In Praise of Carry On Cruising

I have just watched Carry On Cruising all the way through for the first time in a while. Cruising is one of those films that is always worth a watch when it comes on but it has never really been top ten material for me. As a child I loved the usual slapstick elements and childlike performances of the likes of Kenneths Williams and Connor but for me it missed the presence of Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims and Hattie Jacques far too much.

However, I now see Carry On Cruising through a more mature eye and I think it is delightful. Yes it has less of a team that previous films at that point in time and it is a much more static film that the film it followed, Carry On Regardless. Regardless was a much more ambitious entry, boasting a truly impressive and wide ranging supporting cast of familiar comedy faces and countless set ups and situations. It also still starred that recognisable band that began the series back with Sergeant in 1958. Cruising sees a lot of that stripped away, with original players Bill Owen and Terence Longdon gone and regular actors Jacques, Hawtrey and Sims missing in action.

As it turned out, both Charles and Joan were originally meant to appear in Cruising, with Hawtrey billed as the chef, Wilfred Haines and Sims due to grab the main female role of Flo Castle. However Joan was taken ill less that a week before production commenced, leading to a last minute recasting of her close friend Dilys Laye, making her Carry On debut. Dilys had been a friend of Joan's from revue days and already had a lot of experience under her belt, with many stage appearances (including a spell on Broadway) as well as film outings in the likes of Doctor At Large, Upstairs and Downstairs, Blue Murder at St Trinians and the Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas film, Please Turn Over. In many ways a Carry On was a natural progression for her.

Charles Hawtrey's exit from proceedings was a little more tricky as a dispute over billing led Peter Rogers to dump him, promoting Lance Percival to the role of chef in the film and giving him a starring credit. Lance had already worked for Rogers and Thomas in the 1961 music school comedy Raising The Wind and would return to Pinewood for further films Twice Round The Daffodils and The Big Job. While any film without Charles and Joan misses them keenly, I think one of the subsequent strengths of Cruising is the fresh approach it takes with casting new faces or promoting existing ones to bigger roles. it may not have been the original plan but I think it works out quite nicely. Most of the action revolves around the three male leads - Sid, Kenneth Williams and Kenneth Connor and they excel, the smaller cast allowing them much more screen time together. Cruising is also important for billing Kenneth Williams directly against Sid for the first time and this was a trend that would continue in many future films, the contrast in their performances being exploited to the full.

Kenneth Connor is once again fantastic in this film. He never gave a bad performance but the role of bumbling ship doctor is perfect for him. He works really well with Dilys Laye and the pair have delicious chemistry throughout the film as she attempts to fend off his clumsy advances before eventually seeing the light towards the end of the film. While it would have been Carry On gold to see Joan and Liz Fraser pal up for Cruising, Dilys and Liz do an equally impressive job as best friends on holiday together and while Dilys grabs the majority of the action, Liz is a brilliant foil throughout and looks stunning as always. A special mention also for the gorgeous Esma Cannon as Bridget Madderley, the pixie-like older woman traveling alone. Esma gets her biggest role in the series here and it must have been a challenging one has she acts in most of her scenes by herself, no mean feat really. She is delightful and her comedy timing is second to none.

As I've already mentioned, there is a much smaller cast for Carry On Cruising and that's no bad thing. While it allows Sid and the Kenneths more creative space in the film, it also gives some familiar supporting players more to do - namely Cyril Chamberlain, Jimmy Thompson and Brian Rawlinson. All three actors appeared in several Rogers and Thomas comedies around this time but Cruising provided them with their best opportunities. Chamberlain in particular has a lot more screen time than I ever remembered; he was a loyal returning actor in the first seven Carry Ons but Cruising sees his most satisfying part as steward Tom Tree. 

 

I also think the decision to make Carry On Cruising in colour really helps the film. It's such a frothy, lightweight, frivolous piece, with everyone off on holiday that the colour film makes it a joy to watch. Dilys and Liz in particular look stunning and enjoy a seemingly endless array of costume changes. Don't get me wrong, I love the classic black and white era of Carry On and I think these films show real quality, but the shift to colour is a major step forward. 

Cruising is not the funniest or most classic of all the Carry Ons but the script is littered with clever little Norman Hudis moments, the cast really do deliver and the whole thing fairly jumps along with great spirit and relish. It's a joyful early 1960s, all's right with the world British comedy and echos the Betty Box Doctor films more than probably any other Carry On. I think it's time to reappraise Carry On Cruising and enjoy it for the early classic it is.

 You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

The A - Z of Carry On Supporting Actors: Jimmy Thompson

 

This is the latest in a brand new series for Carry On Blogging. It might be slightly ambitious, but I'm going to attempt to do a run through the alphabet of some of the more interesting Carry On supporting actors. One of the reasons I set up this blog was to turn the spotlight on some of the lesser known Carry On actors who nevertheless played an important role in the success of the film series. 

Today we continue with the next letter in the alphabet, T and T is for Jimmy Thompson.

Carry On films: Jimmy appeared as Mr Delling in Carry On Regardless, Sam Turner in Cruising and Nelson in Carry On Jack. 

Also appeared in: Jimmy also worked for Rogers and Thomas in the 1961 musical comedy Raising The Wind. Thompson appeared in two Doctor comedies for Betty Box and Ralph Thomas. First of all Doctor in Love in 1960 and then Doctor in Trouble ten years later.

 

Best known for: In the 1960s, Thompson appeared regularly in the children's television series Pinky and Perky.

Did you know: In 1959, he became known for his impersonation of the American entertainer Liberace in the revue For Amusement Only. Unfortunately this resulted in Liberace suing Thompson. The pair eventually settled out of court with Jimmy making a donation to a charity chosen by Liberace.

What are they up to now: After the death of his wife Nina in 1999, Jimmy Thompson retired to York where he died at the age of 79 in April 2005.

Stay tuned for the next entry in my A - Z of Carry On Supporting Actors! 
 

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

My Favourite Scene: Carry On Cruising

I have been running a series of blogs which focus on my favourite scene in each of the original Carry On films made over the twenty years from 1958 until 1978. I have covered around half of the films now, writing about the likes of Sergeant, Nurse, Cabby and Camping as well as later films such as Behind, England and Emmannuelle.

Today I am going back to 1962 and the first Carry On to be shot in glorious Eastman technicolour. It is of course, Carry On Cruising.

Carry On Cruising was the last in the series to be scripted by Norman Hudis. It has a familiar feel to it - the same central figure of authority surrounded by dimwitted employees who cock everything up only to save the day at the last minute. What makes Cruising different from previous entries, apart from the change to colour, is the lack of familiar faces in the line up. Indeed only Sid James, Kenneth Williams and Kenneth Connor represent the regular team. Until this film, pretty much every series regular appeared consistently. However, Joan Sims was out due to illness, Charles Hawtrey was replaced due to his starry demands and Hattie Jacques was probably busy with Sykes on television. 

On the face of it this isn't good news. However what it does do is cement Kenneth Williams in a starring role and brings to the foreground the lovely contrast between him and Sid. It also creates room to allow several supporting actors the chance to grab hold of bigger parts (as it were). Therefore the likes of Esma Cannon, Liz Fraser, Cyril Chamberlain, Jimmy Thompson and Dilys Laye all get more prominent roles in this film. It actually makes for quite a refreshing change. Cruising is bright, light and frothy and I love it.

Although the two Kenneths and Sid get the biggest roles in the film, I think the funniest, stand out performances go to the leading ladies, Laye, Fraser and Cannon. This brings me rather nicely to my favourite scene in the film.

After a run in with Kenneth Connor's Dr Binn in the swimming pool, Esma's Miss Madderley joins Flo and Gladys (Laye and Fraser) in the bar for a little tipple. Unfortunately, neither Flo or Bridget have the faintest idea what they are ordering and soon a rather drunken competition ensues. Liz Fraser is pretty much playing second fiddle to Dilys Laye in Cruising which is unusual although Dilys seizes the opportunity with both hands and goes at every situation with enormous energy and relish. She really is a delight. Her scenes at the bar with the wonderful Esma Cannon are an absolute joy. The reactions of the barman (Jimmy Thompson) as both women get increasingly sloshed are also spot on. 

Both ladies work their way through all manner of spirits and soon fall foul of Sid James' Captain Crowther who very quickly pins the blame on his new recruits. My favourite line in the whole scene sees Esma Cannon ask the barman for "Two Flo Dears!" While Dilys was quite young at the time, this film was pretty near the end of Esma's career. It must have been terrific for her to play this kind of riotous comedy, especially in the days when women didn't really get to play these parts on the big screen.

It might lack the magic of Sims and Hawtrey, but Carry On Cruising is still an absolute pleasure. 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Clicking on the adverts helps to keep this blog going.

Whatever Happened To ... Carole Shelley?

I have been running an occasional series of blogs looking at some of the familiar faces who graced many Carry On films without necessarily gaining star billing. One of my main reasons for setting up this blog was to turn the spotlight onto these wonderful actors who worked for years in supporting roles in British film or whom just never seem to receive the publicity they are due.

Today I am going to write about an actress who starred in two early 1960s black and white Carry On films. Carole Shelley first appeared in Carry On Regardless in 1961. Carole played Mrs Delling in scenes which saw her come home early while her husband (Jimmy Thompson) was asking Liz Fraser's Delia King to try on some new frillies on her behalf. Delia was of course from The Helping Hands agency. Much farce ensues, involving Liz, a cupboard and a dodgy man's accent.

Carole came back to join the Carry On team again in the classic 1963 series entry, Carry On Cabby. Carole plays the dreadfully titled Dumb Driver in this film. She is really one of the many glamorous Glam Cab drivers, first seen in the line up alongside Amanda Barrie. Again it is a cameo role but her gift for comedy is clear for all to see. So what else did Carole Shelley get up to in her acting career?

Carole Shelley began her career in Britain, starring in several other films at the time she made her Carry On appearances. She played a typist in No My Darling Daughter in 1961 and Mrs Smith in Michael Winner's The Cool Mikado in 1963. She also turned up in episodes of the BBC Sunday Night Play and The Avengers. For whatever reason after this point, Carole relocated to the United States where the majority of her career has played out.

In 1968 she co-starred in The Odd Couple, a vehicle for Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. She would reprise the role in the television series screened in 1970. Also in 1968 she went on to appear in the Tony Curtis film, The Boston Strangler. Later film roles include Some Kind of Nut (1969); The Whoopee Boys (1986) and most recently the big screen version of Bewitched, released in 2005 and starring Nicole Kidman. On American television, Carole has appeared in the likes of The Cosby Show, All My Children and Frasier. 

The majority of Carole Shelley's career has been on stage. Shelley made her Broadway debut as Gwendolyn in The Odd Couple in 1965 (the role she went on to play on television and on film. She went on to appear in such diverse productions as As You Like It, Absurd Person Singular, Billy Elliot, Show Boat and Cabaret. Carole won a Tony Award in 1979 for her performance in the stage production of The Elephant Man and was nominated again in 1987 for Stepping Out. In 2003 she created the role of Madame Morrible in the original production of Wicked.  

Now 75, Carole Shelley continues to live and act in the United States. Most recently, in 2014, she took over the role of Miss Shingle in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. So many big roles in American film, television and stage seem a far cry from the Dumb Driver in Carry On Cabby!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Clicking on the adverts helps to keep this blog going

Not Quite A Carry On: Raising The Wind

I have been blogging about some of the many other films Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas produced and directed together during their long professional relationship. So far we have looked back at the likes of Nurse On Wheels, The Big Job and Bless This House. Today I'm going back a little further - Raising The Wind!

Yes quite. Raising The Wind is actually a rather cosy, early 1960s comedy film following the exploits of a bunch of rather mature looking young music students. It very much has the feel of one of the Doctor In The House films and features a large cast of well known comedy actors. Interestingly, Rogers and Thomas called upon then Carry On music man, Bruce Montgomery, to write the script for this film. And he does a fair job of it too.

Like many of of Rogers and Thomas' ensemble comedies, there isn't really much plot to speak of here. A group of ambitious young musicians progress through music school with the climax of the film revealing which ones pass their final exams. There is lots of terrific light comedy sprinkled throughout but as usual it is the quality of the performers that really raises the bar. 

The film boasts starring roles for several actors who were then Carry On regulars. They include Liz Fraser, Kenneth Williams, Leslie Phillips (who had just made his final Carry On until Columbus in 1992), Eric Barker and Sid James in a wonderful cameo role alongside Lance Percival as a pair of dodgy music producers. Heading up the cast and bridging the gap between Doctor and Carry On franchises is a larger than life performance from the legendary James Robertson Justice, who brings his bombastic Lancelot Spratt character to life once again. 

Also along for the ride are Paul Massie, Jennifer Jayne and Jimmy Thompson, who join Fraser, Phillips and Williams as the music students. Jimmy Thompson would appear in three Carry Ons, Regardless, Cruising and Jack, but has his largest role here as Alex. Canadian Paul Massie made many films during this time but later moved to Florida and became a theatre Professor at a University. Finally, the glamorous Jennifer Jayne who made her only appearance for Rogers and Thomas in this film. She was known at the time for working alongside Dirk Bogarde in the classic The Blue Lamp and Norman Wisdom in the film On The Beat. 

Despite the fact the film has no major plot to speak of it is still a joy to watch mainly due to the supporting cast which is crammed with regular faces from the Carry On/Doctor group of repertory players. Look out for the likes of Geoffrey Keen, Joan Hickson, Esma Cannon, Victor Maddern, David Lodge, Brian Oulton and the very first appearance from future Carry On legend, Jim Dale. As always, these Pinewood stalwarts knew how to cast a film economically with expert and experienced talents.

Without a doubt the high point of Raising the Wind is the scene which sees Kenneth Williams attempt to conduct an orchestra. It is a masterpiece of comic acting and timing and shows Kenneth at his comedic peak. I love it and can watch it again and again.

So there we are, Raising the Wind. Nothing extraordinary but yet again Peter and Gerald give us something that rises up above the average thanks to a wonderful cast of comedy performers at the top of their game. And to finish, here is that wonderful scene of Kenneth Williams taking on the role of conductor!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Clicking on the adverts helps to keep this blog going