From the Archive: Whatever Happened to Gertan and Gwendolyn?

It wasn't until recently that I realised regular Carry On supporting actors Gwendolyn Watts and Gertan Klauber were actually married. So here is a blog post looking back at both their careers and their lives away from the camera.

Gwendolyn Watts is instantly recognisable to all Carry On fans. She only appeared in three Carry Ons, all medical-themed films and all classics of their kind. Born in Somerset in September 1932, Gwendolyn made her first appearance in the series in Carry On Doctor in 1967, playing Mrs Barron, wife to Charles Hawtrey's character who was in hospital due to a sympathetic pregnancy! This role was followed, two years later, with an appearance as the Night Sister, again with Charles, in Again Doctor. After a further gap of two years, Gwendolyn returned to all things medical for her last role in the series, as Mrs Kemp, receptionist at Finisham Hospital in Carry On Matron. 

Away from the Carry Ons, Gwendolyn Watts had a long, successful career in films and on television. On film, she appeared in the likes of Sons and Lovers (1960); Billy Liar (1963); The Wrong Box (1966) and The Games (1970). On television, she guest starred in a wide variety of series such as The Rag Trade (1962); The Avengers (1963); Steptoe and Son (1964); On The Buses (1969) and Coronation Street in 1971. Gwendolyn gave up acting in the early 1970s to look after her two young children but returned to the profession in later years. Gwendolyn's sister is actress Sally Watts, who once had a regular role in Coronation Street as cleaner Sandra Stubbs.

Meanwhile, her husband Gertan Klauber was also notching up several appearances in the Carry On series. Gertan was born in March 1932 in Czechoslovakia before moving to Britain and training at the Birmingham Theatre School. He made a career out of playing spivs, minor criminals and dodgy types in a wide variety of British film and television series. He first appeared in the Carry Ons in Carry On Spying, released in 1964. He played a dodgy clerk who interrupts Eric Barker and Richard Wattis early on in the film. Gertan returned to Pinewood later the same year to play one of the slave auctioneers in Carry On Cleo, opposite Warren Mitchell. 

In 1967, Gertan was back again for a role as a ward orderly in Carry On Doctor, famously giving Frankie Howerd a less than welcome rub around with a damp flannel! In 1970, Gertan popped up in several scenes as a French soldier alongside Sid James and Peter Gilmore in Carry On Henry. In 1972, Gertan played the dodgy postcard seller at Elsbells market, alarming Kenneth Williams! Finally, Gertan Klauber made a brief appearance as a German Soldier in the dreadful Carry On Emmannuelle in 1978.

Away from the Carry Ons, Gertan Klauber had been acting on stage and screen since the late 1950s. On film he appeared in The Kitchen (1961); Dateline Diamonds (1965); The Big Job (1965); Up The Front (1972); Octopussy (1983) and Backbeat (1994). On the small screen, he appeared in The Avengers (1967); The Saint (1969); The Sweeney (1975); The Professionals (1980); Blackadder The Third (1987); Inspector Morse (1989) and House of Cards (1990). Gertan Klauber also enjoyed a wide range of roles on stage during his career. These included spells at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, where he worked with the likes of Peter Hall, Glenda Jackson and Ian McKellen. 

Gwendolyn and Gertan married in 1959. Together they had two children - a son, Daniel and a daughter, Holly. Gwendolyn Watts sadly passed away in 2000 at the age of 68 having suffered a heart attack. Gertan Klauber continued to act until 2003. He died in August 2008 at the age of 76. His son Daniel sadly predeceased him. 

Both Gwendolyn Watts and Gertan Klauber typify what made the Carry Ons great. Neither actor ever achieved star status but they were both instantly recognisable faces and ever reliable character actors who put in superb performances over several films. They deserve to be remembered for their sterling contributions to our favourite series of comedy films. 




You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

The genius of the Charles Hawtrey Cameo

 

There was no other actor quite like Charles Hawtrey. He was a unique screen presence and an extremely clever film actor. By the time he arrived in the Carry Ons, he had been acting in films for over thirty years. He had a wonderful delivery and knew how to appear best in front of the camera. He was a one off. Nobody else could play Charles' parts, as Jimmy Logan found out to his cost in Carry On Girls!

The sheer power of Charles Hawtrey meant that he could leave his comedic mark in a Carry On film with the smallest, briefest of cameo roles. While he was undoubtedly a main team player for over fifteen years, sometimes he had very small parts despite receiving his usual, contracted third or fourth billing. He was of course superb in his larger roles, such as Private Widdle in Up The Khyber, Charles Coote in At Your Convenience and James Bind in Carry On Spying, but I am most impressed with his cameo appearances. Here are some of my favourites.

Dan Dan in Carry On Screaming!

 

Originally Charles Hawtrey was not even meant to be in this comedy classic. A campaign was fought in one of the national newspapers and Hawtrey was eventually given the role of Dan, Dan the gardening man in Screaming. The role had originally been written for character actor Sydney Bromley who had been a success in his role as rancher Sam Houston in the previous film, Carry On Cowboy. Hawtrey is only on screen for four or five minutes in Screaming before he meets a rather grisly end. His scenes with Harry H Corbett, Jim Dale and Peter Butterworth are superb though and his personality shines through. It leaves a lasting impression and you're left glad that he appears. It feels like a much bigger role that it actually was.


Mr Baron in Carry On Doctor

 

Another classic. As was often the case, Charles plays away from the main team in this film, operating as a loner. He plays Mr Baron, in hospital suffering from a sympathetic pregnancy as his wife (Gwendolyn Watts) is about to give birth. Hawtrey is really only given a few short scenes in the film but it is a beautifully judged performance. He only gets out of bed a couple of times - once to attend a mothers' PT class (!) and finally to join in with the rest of the patients to seek revenge on the dreaded Dr Tinkle and Matron!

