Why must Comedy Snobbery Carry On?

This morning I read an article on The Guardian website about a recent fan convention in Hungary for the Perry and Croft sitcom You Rang M'Lord? The article referred to the comedy series, broadcast between 1988 and 1993, as "dodgy" and "old" - hardly a ringing endorsement. Sure, the Upstairs Downstairs parody is not perhaps the best remembered or favourite of all Perry and Croft's work but a recent repeat of the series showed to me at least, that it stood the test of time.

I understand the possible incredulity that the show was still so massively popular in Hungary but I found the efforts of the legion of Hungarian fans deeply touching. They crowd funded to organise a special 30th anniversary event which saw five original stars from the series fly over for a weekend of special celebrations. Odd to the Guardian journalist perhaps, but it warmed my bitter, cynical little heart. I grew up watching You Rang M'Lord? and it was one of the series that provided a helpful gateway to the very best of British comedy for me. I look back on it very fondly and I still love it now. And I make no apologies for saying so. Sure, Carry On Blogging is no Guardian Culture section, and neither does it claim to be. Thank goodness. But I know what I like.

This article, although by no means the worst piece I've ever read on so-called populist British comedy, still set my mind racing about comedy snobbery in media, and particularly amongst newspaper critics. It's certainly nothing new. I remember Fenella Fielding being shocked when she read a review of Carry On Screaming way back in 1966. Fenella described it as a 'posh paper' and said she was appalled by how much hatred these critics had for Screaming. I think those critics have since been made to eat their words as Carry On Screaming is now widely seen as a classic of its kind. Carry On comedies have long been chastised or at best ignored by proper critics and when anybody with a remotely serious profile gives them credit, they are quickly lambasted. 

At the 40th anniversary of the series in 1998, the What's A Carry On? documentary brought us an interview with the academic Professor Colin MacCabe who claimed two of the Carry Ons were amongst the best 100 British films ever made. The films he chose, Cleo and Up The Khyber, are often cited as the best in the series so it was no surprise to fans. However fellow film expert and historian Tony Sloman was appalled to see two Carry Ons in the Sight and Sound list of films and in the documentary declared MacCabe's decision as "clearly an abrogation of responsibility". Undeterred, early the next year MacCabe wrote a piece for The Guardian titled Why Carry On Cleo and Carry On Up the Khyber are two of the best films ever. Touche! 

My question is, when will such dreadful cultural snobbery ever come to an end? Well I think I'm pissing in the wind if I think it'll just disappear. Sixty years on from the very first Carry On film and forty years since the last of the original run was released, it shows no signs of abating. The review of What's A Carry On? in The Guardian (a regular offender) describes the film series as "absolute tripe". Don't hold back there Adam Sweeting. And no, I won't be taking a minute to support The Guardian by donating money at the bottom of the article.

There was a rash of articles in the quality press around the sixtieth anniversary of Carry On Sergeant and they all took the same boring, repetitive line. The Telegraph described the films as "crude" and "rude" in an article on 31 August. By 17 September the same paper was asking Should the Carry Ons be consigned to history? Sigh. Thankfully, and it's a small mercy perhaps, you can only access these articles if you are prepared to wade behind the newspaper's paywall. 

Back in 2008 as the series turned 50 years old, even the BBC had a go, describing the films as "low brow and smutty". By far the worst piece I've ever read about the Carry Ons was written by Guardian columnist (yes them again) Tanya Gold in April 2008. Entitled, rather humourlessly "Infamy? They've Got It" Ms Gold manages to tarnish one of the Carry Ons' finest tag lines in one cheap headline. Gold went on: "The Carry On films were crass and populated by misfits. And sadly, they mirrored people's lives". Well, Tanya, the Carry Ons are often criticised these days for dealing in stereotypes but I think you were front and centre when it comes to those. Not only does Gold not get her facts right - she can't even spell Peter Rogers' name correctly - she also dirties her keyboard by going into lurid detail on the private lives and deaths of many of the actors we know and love. Shame on you Ms Gold.

Worse still perhaps, is Gold's description of the actresses in the Carry Ons. According to Tanya, "they are either stupid and beautiful (Barbara Windsor), bossy and masculine (Hattie Jacques), or ugly and bitter (Joan Sims). Carry On everywoman, personified by Sims, is a loveless harpy, atrophied by loneliness and only able to rage" To say I disagree with Gold on her description of three actresses I'd defend to my last breath is an understatement. I'm not sharing a link to the article on the blog as I don't want it to tarnish me any further.

So what is it that seems to threaten these high brow, lofty critics about the Carry Ons? Is it because they were wildly successful and made money at the box office at a time when the British film industry was in massive decline? Is it because they were populated by a vast range of incredibly gifted, clever and original comedy actors who the nation and many further afield have come to love and respect? Or the range of amazing people behind the camera who brought the films to life with care and skill well beyond their pay grade? Or is it because ordinary bods on the street loved them for their straight forward, down to earth humour which didn't challenge but merely sought to entertain? I'm eternally grateful to the Carry Ons and their stars for being with me from childhood to the present day. I've lost count of how many times Sid, Joan, Charles, Hattie and the gang have cheered me up and helped me forget my worries for an hour and a half. And that, to me, is priceless.

I'm not taking a swipe at more learned forms of art. I love a trip to the National Theatre or the Royal Court. I'm never off BBC4 and I adore an afternoon in one of London's amazing galleries or museums. Even if I don't understand Beckett or think the latest installation at Tate Modern is a bit 'out there' I still give it a chance. I don't instantly pick it apart or demean those responsible. The BFI, an institution I adore, is putting on a series on "Comedy Genius" which covers everything from Lucille Ball to Jo Brand. I love them for this and all the more for a special screening of the joyous Carry On Cleo. However, does Cleo have to be packaged with a day of talks on "Great British Smut"? Are the Carry Ons smutty? I don't think so. Indeed I can think of much more recent, current comedy on television and in film which I'd class as ruder and cruder. 

I've got over 17,000 followers on Twitter, so there's obviously still a very real love for the Carry Ons and the easy going antics of Sid James, Kenneths Williams and Connor, Charles Hawtrey, Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth and Jim Dale. And of course those three GORGEOUS ladies - the stunning Barbara Windsor, who's characters often easily bettered the men; the warm, loveable, sexy Hattie Jacques who brought layers to every character she played and the gorgeous, talented Joan Sims - a woman bursting with talent. That's how these wonderful women should be remembered, not the negativity that fills certain newspapers.

So will the Carry Ons and other favourites ever escape the comedy snobbery routine? I very much doubt it. Will I continue to defend them? You betcha. 


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

The Gerald Thomas Archive: Carry On Abroad Cast Correspondence

A few months back I made a rather delayed trip (thank you British weather) to the British Film Institute on London's Southbank. As I've mentioned over on Twitter, the BFI hold the entire Gerald Thomas archive which is chock full of delightful artifacts from Gerald's long, varied and illustrious career in British film. I was quite frankly dazzled by the array of material on offer and have only managed to flick through a fraction of it, but this blog today is the start of several pieces looking at different aspects of what I've had the very good fortune to see.

Following on from my first blog on Gerald's Scrapbook for Carry On Abroad and my second on the Carry On Abroad Draft Script the next item file I want to write about concerns final preparations for the release of Carry On Doctor in late 1967. I have also, more recently, written a blog about the correspondence between the artist Terence "Larry" Parkes and Peter Rogers about the work he'd been asked to do for the titles of Carry On Doctor and also on what I gleaned from the cast contracts and correspondence from Carry On Again Doctor in 1969.

Today I am going to write about Carry On Abroad once again, always one of my favourites in the series. I went straight to the cast correspondence file again and although I'm curious about what the actors really did get paid for these films, it's the little, personal details which always excite me the most. 

The first contract in the bundle was that of the late, great Peter Butterworth. Peter was based in Sussex at the time and despite being very much a series regular at that stage, he was still paid on a per week basis like so many of the supporting actors involved in the films. Peter received £250 per week over a three week period for his superb turn as Pepe (or is it Mario?) in Abroad. At the time of planning for Abroad, Butterworth had missed out on several of the previous films and when he did appear it was usually a small cameo role. I had always wondered why and a little of that is cleared up in the memo from Peter that accompanies his contract. Writing to Peter and Gerald from HTV West Television in Bristol on 9 March 1972, Peter comments that he had recently been working on a television comedy series with John Le Mesurier and asks if there might be a part in the new Carry On film for him. He also apologises again for not being able to appear in the previous Carry On (Matron) "because of that Italian job". I have no idea what the Italian production was however the comedy series is definitely A Class By Himself, co-starring Le Mesurier and Richard Stilgoe. Peter played Clutton.

June Whitfield joined the Carry On team for the first time since Nurse in 1958 with her role as Evelyn Blunt in Carry On Abroad. June was paid £1000 per week for four weeks' work on the film and thereafter £250 per week. June's contract was subject to time off to record appearances on various BBC radio productions during the April of 1972. June's screen husband, series regular Kenneth Connor, was paid £2250 for six weeks in the role of Stanley. Meanwhile, Jack Douglas, still at the cameo stage and here playing Harry, the pub regular, was paid £40 per day with a guaranteed fee of £80. 

Barbara Windsor, making her seventh appearance in the series as the object of Sid's longing, Sadie Tompkins, received £2500 for six weeks on the film. Interestingly it was written into her contract by her then agent Richard Stone, that Barbara was still appearing in a production of The Threepenny Opera at London's Piccadilly Theatre when Abroad began shooting. Another actress represented by Richard Stone was Gail Grainger, making her first and only appearance in the films as Moira. Gail was living in Ealing, West London at the time of making Abroad and was paid £500. Her contract notes that Gail was then also appearing on stage at the Duke of York's Theatre in London opposite Leslie Phillips in The Man Most Likely To… Also included in the file is the original telegram Peter and Gerald sent to Gail Grainger on her birthday, 4 May. Sent to the Duke of York's ahead of that night's performance it says: Many happy returns. Hope you have a lovely birthday, love Peter and Gerald.

Patsy Rowlands, playing the reduced role of Miss Dobbs in the early scenes of the film, only worked for three days on the picture, earning just £20 per day. This again highlights the strangely varying size of the roles Patsy played throughout the series. The late Bill Maynard filmed for one day as WundaTours boss Mr Fiddler, shooting scenes with Gail Grainger, Patsy Rowlands and Kenneth Williams. Despite his scene being cut from the final film Bill was still paid £75. Another actor who was paid for a role which never materialised in the final print was Lindsay Marsh. Lindsay had previously appeared in a small role as a 'shapely nurse' in Carry On Matron and would return to play Myra in the film of Bless This House. Her part as an air hostess in Abroad, for which she received £25, was cut, along with the entire sequence to be filmed aboard an aeroplane.

A young actress who did play a sizeable role in the success of Carry On Abroad was Please Sir and Fenn Street Gang star Carol Hawkins. Carol, who like Gail and Sally Geeson was paid £500 for the film, wrote to Peter Rogers on 6 March 1972:

Dear Sir,

As I have recently completed the film of 'Please Sir" and the comedy TV series "Fenn Street Gang" playing the part of Sharon, I thought perhaps you would like a photograph of myself to keep in your files for future references.

The letter and photo obviously caught their eye as Carol was soon cast in the role of Marge. She would go on to appear in the film of Bless This House, again for Peter and Gerald, before returning three years later to play Sandra in Carry On Behind. There is another letter involving Carol later on in the file and it concerns her wedding in the Summer of the same year:

Dear Carol,

Please take your horses out of this and use the rest for a wedding present from me,

Love…

Another example of the generous nature of the men behind the Carry On films although I'm not sure if the letter and kind gesture is from Peter or Gerald. 

Another actor making his Carry On debut in this film was Scottish performer Jimmy Logan. Paid £1000 for his role as cheerful Bert Conway, Jimmy was granted special permission to miss some filming to honour a prior engagement. Again showing the kindness of Peter Rogers, the original letter from E. H Cochrane, Chairman of the Barnardo's Ball Committee in Motherwell, thanks Peter for allowing Jimmy the time away to host the Rose Ball in the presence of Princess Margaret in Glasgow. 

Finally, to a very sweet, human story involving regular supporting actor Brian Osborne. Brian debuted in the series in the previous film, Carry On Matron, playing an ambulance driver and would appear in every film up until England in 1976. In Abroad Brian played the market stall holder who sells the holiday makers Santa Cecilia's Elixir. Brian, represented by Peter Eade (who also looked after Joan Sims, Kenneth Williams and for a time writer Norman Hudis) was paid £100 for Abroad. 

On 15th May, Brian had written to Gerald informing him that his wife Elsie had, the night before, given birth to their daughter Helen Shirley. After sharing the happy news, Brian went on to apologise for being unable to attend the press show for Carry On Matron due to filming commitments with the television series 'Follyfoot" in Leeds. Two days later, on 17 May 1972, a handwritten letter from Brian's wife Elsie is also found on file. Thanking Peter and Gerald for "the really beautiful flower display in a cradle you sent for Helen", Elsie goes on to say:

I have been promoting your films to all the other patients and staff, without giving any other secrets away, so I hope box office sales do well.

It's a lovely record of a long ago act of kindness and reciprocity and the whole correspondence has a genuine thoughtfulness and feeling of innocence about it. It was a privilege to see it and a joy to read.

Thanks once again to the staff at the BFI for all their help. It was a wonderful experience to spend time going through Gerald's archive.

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

The Gerald Thomas Archive: Cast Correspondence from Again Doctor

Last month I made a rather delayed trip (thank you British weather) to the British Film Institute on London's Southbank. As I've mentioned over on Twitter, the BFI hold the entire Gerald Thomas archive which is chock full of delightful artifacts from Gerald's long, varied and illustrious career in British film. I was quite frankly dazzled by the array of material on offer and have only managed to flick through a fraction of it, but this blog today is the start of several pieces looking at different aspects of what I've had the very good fortune to see.

Following on from my first blog on Gerald's Scrapbook for Carry On Abroad and my second on the Carry On Abroad Draft Script . I have also, more recently, written a blog about the correspondence between the artist Terence "Larry" Parkes and Peter Rogers about the work he'd been asked to do for the titles of Carry On Doctor. 

Today I'm moving forward a couple of years to another medical Carry On - Carry On Again Doctor, which was filmed in the spring of 1969 and marked Jim Dale's last contribution to the series until his return for Columbus in 1992. As with many of the other films in the archive, I found the correspondence between the actors and their paymasters the most fascinating evidence to read though. And the correspondence over contracts for Again Doctor definitely delivered in spades.

Let's start with the man who brought Dr Jimmy Nookey to life in the film, Jim Dale. Jim was paid £3250 for six weeks work in what was really the starring role in the film. There is considerable correspondence on file regarding a medical claim following an injury Jim had suffered on set. This was either the infamous run away hospital trolley sequence or the scene which saw Dale fall through a rotten floor on a hammock. He really did suffer for his art! A note from Peter Rogers on 7 August 1969 details his position:

Regarding Jim Dale's medical expenses, I don't think that we should be responsible for every pill and laxative if the insurance people don't cough up, do you? Whatever was wrong with Jim Dale was the result of an accident on the floor and I understand that we were covered in this respect. 

Rogers was certainly the money man behind the films and this note gives us a real insight into the serious side of churning out such wonderfully funny, popular films. Part of Peter's note concerns the extra expense involved in the delays caused by Jim's accident and trip to hospital to be checked out. It involved other actors on set - Sid James, Valerie Leon and Elizabeth Knight - being contracted on for extra time, and where Peter was most concerned, extra money too!

Next up is a contract for my favourite Carry On actress, the wonderful Joan Sims. Joan, who was paid her usual £2500 for six weeks playing wealthy widow Ellen Moore, had a clause in her contract which allowed her time out to record episodes of the radio series, then titled "It's Bold" with Kenneth Williams each Monday morning for the BBC. Attached to her contract is a personal letter from Joan, dated 4 May 1969 and written on Joan's own personal stationery:

My dear Peter,

Thank you so much for a really wonderful party on Friday. It was a great send off for us all.

Bless you, 

Love, Joan


The famed camaraderie between the actors and producers of the Carry Ons is justly legendary and even though pay was sometimes an issue, there is no doubting the shared affection and kindness here. Hattie Jacques, appearing as Matron once again in the film, was paid £3000 for the part despite being billed below Joan and actually having less screen time. She too attended the party Joan so obviously enjoyed as can be seen in this charming personal note:

Darling Peter,

I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed myself last Friday. Thank you, dearest Guv, for a lovely lunch and a simply gorgeous time. And thank you too for having me in your picture.

Fondest love,

Hattie

It was quite a moment to handle notes from two of my favourite actresses and also interesting to see how, despite being a regular in Peter's films for over a decade by this point, Hattie still seems thrilled to have been asked to do it. 

Turning the pages, I came upon a type written note signed by none other than the brilliant, iconic and elusive Mr Charles Hawtrey. Written from his home at the time in Kew, he too waxed lyrical about the cast party:

Dear Peter,

Thank you for your wonderful luncheon party at the Mirabelle yesterday. The food - the wines - the company - all of which seemed so appropriate after what was generally agreed to be the happiest production. Whilst you remained, undeniably, our gracious host, you complimented us, not to say delighted, by being one of our motley lot. 

With love from,
Your expected but never let it be said rejected,

Charles


Although there were already rumblings of unhappiness from Charles over some aspects of the Carry On experience, at this stage at least, he seems content to be part of the gang. Hawtrey received £3500 for his role as Dr Stoppidge and as usual received his no less than fourth star billing in the film, as stipulated in his contract.

There were further medical concerns around another actor during the making of Again Doctor. Alexandra Dane, probably best remembered for her role as Busti in Carry On Up The Khyber, played a small cameo role as a "Stout Woman" in the 1969 medical comedy. Alexandra was paid the princely sum of £30 for the wordless role which saw her spun round on an out of control weight reducing device. There is correspondence between Dane's agent Max Kester of Foster's Agency and Peter Rogers over an accident on set. Apparently the contraption Alexandra was seen in gave way and she fell, hurting her hip. According to a note included from director Gerald Thomas, Alexandra was sent to the Pinewood nurse who then decided to send her on to Wexham Park Hospital for further treatment.

Max Kester wrote to Peter and Gerald several days later concerning his client's medical expenses and another little matter…

I am presuming that in accordance with our conversation, her name will be included on the actors credit list. It has been included before but was omitted in Carry On Screaming.

I think this demonstrates an agent earning his cut while it also shows up the frailties and little details of being a jobbing actor. Obviously gaining an on screen credit would be very important for a new young actress as it would get her name about, as it were. It was news to me that Alexandra featured in Screaming, indeed I can't ever remember seeing her on screen.

The actress Patricia Franklin, who had made her Carry On debut the previous year in Carry On Camping, was apparently cast as a Night Nurse in Carry On Again Doctor. Her contract is included in the file with it agreed with Busby Smith Management that the actress would receive £30 for the part. The contract has cancelled stamped across it and I couldn't remember seeing her in the finished film. The contract also noted that Miss Franklin was then appearing in a play at the Royal Court Theatre at Sloane Square. When I spoke with Patricia recently (you can read our interview here) she did remember being cast in the role, adding that her agent at the time was Greg Smith, soon to become the producer of the Confessions films. Patricia was not able to take on the role in the end due to her work at the Royal Court in a play by Edward Bond.

Another actress who had debuted in Camping and came back for more fun with the gang was the late Elizabeth Knight. Liz was cast as a casualty nurse in Again Doctor and is only seen very briefly during Wilfrid Brambell's cameo in the film. Apparently the role Knight was cast in was due to be bigger however most of her scenes were sadly cut. She was paid £50 a day for the role with a guaranteed sum of £200 agreed with Peter Rogers. Brambell meanwhile, then a big star thanks to Steptoe and Son, was paid a special one off fee of £100 for his wordless cameo as Mr Pullen.

Peter Butterworth, then a series regular, made the first of several small, often uncredited cameos in the Carry Ons. In Again Doctor he played a shuffling patient in a scene with Jim Dale and Peter Gilmore. Butterworth was given the "special low rate" of £125 for his one day on the film. Patsy Rowlands, who would become a series regular over the course of the next six years, made her debut in Again Doctor as Kenneth Williams' assistant, Miss Fosdick. Patsy was paid £60 a day for this role, with a guaranteed sum of £720 for the entire film. 

Aside from Patricia Franklin's casting issue, there were other problems with the casting for Again Doctor. Apparently an actress called Myrtle Reed was due to play a character called Mrs Rigby at £40 per week - the first I've ever heard of either the actress or the character. Pat Coombs, who was paid £60 over the course of a week to play the New Matron towards the end of the film wasn't originally meant to play that part at all. Pat replaced familiar semi-regular actress Ambrosine Phillpotts although there are no reasons specified for Ambrosine stepping aside from the role. Pat had been cast as Miss Armitage, the troublesome patient who gets an eyeful of Dr Nookey, eventually played by the actress Ann Lancaster. 

Valerie Shute, who had several small roles in the Carry Ons, played a nurse in Again Doctor.    There is a note on file from Gerald Thomas to an Al Shute of Warner Pathe regarding her potential casting in the film:

Thank you for your note and enclosed photograph. I must say it is the most I've ever seen of Valerie! We commence shooting again on March 17th and you can be sure that we will find a nice little 'nurse' part for Valerie.

I was also thrilled to come across a hand written note from one of my favourite character actors of the era, the great Harry Locke. Harry cropped up in countless films during the 1940s, 50s and 60s and featured in three of the medical Carry Ons - Nurse, Doctor and finally Again Doctor. On the lookout for work, Harry wrote to Peter before the casting of Again Doctor:

I was talking to Talbot Rothwell Esq on Sunday about the new script and he said he would mention me when next he saw you…I hope you may have something for me - I have so much enjoyed working with the boys…

Harry was in luck as he was soon cast in the role of the hospital porter, a role than earned him £60. It's intriguing to see actors 'write in' to Peter and Gerald to remind them that they are around and ready to work. In such a fickle business, before the internet and the existence of social media, it must have been an essential part of life as a jobbing actor. 

On a rather sad note, there is also a sad little letter from the actress Lucy Griffiths in the Again Doctor file. Lucy played small parts in quite a few Carry Ons - the trolley lady in Nurse, an excitable neighbour with Leslie Phillips in Constable and a hospital patient in Doctor - and she was once again a patient in bed in a very brief scene in Again Doctor which sees her headphones explode. Lucy wrote to Gerald Thomas about that part on 20th January 1970:

Dear Gerry,

I am delighted to find my 'bit' picked for the trailer of 'Doctor Again'. It happened once before too! So now I really feel perhaps I'm doing a minute 'bit' to help sell the picture and that I belong. I do hope that you will want me more continuously and more often (perhaps bigger bits). It's a happy experience working for you.

…I'm struggling to rebuild my acting career. Spotlight believe in me and are doing their best to help. I can act, I've got to act and that's it.

This letter from Lucy Griffiths provides an example of how tough it can be to survive in the acting profession. Obviously struggling (there are parts of the letter I decided not to share) Lucy is quite determined to continue doing the job she loved and in a not so subtle way hoping Gerry might help her out. Lucy did work for the Carry On people again however her scenes in Loving (filmed the same year she wrote that note) were deleted and her final association with the team in 1975's Carry On Behind, was an uncredited role with no dialogue. You can read more about the life and career of Lucy Griffiths here: Carry On Blogging: Whatever Happened to Lucy Griffiths?

Stay tuned for the next in my series of special blogs on Gerald's archive coming up soon!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Carry On Blogging Interview: Robert Ross on Oh, What A Carry On!

On Friday I had the great pleasure of ringing up Carry On historian extraordinaire Robert Ross for a good old natter about all things Carry On. I've interviewed Robert for the blog before and he's even written something for me on a trip he took with some very familiar Carry On faces but this is the first time I've had a proper chat with him and it really was a joy. Both big self-confessed Carry On anoraks, the conversation flowed and I could've stayed on the phone all day.

Robert has been an influence on me since the mid 1990s when, as a teenager in Scotland, I bought my first ever Carry On book, his Carry On Companion. This wonderful, definitive guide to our favourite comedy films has been pride of place on my book shelf ever since and I still have the handwritten note inside from Robert when I wrote to tell him how much I loved his book. It was therefore a real highlight to talk to Robert about his upcoming projects in this, the 60th anniversary year of the Carry On films.

I wanted to start off by asking a bit about your work as a comedy historian over the past twenty years or so and what have been the highlights so far?

I think one of the best days ever was the day I signed the contract for my first book, the Carry On Companion. It had taken years to get the project off the ground and to find a publisher willing to come on board. As a fan that project brought me into contact with so many of my heroes. I remember writing to Jim Dale in New York and was thrilled when he sent over an old C90 cassette tape he'd used to record his answers to the questions I'd asked. I've still got the tape and it's one of my most treasured possessions. I wrote to him as a fan and I'm proud to say Jim is now one of my best mates. I also got to know Frankie Howerd before he died and years before I even met Kenneth Williams.

Another favourite moment was being able to visit the set of Carry On Columbus in 1992. This was even before I'd had my first book published and I can't believe now I got to go. Peter Rogers' lovely assistant Audrey Skinner rang up and asked if I wanted to have tea with Gerald Thomas on the set one day. It was brilliant to be there, meet Gerald and watch some of the filming. I also went to the premiere of the film at the Odeon Leicester Square on 4 October 1992.  I sat upstairs with Peter, Gerald and Jim Dale and I'll never forget it. The film got a very mixed response but there was still affection from the audience every time one of the old faces appeared. And I still have affection for Columbus and I think it looks beautiful. 

You have several projects on the go at the moment and one I've already written about is your "Oh, What A Carry On" stage tour to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Carry On. Can you tell me a bit more about that?

Well I'm describing myself as a stand up comedy historian with this little tour. There are three dates coming up in Bedford, Sudbury and Deal (more info below) and it will be a celebration of the Carry Ons. It won't be scripted and will change from venue to venue. The show in Deal will of course reference Charles Hawtrey quite a bit as that's where he lived for much of his life. There are people in the town who still remember him as I found out when I visited back in 2014 to mark his centenary. 

You don't need to be a massive Carry On fan to enjoy the show, it won't be too nerdy. It will look at the progression of the comedy in the films and I'll share some rare clips and interviews with some of the stars. One of the joys for me of doing this is the total freedom it will give me. Writing books doesn't give you the chance to talk to fellow fans and to a degree you are at the mercy of your editor. So there will be something for everyone!

You are also doing a show on 16 July at the Museum of Comedy with the legendary Liz Fraser…

Yes indeed. I did a show with Liz a couple of years ago and it went down very well so she wanted to do another one. The title of the show "Confessions of a Carry On Girl" was the original title of her memoir which I was involved with a few years back. I know Liz very well and I've interviewed her many times over the years so it will be a lot of fun. Again the joy of it will be that it won't be structured and we'll have the freedom to talk about whatever we want. I will be focussing on three of the big legends Liz worked a lot with over the years - Sid James, Tony Hancock and Peter Sellers. Liz is one of the few actors still around to have worked with and gotten to know all of them. One of the joys of the Museum of Comedy is that the theatre only seats about 80 people so it's always a pretty intimate gig. Everyone who buys a ticket will also have access to the museum on the day and they have some wonderful items from the best of British comedy there.

One of the things I really love about Liz is how loyal she always is to the memories of some of her co-stars, particularly Sid and Joan Sims, both of whom were very close friends…

Yes she is. Liz and Joan were very close. Sid in particular adored Liz, or Lizzle as he called her. He had a lot of time for her. 

Speaking of Joan, I know you got to spend a lot of time with her towards the end of her life. She's my absolute heroine so I'd love to hear your memories from that time. 

Joan was a sweetheart, a really lovely lady who was quite shy and timid really. I first met her during the recording of the What's A Carry On? documentary to celebrate 40 years of Carry On back in 1998. I remember Peter Rogers had a banner made saying "Welcome Home Joan" when she arrived back at Pinewood to film her interview. We had a drink afterwards in the bar and she mentioned she was thinking of writing her autobiography. I offered to help her record her memories for the book and then I spent many happy times at her flat in Kensington talking about her life and career while we ate cherry cake, drank cola and ordered in Chinese takeaways! 

Joan was very loyal to her friends and a genuinely lovely woman. We kept in touch over the phone and I remember how angry she was when the play "Cleo, Camping, Emmannuelle and Dick" came out. She didn't like the way Sid was being portrayed as it wasn't the man she knew and she wouldn't go and see it or give interviews about it. When the documentary was completed I took a copy round with a DVD player so she could see it and she loved it. She got very emotional towards the end when Eric Rogers' wonderful music played over the role call of all the team members who had left us by that point. She loved them all.

I was in Yorkshire doing Last of the Summer Wine when I heard she had died and I was really sad about it and she's still really missed by so many people.

Before we finish I wanted to quickly ask you about another event you are involved with to celebrate the life of Tony Hancock.

Yes, this is an event being organised by the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society to celebrate Tony's life 50 years on from his death. It will take place on 25 June at his old College in Reading. I'll be on the panel with Liz Fraser and the day will include discussions, screenings and lectures. The impressionist James Hurn will also be there to perform and in my opinion James gives the best, more accurate impression of Sid James I've ever seen. 

It was an absolute joy to speak to Robert and I'm pleased to say I'll be going along to the Museum of Comedy to see his show with Liz Fraser in July. 

Robert will be presenting his special 60th anniversary show on the following dates:

Thursday 14 June, 7.30pm - Quarry Theatre, Bedford
Friday 6 July, 7.30pm - Quay Theatre, Sudbury
Saturday 7 July, 7.30pm - The Astor Theatre, Deal

You can book tickets for the shows here 

Liz Fraser: Confessions of Carry On Girl will take place on Monday 16th July at the Museum of Comedy in London. It kicks off at 7pm and runs for 75 minutes. You can buy tickets here

You can find a lot more information on Robert and his various tour dates over on his website: http://www.robertross.co.uk and of course, Robert is on Twitter

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram