Carry On Faces in Different Places: Floodtide

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 , the big screen spin off Please Sir! and the wonderful Up Pompeii and the brilliant John Gregson and Diana Dors vehicle, Value for Money.
  
Most recently I blogged about the Sid James and Kenneth Connor comedy horror What A Carve Up!

Today I'm going off track a bit with a blog about the 1949 romantic drama, with a bit of ship building thrown in, Floodtide.

Carry On Faces?

Quite a few Carry On connections in this film. There is a substantial supporting role for the wonderful Jimmy Logan playing Tim Brogan. This role is miles away from his parts as Bert Conway in Carry On Abroad and Cecil Gaybody (!) in Carry On Girls, but there is still plenty of cheeky charm! Also in the film is reliable Scottish character actress Molly Weir, playing landlady Mrs McTavish. Molly had a cameo in Carry On Regardless and much later, in the film of Bless This House.

Floodtide also co-stars the brilliant Janet Brown, years before her fame as Mrs Thatcher impersonator extraordinaire. Janet was of course married to Carry On legend Peter Butterworth from 1947 until his death in 1979. And the film leading couple are played by Gordon Jackson and Rona Anderson, whose main Carry On connection was that they were lifelong friends or Carry On star Kenneth Williams.

What's it about?

David Shields (Gordon Jackson), the son of a Scottish farmer, dreams of a life in the city. Against his father's wishes he obtains a job in the shipyards where his flair for design moves him swiftly up the ladder. This is resented by many of his colleagues, as is his impatience and dislike for performing menial tasks. However, David designs a revolutionary ship which impresses his boss, whose daughter (Rona Anderson) he is deeply in love with. Will he succeed in all he wishes to achieve?

Best Bit?

Much of the film is carried by the easy, affable charm of Gordon Jackson and his terrific chemistry with Rona Anderson and Jimmy Logan. My favourite scene sees a drunken Jackson lured back to the flat of scheming temptress Judy (Elizabeth Sellars). He is rescued just in the nick of time by Logan and Anderson and as Judy's true colours are revealed, Logan's Tim Brogan deals with her perfectly with the line "you'll get the jail for that caper, ye daft wee besom".

Did you know?

Gordon Jackson and Rona Anderson first met on the set of this film. They would go on to marry two years later, in 1951. They had an enduring marriage, which lasted until Gordon's early death from cancer in 1990. They worked together again on film in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969 and later still, when Rona surprised Gordon as one of the guest stars in an episode of The Professionals in 1981. The casting director Esta Charkham had kept Rona's casting secret from Jackson.


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Wogan's Radio Fun: Molly Weir and Deryck Guyler

Every Christmas I post a series of special blogs on the run up to the big day. This year I posted a different festive image from the Carry Ons every day up until Christmas Day. In addition to this, I've also found some wonderful old clips to share this festive season.

The wonderful, late great Terry Wogan hosted his famous chat show on the BBC for several years during the 1980s and early 1990s. Those were the days of great guests, intelligent conversation, wit and warmth. Well, most of the time. Until the BBC rather unwisely pulled the plug to make way for the soap Eldorado (remember that?) Terry was the best possible replacement for Parky. 

This Christmas marks thirty years since a very special festive show which celebrated the very best of radio comedy. Terry reunited many classic stars from a bygone era and sadly, for some, it would be the last time we would see them perform. Amongst these big names were several actors with Carry On connections, so over the next few days I'm going to share some great clips from "Wogan's Radio Fun", originally broadcast back in December 1987.

We continue today with some lovely memories from two actors who made their names on radio and dropped by at Pinewood for some Carry On cameos. First up is the smashing Molly Weir, the Scottish actress who popped up in Carry On Regardless as a confused lady surprised by Bill Owen who turns up to collect her birds. And then we hear from the legendary Deryck Guyler, best remembered for his small screen comedy roles in the likes of Please Sir! and Sykes. Deryck played a rather shaky surgeon opposite Kenneth Williams in the 1967 comedy Carry On Doctor and before that worked for Peter and Gerald in two other cracking comedy films - Nurse On Wheels as Juliet Mills' driving instructor and The Big Job as a rather pompous policeman.

Both Molly and Deryck joined the cast of ITMA (It's That Man Again), which starred Tommy Handley and future Carry On great, Hattie Jacques:

Stay tuned for more in this series coming up soon!

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Adam Faith: What A Whopper!

Thanks to the wonderful world of Twitter the other day I was informed that Talking Pictures TV were showing one of Sid James' early 60s comedy films I was yet to see. I had read about What A Whopper a while back in the excellent Sid James Companion, written by Robert Ross but this is the first time I've seen it on the telly.

The basic premise of the film focusses on a writer who attempts to raise some cash by writing a book about the Loch Ness Monster. No publisher will take it because they all think there isn't really a monster. The writer and some of his friends make a fake monster and take photographs and then travel to Scotland to see if they can convince the locals.

To be honest it's a fairly slim story for a film but it's light, frothy and a lovely burst of black and white innocent nostalgia for a dull November afternoon. As with many films of this type and era, what really makes this watchable in 2017 is the prime cast of brilliant British comedy actors who appear. Although a vehicle for the sparkling young pop star Adam Faith, the real stars are in the supporting cast. And there are several noteworthy Carry On stars present.

Leading the way is the wonderful Sidney James of course, putting in a classic Hancockian performance as the cheeky Cockney chappie on the make and behind the bar. Sid's effortless charm and boundless appeal are used to the full and it's an absolute joy from start to finish. Carry On original Terence Longdon has a sizable supporting role as Faith's mate Vernon and it's a world away from the posh army types he played in the likes of Carry On Sergeant, Nurse and Regardless.

There is also a lovely, over the top guest starring role for the legendary Charles Hawtrey as painter Arnold, one of a motley crew who shares the living space in Faith's block of flats in Chelsea. It's a classic little role for Hawtrey who used his Carry On fame to great effect at this time, popping up in all manner of productions, pretty much always doing the same kind of thing. Also look out for a supporting role from Terry Scott as a Scottish police sergeant and the lovely Molly Weir as a teacher.

What A Whopper also features interesting little cameos from Clive Dunn doing his old man act years before Corporal Jones in Dad's Army; Wilfrid Brambell as a slightly less than convincing Scottish postman and a typically outlandish cough and spit from the goonish Spike Milligan. As a side note, the glamorous blonde bombshell leading lady is Carole Lesley, who also starred in Doctor in Love at around the same time. Sadly, her career faltered by the 1970s and she was found dead in her house in Barnet, North London at the age of just 38. 

The film had a strong pedigree behind the camera too. The music was composed by the brilliant Laurie Johnson, best known for television themes such as The Avengers and The Professionals. The script was written by Terry Nation, who started out writing for Spike Milligan and aspiring writers Jeremy Lloyd and Trevor Peacock (best known for his role in The Vicar Of Dibley) both contributed to the story. 

The same year Adam Faith starred in What A Whopper he also played himself in a small role at the end of that other classic of the genre, What A Carve Up! Starring Sid James, Kenneth Connor, Esma Cannon and Shirley Eaton, I've got a blog on that little gem coming up soon. 

And finally, according to the internet future Carry On and Coronation Street actress Amanda Barrie makes an uncredited appearance in What A Whopper as a "Chelsea Girl" - let me know if you spot her! Hopefully this little gem will make another appearance in the Talking Pictures TV schedule again soon.


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