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

Carry On Blogging Interview: Julian Holloway (Part 1)

I was absolutely delighted to receive an email over the weekend from the actor Julian Holloway. I have long been a fan of Julian's work, both in the Carry Ons and elsewhere and often thought he would be a great person to interview. And all of a sudden here we are. I was surprised to hear that Julian not only was aware of my blog but had read several pieces I had written about his career. The power of the internet strikes again!

I tentatively asked if Julian would be up for a chat for the blog and thankfully he agreed. We spent a thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining hour on the phone on Monday afternoon and the whole experience was a delight. Our conversation was fairly wide ranging so I have decided to split the interview write up into two different parts. While obviously I wanted to ask about the Carry On films, I was well aware that Julian has enjoyed and continues to enjoy a wonderfully diverse career. Looking up his career history on the internet I was spoiled for choice over what to ask about, but I hope you find the following interview a good read.

Julian first joined the Carry On team in 1967 with a small part as a ticket collector in Follow That Camel. A further seven film roles followed: Simmons in Carry On Doctor; Major Shorthouse in Up The Khyber; Jim Tanner in Camping; Adrian in Loving; Sir Thomas in Carry On Henry; Roger in At Your Convenience and finally Major Butcher in Carry On England in 1976. He also appeared playing several different roles in the 1973 Carry On Christmas television special.

Julian with his parents Stanley and Violet 

To begin, I asked Julian why he decided to become an actor in the first place and how he got started in the profession.

Acting was in the family. My father was the actor Stanley Holloway and my mother the actress Violet Lane. Violet had sort of been cut off in her prime, as it were so I was pushed towards it as a career whether I liked it or not! As a young person you sometimes accept these things in a way you wouldn't as you get older. I trained at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) and as with many other actors who come from famous acting families there are many positive and negative aspects. It can be a difficult business to establish yourself in and sometimes I wanted to be left alone to establish my own self and what I wanted to do. I found that having a well-known name opened some doors very easily but it closed others. 

Can you remember how you first came to be involved with the Carry On films?

Yes! Very clearly. When I was a child we lived out in Buckinghamshire and the likes of Betty Box and Peter Rogers, Gerald and Ralph Thomas all lived nearby in Beaconsfield. They all knew my parents so they knew me as a boy. I also would go quite regularly to see my father if he was making a film at Pinewood Studios so I was around these people from quite an early age. 

In the mid 1960s I landed a recurring role in a comedy series on television called Pardon The Expression, which starred Arthur Lowe (playing his character Leonard Swindley from Coronation Street) and Betty Driver. It was a well-received part in a popular series and through that I got a call from my agent to ask if I wanted a day's work in Follow That Camel…

…punching Angela Douglas's ticket…

Yes! They had obviously seen the series and they knew of me anyway. I never had to audition for a part in a Carry On. After Camel, I was asked to be in the next one which I think was Doctor and it went from there.

When Dick van Dyke met Sir Sidney & Lady Joan Ruff-Diamond! 

I wanted to ask you a couple of questions about Carry On Up The Khyber. There is a great photo somewhere of you on the set with Sid James and Dick Van Dyke. How did that come about?

Well Dick was making Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on another stage at Pinewood at the same time we were making Khyber. It wasn't a planned visit at all, I think he'd enjoyed a scoop or three at lunchtime and had gone walk about! I'm not sure he knew where he was or what we were doing! You have to remember that in those days at Pinewood there would be several films in production all at once, many of them very expensive international films. We, the Carry On lot were always the poor relation! The grounds at Pinewood were so extensive you could have three different productions being shot in them all at once.

…these days that shot of you with Dick Van Dyke would be a staged photo call so it's interesting to hear he just turned up!

Yes you're right it would be but no, he just appeared out of nowhere! 

The climatic dinner party scene from Up The Khyber: Joan Sims get a little bit plastered with Julian & Roy Castle

The famous dinner party sequence in Up The Khyber is probably my favourite scene in any Carry On and also one of the best loved generally. 

Well it took several days to do, it was about three days I think. They actually took some time over it which shows in the end result I think and is probably why it's one of the better scenes in a Carry On. I remember on the first day the food that was provided for us was pretty awful but by the third or fourth day it was inedible! Full of bits of styrofoam or whatever they used! How none of us became seriously ill I'll never know!!

My favourite actor in that scene who I wanted to ask you about was…

…Peter Butterworth?

How did you know?!

He was brilliant! A very unsung actor. He was very difficult to act with because he would deliberately do things to wind you up and make you corpse! He was merciless and once he'd seen he was making you laugh he wouldn't let up! I remember one scene we were doing on Camping and he kept making me break up laughing. The crew were laying bets behind the scenes that we'd never get it shot! 

