When Leslie and Terence didn't Carry On

 

I have often wondered, sad fan that I am, what might have happened after Terence Longdon and Leslie Phillips both left the Carry On series in the early 1960s. Both actors had sort of shared the rather suave, dashing hero in those charming black and white Carry Ons of the late 1950s and they both departed the films at around the same time. This gap eventually made way for a young Jim Dale to join the fun from 1963 onwards, however Jim, while still playing the romantic lead parts, brought a completely different dynamic with him, erring more towards physical comedy than either Leslie or Terence. 

Leslie Phillips went out on a high after playing superb starring roles in Nurse, Teacher and Constable. He went on to lead the Doctor franchise and star in countless British films over the next decades. Longdon was less fortunate with his exit from the Carry Ons. After two well received roles in Sergeant and Nurse, he rather faded into the background with his small roles in Constable and Regardless feeling more like appearances by a token face from earlier films. Anyway, without a doubt, both actors left a hole to be filled and although Jim was hugely successful later on, i wonder what would have happened if someone else had come along.

There were several contenders at the time. The early 1960s saw many skilled light comedy actors appearing on the fringes of the Rogers and Thomas stable at Pinewood. Here are a few who I think may have worked well as Carry On regulars at the time.

 

Michael Craig was the handsome hero of several well known British films of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He starred opposite Carry On legend Sid James in the likes of Campbell's Kingdom and The Silent Enemy before moving into light comedy roles. These included Upstairs and Downstairs for producer Betty Box (co-starring the likes of James Robertson Justice, Joan Sims, Joan Hickson, Dilys Laye and Sid James); No My Darling Daughter for the same team; The Iron Maiden in 1962 for Rogers and Thomas and other similar titles such as A Pair of Briefs the same year. Probably the closest Craig came to a Carry On was his star turn in the 1960 comedy Doctor in Love, a film which saw him star opposite Leslie Phillips and receive romantic attention from the likes of Joan Sims, Liz Fraser and Fenella Fielding!

 

Donald Houston went one step further than Craig by actually appearing in a Carry On. His rather menacing turn as a baddie in 1963's Carry On Jack is often forgotten as that film featured few regulars and is often overlooked by fans of the series. In films from the late 1940s, this distinctive Welsh actor made a big success as part of the original Doctor in the House ensemble in 1954. Working for Betty Box and Ralph Thomas automatically made him an attractive proposition for Betty's husband Peter and Ralph's brother Gerald. Donald returned to the Doctor films for another role in the 1963 film Doctor in Distress. Away from Carry On Jack, he also worked for Peter Rogers in the 1962 comedy tear jerker Twice Round the Daffodils alongside the likes of Kenneth Williams, Juliet Mills and Joan Sims.

 

Ronald Lewis was a matinee idol of countless films from the era. Another Welsh actor, Lewis first earned his comedy stripes in the 1956 hit film Sailor Beware, starring with Peggy Mount, Gordon Jackson, Esma Cannon and Shirley Eaton. He worked twice for Rogers and Thomas, although sadly, never in a Carry On. Ronald made two films for the duo in quick succession in the early 1960s. First of all Twice Round the Daffodils and secondly the district nurse comedy Nurse On Wheels in 1963. He played the romantic lead opposite Juliet Mills in both these films and the pair worked really well together. It always surprises me that Peter Rogers didn't capitalise on this further by casting Lewis opposite Mills in Carry On Jack.

My final suggestion is the lovely character actor Brian Rawlinson. Brian worked tirelessly during a fifty year career on stage and screen, grabbing many eye catching supporting roles. Of all the actors mentioned here, Brian appeared most prominently in the Carry Ons, notching up small roles in Cruising, Cleo and Cowboy as well as similar comedies The Iron Maiden, Nurse On Wheels and The Big Job. Although never really a leading man in any of these films, he had an innocent likeability and a charm that could have seen him progress to larger roles in the Carry Ons.

 

So those are my choices, do you agree that these actors could have taken over from Terence and Leslie? Or are you a fan of Jim Dale and quite glad that they didn't?! 

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A change of tack about Carry On Jack

Last year I wrote a blog where I questioned whether Carry On Jack really deserved a place in the Carry On cannon. I had never been a fan of this naval comedy. It lacked a full roster of regular team favourites, it wasn't loaded with typical Carry On innuendos or familiar situations. It was definitely towards the bottom of the pile.

However, I have since revisited this film and I was pleasantly surprised. It stands up remarkably well given it was made over fifty years ago. As with other period costume Carry Ons, it is pretty timeless and I actually really enjoyed it. It may lack the likes of Sid James, Joan Sims and Hattie Jacques, but the actors who do appear are terrific. They also look like they are having a wonderful time acting out various fantasies on the high seas.

The regulars who do appear are brilliant. Kenneth Williams is perfectly cast as Captain Fearless, the wimp of the Royal Navy. Charles Hawtrey plays more of a character than usual as cesspit cleaner Walter Sweetly. Hawtrey has one of his largest roles in Jack and delights throughout. Jim Dale meanwhile, although only appearing in a brief cameo as a sedan chair carrier, really shines. Going on this performance alone, you can see why Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas signed him up for many more Carry Ons, with his parts getting significantly bigger before too long. His interplay with Bernard Cribbins and the diminutive Ian Wilson is superbly timed. 

What I have come to realise is that Carry On Jack is packed full of superb actors. Not comedians or regular Carry On supporting players, but just actors with a flair for comedy. Percy Herbert and Donald Houston are wonderful as the sailors who serve under Captain Fearless but plot and scheme to take control. They are the pantomime villains of the piece and while they are comedy foils, they never lose the truth of the parts they play. Peter Gilmore, a supporting actor in eleven Carry Ons, bags one of his most significant roles as a pirate loaded with cliches. His second in command is brought deliciously to life by the Australian character actor Ed Devereux. 

In addition to these wonderful performances, you also get delightful supporting turns from legendary actors such as George Woodbridge, Cecil Parker, Marianne Stone and Patrick Cargill. You can't go wrong with a supporting cast like this.

The two leads in Carry On Jack also do well. Bernard Cribbins, in the first of three Carry On roles, is superb as the bumbling romantic lead. Cribbins is surprisingly athletic, climbing the sails, romping around and milking all the gags that come his way. His romantic lead is Juliet Mills and the pair have lovely chemistry. Apparently the part of Sally was originally offered to Liz Fraser and while I adore Liz, I can't see anyone but Juliet in this role. While she starred in two other films for Rogers and Thomas (Nurse On Wheels and Twice Round the Daffodils), this would sadly be the only Carry On film for Mills. What a shame she didn't do more.

Another thing I have realised about Jack is that it fairly shifts along. It is edited with lightening speed and the action flits along in a very pleasing manner. The ship used in the film was no doubt borrowed from another production but it really doesn't matter. It looks authentic, the costumes are great and it works as a comedy film. 

Perhaps not a traditional Carry On as we've come to understand them, but I think Carry On Jack really does deserve a second look. 


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan

The late great Donald Houston

I was looking up some of the less regular Carry On actors the other day when I came across a lovely blog on the BBC Wales website about that excellent Welsh actor Donald Houston. Donald had a long career in the acting profession, working almost non stop for decades in film, on television and on the stage.

Carry On fans will remember him for his supporting turn in 1963's Carry On Jack alongside Percy Herbert. Houston had appeared for Rogers and Thomas the year before, also with Jack co-stars Juliet Mills and Kenneth Williams, in the tear-jerker medical comedy Twice Round the Daffodils. Donald also starred in two of the Betty Box and Ralph Thomas Doctor films - first of all Doctor in the House in 1954 and then Doctor In Distress nearly ten years later in 1963.

 

Some of Donald's other famous films included the Second World War epic The Longest Day in 1962, The Red Beret in 1953, Under Milk Wood in 1957 and Room at the Top two years later. With the decline of the British film industry in the 1970s, Houston, like many of his contemporaries began to make more television appearances. These included roles in The Protectors, The Return of the Saint, The Boy Merlin and Jemima Shore Investigates. 

After making his last credited acting appearance in The Brief on television in 1984, Houston passed away aged 67 in Portugal. You can read more about his life and acting career here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/entries/10c331cb-8cc2-3175-9b5a-b3d7a6e74702 

 

They just don't seem to make solid, reliable British character actors like Donald Houston anymore. 

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