1961) and Zeta One (1968).

Best remembered for: Aside from the Carry Ons, which came to dominate his screen career, Hawtrey is probably best remembered for his regular role as Private "Professor" Hatchett in the Granada Television national service comedy series, The Army Game. 

Did you know?: Hawtrey was actually born George Frederick Joffre Hartree, in Hounslow in 1914. He took his stage name from the theatrical knight Sir Charles Hawtrey and encouraged people to believe they were related.

Charles' career spanned six decades with his earliest stage appearance dating back to 1925. He even appeared in a couple of silent films in the early 1920s. 

What happened to him?: Sadly Charles left the series under a cloud after Carry On Abroad in 1972. He continued to act in pantomimes and the occasional television appearance into the 1980s before ill health took its toll. He died at the age of 73 in October 1988.

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The Gerald Thomas Archive: Cast Correspondence from Again Doctor

Last month I made a rather delayed trip (thank you British weather) to the British Film Institute on London's Southbank. As I've mentioned over on Twitter, the BFI hold the entire Gerald Thomas archive which is chock full of delightful artifacts from Gerald's long, varied and illustrious career in British film. I was quite frankly dazzled by the array of material on offer and have only managed to flick through a fraction of it, but this blog today is the start of several pieces looking at different aspects of what I've had the very good fortune to see.

Following on from my first blog on Gerald's Scrapbook for Carry On Abroad and my second on the Carry On Abroad Draft Script . I have also, more recently, written a blog about the correspondence between the artist Terence "Larry" Parkes and Peter Rogers about the work he'd been asked to do for the titles of Carry On Doctor. 

Today I'm moving forward a couple of years to another medical Carry On - Carry On Again Doctor, which was filmed in the spring of 1969 and marked Jim Dale's last contribution to the series until his return for Columbus in 1992. As with many of the other films in the archive, I found the correspondence between the actors and their paymasters the most fascinating evidence to read though. And the correspondence over contracts for Again Doctor definitely delivered in spades.

Let's start with the man who brought Dr Jimmy Nookey to life in the film, Jim Dale. Jim was paid £3250 for six weeks work in what was really the starring role in the film. There is considerable correspondence on file regarding a medical claim following an injury Jim had suffered on set. This was either the infamous run away hospital trolley sequence or the scene which saw Dale fall through a rotten floor on a hammock. He really did suffer for his art! A note from Peter Rogers on 7 August 1969 details his position:

Regarding Jim Dale's medical expenses, I don't think that we should be responsible for every pill and laxative if the insurance people don't cough up, do you? Whatever was wrong with Jim Dale was the result of an accident on the floor and I understand that we were covered in this respect. 

Rogers was certainly the money man behind the films and this note gives us a real insight into the serious side of churning out such wonderfully funny, popular films. Part of Peter's note concerns the extra expense involved in the delays caused by Jim's accident and trip to hospital to be checked out. It involved other actors on set - Sid James, Valerie Leon and Elizabeth Knight - being contracted on for extra time, and where Peter was most concerned, extra money too!

Next up is a contract for my favourite Carry On actress, the wonderful Joan Sims. Joan, who was paid her usual £2500 for six weeks playing wealthy widow Ellen Moore, had a clause in her contract which allowed her time out to record episodes of the radio series, then titled "It's Bold" with Kenneth Williams each Monday morning for the BBC. Attached to her contract is a personal letter from Joan, dated 4 May 1969 and written on Joan's own personal stationery:

My dear Peter,

Thank you so much for a really wonderful party on Friday. It was a great send off for us all.

Bless you, 

Love, Joan


The famed camaraderie between the actors and producers of the Carry Ons is justly legendary and even though pay was sometimes an issue, there is no doubting the shared affection and kindness here. Hattie Jacques, appearing as Matron once again in the film, was paid £3000 for the part despite being billed below Joan and actually having less screen time. She too attended the party Joan so obviously enjoyed as can be seen in this charming personal note:

Darling Peter,

I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed myself last Friday. Thank you, dearest Guv, for a lovely lunch and a simply gorgeous time. And thank you too for having me in your picture.

Fondest love,

Hattie

It was quite a moment to handle notes from two of my favourite actresses and also interesting to see how, despite being a regular in Peter's films for over a decade by this point, Hattie still seems thrilled to have been asked to do it. 

Turning the pages, I came upon a type written note signed by none other than the brilliant, iconic and elusive Mr Charles Hawtrey. Written from his home at the time in Kew, he too waxed lyrical about the cast party:

Dear Peter,

Thank you for your wonderful luncheon party at the Mirabelle yesterday. The food - the wines - the company - all of which seemed so appropriate after what was generally agreed to be the happiest production. Whilst you remained, undeniably, our gracious host, you complimented us, not to say delighted, by being one of our motley lot. 

With love from,
Your expected but never let it be said rejected,

Charles


Although there were already rumblings of unhappiness from Charles over some aspects of the Carry On experience, at this stage at least, he seems content to be part of the gang. Hawtrey received £3500 for his role as Dr Stoppidge and as usual received his no less than fourth star billing in the film, as stipulated in his contract.

There were further medical concerns around another actor during the making of Again Doctor. Alexandra Dane, probably best remembered for her role as Busti in Carry On Up The Khyber, played a small cameo role as a "Stout Woman" in the 1969 medical comedy. Alexandra was paid the princely sum of £30 for the wordless role which saw her spun round on an out of control weight reducing device. There is correspondence between Dane's agent Max Kester of Foster's Agency and Peter Rogers over an accident on set. Apparently the contraption Alexandra was seen in gave way and she fell, hurting her hip. According to a note included from director Gerald Thomas, Alexandra was sent to the Pinewood nurse who then decided to send her on to Wexham Park Hospital for further treatment.