But he was a lovely, clever man. Very sweet. 

Julian in the film version of Porridge in 1979

I wanted to ask you about another couple of films you made, after the Carry Ons. My all-time favourite comedy series is Porridge and you were in the film version in 1979. What was that like?

Well Porridge was the best written comedy series I think. The writers (Clement and La Frenais) were at the top of their game and Ronnie Barker as the star was captain of the ship. For a start Ronnie was a comedy actor, not a comedian and that's a big difference. He was such a generous performer all for sharing out the good stuff. He also genuinely loved to laugh which made him lovely to be with and around. 

And you worked with Richard Beckinsale on that film too?

Yes I did and he was a sweetheart. It was very tragic though as he died not long after we made the film. So sad, he was only 30, 31 years old. Richard and Ronnie had a terrific working relationship though and it was clear to see Ronnie was like a adopted father figure to Richard. Ronnie was clearly devastated when Richard died. 

I was recently at an event where Liz Fraser was being interviewed about her career. She recalled being in the Sex Pistols film, The Great Rock and Roll Swindle with you! Do you remember that?!

Ha! I don't think I made the final cut in that one! It's not a film I've heard of since and I've never seen it. Funnily enough it's not one I put on my selected list of credits! 

I think you were in a cinema with Liz and Irene Handl?!

Yes that's right! I remember there was a guy there in it who's now known as Edward Tudor-Pole but at the time he was going by the name Tenpole Tudor…

Julian with Charles Hawtrey, Terry Scott, Roy Castle & Sid James in Up The Khyber

Moving on…You have appeared in so many classic series on British television from the 1970s and 1980s (e.g. The Sweeney, Minder, The Professionals) that I didn't know what to ask about so a general question: what was it like to be working in television here during that golden era?

Well I think the quality of drama production back then was very high. That period certainly to me is better than our current output. British television was the envy of the world and we exported a huge amount overseas, for instance an awful lot of our shows went out on the American channel PBS. I wonder how much is today? For me reality television has been the death knell. When you look at situation comedy now, there's a reason why the BBC are still showing episodes of Dad's Army so regularly and why it's still so popular. 

I wasn't going to ask you about any particular actor, but I know you worked with the late Gordon Jackson in The Professionals. He was one of my favourites. What was he like?

Gordon was a lovely man and such a solid actor. But he was a worried man, always worried that he'd forget his lines or dry. I worked with him at least two or three times and he never ever dried, always totally professional. Gordon actually wrote out all his lines in long hand and used different coloured pens, so concerned was he that he'd not know them! I think he used to go through the long hand notes every night at home with his wife Rona before the next day of filming! Extraordinary. I also think he was a good influence on Kenneth Williams, I know they were very close for a long time and Kenny was also very fond of the Jackson family. 

Julian gets to know Babs and Fanny (Barbara Windsor & Sandra Caron) in Carry On Camping

So that's Part 1 of my interview with Julian. Don't worry, there's more on the Carry Ons in Part 2, including Julian's thoughts on working with Sid James and for Peter Rogers. And there's more on some of Julian's other television work and his thoughts on his years spent working in America. So look out for that coming up soon!


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Happy Birthday Julian Holloway!

 

Many happy returns to that wonderful British actor Julian Holloway who celebrates his birthday today. Julian, who has lived in California for the last twenty years, appeared in eight classic Carry On films during a long career in television, film and on stage.

Julian made his first appearance in the Carry Ons as a cheeky ticket inspector opposite Angela Douglas in Follow That Camel in 1967. He went on to appear in Carry On Doctor later that year, following that up with larger roles as Major Shorthouse in Up The Khyber (taking part in the legendary dinner party sequence) and as Jim Tanner in Camping - witnessing Barbara Windsor's infamous bikini popping moment. Later roles in the series included Adrian in Carry On Loving, Sir Thomas in Carry On Henry and an uncredited cameo as Roger in At Your Convenience. Following a gap of five years, during which he guest starred in the 1973 Carry On Christmas television special, Julian returned to Pinewood to play Major Butcher in 1976's Carry On England. 

 

There was a definite feel that the producers were lining Julian up to take over where Jim Dale left off. He obviously stepped in to cover some of Jim's material while he was absent from the series in 1968 but I don't know what happened after that as big roles in the films didn't really materialise for Julian. I think that's a shame as he had a wonderful cheeky chappie persona which suited the Carry Ons perfectly. 

Away from the Carry Ons, Julian has enjoyed a long and successful career. On film he appeared in the Beatles' movie A Hard Day's Night, Ryan's Daughter, Scream and Scream Again, Young Winston and the big screen version of Porridge. On television, Julian has appeared in everything from The World of Wooster and Crown Court to The Sweeney, The Professionals and Minder. One of my favourite of all his performances was as the drunken Jack Favell in the BBC's 1979 adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's classic novel Rebecca, which starred Anna Massey, Joanna David and Jeremy Brett. These days Julian works in America and is a prolific vocal artist both in films and commercials. 

Julian is the son of the late, great Stanley Holloway who starred in many classic British films including The Lavender Hill Mob, Passport to Pimlico and The Titfield Thunderbolt and Julian's daughter is the model turned television cook Sophie Dahl. 

We most recently saw Julian take part in the ITV Carry On Forever documentary where he shared memories of his time working on such treasured classics as Carry On Up The Khyber and Carry On Camping. It's a shame we don't see more of him on our screens these days. 

 

Whatever Julian is up to today, I hope he has a fantastic birthday!

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

Whatever Happened To ... Julian Holloway?

I have been running a series of blogs which take a look at some of the lesser known actors involved with the Carry On films over the years. Their faces are often instantly recognisable but we seldom know a great deal about them or their careers. While they were never part of the main Carry On team, their contributions to the series should never be underestimated.

So far I have written about Gail Grainger, Esma Cannon, Carol Hawkins, Marianne Stone, June Jago, Judith Furse, Peter Gilmore and Michael Nightingale. Today I'm going to look back at the career of that marvellous cheeky chappie, Julian Holloway.

Julian Holloway is a familiar face to many Carry On fans. It was great to see him take part in the recent Carry On Forever documentary but as far as I can remember that is the first time he's really been interviewed about his time working on the Carry Ons. While he very nearly made it to full Carry On star status, most of his appearances are in supporting roles. I think it was a missed opportunity not to elevate Julian to a main team member following Jim Dale's departure. He was great in each of his eight Carry On roles.

Julian first appeared in Follow That Camel in 1967, playing a cheeky ticket collector who offered to punch Angela Douglas' ticket! Later that year he was back for a brief bit of fun and games with Frankie Howerd and Valerie Van Ost in Carry On Doctor. This was followed up with a further two appearances in 1968, both much more substantial. First of all he played Major Shorthouse in Up The Khyber, sharing many enjoyable scenes with Sid James. He returned in the Autumn of '68 for another bigger role as coach driver Jim Tanner. This was obviously a role meant for Jim Dale. Sadly, although he shared some effective scenes with Kenneth Williams and Barbara Windsor, the role was greatly reduced and a planned on-screen romance with Trisha Noble's character was unexpectedly scrapped.

Julian next appeared in Carry On Loving in 1970. He played Adrian, a lusty and slightly pervy fashion photographer who popped up throughout the film working mainly with the likes of Janet Mahoney, Jacki Piper and Imogen Hassall. Later in 1970 he was back for a supporting role as Sir Thomas in Carry On Henry. In 1971 he appeared in an uncredited cameo as Roger in At Your Convenience, sharing a memorable scene at The Whippit Inn with Richard O'Callaghan and Jacki Piper. Julian then had quite a long gap before rejoining the gang in 1976, with a cameo role as the medical officer in Carry On England. And sadly that was his last part in the Carry Ons.

So what else did Julian get up to in his career? During a career dating back to the early 1960s, Julian has appeared in a wide range of films such as A Hard Day's Night (1964), Scream and Scream Again and Ryan's Daughter (both 1970), Young Winston (1972) and Porridge (1979). On the small screen Julian cropped up in a lot of very popular telly during the 60s and 70s, including Elizabeth R (1971), Rebecca (1979), The Professionals (1978), The Sweeney (1976), Minder (1982) and Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads. Thankfully Julian is still acting today, most recently appearing in American television series such as Regular Show and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Julian has been based over in California for many years, forging a successful career as a voiceover artist. 

Julian Holloway was born in Oxfordshire in June 1944. His father was the famous actor Stanley Holloway, his mother Violet Lane. In the 1970s he had a relationship with Tessa Dahl, daughter of the author Roald Dahl. This relationship produced a daughter, the author and former model, Sophie Dahl. Julian married the late actress Zena Walker during the 1980s but the marriage ended in divorce. He married again, to the actress Debbie Wheeler in the 1990s.

It was great to see Julian again in Carry On Forever. He shared some affectionate memories of his time at Pinewood with the Carry On gang and he still had that cheeky twinkle in his eye. It's a shame he didn't graduate to bigger roles in the series as he was definitely a good fit. If you know any more about the life and career of Julian Holloway, do get in touch!

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