Madeline Smith does Celebrity Mastermind!

The lovely Madeline Smith will be a contestant on the BBC's Celebrity Mastermind this Christmas! The special festive series of shows, all hosted by John Humphrys, will see some familiar faces put to the test as they sit in the famous black leather chair! 

Facing two rounds of questions - the first on their specialist subject and then a round on general knowledge - the contestants joining Madeline include the comedian Elis James, Love Island's Montana Brown and Casualty actor George Rainsford. I might be showing my ignorance once again, but Maddie is the only contestant I actually know!

Of course Madeline has enjoyed a long career as an actress, with appearances in Carry On Matron, the James Bond film Live and Let Die, Up Pompeii with Frankie Howerd and several well-received films by Hammer Horror. A talented lady but also a really down to earth, friendly and welcoming one too, I had the great pleasure of interviewing Madeline in 2016. You can read that here: Carry On Blogging Interview: Madeline Smith. I also had the good fortune to meet Madeline in person at an event in 2017 and you can read all about that right here: Carry On Blogging: A Wonderful Evening with Madeline Smith.

Apparently the specialist subjects on the show are: The Welsh Football Team, Desperate Housewives, Kew Gardens and the Back to the Future film trilogy. Hmm, I wonder which will be Madeline's?

The episode of Celebrity Mastermind featuring Madeline Smith will be broadcast on BBC1 on Saturday 29 December at 6.30pm.

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

What a Carry On at Darkfest 2!

If you are a fan of horror or comedy or comedy horrors then you might like this. The Darkfest film festival is returning for a second year this November at the Genesis Cinema in London. As well as screening a range of classic films, there will also be an opportunity to meet several iconic film stars too.

The organisers are promising a line up of screenings including Dracula (1965); Horror Hospital (1973), Witchfinder General (1968) plus a certain comedy classic from 1966 called Carry On Screaming! I understand it was planned that the star of Screaming, the wonderful, much missed Fenella Fielding would be in attendance however sadly this now won't happen. I'm glad Screaming will still be shown in tribute to the great actress.

Three friends of the blog will be in attendance on the day. The gorgeous Judy Matheson, who has always been so encouraging with all my blogging endeavours, will be there to meet  fans as will her Confessions of a Window Cleaner co-star, Mr Robin Askwith. There's a reunion not to be missed! The absolutely lovely Madeline Smith will also be at Darkfest, and as well as her comedy roles in the likes of Up Pompeii and Carry On Matron, Maddie did of course make several Hammer Horror films, perhaps chief amongst them, The Vampire Lovers. 

As well as all of this, there will be a range of film memorabilia, posters, stills and DVDs for sale. 

Darkfest 2 will be held on Saturday 24 November, from 12 noon at the Genesis Cinema, 93-95 Mile End Road, London E1 4UJ. 

And you can buy tickets for the event right here


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Madeline Smith on Modern Bond

The lovely Madeline Smith has been talking to The Times about the James Bond franchise in the 21st Century. Amidst all manner of calls for the films and their depiction of women to be updated in light of recent news stories and campaigns, Madeline took a different view.

Madeline of course appeared opposite the late Sir Roger Moore in the 1973 Bond picture, Live and Let Die, playing Italian agent Miss Caruso. In a long career on stage and screen, Madeline appeared in several Hammer Horror productions, worked many times with the legendary Frankie Howerd and even popped up in Carry On Matron in a cameo as a new mother at Finisham Maternity Hospital.

Madeline spoke to the paper about some aspects of her own career and clearly yearns for more innocent, fun times in the best of British cinema. "The romance and the fun seems to have gone out of everything, generally" she said and I can't help agree with that statement to begin with.

So what do you think? Do you agree with Maddie? You can read the article in full here.

Happy Birthday Madeline Smith!

 

Many happy returns to the delightful Madeline Smith who celebrates her birthday today. Madeline is probably best remembered for her roles in the James Bond film, Live and Let Die and Carry On Matron although she has a wide, diverse career dating back to the late 1960s.

Starting out as a model at the Lucie Clayton School of Modelling, Madeline worked at the legendary Biba fashion boutique in Kensington before being spotted for her first film part. Several starring roles in Hammer Horror films followed before Madeline found her niche in comedy. Over the years she has appeared with the likes of Frankie Howerd, The Two Ronnies and Leslie Phillips. On stage and in film Madeline has worked with legends such as Vincent Price, Peter Cushing and Sir Alec Guinness.   

These days Madeline is a very welcome presence at fan conventions and special screenings of some of her wonderful films. An engaging, warm and friendly person, I had the great pleasure of meeting Maddie at a talk she gave about her career last year. You can read about that here 

 

I also interviewed Madeline last year - you can read that again here 

Whatever Maddie is up to today, I hope she has a lovely birthday. 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Classic Horror Nights with Madeline Smith!

The delightful Madeline Smith, a good friend to this blog, will be appearing at a special screening of one of best remembered horror films next June. The Colchester Arts Centre will be showing the 1974 film Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell on 7th June.

Starring the legendary Peter Cushing as Baron Victor Frankenstein and Shane Briant as Dr Simon Helder, Madeline co-stars in the role of Sarah "Angel" Klauss. There are reliable supporting turns from the likes of Norman Mitchell, Sydney Bromley and Michael Ward, all familiar Carry On faces. Also look out for David Prowse, playing the monster for the second time on screen. The film was directed by Terence Fisher and produced by Roy Skeggs for Hammer films.

The film will be followed by a special Question and Answer session with Madeline herself, as she discusses the making of the film, her co-stars and her wider career. I know from experience just what a warm, delightful and eloquent person Madeline is so it is bound to be a lively and thoroughly entertaining evening. 

Madeline is best known to comedy fans for her appearances alongside the late great Frankie Howerd on film and television as well as her role as Mrs Pullitt in Carry On Matron. Other film roles have included Theatre of Blood, The Vampire Lovers and the James Bond epic, Live and Let Die. On the small screen Madeline has appeared in the likes of The Persuaders, The Two Ronnies and All Creatures Great and Small. 

Doors open at 7pm with the film beginning at 7.30. And the rule at the door is "pay what you can afford" which I think is lovely. 

I interviewed Madeline for the blog back in September 2016 and you can read that here

And last June I attended a special illustrated talk from Madeline on her life and career and you can read all about that here

Find out more about this special evening and about the Colchester Arts Centre here



You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Q The Music ... with Madeline Smith

Q The Music brings the James Bond Concert Spectacular to the Victoria Hall, Stoke-On-Trent on 25 February 2018.

The 13-piece band will be bringing the fabulous and iconic music of James Bond to you in a stunning concert compered by Madeline Smith a.k.a Miss Caruso from Live and Let Die.

The show has been a huge success around the world with its energetic and exciting performance by some of the UK’s leading musicians.

Featuring all the songs from the 007 movies, you can hear the greats like Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Skyfall, Thunderball, Live And Let Die, Goldeneye and Licence To Kill amongst all the others. With top musicians and an informative and highly amusing compere, this show as everything you could want for a fabulous night out – and one that you will be talking about for years to come. 

You can find out more about Q The Music, book tickets and find information on future events on their website

You can follow Q The Music on Twitter @QTheMusicShow 

And Madeline is on Twitter @maddiesmith007 

And you can read my interview with Maddie here: Carry On Blogging Interview: Madeline Smith

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

Carrying on at The Film Fair!

Now in its 33rd year, the The Film Fair is still going strong. On Saturday, 2nd December the Film Fair will be taking place at the Conway Hall, London. And this time around there is a strong Carry On connection to the line up.

Yes, the lovely Madeline Smith, who I interviewed last year will be in attendance to sign autographs and meet fans. Among Madeline's most famous films are of course Carry On Matron, Up Pompeii, Up The Front and Live and Let Die as well as classic horror films Theatre of Blood, Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell, The Vampire Lovers and Taste The Blood of Dracula.

Also, making a very rare appearance at a convention, if not her first, is the actress Pauline Peart. Pauline appeared in Carry On Girls in 1973, playing beauty contest entrant Gloria Winch. She went on to appear in The Satanic Rites of Dracula for Hammer and the film version of the successful sitcom, Man About the House.

So if you love the very best of classic comedy and horror, check out The Film Fair on Saturday, 2nd December at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London. You can find out more here

And many thanks to Sam Bessant at Cult Film Posters for giving me the heads up! 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Carrying On with Talking Pictures TV: Inn For Trouble and Take Two!

Talking Pictures TV are showing the wonderful comedy film Inn for Trouble this Wednesday. Peggy Mount and David Kossoff star as Ada and Alf Larkin in this big screen version of the hugely popular 1950s TV comedy. Alf Larkin has finally made good his dream to own a pub. The trouble is, it's got no customers. But leave it to the Larkins to find unorthodox ways to bring in the punters. 

Made in 1960, the film co-stars a range of wonderful British character comedy people - Esma Cannon, Leslie Phillips, Stanley Unwin, Irene Handl and a certain Charles Hawtrey. You can catch Inn for Trouble on Talking Pictures TV on Wednesday 22nd November at 12.00

And you can read another little blog I wrote on this film here: Carry On Blogging: They just don't make them like they used to

Also coming up this week on Talking Pictures TV are several episodes of the great series Take Two. The series sees Elstree's Chairman and well-known film and television historian and broadcaster Morris Bright bring some famous faces from Elstree's past back to the studios to chat about their lives and careers. It's a joy to hear more from these actors, many of whom have Carry On connections. 

On Wednesday 22nd November at 10.55,  Goldfinger and Carry On Nurse actress Shirley Eaton goes back over her long career in film and television which takes in so many classic British titles. It's really interesting to hear why Shirley decided to retire from films at such a young age in 1969 but I'm glad she is still a presence in the business today.
 

And on Friday 24th November at 20.00 the gorgeous Madeline Smith chats with great relish about how she became an actress back in the 1960s and with great fondness about working with Frankie Howerd on the film version of Up Pompeii. It was great to hear Madeline say how thrilled she was to be in Carry On Matron and how she wished she had done more of the films. I would have liked that too! You can read my blog interview with Madeline here. 

FInally, an episode of Take Two I've not seen before, featuring the legendary actress Sylvia Syms. Sylvia has enjoyed a long career on film and television and worked with several members of the Carry On team in the 1965 crime caper classic, The Big Job. She is also soon to star opposite Carry On legend Amanda Barrie in a new feature film called Together. Sylvia's episode of Take Two is on Thursday 23rd November at 20.00

So if you haven't yet checked out this great series of interviews, please do. Let's hope another series is in the offing. 

 

You can read Part 1 of my recent interview with Morris Bright here and Part 2 here

You can follow Talking Picture TV on Twitter: here
Morris Bright is on Twitter here
Elstree Studios is on Twitter here


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



You can watch Talking Pictures TV on: Virgin 445 / Freeview 81 / Sky Channel 343 / Freesat 306 / Youview 81

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

Betty and Ralph ask: "Anyone for Sex?"

 

The other day I caught a slightly odd little film from the early 1970s. No, not a Carry On and nothing dodgy either. I had vaguely heard of The Love Ban (alternative title: Anyone for Sex?) before but I can't place where and as far as I recall It's never been screened on the telly. Having now viewed most of it I can kind of see why. 

It has a fine pedigree if you skim read the basic statistics. It comes from the sibling Carry On stable of producer Betty Box and director Ralph Thomas - wife of Peter Rogers and brother of Gerald Thomas. The duo are still remembered for bringing the wonderful Doctor series of films to big screen, many starring the likes of Dirk Bogarde, Donald Sinden, James Robertson Justice, Joan Sims and Muriel Pavlow. I've always had a great affection for the Doctor films and think their better production values and lighter touch mark them apart from the Carry Ons. 

1970 had seen the last in the series, Doctor in Trouble (not a favourite of mine) so the Box/Thomas partnership set their sights on new horizons. The saucy Seventies were upon us and the decade began with the duo releasing the first male member transplant comedy film into cinemas up and down the land. The film marked a significant swift in tone for Betty Box and Ralph Thomas, probably much more suited to the times. It featured an enviable cast led by Hywel Bennett, Elke Sommer and Denholm Elliott. Sommer's casting in this film led to a long friendship with both Betty and husband Peter and inevitably led to her joining the cast of Carry On Behind in 1975. 

Percy was successful enough to warrant a sequel, Percy's Progress, in 1974, with Sommer and Elliott returning but with a new lead character played by Leigh Lawson. This film also co-starred future Carry On England star Judy Geeson, Dame Edna's very own Barry Humphries, Harry H Corbett, Vincent Price, Carol Hawkins, Madeline Smith and Judy Matheson. Quite a cast. 

In between these two films, Betty and Ralph brought The Love Ban to the big screen in 1973. Originally written in 1969 by Kevin Laffan, the man who created the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, the play had been called It's a 2'6' Above the Ground World. Laffan was one of 14 children from a devout Roman Catholic family and his critical view on the Church's stance on birth control was a recurring theme of his work. The play starred Prunella Scales in a production at the Bristol Old Vic, and was a hit, moving to the Wyndham Theatre. The story focuses on a married couple with six children experiencing marital difficulties. Wife Kate refuses to sleep with husband Mick until he uses birth control, while their live-in au-pair falls pregnant.

The film is very much of its time I suppose and one of the main plus points must be an opportunity to wallow in a very 1970s domestic sitcom arrangement. The new town living, the furniture, clothes, cars and music. Despite being an interesting idea and featuring a cast of good actors, the film just doesn't come off for me. It all feels rather lame, forced and uncomfortable. Heading the cast is Hywel Bennett once again alongside Nanette Newman, wife of Bryan Forbes and she of the oh so soft Fairy hands. Milo O'Shea provides reliable support as an Irish priest while future Poldark star Angharad Rees plays the au-pair Kate. There's a cameo role for Monty Python and Fawlty Towers star John Cleese as a Contraceptives Lecturer too (!) Also of note is an early supporting role for the instantly recognisable Georgina Hale as Newman's friend Joyce. And the film features support from Carry On faces Jacki Piper, Madeline Smith and a blink and you'll miss her Marianne Stone.

 

My problem with the film is that's it's very formulaic, despite its challenging subject matter and it really just doesn't hang together particularly well, even though it features a host of good actors. It is also fairly sexist in its portrayal of women with Newman and Hale suffering through a running gag about women drivers who keep crashing into each other and various men up to no good. And as Mick, Bennett has regular fantasy moments featuring scantily clad (and even full frontal nude) young ladies. In contrast, Newman's fantasies are all about her husband and are much more innocent. 

To me this film sums up the struggle the British film industry was facing at the time. While Britain was becoming a great deal more liberal, the old establishment was still pretty much in charge, and the film industry was no different. Betty Box and Ralph Thomas had been making films since the early 1950s but seemed all at sea with this new, more open generation. It just doesn't sit right with their earlier body of work and it's no surprise that they would soon call it a day. Just as Peter and Gerald would soon be battling against the Confessions films in much choppier waters, Betty and Ralph were being forced to push boundaries there should probably have left to others. 

If you get a chance, do check out this curious little film. It's not earth shattering by any means and does provide a glimpse into suburban 1970s life but it may not be one you want to add to your permanent collection of classics.

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

Carry On Faces in Different Places: Up Pompeii!

Here we go with a brand new 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 and the big screen spin off Please Sir! 

Today we're going to cover another classic British comedy film, this time from the same year as Please Sir, 1971. The hit big screen version of Frankie Howerd's wonderful BBC comedy series, Up Pompeii! This being the era of the big screen spin off, it was only a matter of time before Up Pompeii made its way to the cinema. 

Who's in it?

The film of course stars the magnificent Frankie Howerd who appears to be in his element throughout. It also stars some truly wonderful British character actors in Michael Hordern, Barbara Murray, Patrick Cargill and Bill Fraser.

Carry On Faces?

We all know Frankie Howerd guest starred in both Carry On Doctor and Up The Jungle as well as the 1969 Carry On Christmas Thames Television special. Up Pompeii also features a cameo from Carry On regular Bernard Bresslaw as Gorgo. Nero is played by Patrick Cargill who had cameo roles in both Carry On Regardless and Carry On Jack. Cargill also wrote the play Ring for Catty with Jack Beale which formed the basis for Carry On Nurse.

Also in Up Pompeii is Carry On Cruising, Twice Round the Daffodils and The Big Job actor Lance Percival; Carry On Matron actress Madeline Smith as Erotica (!) and future Carry On Behind actress Adrienne Posta as Scrubba. Also watch out for blink and you'll miss them appearances from Laraine Humphrys (Girls, Christmas 73 and Dick) and Carol Hawkins (Abroad, Behind, Carry On Laughing). Laraine played Flavia while Carol appeared as Nero's Girl.

What's it about?

Up Pompeii is a 1971 British sex comedy film directed by Bob Kellett  The film was shot at Elstree Film studios, Borehamwood and is based on characters that first appeared in the British television sitcom Up Pompeii.

Lurcio becomes the inadvertent possessor of a scroll bearing all the names of the proposed assassins of Nero. The conspirators need to recover the scroll fast, but it has fallen into the hands of Lurcio's master, Ludicrus Sextus, who mistakenly reads the contents of the scroll to the Senate. Farcical attempts are made to retrieve the scroll before Pompeiii is eventually consumed by the erupting Vesuvius. 

Best Bit?

It has to be Frankie's constant desire to "break the fourth wall" by addressing the audience directly throughout the film. It's a trick he developed in many of his television performances - that gossipy over the garden wall style of humour really suited Frankie and he was the master of it!  

Did you know?

The film was the 10th most popular film at the British box office for 1971. 

It also led to two further Up films, both featuring many of the same faces - Up The Front and Up The Chastity Belt.


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

An Audience with Madeline Smith at the Underground Theatre!

 

The Underground Theatre is proud and honoured to welcome actress Madeline Smith to our theatre today, where she’ll be in conversation with the UGT’s own film buff Chris Leach, talking about her life and career on Sunday 5 November.

In, no doubt, a very packed and upbeat one hour, Madeline will share  the adventure of her life on film with us… a life that has seen her work with so many of the greats – such as Roger Moore (in his first James Bond film), Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Frankie Howerd and even The Two Ronnies.

Following this one hour conversation, there will be a half-hour break for refreshments, then Chris will introduce the film for the afternoon, The Amazing Mr Blunden, which stars Madeline in a key role. This enchanting ghost story is director Lionel Jeffries follow up to his classic and much loved ‘The Railway Children’, and is cherished just as much by many.
With a cast including Laurence Naismith, Diana Dors, David Lodge, James Villiers and Lynne Frederick, the film also stars Madeleine Smith as Bella.

This ‘audience with’ starts at 2.30pm with the venue opening at 2pm.

Admission is free to holders of tickets for the Sunday Cinema film following this – The Amazing Mr Blunden. (£5 including tea and cakes).  No admission without a ticket.

 

Seating is limited, so please buy your ticket to the film early to avoid disappointment.

You can buy tickets for this event via the Underground Theatre Website 

And you can read my interview with the fabulous Maddie Smith here

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

Remembering the Past, Celebrating the Present

 

While many of the leading Carry On actors are no longer with us, although thanks to constant repeats they often feel very much alive, we thankfully still have a fairly strong collection of actors around in 2017 who played important parts in the Carry On story. It's to be expected that actors who played the leads in the 1950s and 60s may no longer be around in a new century, we still miss them and wish many had been given just that little bit longer.

Even though the Carry Ons hit their stride more than half a century ago, it still shocks and baffles on occasion when anniversaries come round and you realise the likes of Sid, Charles and Frankie would now be over a hundred years old. Most of the Carry On gang died far too young with only Kenneth Connor really making it to old age, and even then he was just 75. Of the main team today, we only have Jim Dale and Barbara Windsor left, both juvenile leads in the team at the time but now into their eighties. Although I'm sad the leading lights of the team are mostly all long gone, their passing has allowed supporting actors or faces who popped in and out of the series to receive the plaudits they are seriously due.

 

With yet another London Film Convention upon us - and one featuring a strong Carry On line up - it has made me realise how much affection I feel for some of the actors with links to the series who are still going strong in 2017. Most are still working and showing very little sign of their years. There is something very special about some of our more mature working actors which is so identifiably British and it's a constant source of joy for me. As with film stars of yesteryear there is always such a strong presence when one of these actors enters a room. They know how to carry themselves, they know how to conduct themselves and they are the ultimate professionals when meeting and greeting their admirers. They are grafters and despite grand reputations of films they have made and people they have worked with, the vast majority are warm, friendly and incredibly down to earth.

I've had the tremendous good fortune to interview or meet several of these actors over the past few years and they've never let me down or disappointed. Madeline Smith has to be one of the most memorable - a sheer joy to chat with over the phone and even more welcoming and friendly in person. Madeline is always entertaining to listen to and very open and honest about her career. Another lady who never disappoints is the glorious Amanda Barrie, long a heroine of mine thanks to her fantastic stint as Alma in Coronation Street. Meeting your heroes is always a risky business but Amanda has been a joy and everything you could wish for. I've had similarly pleasing experiences with the likes of Valerie Leon and Jacki Piper, two actors who belie their years still ooze glamour many years after their time in the Carry On spotlight.

 

One of the most memorable Carry On performances of all time must be that of Fenella Fielding in Carry On Screaming. Fenella, who celebrates her 90th birthday in November, is one of the old school while remaining down to earth and amazed by her own popularity. Probably one of the nicest of all is Anita Harris. Still remarkably unchanged from her glamorous sixties persona, Anita is working as hard as ever - still talented, kind and generous with her time. 

We simply don't seem to produce people with this kind of star quality these days. I don't know why but we just don't. While a lot of what I do on this blog is remembering and celebrating long lost heroes like Sid, Kenneth Williams, Joan Sims and Peter Butterworth, I think it's still important to cherish those that remain. These vital, still vibrant are a vital link to the past but also have much to offer in 2017.

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