Guests Announced for the ODP Autograph Show!

 

As you may know I like to blog updates on when some of your favourite Carry On actors are appearing at events and conventions. It's only in the past year or so that I've discovered the joy of fan conventions and if you can along to one I really recommend you give it a go.

On 20th May the "Our Disappearing Planet" Autograph Show will take place in Stevenage in Hertfordshire. There is a very varied guest list providing something (or should that be someone) for everyone. And of course there is some Carry On representation. The wonderful Melvyn Hayes, probably most famous for his role in the 1970s BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum, will be in attendance. Melvyn starred in Carry On England and made several appearances in the ATV Carry On Laughing television series.

 

Also in attendance will be the glamorous star of many a British comedy and horror classic, the lovely Madeline Smith. Madeline is well known for her appearance in the James Bond film Live and Let Die as well as The Vampire Lovers and Up Pompeii. For Carry On fans, there's her memorable cameo in Carry On Matron. Next up is the lovely Georgina Moon. Probably best remembered for her role in the television series UFO, Georgina also appeared in Carry On Camping and Carry On Behind.

And last but not least is Wanda Ventham, or Mummy Cumberbatch as she's known these days. Wanda has enjoyed a long career on stage and screen and appeared in both Carry On Cleo and Carry On Up The Khyber, as well as a further role in the Rogers and Thomas film The Big Job in 1965.

 

Also in attendance will be the lovely Judy Matheson, a great friend to this blog. Judy has appeared in classic horror films such as Twins of Evil and Lust for a Vampire, the comedy film Confessions of a Window Cleaner and wonderful television shows such as Coronation Street, The Professionals, The Sweeney and Citizen Smith. She has recently made a return to acting in the Misty Moon short film Frankula, co-starring David Barry and Caroline Munro. 

I also recently interviewed the lovely Judy Buxton - Judy will be at the show with her husband Jeffrey Holland.

I hope everyone involved has a great day on 20 May. The Autograph Show will run from 10am - 5pm at the Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre, Lytton Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire. You can find out more here

 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

What a Carry On at the ODP Autograph Show!

 

As you may know I like to blog updates on when some of your favourite Carry On actors are appearing at events and conventions. It's only in the past year or so that I've discovered the joy of fan conventions and if you can along to one I really recommend you give it a go.

On 20th May the "Our Disappearing Planet" Autograph Show will take place in Stevenage in Hertfordshire. There is a very varied guest list providing something (or should that be someone) for everyone. And of course there is some Carry On representation. The wonderful Melvyn Hayes, probably most famous for his role in the 1970s BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum, will be in attendance. Melvyn starred in Carry On England and made several appearances in the ATV Carry On Laughing television series.

 

Also in attendance will be the glamorous star of many a British comedy and horror classic, the lovely Madeline Smith. Madeline is well known for her appearance in the James Bond film Live and Let Die as well as The Vampire Lovers and Up Pompeii. For Carry On fans, there's her memorable cameo in Carry On Matron. Next up is the lovely Georgina Moon. Probably best remembered for her role in the television series UFO, Georgina also appeared in Carry On Camping and Carry On Behind.

And last but not least is Wanda Ventham, or Mummy Cumberbatch as she's known these days. Wanda has enjoyed a long career on stage and screen and appeared in both Carry On Cleo and Carry On Up The Khyber, as well as a further role in the Rogers and Thomas film The Big Job in 1965.

 

Also in attendance will be the lovely Judy Matheson, a great friend to this blog. Judy has appeared in classic horror films such as Twins of Evil and Lust for a Vampire, the comedy film Confessions of a Window Cleaner and wonderful television shows such as Coronation Street, The Professionals, The Sweeney and Citizen Smith. She has recently made a return to acting in the Misty Moon short film Frankula, co-starring David Barry and Caroline Munro. You can find out more about that film

I hope everyone involved has a great day on 20 May. The Autograph Show will run from 10am - 5pm at the Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre, Lytton Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire. You can find out more here

 

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

Whatever Happened To ... Judy Geeson?

As it's Judy Geeson's birthday today I thought I'd write a blog about her career and find out what happened to her after her one and only Carry On appearance. Judy starred in the notorious Carry On England which was released in 1976 to less than favourable reviews. Sadly this was her only appearance in the series but thankfully this dud did not seem to affect her acting career.

Born in Sussex in 1948, Judy Geeson attended the famous Corona Academy in West London. Corona produced many notable young actors including Dennis Waterman and Richard O'Sullivan (as well as the majority of the younger cast in Carry On Teacher). Judy's earliest screen appearances came on television with guest spots in the likes of Probation Officer, Dixon of Dock Green and Emergency Ward 10. These roles all came in the early 1960s. Although further television appearances would follow (including a major role in the classic serial Poldark in the mid-1970s and a recurring role in an early soap opera, The Newcomers), Geeson found her greatest fame on the big screen with a run of major film parts.

Judy Geeson's first big success in films came in 1967 which she took on the role of Pamela in To Sir With Love opposite Sidney Poitier. Incidentally, both actors reprised their roles in an American television movie sequel in 1996. Further films came her way, including the 60s classic Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush, co-starring with Barry Evans, Adrienne Posta and Angela Scoular. This was followed by Prudence and the Pill, in which Judy worked with the likes of Joyce Redman, Edith Evans and David Niven. Judy also had another early role, playing Joan Crawford's naughty daughter Angela in the macabre British thriller Beserk! in 1967. The film also featured the likes of Robert Hardy, Diana Dors and Geoffrey Keen.


Another of Judy's famous screen roles came in 1971 when she played Beryl Evans in the film 10 Rillington Place. This film told the sinister true story of British serial killer John Christie, played by Richard Attenborough. John Hurt also starred as Judy's on screen husband. Judy followed this up with a run of classic British horror films, very much in vogue at the time. These included Fear In The Night (1972) starring Joan Collins and Peter Cushing; A Candle For the Devil (1973) and Dominique (1978) which co-starred Jenny Agutter, Jean Simmons, Flora Robson and Ron Moody. 

In 1975, Judy Geeson starred opposite Hollywood legend John Wayne in the police thriller Brannigan, which saw Wayne's character come to London to catch a Chicago mobster. The following year came Judy's sole Carry On role, as Tilly Willing in England. Judy was one of many new faces (including Patrick Mower, Diane Langton and Melvyn Hayes) who were drafted in to freshen up the film franchise. Unfortunately they couldn't play the Carry On comedy like the traditional regulars and the film flopped. This didn't stop Geeson signing up for two similar low-brow comedies at around this time. Judy starred alongside Robert Lindsay, Adrienne Posta and Barry Evans in the sub-Confessions film Adventures of A Taxi Driver and also appeared in the Betty Box and Ralph Thomas comedy Percy's Progress. 

Judy returned to big budget films later in 1976 with a supporting role in the Second World War drama The Eagle Has Landed. The film boasted an amazing cast which included Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, Donald Sutherland, Jean Marsh and Jenny Agutter.  Judy continued to work in British film and television until she took the decision to move to the United States in the early 1980s. 

Work in the United States came mainly from television. Judy won roles in the likes of The Love Boat, Star Trek, MacGyver, Mad About You and Charmed. Having settled in California, Judy Geeson took a break from acting in the 2000s, however she has recently returned to film, appearing in two horror films - The Lords of Salem in 2012 and most recently, the slasher film 31, released this year.

Judy Geeson is also of course the sister of Carry On and Bless This House actress, Sally. The two sisters have never acted together, as far as I'm aware but both had very successful careers as the 1960s started to swing. Judy lived with the set designer Sean Kenny in the early 1970s and following his death married the actor Kristoffer Tabori in 1985. They divorced in 1989. 

As far as I'm aware Judy has never spoken about her role in Carry On England. I would love to hear her thoughts on the production. Whatever she is doing today, I hope she has a fantastic birthday!

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What A Carry On in Blackpool!

With thanks to regular blog reader Jon Buckland for the heads up on this one. The charity Our Disappearing Planet is holding a celebrity charity autograph convention in Blackpool on Saturday 24 October and there is a strong Carry On presence!

Among the long list of attendees are the following Carry On actors:

- Ray Brooks, who played Georgio in Carry On Abroad  

- Kenneth Cope, who starred in both Carry On At Your Convenience and Carry On Matron

- Melvyn Hayes, who played Shorthouse in Carry On England and also appeared in the Carry On Laughing television series in 1975

- Ian Lavender, who appeared as Joe Baxter in Carry On Behind

- Linda Regan, who played one of the ATS girls in Carry On England

- Madeline Smith, who made a cameo appearance as Mrs Pullitt in Carry On Matron

- Nikki Van Der Zyl, who appeared as the Messenger in Carry On Don't Lose Your Head 


If you get along to this event, please do get in touch either through the blog, on Facebook or Twitter or by email at carryonfan15@gmail.com - I'd love to hear how it all goes!

You can find out more about the charity and the event itself by visiting the official website here 



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Carry On England: A Step Too Far?

Carry On England. I can almost feel my breakfast rising up to say hello again. I jest of course, but only just. It is one of the few Carry On films I've watched that doesn't demand repeat viewings. Once was more than enough.

So why is it so bad, and was it a missed opportunity?

England is bizarre in many ways. The idea of making a wartime Carry On isn't a bad one. Period Carry On films normally do well and stand the test of time. England is just drab and dreary though. It looks cheap too. I know the Carry Ons were always made on a budget but the budget really does show in England and not in a good way. The absence of Eric Rogers and a reduced orchestra also damages the film as the musical score just doesn't cut it.

The storyline itself is fair enough, almost a retread of Carry On Sergeant, albeit without the charm of performances or the carefully crafted script. I will never understand why Rogers and Thomas decided not to employ Dave Freeman to write England after the previous film, Carry On Behind, had turned out to be quite a successful film. Freeman did well to continue the style of Talbot Rothwell. I'm sure his presence would have improved England a great deal.

England also suffers as it continued the theme of pushing boundaries further than the Carry Ons should really go. Ever since Barbara's bikini was yanked off by that fishing rod in Carry On Camping, flashes of female nudity had become common place. Nothing wrong with a brief flash, but by the mid-1970s the flashes were becoming more and more blatant. While this might be alright in a Confessions film, the direct competition for the Carry Ons at this time, it just doesn't sit well here. Carry Ons were always slightly innocent, naughty but not filthy and much of the comedy came from what you didn't see, not what you did. When it's all out, as it were, it often ceases to be funny. England pushed it further again and it was awful.

The cast of England is also a problem. Yes we have a starring role for Kenneth Connor which is always welcome. Connor is also partnered with Windsor Davies who is always watchable. Unfortunately other opportunities are wasted. The likes of Joan Sims, Peter Butterworth  Peter Jones and Julian Holloway are all sidelined in pointless, brief cameo roles. Jack Douglas is there too but given little to do. These established performers also don't really sit well against all the in your face shenanigans.

Far too much time is given over to new additions to the cast. The actors drafted in to Carry On England are all successful performers just really not suited to the world of Carry On innuendo. Patrick Mower, Judy Geeson, Melvyn Hayes and Diane Langton do their best but it just doesn't work. 

What I don't understand is why so many other actors previously involved with the Carry Ons did not appear in this film. Obviously Sid James had very sadly recently passed away but there were many others still working. Kenneth Williams was apparently meant to play Peter Jones' character but theatre commitments prevented him taking part. However the likes of Bernard Bresslaw, Patsy Rowlands, Barbara Windsor, Valerie Leon, Margaret Nolan, June Whitfield, Peter Gilmore and Jacki Piper were all still around and working. 

The Carry Ons needed familiar faces to make them work. And that's probably the main reason England flopped.

So what did you make of Carry On England? Worth a second look, or best consigned to the cinematic graveyard?

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