Max Kester wrote to Peter and Gerald several days later concerning his client's medical expenses and another little matter…

I am presuming that in accordance with our conversation, her name will be included on the actors credit list. It has been included before but was omitted in Carry On Screaming.

I think this demonstrates an agent earning his cut while it also shows up the frailties and little details of being a jobbing actor. Obviously gaining an on screen credit would be very important for a new young actress as it would get her name about, as it were. It was news to me that Alexandra featured in Screaming, indeed I can't ever remember seeing her on screen.

The actress Patricia Franklin, who had made her Carry On debut the previous year in Carry On Camping, was apparently cast as a Night Nurse in Carry On Again Doctor. Her contract is included in the file with it agreed with Busby Smith Management that the actress would receive £30 for the part. The contract has cancelled stamped across it and I couldn't remember seeing her in the finished film. The contract also noted that Miss Franklin was then appearing in a play at the Royal Court Theatre at Sloane Square. When I spoke with Patricia recently (you can read our interview here) she did remember being cast in the role, adding that her agent at the time was Greg Smith, soon to become the producer of the Confessions films. Patricia was not able to take on the role in the end due to her work at the Royal Court in a play by Edward Bond.

Another actress who had debuted in Camping and came back for more fun with the gang was the late Elizabeth Knight. Liz was cast as a casualty nurse in Again Doctor and is only seen very briefly during Wilfrid Brambell's cameo in the film. Apparently the role Knight was cast in was due to be bigger however most of her scenes were sadly cut. She was paid £50 a day for the role with a guaranteed sum of £200 agreed with Peter Rogers. Brambell meanwhile, then a big star thanks to Steptoe and Son, was paid a special one off fee of £100 for his wordless cameo as Mr Pullen.

Peter Butterworth, then a series regular, made the first of several small, often uncredited cameos in the Carry Ons. In Again Doctor he played a shuffling patient in a scene with Jim Dale and Peter Gilmore. Butterworth was given the "special low rate" of £125 for his one day on the film. Patsy Rowlands, who would become a series regular over the course of the next six years, made her debut in Again Doctor as Kenneth Williams' assistant, Miss Fosdick. Patsy was paid £60 a day for this role, with a guaranteed sum of £720 for the entire film. 

Aside from Patricia Franklin's casting issue, there were other problems with the casting for Again Doctor. Apparently an actress called Myrtle Reed was due to play a character called Mrs Rigby at £40 per week - the first I've ever heard of either the actress or the character. Pat Coombs, who was paid £60 over the course of a week to play the New Matron towards the end of the film wasn't originally meant to play that part at all. Pat replaced familiar semi-regular actress Ambrosine Phillpotts although there are no reasons specified for Ambrosine stepping aside from the role. Pat had been cast as Miss Armitage, the troublesome patient who gets an eyeful of Dr Nookey, eventually played by the actress Ann Lancaster. 

Valerie Shute, who had several small roles in the Carry Ons, played a nurse in Again Doctor.    There is a note on file from Gerald Thomas to an Al Shute of Warner Pathe regarding her potential casting in the film:

Thank you for your note and enclosed photograph. I must say it is the most I've ever seen of Valerie! We commence shooting again on March 17th and you can be sure that we will find a nice little 'nurse' part for Valerie.

I was also thrilled to come across a hand written note from one of my favourite character actors of the era, the great Harry Locke. Harry cropped up in countless films during the 1940s, 50s and 60s and featured in three of the medical Carry Ons - Nurse, Doctor and finally Again Doctor. On the lookout for work, Harry wrote to Peter before the casting of Again Doctor:

I was talking to Talbot Rothwell Esq on Sunday about the new script and he said he would mention me when next he saw you…I hope you may have something for me - I have so much enjoyed working with the boys…

Harry was in luck as he was soon cast in the role of the hospital porter, a role than earned him £60. It's intriguing to see actors 'write in' to Peter and Gerald to remind them that they are around and ready to work. In such a fickle business, before the internet and the existence of social media, it must have been an essential part of life as a jobbing actor. 

On a rather sad note, there is also a sad little letter from the actress Lucy Griffiths in the Again Doctor file. Lucy played small parts in quite a few Carry Ons - the trolley lady in Nurse, an excitable neighbour with Leslie Phillips in Constable and a hospital patient in Doctor - and she was once again a patient in bed in a very brief scene in Again Doctor which sees her headphones explode. Lucy wrote to Gerald Thomas about that part on 20th January 1970:

Dear Gerry,

I am delighted to find my 'bit' picked for the trailer of 'Doctor Again'. It happened once before too! So now I really feel perhaps I'm doing a minute 'bit' to help sell the picture and that I belong. I do hope that you will want me more continuously and more often (perhaps bigger bits). It's a happy experience working for you.

…I'm struggling to rebuild my acting career. Spotlight believe in me and are doing their best to help. I can act, I've got to act and that's it.

This letter from Lucy Griffiths provides an example of how tough it can be to survive in the acting profession. Obviously struggling (there are parts of the letter I decided not to share) Lucy is quite determined to continue doing the job she loved and in a not so subtle way hoping Gerry might help her out. Lucy did work for the Carry On people again however her scenes in Loving (filmed the same year she wrote that note) were deleted and her final association with the team in 1975's Carry On Behind, was an uncredited role with no dialogue. You can read more about the life and career of Lucy Griffiths here: Carry On Blogging: Whatever Happened to Lucy Griffiths?

Stay tuned for the next in my series of special blogs on Gerald's archive coming up soon!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram