The past six months or so has brought lots of sad news for fans of classic British comedy. I've found myself writing tributes to far too many great comedy actors who we have all watched on our screens, seen on stage or listened to on the radio for decades.
Writing blog posts about the recently departed isn't something I ever relish and although I only do this as a hobby and a love of writing, I do take this side of it seriously. Some of these actors still have a media profile when they leave us, others have long since retired and left the public eye. No matter what their status, they deserve a great deal of respect when they depart. The past year has seen many familiar faces leave us, from the likes of Bill Maynard and Liz Fraser, to Fenella Fielding, June Whitfield and most recently, the brilliant Windsor Davies.
Although it's very sad, these actors do share one common trait - they all lived long lives. The fact they passed on in their eighties or nineties doesn't make it any easier for those closest to them, but they've all lived full, successful lives and brought pleasure and joy to so many. It gives us all a chance to reflect on their wonderful careers and all those performances they've left us to cherish for years to come.
I was struck once again just the other day by the surge of affection for these legends of comedy. Windsor Davies was an actor who made his name in the 1960s and was in his prime in the 70s and 80s, thirty or forty years ago. Despite retiring from the spotlight fifteen years ago and rarely giving interviews since, the outpouring of affection and sadness was really quite something. Hundreds of people shared memories of the great man on Twitter and many of you took the time to read my blog tribute - and a big thank you from me for doing that.
In these difficult times, with people at each other's throats over all sorts of nonsense, it's heart warming to see people from all over the place take the time to remember an actor like Windsor. So Carry On, you know it makes sense!
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This weekend Film4 and ITV3 are showing two very different Carry Ons. While 4 are putting on the second film in the series, Carry On Nurse, written by Norman Hudis, ITV3 are showing Talbot Rothwell's penultimate effort, Girls. The two films, although part of the same comedy series, couldn't be more different. Yes, there are fifteen years between them and times had clearly changed, but the Carry On series had almost altered beyond recognition.
The 1959 release Carry On Nurse was a relatively coy, black and white film mixing social comment and real life medical scenarios with gentle comedy put across by a cast of seasoned pros. There is even a spot of tender romance for Kenneth Williams and Jill Ireland and a few tear jerking scenes featuring the likes of Kenneth Connor as down to earth boxer Bernie Bishop. Hudis was a master of blending all manner of thematic threads together and presenting a film of surprising depth.
Carry On Girls was very much of a contrast. Made in 1973, all vestiges of sentimentality or gentle comedy were lost. It was panto humour all the way and while that's still very funny, Girls lacked a great deal of the old fashioned charm. It's clear, in retrospect, that Rogers and Thomas had instructed Rothwell to join the trend of more near the knuckle humour which matched changes in box office demands from a more liberal British audience. It's still relatively tame by today's standards but there's been a noticeable shift in content and tone.
The two films do have some things in common. Both are proudly British - I can't imagine another country producing films like these! They also feature a certain degree of social commentary with Nurse looking at the goings on in the National Health Service and Girls examining the tradition of the beauty contest. Girls touches on the politics of these contests as well as the rise of feminism and even features an albeit very broad, basic portrayal of a lesbian character. Despite this Sid is still very much Sid and Barbara still very much Babs. The two films also feature several actors who appeared in both the 1959 and 1973 films and I think the true picture of how the series had changed can be seen by the characters they played.
Joan Sims
(Carry On Nurse - Nurse Stella Dawson / Carry On Girls - Connie Philpotts)
Joan, a stalwart of 24 Carry Ons, made her debut in Nurse in 1959. Stella Dawson was a young, accident prone junior nurse and pretty much a picture of innocence. She was keen but slightly gobby and learning the tricks of the trade as she went along. The bottom rung of the ladder, she was still a cheerful character full of hope. By 1973, Joan was on full on middle-aged harridan mode as frustrated hotelier Connie Philpotts. Forever being given the runaround by Sid's Councillor Fiddler, she's quickly passed over in favour of nubile Hope Springs (Barbara Windsor). Connie was a one dimensional character and one of Joan's weakest in the series.
Kenneth Connor
(Carry On Nurse - Bernie Bishop / Carry On Girls - Mayor Frederick Bumble)
An original cast member, Connor was the main star of the early Norman Hudis era films. He usually played bumbling working class men with big hearts and big dreams. In Nurse he was the everyman of the piece, brought in with a broken hand after a boxing match and separated from his wife and child (Susan Shaw and Jeremy Connor). He views all around him with gentle humour and bonds with upper class, well-educated Kenneth Williams. By Girls in 1973, Connor's characters were frustrated little men of middle years and middle management. Girls is possibly the finest example of this - head of a crumbling local council and stuck in a dreary loveless marriage, it's a portrayal full of quiet desperation that life hasn't turned out as he'd hoped.
Joan Hickson
(Carry On Nurse - Sister / Carry On Girls - Mrs Dukes)
The Carry Ons were lucky to have Hickson in five eye catching supporting roles. A scene stealing actress who like many was above the material she was working with, Joan made her first appearance as the rather severe, yet fair Sister in Haven Hospital. Feared by the nurses beneath her, Sister in turn looked up to and was frightened of Hattie Jacques' bombastic, humourless Matron. Hickson's Sister did have a human side though when she encouraged Shirley Eaton's Nurse Denton to follow her heart with one of the male patients, recently discharged of course. Fast forward 15 years and Joan was back one final time to play a rather batty old dear staying in the hotel who ends up with her unmentionables flying from a flag pole…
June Whitfield
(Carry On Nurse - Meg / Carry On Girls - Augusta Prodworthy)
June was already a well-known voice by the time she made Carry On Nurse thanks to her radio work in Take It From Here. June's small role as Leslie Phillips' straight-laced girlfriend Meg was very 1950s post-war values. June really came into her own with her return to the Carry Ons in the early 1970s. And militant feminist Augusta Prodworthy was a pretty extreme version of her earlier character. And that sums up the change in the Carry Ons - all the characters were bigger, more extreme and more outlandish.
So there you have it. A lot had changed during the making of the Carry Ons, that we know. Both in the country at large as well as in what film producers churned out and audiences demanded. Looking back nearly sixty years after Carry On Nurse and 45 years on from Carry On Girls, I know which I prefer.
What about you?
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It's not normally very British to blow your own trumpet (Matron!) however I wanted to do a little blog post as a round up of Carry On Blogging highlights so far. It's been quite a journey since I started blogging back in 2015 and I've loved every minute of it!
I'm thrilled that the blog has now received nearly 1 million page visits since I set it up in March 2015! March this year was the most visited month so far with over 70,000 views!
The blog Twitter account now has over 16,000 followers. Thank you to everyone who tweets, follows, likes and comments - it's always great to hear from you!
I have published a series of blogs covering each of Joan Sims' 24 Carry On performances, giving my own opinions on the roles she played.
I have carried on this theme by publishing a series of blogs covering each of Hattie Jacques' 14 Carry On performances and all 9 of Barbara Windsor's roles.
I have started a project of blogs running through some of the lesser known Carry On supporting actors in an A - Z feature.
I have cast the net out far and wide for a range of guest blog posts to bring in different opinions on the Carry On films.
I got a sneak preview of Sarah Miller Walters' new book Joyce To The World
I visited the London Film Convention back in Spring 2016 where I had the great pleasure of meeting Carry On actors Jacki Piper and Fenella Fielding. You can read about that here
One of the biggest developments has been the start of my Carry On Blogging interview series. So far I have interviewed several Carry On actors, authors and interesting folks connected to the series and British comedy:
I interviewed the lovely Angela Douglas - you can read that here
I caught up with the delightful Valerie Leon to discuss her new Forever Carrying On show - you can read that here
I interviewed the wonderful Jacki Piper - you can read that here
Carry On writer and historian Robert Ross answered my questions and celebrated twenty years since the publication of The Carry On Companion here
I learned more about Steve Lilly's wonderful British comedy art work when I interviewed him - read that here
I asked the brilliant Simon Sheridan all about his book Keeping The British End Up and the saucier side of British film comedy here
I found out more about the fantastic Sid's Place blog in an interview with Stuart Ball - you can read that here
I interviewed screen legend Fenella Fielding about her new audio book of memoirs - you can catch up with that here
I published an interview with Odysseas from the superb Art and Hue, celebrating the best of British film and television in Pop Art! You can read that here
I interviewed the lovely Louise who runs the fantastic Joan Hickson tribute Twitter account and you can read that here
I interviewed the brilliant Craig Deeley and you can read that here
I caught up with the fabulous Judy Matheson for a chat about Hammer Horror, Robin Askwith and all things Carry On and you can read that here
I interviewed Stuart Morriss from the terrific Misty Moon Film Society and you can catch up with that one here
You can read my blog interview with Peter Reed, Senior Producer at the BBC Radio station 4 Extra by clicking here
I had the great pleasure of visiting Elstree Studios to meet and interview Morris Bright and I even got to sit at Sid's piano! You can read Part 1 and Part 2 by following these links.
I blogged an interview with the lovely Ben Peyton, which you can read here
And I've also published a blog interview with the legendary actress Francoise Pascal
In September 2016 I enjoyed a wonderful chat with the lovely Madeline Smith and you can read the blog interview of that encounter here
I interviewed the brilliant film director and Carry On fan Jason Figgis and you can read that here
I interviewed Carry On Super Fans Robert Jervis Gibbons and Callum Phoenix about their love of the films and their stars. You can read that here and here
I caught up with Please Sir! actor and author David Barry and you read all about that here
I published a fantastic guest blog by Dr Laura Mayne on the relationship between two of the leading lights of Carry On - Producer Peter Rogers and writer Talbot Rothwell. You can read that here
I interviewed Bless This House and Carry On star Sally Geeson and you can find that blog here
I interviewed Carry On actress and all round entertainer Anita Harris about her time with the team making Carry On Follow That Camel and Carry On Doctor in 1967. You can read about that here
At the start of November 2016 I had the great privilege to catch up with the lovely Robin Le Mesurier, a true gentleman who answered my questions on life with his wonderful parents, Hattie Jacques and John Le Mesurier. You can read that interview here
In January 2016 I interviewed the lovely actress and author Josephine Bailey about her time as a child actor, studying at the Corona Academy and of making Carry On Teacher. You can read that here
I had the great pleasure of interviewing the glorious Amanda Barrie about her long and successful career which of course has included two Carry Ons and Coronation Street. You can read that here
I spoke to the delightful Judy Buxton about her career as an actress, her time with the Royal Shakespeare Company and of meeting and working witht he great Joan Sims on the series On The Up. You can read that here
In October 2016 I celebrated reaching 1000 blogs. I invited many of those who have contributed to Carry On Blogging over the past eighteen months to tell me what Carry On films mean to them. I was thrilled that so many people took part, including the likes of Fenella Fielding, Robert Ross, Sherrie Hewson, Jessie Wallace, Jacki Piper, Francoise Pascal, Angela Douglas and Madeline Smith. You can catch up with these special blogs here:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
In March 2017 I celebrated Frankie Howerd's centenary by interview his agent and long-time friend Tessa Le Bars. You can read that interview here
I also spoke to the actor Mark Farrelly about his love of Frankie and his plans for a new one man show telling Howerd's story. Read this here.
Paul Taylor-Greaves told me all about his love of blogging and podcasting and that can be found here
Carry On Nurse actress Christine Ozanne spoke to me about her long and varied career and her new memoir, The Tome of the Unknown Actor. Find out what Christine had to say here
I interviewed Jennie Linden on her long stage and screen career, finding out what it was like to work with Kenneth Williams on the play My Fat Friend. Read more from Jennie here
To celebrate my second anniversary, on 29 March this year I interviewed my blogging colleague and Coronation Street Blog Editor Glenda Young about blogging, Corrie and of course, Carry On. You can check that out here.
Having written about all of Joan and Hattie's Carry On adventures, I blogged about Barbara Windsor's nine Carry On roles as part of the run up to Barbara's 80th birthday in August. You can read the first of those blogs here
I wrote a series of blogs looking back at all of Kenneth Connor's Carry On performances in the lead up to his centenary next June. You can read the first of these blogs here.
Summer 2017 saw comedy historian Robert Ross embark on a special Carry On Cruise with some very familiar faces. Robert very kindly answered some questions on his European jaunt with Valerie Leon, Jacki Piper, Anita Harris and Richard O'Callaghan. You can find that article here
Having interviewed the fabulous Madeline Smith in 2016 it was a thrill to finally meet her in person in June. I attended "From Biba to Bond: An Evening with Madeline Smith" at the Stow Roses Women's Institute in North London. You can read about my encounter with the lovely Maddie here
Another great moment was interviewing the writer Mark O'Connell on his long association with Pinewood Studios and his love of all things James Bond. You can read that interview (and find out more about Mark's book Catching Bullets) here
Also, something I have been blogging about and calling for since I started Carry On Blogging actually happened in June (an apt month). Yes, June Whitfield was finally made a Dame. You can read my thoughts on this wonderful news here
I was thrilled to receive an exclusive chance to review Network's newly released The Complete Sykes on DVD last month (many thanks again to Blue Dolphin). You can read that review here.
I was absolutely delighted to be contacted recently by Patrick Purcell, son of the late great Irish actor Noel Purcell. We had a smashing interview and you can read all about that here
I interviewed actor and writer Jack Lane about his passion for the work of Sir Norman Wisdom and Jack's one man show, Wisdom of a Fool. You can read that interview here
In July published my interview with the lovely Georgy Jamieson, passionate comedy fan, BBC Suffolk presenter and Director of the British Comedy Society. You can read our interview here
Also that month I enjoyed a hysterical hour on the phone with British film legend Robin Askwith. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here
I celebrated Carry On legend Barbara Windsor's 80th birthday with a series of blogs at the beginning of August - you can read the main one here
I started a new series of blogs in August asking some of my favourite people to write in about the five greatest influences on their careers. You can read Judy Matheson's blog here, Sarah Miller Walters' blog is here, Stuart Ball's blog is here and you can read the blog from Jason Figgis here
I had the great pleasure of chatting with television legend Derek Griffiths and you can read my blog interview with him here
In September 2017 I travelled to Elstree Studios for a celebration of the very best of 1960s and 70s British television. Hosted by Morris Bright and featuring classic clips and interviews with Dame Diana Rigg and Carry On actors Angela Douglas and Valerie Leon, you can read my review of the evening here.
Last November I had the great pleasure of interviewing actress and artist Jayne Bickerton about her varied career and her association with the late, great Bob Monkhouse. You can read that here
A few days later I also interviewed the actress, singer and cake maker extraordinaire, Kathy Jones who spoke to me about her time in Coronation Street and her love of Carry On. You can check that out here
I featured a fascinating interview with singer and writer Ty Jeffries talked to me about his own career and that of his late father, the brilliant actor Lionel Jeffries. That interview can be found here
December saw me publish a fantastic guest blog from David Powell on Frankie Howerd's film The House in Nightmare Park
I had the pleasure of interviewing actor, director, writer and agent Andrew Lynford about his varied career and the various Carry On actors he's worked with. You can read it here
January 2018 started off with a wonderful trip to see Kenneth Williams' legendary diaries at the British Library. You can read my blog on Kenneth's 1951 diary here and his 1952 diary here
I ventured out to the Victoria and Albert Museum in January for a special Evening with Dame June Whitfield where the legendary actress discussed her decision to donate her archive to the museum. You can read about that wonderful evening here
I also started off a couple of new series in tribute to the 60th year of Carry On. I began profiling the stars of the original Carry On, Carry On Sergeant. You can read the first of those blogs here and I have recently began counting down my own Top 20 Favourite Carry On Actors
February also saw John Hewer write a terrific guest blog on the Carry On links with the classic situation comedy series, Steptoe and Son. That can be found here
My first interview of the year was with the author Kaye Crawford who spoke to me about her brilliant biography of the late, great Beryl Reid. You can read that again here
I interviewed two more actors with connections to the Carry On films. First up was the super lovely Patricia Franklin who told me all about appearing in the likes of Carry On Camping, Loving and Girls. Part One of the interview is here and Part Two can be found here
I have also spoken to the actor Hugh Futcher, who appeared in the likes of Carry On Spying, Carry On Again Doctor and enjoyed a trip to the seaside with Carry On At Your Convenience. Part 1 One of my chat with Hugh is here and Part Two is here.
I have started profiling each of Bernard Bresslaw's 14 Carry On film roles. You can find the first of these, on Carry On Cowboy, right here
I also spoke to Carry On historian Robert Ross about our favourite series of comedy films in this the Carry Ons' 60th anniversary year. Our chat is here
On what would have been the 100th birthday of Carry On legend Kenneth Connor I celebrated the life and career of this wonderful actor with a special centenary blog post here
And I celebrated the Carry On links with the National Health Service as the NHS turned 70 years old here
I went along to see Liz Fraser in conversation with Robert Ross at the Museum of Comedy and you can find my review of the evening here
I was thrilled to interview Hollywood legend and Carry On Behind guest star Elke Sommer back in July. You can find our chat here
I also featured a really interesting interview with the actor and writer Julian Dutton on his career to date and his new stage show based on the life of John Le Mesurier. You can read about all of that here
I have also featured a couple of excellent guest blogs very recently. Deborah Osborne wrote about Carry On Henry here and Brian Linsell blogged about all the horse racing links with films starring our favourite Carry On actors Sid James and Joan Sims. That one is here.
My most recent interview has been with the delightful Julian Holloway, star of eight Carry Ons and countless other things besides. You can read Part 1 of our interview here and Part 2 can be found here
A huge thanks to everyone who's kindly taken the time to answer all my questions - it has brightened many a day and been completely and utterly enjoyable.
Finally, a massive thank you to everyone who reads my blog. I only do this as a hobby and your kind comments and observations keep me going even when the chips are down and I think I'm too tired to Carry On!
BBC South Today has a veritable treasure trove of archive material available on their website. Following on from the video clips the other day on Kenneth Williams and Sid James, today I'm sharing a little snippet of what Terry Scott was getting up to with his weekends in the Summer of 1978.
Terry spent that Summer performing at the Pier Theatre in Bournemouth in Dave Freeman's play A Bedfull of Foreigners. As usual in this era, his regular co-star was none other than June Whitfield. But what did Terry do with his Sundays off, without dear June?
Well it turns out he popped off to the local church for a spot of singing. It's lovely to hear Terry speaking as himself, out of character as it were. And rather surprising to see him tootling around Bournemouth on the back of a scooter!
And as for Terry's tonic to keep his voice in order after doing eight shows a week? A concoction of port and honey!
You can watch the clip here
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Next June will mark Kenneth Connor's centenary. This feels like the right time to celebrate the man's legacy and what better a legacy that his seventeen glorious performances in the Carry On films. As I've already done with the three main leading ladies of the series, I plan to embark on a series of blogs profiling each of Kenneth's roles in the Carry Ons, giving my own take on his contributions.
Kenneth is another one of those actors who worked steadily, prolifically and across all mediums throughout his career. From his very early days in film before the outbreak of World War Two, through the 1950s which saw him become an integral part of British radio comedy to the Carry Ons and his unforgettable roles in several 1980s sitcoms, Connor was an incredibly gifted actor. He worked right up until his death at the age of 75 in November 1993. However unlike Sid, Kenneth Williams or Barbara Windsor, I feel that Connor never really got the credit he deserved. He didn't have an outrageous private life, no scandals to be told. He shunned the limelight and his many performances as the ordinary man in the street mirrored his own life away from the cameras.
Kenneth was also one of the precious few actors who's career spanned pretty much the entire run of the Carry Ons. He was there at the very beginning in Carry On Sergeant and, a five year gap in the mind 1960s aside, remained loyal to the films until the very end of the original run in 1978. Connor, along with Williams and Eric Barker were the only actors to appear in the very first and the very last of the series. Kenneth was still around when Columbus was made in 1992 but declined to take part, probably very wisely. This new series of blogs will be a celebration of all those wonderful comedy performances in the Carry Ons - from bumbling romantic lead through to crumbling character parts, Kenneth could play them all.
So let's continue with Kenneth's thirteenth role in the series, as Mayor Frederick Bumble in the 1973 film, Carry On Girls!
I've written about Carry On Girls before and I'll reiterate now that it's probably one of my least favourite films in the entire series. The film misses Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques and Charles Hawtrey keenly while I disagree with the promotion of Barbara over Joan Sims at a time when Sid and Joan's on-screen relationship had hit a new level of fabulousness in Carry On Abroad. Girls is rather a shoddy looking film, and I know it's supposed to be set in a down at heel seaside resort but still... Girls, which tells the story of Fircombe's attempts to generate publicity and income with a beauty contest, pushed the series nearer the knuckle than ever before. It's much bawdier than any previous film in the series and it really does reflect changing times both in society and the British film industry.
There are good points in the film of course. The cast includes sold turns from reliable actors like June Whitfield as the feminist Augusta Prodworthy, Peter Butterworth as a lecherous old Admiral and Joan Hickson as the absent-minded hotel resident Mrs Dukes. Best of all is the superb Patsy Rowlands as the mayor's wife Mildred. Rowlands enjoys better than average screen time in this film and it's great to see her grab a proper comedy role in the series. Apart from that, Girls is really the Sid and Barbara show. Sid is Sidney Fiddler, the mastermind behind the contest while Babs is Hope Springs, his love interest and the main contestant.
So what about Kenneth Connor's role as Mayor Frederick Bumble? Well quite simply Kenneth is one of the main saving graces of the film. Of all his later roles in the series, I think Kenneth's Bumble is his finest hour. It's a brilliant character study of a typical ineffectual, crumbling middle aged man struggling to hold onto what's left of his authority, not to mention his dignity. As Mayor of Fircombe, Sid's Councillor Sidney Fiddler runs rings around Bumble and June Whitfield's cunningly sly Augusta Prodworthy has him in her sights. Bumble is belittled and bewildered in his professional life and belittled and bewildered in his home life thanks to a super comedy performance straight out of a situation comedy from Patsy Rowlands.
Kenneth and Patsy were made to work together and their scenes of domestic disharmony are classic stuff which raises the bar amidst the knockabout humour of the rest of Carry On Girls. Quite simply why they were never snapped up for their own sitcom on the telly will forever be a mystery. Patsy's Mildred Bumble begins the film as a downtrodden, careworn wife who at worst ignores and at best puts up with her officious little middle management husband. However during the course of the picture Mildred's inner feminist emerges and by the end she's burning her bra with the best of them and sabotaging Sid's beauty contest. Kenneth and Sid James also share delightful scenes as the wily Mr Fiddler lives up to his name, always being one step ahead of Bumble.
Kenneth once again works with the great June Whitfield. Following on from their fabulous husband and wife double act in the previous film Carry On Abroad, Kenneth and June are once again at loggerheads in Girls. Polar opposites from the very first scene in the council chambers, June's gloriously named Augusta Prodworthy is sharp tongued and menacing while Kenneth's Bumble is, well bumbling and spluttery! The scene which sees June and her on screen wimp of a son Larry (Robin Askwith) burst in on Mayor Bumble in his bath (brilliantly orchestrating naval manoeuvres!) is a joy and forms one of several near the knuckle yet beautifully played comedy scenes in the film.
Frederick Bumble is a million miles from Kenneth's earlier black and white leading roles in the Carry On films. Almost unrecognisable from the timid, youthful romantic leads of the likes of Horace Strong and Gregory Adams, surely Kenneth Connor undergoes the biggest changes in the kind of parts the Carry Ons offered him. While Sid, Kenneth Williams and Jim Dale often played similar types of characters, Connor was pretty much the male version of Joan Sims. His range was superb and his characterisations unbeatable.
Stay tuned for my blog on Kenneth Connor's next role in the series, in the 1974 film Carry On Dick.
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