Tonka in Carry On Up The Jungle

 

Yet again Charles grabs third billing in this film, despite only appearing in the last twenty minutes of the picture. He plays the husband of Joan Sims' character Evelyn Bagley who has journeyed to Africa in the hope of finding her long lost baby and husband. She eventually does find her grown up son (Terry Scott, still in a nappy) but the biggest shock comes after Sims, Howerd, James and the rest are captured by Valerie Leon's all female tribe. When they arrive at their camp, the King of the tribe is given a massive build up as the height of masculinity and a great lover. When he is carried out, up pops Charles with a brilliantly timed "Oh hello!" When Joan cries out her husband's name, Charles exclaims "Oh my God, it's the wife!" Fantastic stuff!

Dr F. A Goode in Carry On Matron

 

The name alone tells you all you need to know about this character! Charles appears in a just a handful of scenes in the last medical Carry On, made in 1971. It was his penultimate film with the gang but his scenes are superb. Kenneth Williams' manic Sir Bernard Cutting goes to consult Dr Goode about certain problems he's been experiencing (He thinks he's turning into a woman!) What follows is a masterclass in comedy acting with both camp heroes on terrific form. 

Hawtrey also comes between Williams and Jacques' Matron through several comic misunderstandings. Sir Bernard falsely assumes Goode and Matron are having an affair when all they are doing is watching television together. The scene which sets up this gag is full of knowing innuendo with both Hattie and Charles being a pair of proper teases. Charles is at his boyish best in Matron and it culminates in Goode and Cutting bonding over a shared membership of the Newts! As they chant out the Newts' moto, a disbelieving Patsy Rowlands watches on. Wonderful!

 

So there we have it, some of my favourite Charles Hawtrey Carry On cameos. Those are mine, what are yours? 

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

Whatever Happened To ... Gertan and Gwendolyn?

It wasn't until recently that I realised regular Carry On supporting actors Gwendolyn Watts and Gertan Klauber were actually married. So here is a blog post looking back at both their careers and their lives away from the camera.

Gwendolyn Watts is instantly recognisable to all Carry On fans. She only appeared in three Carry Ons, all medical-themed films and all classics of their kind. Born in Somerset in September 1932, Gwendolyn made her first appearance in the series in Carry On Doctor in 1967, playing Mrs Barron, wife to Charles Hawtrey's character who was in hospital due to a sympathetic pregnancy! This role was followed, two years later, with an appearance as the Night Sister, again with Charles, in Again Doctor. After a further gap of two years, Gwendolyn returned to all things medical for her last role in the series, as Mrs Kemp, receptionist at Finisham Hospital in Carry On Matron. 

Away from the Carry Ons, Gwendolyn Watts had a long, successful career in films and on television. On film, she appeared in the likes of Sons and Lovers (1960); Billy Liar (1963); The Wrong Box (1966) and The Games (1970). On television, she guest starred in a wide variety of series such as The Rag Trade (1962); The Avengers (1963); Steptoe and Son (1964); On The Buses (1969) and Coronation Street in 1971. Gwendolyn gave up acting in the early 1970s to look after her two young children but returned to the profession in later years. Gwendolyn's sister is actress Sally Watts, who once had a regular role in Coronation Street as cleaner Sandra Stubbs.

Meanwhile, her husband Gertan Klauber was also notching up several appearances in the Carry On series. Gertan was born in March 1932 in Czechoslovakia before moving to Britain and training at the Birmingham Theatre School. He made a career out of playing spivs, minor criminals and dodgy types in a wide variety of British film and television series. He first appeared in the Carry Ons in Carry On Spying, released in 1964. He played a dodgy clerk who interrupts Eric Barker and Richard Wattis early on in the film. Gertan returned to Pinewood later the same year to play one of the slave auctioneers in Carry On Cleo, opposite Warren Mitchell. 

In 1967, Gertan was back again for a role as a ward orderly in Carry On Doctor, famously giving Frankie Howerd a less than welcome rub around with a damp flannel! In 1970, Gertan popped up in several scenes as a French soldier alongside Sid James and Peter Gilmore in Carry On Henry. In 1972, Gertan played the dodgy postcard seller at Elsbells market, alarming Kenneth Williams! Finally, Gertan Klauber made a brief appearance as a German Soldier in the dreadful Carry On Emmannuelle in 1978.

Away from the Carry Ons, Gertan Klauber had been acting on stage and screen since the late 1950s. On film he appeared in The Kitchen (1961); Dateline Diamonds (1965); The Big Job (1965); Up The Front (1972); Octopussy (1983) and Backbeat (1994). On the small screen, he appeared in The Avengers (1967); The Saint (1969); The Sweeney (1975); The Professionals (1980); Blackadder The Third (1987); Inspector Morse (1989) and House of Cards (1990). Gertan Klauber also enjoyed a wide range of roles on stage during his career. These included spells at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, where he worked with the likes of Peter Hall, Glenda Jackson and Ian McKellen. 

Gwendolyn and Gertan married in 1959. Together they had two children - a son, Daniel and a daughter, Holly. Gwendolyn Watts sadly passed away in 2000 at the age of 68 having suffered a heart attack. Gertan Klauber continued to act until 2003. He died in August 2008 at the age of 76. His son Daniel sadly predeceased him. 

Both Gwendolyn Watts and Gertan Klauber typify what made the Carry Ons great. Neither actor ever achieved star status but they were both instantly recognisable faces and ever reliable character actors who put in superb performances over several films. They deserve to be remembered for their sterling contributions to our favourite series of comedy films. 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

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