Carry On Interviewing: Highlights from 2018

The past year has seen me have the great pleasure of interviewing several really interesting people for the blog. I love interacting with fans, people I connect with via Twitter and of course figures connected with acting and the Carry Ons. I thought I would provide a run down of some of my highlights from 2018 for your festive delectation.

In February I interviewed the author Kaye Crawford about her wonderful biography of the late actress Beryl Reid. Kaye was a delight to be in touch with and I thoroughly recommend you check out her excellent book. You can read all about it right here.

Back in March I had the huge pleasure of spending an hour on the phone with the delightful Patricia Franklin. Patricia appeared in Carry On Camping, Carry On Loving, Carry On Girls, Carry On Behind and Carry On England and was wonderful to talk to. You can read Part 1 of our interview here and Part 2 right here. 

The very next day I went on to chat with the actor Hugh Futcher about his life, career and Carry On associations. Hugh worked with the very best in the Carry On team in such films as Carry On Spying, Don't Lose Your Head, Again Doctor, Girls and Behind. Part 1 of our chat is here with the follow up here.

In May I had a lovely chat on the phone with Carry On historian Robert Ross. I had interacted with Robert for several years but this was the first time we actually had a proper natter and it was a joy. You can read more on that here.

In July I had the great good fortune to secure an interview with German born Hollywood legend Elke Sommer. Elke was the very glamorous guest star of the 1975 film Carry On Behind and it was a thrill to feature her thoughts on making that film, working with Kenneth Williams and many other aspects of her life and career. You can read our interview here.

Also in July I was in touch with the multi-talented Julian Dutton. A big fan of the Carry Ons, Julian was about to take his one man show on the life of John Le Mesurier to the Edinburgh Festival. We had a fascinating interview which you can read again right here.

July also saw me interview another delightful Julian, the Carry Ons' very own Julian Holloway. Possibly the highlight of my blogging year, Julian was an absolute gentleman and we enjoyed a very pleasant chat indeed. Part 1 of our interview is here and part 2 can be read again here.

In September I interviewed the singer and actor David Kernan. David only made one Carry On appearance, as Nicholas in Carry On Abroad, but he has enjoyed a wonderful career, mainly on the stage, as well as friendships with the likes of Hattie Jacques and Joan Sims. You can read our interview here.

And finally, in a first for Carry On Blogging, earlier this month I featured my first every blog (that's a video blog to you and me). Produced by the lovely people at Rabbit and Snail films, 'Carry On Film Talk' saw contributors Morris Bright, Phil Campbell, Mark Priest and Judy Matheson talk about their favourite Carry Ons with Richard Edwards. It was an absolute pleasure to be in touch with Richard on this project and I hope you all enjoyed it. You can read about it (and of course watch the film) here.

I hope you have enjoyed my blogging interviews this year. Hopefully 2019 will promise some more special treats!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Meet Julian Holloway at the London Film Fair

The next London Film Fair will be taking place on Sunday 18th November at the Royal National Hotel, by Russell Square in Central London. These fairs are rather an interesting experience to say the least and allow fans to meet a wide range of actors from the likes of James Bond, Hammer Horror and Carry On franchises. 

Attending this time is the brilliant Julian Holloway, who during a long career on stage and screen clocked up eight Carry On appearances. Beginning with a cameo as a ticket inspector in Carry On Follow That Camel, Julian went on to larger roles in Doctor, Up The Khyber, Camping, Loving, Henry, At Your Convenience and finally England. Julian also played several roles in the 1973 Carry On Christmas television special.

Julian is a familiar face from some of the very best in British television and film. During his career he has appeared in the likes of The Sweeney, The Professionals, Minder, Doctor Who, Elizabeth R and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads. Film roles include the big screen version of Porridge, the horror Scream and Scream Again and even The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night in 1964. 

A long time resident of the United States, Julian is now back in the UK and I was thrilled to interview him for the blog earlier in the summer. You can read that here and here. Julian was engaging and very entertaining to talk to so do go along on the day to meet him if you can.

The London Film Fair will take place on Sunday 18th November at The Royal National Hotel, 38 - 51 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0DG. 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram 

Julian Holloway joins the BBC's Summer of Rockets

The BBC have announced a new six part drama series set in the Cold War era, from writer Stephen Poliakoff. Titled Summer of Rockets it will star Keeley Hawes, Toby Stephens, Linus Roache and Timothy Spall. The series is set to be broadcast on BBC2. 

So why am I telling you this? Well the cast of the production features none other than Carry On favourite Julian Holloway, playing a Mr Richardson. Julian of course playing in eight Carry Ons from Follow That Camel in 1967 through to Carry On England in 1976 and also popped up in various different costumes during the 1973 Carry On Christmas television special. 

I recently interview Julian for the blog and you can find that here and here.

This from the BBC:

Set in the UK during the Cold War period and tumultuous year of 1958, fear and excitement of the future permeates the lives of all.

Samuel, played by Toby Stephens (Lost In Space, Die Another Day, Black Sails), is a 40 something Russian Jewish émigré, inventor and designer of bespoke hearing aids, whose clients include former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill. The series follows Samuel and his family, wife Miriam and children Hannah and Sasha, as he is approached by MI5 to demonstrate his work.

Yet it is not his inventions the operatives require - instead Samuel is tasked with the secret mission of obtaining information about his charming, newly acquired friends Kathleen, played by Keeley Hawes (Line Of Duty, Bodyguard) and her husband Richard Shaw MP, played by Linus Roache (Vikings, Homeland) through whom Samuel also meets the impressive Lord Arthur Wallington, played by Timothy Spall (Mr Turner, The Street). As Samuel’s life becomes more and more intertwined with his mission, how far is he willing to let things unravel for his cause? And who can he truly trust?

Set against the backdrop of Britain testing its first hydrogen bomb, the Prime Minister declaring that “most of our people have never had it so good”, the Soviets launching their first ballistic missile and beating the Americans by successfully sending a Satellite into space, the series written and directed by the multi-award-winning Stephen Poliakoff will offer a personal insight into this unforgettable time in British history, through a lens very close to his heart.

Sounds an interesting production! No details yet on when it will air but I'll update you when I know more. It'll be great to see Julian back on our screens, on this side of the Atlantic! 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

My Carry On Blogging Cast Interviews

Following on from my recent chat with the delightful Julian Holloway earlier in the week I thought I would bring together all the interviews I've done for the blog in one place. I've had the great good fortune to speak to a wide range of actors, writers and fans over the past three and a bit years and I can't thank all those who have contributed to the blog enough for their time, energy and enthusiasm. 

I've had the pleasure of blogging interviews with quite a few actors who were directly involved in the Carry On series and here they all are for your reading pleasure:

My interview with Julian Holloway can be found here and here

My interview with Elke Sommer can be found here

My interview with Fenella Fielding is right here  

My interview with the actress and author Josephine Bailey, who appeared as a child actor in Carry On Teacher can be found here

My interview with Jacki Piper is here 

My interview with Angela Douglas can be read here 

Click here for my interview with Valerie Leon

And click here for my chat with Madeline Smith

You can read my interview with Amanda Barrie here

My interview with Patricia Franklin can be found here and here

And my interview with Robin Askwith is here and  here  

Click here for my interview with Sally Geeson

Click here and here for my interview with Hugh Futcher

 

And follow this link here for my interview with Christine Ozanne

And last but certainly not least, my interview with Anita Harris is here

My thanks once again to everyone who has taken time to speak to me. It's been an absolute treat. 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Carry On Blogging Interview: Julian Holloway (Part 2)

The other day I had the great pleasure of spending an hour on the phone with the actor Julian Holloway. Julian's enjoyed a long career on both sides of the Atlantic and of course in amongst over 140 credits on film, television and stage there were eight Carry On appearances, from Follow That Camel in 1967 through to Carry On England in 1976. 

In the first part of our interview, I asked Julian more about how he got started as an actor and how he became part of the Carry On team back in the 1960s. We also chatted about what it was like to work with the likes of Gordon Jackson, Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale. Now on to the second part of our chat…

We touched on some of your other work on screen in the 1970s and 80s earlier but I wanted to ask you about a couple of roles in particular. You appeared in an episode of Elizabeth R with Glenda Jackson I think?

Yes, I was in the first episode of Elizabeth R (The Lion's Cub) and I remember everything was running late in the studios, I think there was or had been a strike. The director had a heavy workload to get through and nobody was particularly happy. It felt like a bad kick off for the series and the filming could have gone better but ironically I think it was that episode which one the Emmy Award!

This got me through Standard Grade English...

You were also in one of my favourite dramas from the late 1970s, the BBC's adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca, starring Anna Massey, Jeremy Brett and Joanna David. 

Yes that was very well done. The director Simon Langton stayed very loyal to the book and Hugh Whitemore, who I worked with several times, produced a crackerjack script! 

…I ask about it particularly as that version is pretty special for me. I wrote an essay on the book at school and the book I used was a version issued with Joanna David on the cover, from the production you starred in! My mother told me last night that she remembers coming home from work in '79 and watching the first episode on her black and white portable TV while she was peeling potatoes for dinner. She got so hooked on it she watched the entire episode and when my Dad came home dinner wasn't ready!

Well thank you mother from me!! There's a story about that series as the BBC ended up only having the rights to run it twice. The rights to the story were owned by the actress Jennifer Jones who by then was the widow of the Hollywood producer David O. Selznick who had produced the Hitchcock film version of Rebecca in 1940. So the version we made for the BBC has never really been seen again although I gather there is a version around somewhere online. It's a shame as I think the BBC could really have cashed in on all the DVD releases, especially given what a big star Jeremy Brett was, going on to play Sherlock Holmes. But the BBC lost an enormous amount of material made before the late 1960s. A lot of productions were wiped with the idea then of saving on film which looking back on it is really tragic.

Publicity for Carry On Henry: Sid James, Barbara Windsor, Gerald Thomas, Joan Sims & Julian 

Back to the Carry Ons now if we may … you worked quite closely with Sid James in Carry On Henry. What was he like?

Oh I got on really well with Sid. I'd known him before the Carry Ons as he had worked on a couple of films with my father (Stanley Holloway). I think they did The Titfield Thunderbolt and also The Lavender Hill Mob together. I definitely met Sid on the set of The Titfield Thunderbolt as that was made during the school holidays and I went down to see my father and watch the filming. 

Sid was great. I think he evolved a persona which fitted the Carry On formula. He made the decision to stick with them, that that was what he was going to do and that's what he did! His face was like a comfortable unmade bed! You knew what you were going to get and what he was going to do. I had no intention to hang around and become too much a part of the set up though. I wanted to do other things. I remember Kenny Williams telling me I had to get out and do more elsewhere. I think a lot of them got pigeon-holed with the Carry Ons and then weren't offered a lot of other work because of that. I never wanted to be tied to one thing or a long run. I remember in 1984 my agent rang up and said I'd been offered a part in Emmerdale Farm. He knew I'd say no! I think the actor who took on the part ended up staying for about thirty years and died in real life while still in the programme. I'd have hated that.

Dare I ask what Peter Rogers was like to work for?!

Cheap! No, he was a businessman. I don't think he looked after people as well as he might have and he certainly didn't throw money around. I think for quite a while the public had the idea that the Carry On stars made a fortune from the films but of course that wasn't true. There was no provision at the time for repeat fees if films or shows were shown again and people like Joan Sims really suffered as a result. I think it was terrible that she was treated so poorly. I remember when she died she was on the front cover of the Equity Journal with them saying it should never happen again. I'm afraid it should never have been allowed to happen in the first place. Joan was a wonderful, lovely woman though. 

Sid and Julian up to no good in Carry On Camping

I imagine the director Gerald Thomas was quite different to Peter?

Gerald was a very gentle, kind man. As a director he was what I would call a journeyman. His experience on the cutting room floor had trained him to know how he'd edit the film before he'd started shooting. Gerald would never be a daring director, no surprises with him. 

You spent a long time living and working over in America. It might be a difficult question to answer, but I wondered what you felt were the main differences in working over there from life as an actor in the UK?

I think there is a very strong work ethic over in the States and they take everything very seriously. It's extremely competitive, particularly in California where there are tens of thousands of actors. There is such demand for roles over there. I remember when I got my first ever voiceover job out there my agent was terribly excited and I didn't understand until he explained I'd probably beaten around 650 other actors to get the part! 

I think there is also a lot of hiring and firing that goes on in film and theatre and that makes it extra difficult as not only do you have to fight to get a part you then have to fight to keep it once you've got it! Luckily that never happened to me! Also the union out there, the Screen Actors' Guild is properly run and they really do look after their actors. 

Julian in an episode of The Saint in 1964

I wanted to ask you if you had a favourite part out of all the roles you've played on television, film and stage? Also do you have a favourite medium to work in?

Dull answer to that one! No! I'll give you a typical actor's answer to that - I still haven't played the part which has given me the most satisfaction. It all depends on the script at the end of the day. I do know I no longer want to do theatre. Eight shows a week is a young man's game and it's such hard work to keep performances fresh in a long run. I also don't like long runs - I joined the profession for the insecurity, not for security!

Finally, can I ask what your abiding memory is of working on the Carry Ons?

Fun. By and large working with mostly nice people and having a good giggle. Being with people like Peter Butterworth, Kenny Williams and Joan Sims was just such fun. Joan was the worst giggler out of all of them. She could quite easily end up in hysterics on the set! So, really just getting to work with a lovely group of people. 

Sid, Joan, Julian, Peter Butterworth & Charles Hawtrey publicise Carry On Doctor

I'd like to thank Julian for agreeing to the interview - it was absolutely wonderful and a real highlight of running and writing this blog. To be contacted by someone you've watched and admired for years and then two days later to be having a giggle on the phone is just magic. I hope you have enjoyed both parts of our interview. 


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Carry On Blogging Interview: Julian Holloway (Part 1)

I was absolutely delighted to receive an email over the weekend from the actor Julian Holloway. I have long been a fan of Julian's work, both in the Carry Ons and elsewhere and often thought he would be a great person to interview. And all of a sudden here we are. I was surprised to hear that Julian not only was aware of my blog but had read several pieces I had written about his career. The power of the internet strikes again!

I tentatively asked if Julian would be up for a chat for the blog and thankfully he agreed. We spent a thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining hour on the phone on Monday afternoon and the whole experience was a delight. Our conversation was fairly wide ranging so I have decided to split the interview write up into two different parts. While obviously I wanted to ask about the Carry On films, I was well aware that Julian has enjoyed and continues to enjoy a wonderfully diverse career. Looking up his career history on the internet I was spoiled for choice over what to ask about, but I hope you find the following interview a good read.

Julian first joined the Carry On team in 1967 with a small part as a ticket collector in Follow That Camel. A further seven film roles followed: Simmons in Carry On Doctor; Major Shorthouse in Up The Khyber; Jim Tanner in Camping; Adrian in Loving; Sir Thomas in Carry On Henry; Roger in At Your Convenience and finally Major Butcher in Carry On England in 1976. He also appeared playing several different roles in the 1973 Carry On Christmas television special.

Julian with his parents Stanley and Violet 

To begin, I asked Julian why he decided to become an actor in the first place and how he got started in the profession.

Acting was in the family. My father was the actor Stanley Holloway and my mother the actress Violet Lane. Violet had sort of been cut off in her prime, as it were so I was pushed towards it as a career whether I liked it or not! As a young person you sometimes accept these things in a way you wouldn't as you get older. I trained at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) and as with many other actors who come from famous acting families there are many positive and negative aspects. It can be a difficult business to establish yourself in and sometimes I wanted to be left alone to establish my own self and what I wanted to do. I found that having a well-known name opened some doors very easily but it closed others. 

Can you remember how you first came to be involved with the Carry On films?

Yes! Very clearly. When I was a child we lived out in Buckinghamshire and the likes of Betty Box and Peter Rogers, Gerald and Ralph Thomas all lived nearby in Beaconsfield. They all knew my parents so they knew me as a boy. I also would go quite regularly to see my father if he was making a film at Pinewood Studios so I was around these people from quite an early age. 

In the mid 1960s I landed a recurring role in a comedy series on television called Pardon The Expression, which starred Arthur Lowe (playing his character Leonard Swindley from Coronation Street) and Betty Driver. It was a well-received part in a popular series and through that I got a call from my agent to ask if I wanted a day's work in Follow That Camel…

…punching Angela Douglas's ticket…

Yes! They had obviously seen the series and they knew of me anyway. I never had to audition for a part in a Carry On. After Camel, I was asked to be in the next one which I think was Doctor and it went from there.

When Dick van Dyke met Sir Sidney & Lady Joan Ruff-Diamond! 

I wanted to ask you a couple of questions about Carry On Up The Khyber. There is a great photo somewhere of you on the set with Sid James and Dick Van Dyke. How did that come about?

Well Dick was making Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on another stage at Pinewood at the same time we were making Khyber. It wasn't a planned visit at all, I think he'd enjoyed a scoop or three at lunchtime and had gone walk about! I'm not sure he knew where he was or what we were doing! You have to remember that in those days at Pinewood there would be several films in production all at once, many of them very expensive international films. We, the Carry On lot were always the poor relation! The grounds at Pinewood were so extensive you could have three different productions being shot in them all at once.

…these days that shot of you with Dick Van Dyke would be a staged photo call so it's interesting to hear he just turned up!

Yes you're right it would be but no, he just appeared out of nowhere! 

The climatic dinner party scene from Up The Khyber: Joan Sims get a little bit plastered with Julian & Roy Castle

The famous dinner party sequence in Up The Khyber is probably my favourite scene in any Carry On and also one of the best loved generally. 

Well it took several days to do, it was about three days I think. They actually took some time over it which shows in the end result I think and is probably why it's one of the better scenes in a Carry On. I remember on the first day the food that was provided for us was pretty awful but by the third or fourth day it was inedible! Full of bits of styrofoam or whatever they used! How none of us became seriously ill I'll never know!!

My favourite actor in that scene who I wanted to ask you about was…

…Peter Butterworth?

How did you know?!

He was brilliant! A very unsung actor. He was very difficult to act with because he would deliberately do things to wind you up and make you corpse! He was merciless and once he'd seen he was making you laugh he wouldn't let up! I remember one scene we were doing on Camping and he kept making me break up laughing. The crew were laying bets behind the scenes that we'd never get it shot! 

But he was a lovely, clever man. Very sweet. 

Julian in the film version of Porridge in 1979

I wanted to ask you about another couple of films you made, after the Carry Ons. My all-time favourite comedy series is Porridge and you were in the film version in 1979. What was that like?

Well Porridge was the best written comedy series I think. The writers (Clement and La Frenais) were at the top of their game and Ronnie Barker as the star was captain of the ship. For a start Ronnie was a comedy actor, not a comedian and that's a big difference. He was such a generous performer all for sharing out the good stuff. He also genuinely loved to laugh which made him lovely to be with and around. 

And you worked with Richard Beckinsale on that film too?

Yes I did and he was a sweetheart. It was very tragic though as he died not long after we made the film. So sad, he was only 30, 31 years old. Richard and Ronnie had a terrific working relationship though and it was clear to see Ronnie was like a adopted father figure to Richard. Ronnie was clearly devastated when Richard died. 

I was recently at an event where Liz Fraser was being interviewed about her career. She recalled being in the Sex Pistols film, The Great Rock and Roll Swindle with you! Do you remember that?!

Ha! I don't think I made the final cut in that one! It's not a film I've heard of since and I've never seen it. Funnily enough it's not one I put on my selected list of credits! 

I think you were in a cinema with Liz and Irene Handl?!

Yes that's right! I remember there was a guy there in it who's now known as Edward Tudor-Pole but at the time he was going by the name Tenpole Tudor…

Julian with Charles Hawtrey, Terry Scott, Roy Castle & Sid James in Up The Khyber

Moving on…You have appeared in so many classic series on British television from the 1970s and 1980s (e.g. The Sweeney, Minder, The Professionals) that I didn't know what to ask about so a general question: what was it like to be working in television here during that golden era?

Well I think the quality of drama production back then was very high. That period certainly to me is better than our current output. British television was the envy of the world and we exported a huge amount overseas, for instance an awful lot of our shows went out on the American channel PBS. I wonder how much is today? For me reality television has been the death knell. When you look at situation comedy now, there's a reason why the BBC are still showing episodes of Dad's Army so regularly and why it's still so popular. 

I wasn't going to ask you about any particular actor, but I know you worked with the late Gordon Jackson in The Professionals. He was one of my favourites. What was he like?

Gordon was a lovely man and such a solid actor. But he was a worried man, always worried that he'd forget his lines or dry. I worked with him at least two or three times and he never ever dried, always totally professional. Gordon actually wrote out all his lines in long hand and used different coloured pens, so concerned was he that he'd not know them! I think he used to go through the long hand notes every night at home with his wife Rona before the next day of filming! Extraordinary. I also think he was a good influence on Kenneth Williams, I know they were very close for a long time and Kenny was also very fond of the Jackson family. 

Julian gets to know Babs and Fanny (Barbara Windsor & Sandra Caron) in Carry On Camping

So that's Part 1 of my interview with Julian. Don't worry, there's more on the Carry Ons in Part 2, including Julian's thoughts on working with Sid James and for Peter Rogers. And there's more on some of Julian's other television work and his thoughts on his years spent working in America. So look out for that coming up soon!


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Happy Birthday Julian Holloway!

 

Many happy returns to that wonderful British actor Julian Holloway who celebrates his birthday today. Julian, who has lived in California for the last twenty years, appeared in eight classic Carry On films during a long career in television, film and on stage.

Julian made his first appearance in the Carry Ons as a cheeky ticket inspector opposite Angela Douglas in Follow That Camel in 1967. He went on to appear in Carry On Doctor later that year, following that up with larger roles as Major Shorthouse in Up The Khyber (taking part in the legendary dinner party sequence) and as Jim Tanner in Camping - witnessing Barbara Windsor's infamous bikini popping moment. Later roles in the series included Adrian in Carry On Loving, Sir Thomas in Carry On Henry and an uncredited cameo as Roger in At Your Convenience. Following a gap of five years, during which he guest starred in the 1973 Carry On Christmas television special, Julian returned to Pinewood to play Major Butcher in 1976's Carry On England. 

 

There was a definite feel that the producers were lining Julian up to take over where Jim Dale left off. He obviously stepped in to cover some of Jim's material while he was absent from the series in 1968 but I don't know what happened after that as big roles in the films didn't really materialise for Julian. I think that's a shame as he had a wonderful cheeky chappie persona which suited the Carry Ons perfectly. 

Away from the Carry Ons, Julian has enjoyed a long and successful career. On film he appeared in the Beatles' movie A Hard Day's Night, Ryan's Daughter, Scream and Scream Again, Young Winston and the big screen version of Porridge. On television, Julian has appeared in everything from The World of Wooster and Crown Court to The Sweeney, The Professionals and Minder. One of my favourite of all his performances was as the drunken Jack Favell in the BBC's 1979 adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's classic novel Rebecca, which starred Anna Massey, Joanna David and Jeremy Brett. These days Julian works in America and is a prolific vocal artist both in films and commercials.  

Julian is the son of the late, great Stanley Holloway who starred in many classic British films including The Lavender Hill Mob, Passport to Pimlico and The Titfield Thunderbolt and Julian's daughter is the model turned television cook Sophie Dahl. 

We most recently saw Julian take part in the ITV Carry On Forever documentary where he shared memories of his time working on such treasured classics as Carry On Up The Khyber and Carry On Camping. It's a shame we don't see more of him on our screens these days. 

 

Whatever Julian is up to today, I hope he has a fantastic birthday! 

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