Happy Birthday Judy Geeson!

I'd like to wish the actress Judy Geeson a very happy birthday. Judy, based over in the United States for many years now, turns 70 years young this very day.

To Carry On fans Judy is mainly known for two things. First of all, for starring in Carry On England as Sergeant Tilly Willing opposite Patrick Mower in 1976 and also for being the real life sister of Bless This House and Carry On Abroad actress Sally Geeson. 

Although Judy only made one Carry On appearance, she has enjoyed a long and varied career on screen on both sides of the Atlantic. Following her break out role as Pamela in the 1967 film To Sir, With Love, other films quickly followed. Among Judy's best are Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1968) with Barry Evans; 10 Rillington Place (1971) with Richard Attenborough and John Hurt; Fear in the Night (1972) with Joan Collins and Peter Cushing; Brannigan (1975) with John Wayne and The Eagle Has Landed (1976) with Michael Caine and Donald Sutherland. Judy also starred in comedies such as Percy's Progress (from the Betty Box/Ralph Thomas stable) and the sub-Carry On sex comedy Adventures of a Taxi Driver (again with Barry Evans).

On the small screen Judy has been seen in the likes of Emergency - Ward 10, Danger Man, the original 1970s series of Poldark and Tales of the Unexpected. Over in the United States, Judy's career has taken in everything from Murder She Wrote and The A Team to Charmed and Mad About You.

You can read more about Judy here

Whatever Judy is up to today, I hope she has a great birthday!


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Two Gentlemen Sharing Screening plus Q&A with Judy Geeson at the BFI

As I mentioned over on Twitter last night, there will be a rare chance to catch the actress Judy Geeson in conversation at the BFI early next month. The British Film Institute on London's South Bank will be hosting a special screening of the 1969 British film drama Two Gentlemen Sharing, in which Judy played the character of Jane.

Well I say you can catch Judy, but she won't actually be there in person. She has been based in the United States for many years and will take part in a live Q&A by Skype alongside the film's director Ted Kotcheff. The film tells the story of an upper class white Englishman who is forced to confront his own feelings and prejudices when the London flat he advertises for sharing is taken up by an Oxford-educated black Jamaican. 

Adapted by Jamaican-born Evan Jones from a novel by David Stuart Leslie, it follows this ambitious young Jamaican in swinging London as he battles every day racism and tries to enter the hallowed portals of British business. Allegedly considered an incitement to race-riot, it was given an X certificate and never released in the UK. It was, however, considered suitable for the Venice Film Festival in 1969 and played continuously in France and the US.

Joining Judy in the cast were actors Robin Phillips, Esther Anderson (who will also take part in the event at the BFI), Earl Cameron and Rachel Kempson. Also look out for two other actors who made Carry On appearances - Norman Rossington playing Phil and Elspeth March as Ethne's Mother.

The film and Q&A are part of the BFI's Black and Banned season. The special screening and Q&A will take place on Saturday 1 September from 2pm. And you can buy tickets here

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Carry On Faces in Different Places: Percy's Progress

Here we go with another in my series of blogs looking at some of the cream of British comedy film making from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Although this blog is all about the Carry Ons, believe it or not, there were some other joyous comedy films made away from Peter Rogers Productions. However, given the quality of the actors Peter employed to make his series, it's no wonder that most of them popped up elsewhere.

So far I've looked at the wonderful 1959 crime caper Too Many Crooks , the 1954 domestic comedy starring Dirk Bogarde, For Better For Worse , the big screen spin off Please Sir! and the wonderful Up Pompeii and the brilliant John Gregson and Diana Dors vehicle, Value for Money. 
  
More recently I blogged about the Sid James and Kenneth Connor comedy horror What A Carve Up! and the the Gordon Jackson drama, Floodtide. 

I've also looked at the Carry On links with the wonderful film I'm All Right Jack

Recently I blogged about the Billy Fury and Amanda Barrie musical film I've Gotta Horse , the classic 1954 school comedy The Belles of St Trinian's and the 1959 romantic comedy from the Betty Box and Ralph Thomas stable, Upstairs and Downstairs. You can also check out my blog on the 1956 drama Lost. 

Today I am going to write about a 1974 comedy sequel which saw one of the last films from a producer-director double act of legendary proportions (Betty Box/Ralph Thomas) : Percy's Progress.

What's it about?

Percy is well known in England as the man who had the world's first penis transplant, and is exceptionally well endowed. His rampant conquests of married women cause him to escape incarceration by local authorities.

A chemical is accidentally released into the world's water supply rendering all men impotent. Percy is unaware that he is the only man on earth who can achieve an erection because he was in hiding from the law at sea, drinking nothing but champagne.

When Percy goes ashore to relieve his year-long sexual tension at a brothel, he garners the attention of the British press and subsequently the British government, who then want to use him to repopulate the world. An international pageant is held to find each country's "Miss Conception" representative. At the same time, a team of doctors work to find an antidote to the effects of "P.S.- 123".

Who's in it?

Leigh Lawson heads the cast as Percy. Other well known actors to appear include Denholm Elliott as Sir Emmanuel Whitbread, Vincent Price as Stavos Mammonian, Julie Ege as Miss Hanson, Ronald Fraser as Bleeker and Anthony Andrews as Catchpole. 

Carry On Faces?

Many! Although playing a different character in the previous Percy film, Elke Sommer is back for the sequel this time playing Clarissa. She would lead the cast of Carry On Behind the following year. Another future one off Carry On star to appear in this film is Judy Geeson as Dr Fairweather. Judy would go on to star in Carry On England in 1976.

Carry On Screaming star Harry H Corbett co-stars as the Prime Minister (a spoof of Harold Wilson if ever there was one!). Elke's Carry On Behind colleague Adrienne Posta also co-stars here as PC 217 (Iris). And look out for that wonderful Irish actor Milo O'Shea playing Dr Klein. Nearly ten years before he had the supporting role of Len in my favourite Carry On, Carry On Cabby.

Carry On Matron cameo player Madeline Smith makes another guest appearance in this film, as Miss UK. Gertan Klauber, a small part player in several Carry Ons, also pops up playing Pablo. Two other Carry On faces making small, uncredited appearances in Percy's Progress are Norman Chappell as a Valet and who else but Marianne Stone playing a Reporter.

And before I go, there is of course much glamorous support from a bevy of lovely actresses. Carry On Abroad and Behind star Carol Hawkins plays Maggie; Carry On Dick Bird of Paradise Penny Irving crops up as Chiquita and future Carry On England actress Diane Langton takes the role of Maureen Sugden. Also look out for Carry On Blogging favourite, the actress Judy Matheson, who plays Maria. 

Did you know?

In the United States, the film was released as It's Not the Size that Counts.

Leigh Lawson replaced Hywel Bennett, who had played Percy in the original film of that name three years before. Bennett did not want to reprise the role.

Harry H. Corbett also co-wrote the film, along with Ian La Frenais and Sid Colin (who had contributed to the script of Carry On Spying in 1964). 

Betty Box said they only agreed with Nat Cohen to make a sequel to Percy if he financed The Reckless Years, a film of the Byron-Shelley story. However, Cohen reneged on the deal once Percy's Progress was made.

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Who would you like to see at the London Film Fair in 2018?

Now into its 45th Year, this event is the continuation of a legacy that started back in the early seventies, and over the years have seen different names and organizers but its roots orginate from the original Collector’s Film Convention’s that were organized by Ed Mason.  Now under new management, the future of the event is secured. 

The event’s are held at London’s Central Hall Westminster, with up to 6 events a year.

The conventions presents dealers from all over the UK, Europe, US, Canada, Australia and South America that specializes in vintage and modern film memorabilia.  Items cover the history of cinema from the silents to the present day blockbusters.

The London Film Fair will appeal to avid film buffs, collectors, archivists researchers and students. A must for anyone with an interest in cinema and cult television! Plans are already underway for 2018 and organisers have asked over on Facebook who fans would like to see attend future events? So I thought I would ask you who would be on your wish list.

For me, it's obviously got to be as many Carry On actors as possible. Both Liz Fraser and Carol Hawkins have attended the Film Fair in the past but unfortunately I missed out on attending so I'd love for them both to make appearances next year. I'd also love to see the Geeson sisters reunited at a fan event - it would be great to see Judy and Sally attend together as both remain so very popular.

Another transatlantic guest I'd love to meet is German born Hollywood and Carry On Behind star Elke Sommer who is still very much around and working as a successful artist. And as it's so far a very female wish list, too more Carry On legends who could join Elke on the flight over from the States are main team player Jim Dale, last here in 2015 for his one man show and the wonderful actor Julian Holloway. 

So that's my wish list, who is on yours?

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

Carrying On Across the Pond

 

I've always wondered what the Americans think of our very British Carry On films. I now several of the films were released in the United States and have since been shown on television, but do they really get that particular brand of humour? The Carry Ons have become a cult around the world and have been translated into many different languages. I guess at their heart they are really just good old fashioned pantomime slapstick. 

I know Carry On Nurse was a surprisingly huge hit over in America in 1959, playing to packed houses for over a year. So big a success in fact that both director Gerald Thomas and star Shirley Eaton even flew out to New York to help promote it even further. Years later, the Rank Organisation, which had taken over distribution of the Carry Ons from Anglo Amalgamated, attempted to spread the Carry On appeal to America once again by bringing in big name guest star Phil Silvers for Follow That Camel. That decision didn't quite pay off in the end.

Despite this, many actors involved in the Carry On story have worked successfully over on the other side of the Atlantic for many years. Let's take a look at some of them:

Probably the most successful of all has been Jim Dale. Jim has lived in New York since 1980 and has firmly established himself as a star on Broadway. Playing in Barnum to great acclaim, Jim has gone on to make countless theatrical appearances over the years and even tackled parts in Disney films. Most recently, he has been the critically acclaimed voice of the Harry Potter audio books in the United States.

The man once touted as Jim's Carry On replacement, Julian Holloway, also lives in the States, albeit on the West Coast. Julian has resided in Los Angeles since the early 1990s and has forged a highly successful career as a voice actor in many films and animations. 

 

Someone who was not quite as fortunate was the late actress Carol White. Carol rose to prominence in the excellent 1966 television film Cathy Come Home. Before that of course she had played one of the rebellious pupils in Carry On Teacher. Carol was one of the biggest, most promising stars of British cinema in the 1960s and moved to Hollywood in 1968 appearing in several films with among others, Dean Martin. However personal problems and some high profile failed relationships made White unreliable and her career sadly came to a halt. She died in 1991 at the age of 48, in Miami, Florida.

That very English of actors Wilfrid Hyde White, who famously guest starred in 1959's Carry On Nurse, worked a great deal in the United States, appearing regularly on Broadway and even receiving two Tony nominations. Wilfrid was based in California for many years and acted regularly on American television in shows such as Columbo, Buck Rogers and Battlestar Galactica. Hyde White passed away six days before his 88th birthday in May 1991.

That wonderful comedienne Carole Shelley started her acting career with cameos in two black and white Carry Ons - Regardless in 1960 as Helen Delling and three years later, the role of a Glam Cab driver with Amanda Barrie in Carry On Cabby. Carole then moved from London to New York and her first role on Broadway was as Gwendolyn Pigeon in the original, 1965 production of The Odd Couple, starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. Carole reprised her role for the 1968 film and also appeared in a later television version. Shelley has gone on to appear in a huge number of stage roles in the United States and even played an overbearing Jewish mother in a classic episode of Frasier in 1999.

Another actor who appeared in Frasier was that lovely Irish character player Milo O'Shea. Milo played Len, one of the newly hired cab drivers in the 1963 film Carry On Cabby. From the mid 1960s onwards most of O'Shea's work was in the United States, with a landmark role opposite Eli Wallach in the Broadway play Staircase coming in 1967. In 1968 Milo starred in two classic films - Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet and Roger Vadim's Barbarella, starring Jane Fonda. Milo even popped up in an episode of The Golden Girls in the late 1980s. He continued to act until 2005, passing away in New York at the age of 86 in 2013.

The international guest star of Carry On Behind, Elke Sommer, has been based in Los Angeles for many years. Rising to prominence in the 1964 comedy A Shot in the Dark opposite Peter Sellers, Sommer has starred in many Hollywood films and stage productions. For the past two decades she has focussed on her work as an artist. Another one-time Carry On actor who has spent many years in America is Judy Geeson. Sally's sister left London for California in 1984 and has lived there ever since.  

 

Although Kenneth Williams famously said he had no desire at all to work in or indeed see America, several of his co-stars did indeed venture stateside for work during their careers. Dilys Laye grabbed a very early starring role in the 1954 Broadway production of The Boyfriend opposite Julie Andrews. In 1966, Kenneth's friend Sheila Hancock made her Broadway debut in a production of Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr Sloane. And in 1978, Frankie Howerd travelled to Hollywood to play "Mean Mr Mustard" in the big budget musical film Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which co-starred the likes of the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, George Burns and Steve Martin.

That most English of all Englishmen, Leslie Phillips had a taste of Hollywood success when he made the George Cukor directed Cole Porter musical film Les Girls in 1957. The cast included Kay Kendall, Taina Elg, Mitzi Gaynor, Patrick Macnee and a certain Gene Kelly. Phillips' next role on returning to the UK was none other than Jack Bell (Ding Dong! You're not wrong!) in Carry On Nurse. And in 1964 Carry On favourite Liz Fraser played Sheila in the Hollywood comedy drama The Americanization of Emily, a film which starred the likes of James Garner, Julie Andrews and Joyce Grenfell. 

 

This is by no means an exhaustive list, so do please feel free to chip in with any other trans-atlantic Carry On stars!

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

Happy Birthday Patrick Mower!

 

Today we wish the suave, evergreen actor Patrick Mower a very happy 78th birthday! Patrick, a real Seventies heartthrob if ever there was one, is now best known for his long running role as Rodney Blackstock in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Patrick has played the part since the year 2000.

Patrick has been a fixture on television and cinema screens since the 1960s with his most memorable roles coming from a variety of gritty, small screen detective shows in the 1970s. As well as roles in The Sweeney, The Avengers and Jason King, he took lead roles in both Callan and Special Branch. To Carry On fans, Patrick is best remembered for his role as Len Able in the less than successful 1976 film Carry On England, in which he played love interest to Judy Geeson.

Patrick took part in last year's ITV tribute show, Carry On Forever, and remains proud of his involvement with the Carry Ons. A further Carry On link comes in the shapely shape of Emmannuelle actress Suzanne Danielle, who was Patrick's real life partner for seven years. 

 

Whatever Patrick is up to today, I hope he has an excellent birthday!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Carry On Faces of 1976

This is part of a new series of blogs on Carry On Blogging. I plan to blog each year of Carry On, featuring photos of the most prolific actors for each year. Hopefully it will provide an interesting overview of the changing face of Carry On during the series' original mammoth twenty year run. 

It will turn the spotlight on the familiar faces who endured over the decades as well as those artists who came and went along the way. We are continuing today with 1976. Only one film was produced this year, Carry On England. This continued a trend that would see only one film produced a year until the end of the original series in 1978.

Pictured above we have the most prolific actors to appear in 1976. They are as follows: Kenneth Connor as Captain S Melly; Windsor Davies as Sergeant Major Tiger Bloomer; Patrick Mower pictured above as Sergeant Len Able; Judy Geeson as Sergeant Tilly Willing; Jack Douglas as Bombardier Ready; Joan Sims pictured as Private Jennifer Ffoukes-Sharpe; Melvyn Hayes as Gunner Shorthouse; Peter Jones as the Brigadier and finally, Peter Butterworth as Major Carstairs.

Of those featured above, only Kenneth Connor was an original cast member from the very first film, Carry On Sergeant in 1958. Carry On England was a controversial film which ushered in a whole new cast and a whole new style to the series. It bombed at the box office. Only Connor, Sims, Butterworth and Douglas were familiar faces from previous Carry Ons, with Sims and Butterworth restricted to little more than cameos.

Windsor Davies returned to Carry On for a starring role following the success of his perfomance in the previous film, Carry On Behind. Amongst the new faces joining the team were familiar television performers Patrick Mower and Melyvn Hayes. Judy Geeson, the film star sister of Sally Geeson, also starred. None of these new names were particularly adept at Carry On humour and the film keenly missed absent stars such as Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques, Bernard Bresslaw and Sidney James. Sadly Sid had passed away just as pre-production on England had commenced.


 
Stay tuned for the Carry On Faces of 1978 coming up soon!

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

The Silent Stars of Carry On

We all love hearing from those involved with the Carry On films, especially those who appeared in front of the camera. Sadly many of the original cast are now, as Bernard Cribbins referred to it as "in the bar upstairs", however there are still plenty of interesting characters around with stories to tell.

It is always great to hear from the likes of Bernard, Jim Dale, Shirley Eaton and Fenella Fielding, however there are many other Carry On actors who we rarely (if ever) hear from. While some actors may not want to (or enjoy) being interviewed or others may prefer not to discuss their involvement in the Carry Ons, there are a few who have stayed silent for no known reason.

Back in the day, there just weren't the same kind of opportunities for actors to be interviewed. When Hattie, Peter and Sid were still with us there were only three television channels and the internet was a long way off. 

So who would I like to hear more from these days? The actress Ann Firbank is still working today in her early 80s and although she only appeared in one Carry On, it was the marvellous Carry On Nurse. Together with her colleague in that film Susan Beaumont, they are rare surviving members from those early days. It would be great to hear their recollections of working on that wonderful medical Carry On.

Another actress I'd love to hear from is the great Carole Shelley. Carole has gone on to a highly successful career in stage and screen in the United States however she began her career in Britain and with supporting roles in two early Carry Ons, Regardless and Cabby. Much later on in the lifespan of Carry On, but another actress who left for work over in America is Judy Geeson, star of Carry On England. While we often see her sister Sally Geeson interviewed or appear at film conventions, Judy has never spoken about England (to my knowledge). 

Staying with the later Carry Ons, one figure who has stayed silent on her appearance in Emmannuelle is Suzanne Danielle. It would be fascinating to hear Suzanne's memories of working on this controversial film and on working so closely with Kenneth Williams. 

If Carry On Abroad actress Gail Grainger is out there, I'd love to hear from her on her work with the team on what many consider the last truly great film in the series. She appears to have completely disappeared but I'd love to track her down. 

Two stars of Carry On Behind who are both very definitely still around have never really spoken about their involvement in the series. International guest star Elke Sommer has long been based in Hollywood but wouldn't it be fascinating to hear what she made of her few weeks filming with Williams, Connor and Sims in the orchard at Pinewood? Also, legendary star of the small screen Windsor Davies has been retired for several years now, but it would be lovely to hear what he thought about stepping into Sid James' shoes for his role as butcher Fred Ramsden.

Finally, one more actor I'd like to hear from is the infamous Trisha Noble who played Sally in Carry On Camping. Legend has it that this young Australian actress didn't quite fit with what the Carry On team at Pinewood expected and the role was cut back as a result. It would be great to hear her take on all that!

It is possible we'd one day here from these actors on their times making the Carry On films. After all, some years back it was thought Margaret Nolan had retired into obscurity somewhere in the Spanish countryside. Now, back in London it was great to see her take part in Carry On Forever last year. So here's hoping more of these names break their silence!

So who would you like to hear more from?

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan