Here
we go with a brand new series of blogs looking at some of the cream of
British comedy film making from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Although this
blog is all about the Carry Ons, believe it or not, there were some
other joyous comedy films made away from Peter Rogers Productions.
However, given the quality of the actors Peter employed to make his
series, it's no wonder that most of them popped up elsewhere.
So far I've looked at the wonderful 1959 crime caper Too Many Crooks , the 1954 domestic comedy starring Dirk Bogarde, For Better For Worse and the big screen spin off Please Sir!
Today we're going to cover another classic British comedy film, this time from the same year as Please Sir, 1971. The hit big screen version of Frankie Howerd's wonderful BBC comedy series, Up Pompeii! This being the era of the big screen spin off, it was only a matter of time before Up Pompeii made its way to the cinema.
Who's in it?
The film of course stars the magnificent Frankie Howerd who appears to be in his element throughout. It also stars some truly wonderful British character actors in Michael Hordern, Barbara Murray, Patrick Cargill and Bill Fraser.
Carry On Faces?
We all know Frankie Howerd guest starred in both Carry On Doctor and Up The Jungle as well as the 1969 Carry On Christmas Thames Television special. Up Pompeii also features a cameo from Carry On regular Bernard Bresslaw as Gorgo. Nero is played by Patrick Cargill who had cameo roles in both Carry On Regardless and Carry On Jack. Cargill also wrote the play Ring for Catty with Jack Beale which formed the basis for Carry On Nurse.
Also in Up Pompeii is Carry On Cruising, Twice Round the Daffodils and The Big Job actor Lance Percival; Carry On Matron actress Madeline Smith as Erotica (!) and future Carry On Behind actress Adrienne Posta as Scrubba. Also watch out for blink and you'll miss them appearances from Laraine Humphrys (Girls, Christmas 73 and Dick) and Carol Hawkins (Abroad, Behind, Carry On Laughing). Laraine played Flavia while Carol appeared as Nero's Girl.
What's it about?
Up Pompeii is a 1971 British sex comedy film directed by Bob Kellett The film was shot at Elstree Film studios, Borehamwood and is based on characters that first appeared in the British television sitcom Up Pompeii.
Lurcio becomes the inadvertent possessor of a scroll bearing all the names of the proposed assassins of Nero. The conspirators need to recover the scroll fast, but it has fallen into the hands of Lurcio's master, Ludicrus Sextus, who mistakenly reads the contents of the scroll to the Senate. Farcical attempts are made to retrieve the scroll before Pompeiii is eventually consumed by the erupting Vesuvius.
Best Bit?
It has to be Frankie's constant desire to "break the fourth wall" by addressing the audience directly throughout the film. It's a trick he developed in many of his television performances - that gossipy over the garden wall style of humour really suited Frankie and he was the master of it!
Did you know?
The film was the 10th most popular film at the British box office for 1971.
It also led to two further Up films, both featuring many of the same faces - Up The Front and Up The Chastity Belt.
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The writer Sid Colin is a name not often mentioned these days. Although achieving a script writing career which endured for four decades, Colin's work is rarely discussed or even shown these days. Many Carry On fans will never have heard of him but he's more than worthy of a blog all to himself. The Carry Ons are mainly remembered as Talbot Rothwell's stomping ground as he was by far the most prolific writer to contribute to the series, however other men - Norman Hudis, Dave Freeman and yes, Sid Colin, were also part of the story.
Sid Colin's Carry On contribution was brief and fairly unremarkable, however over the course of his career he wrote for many of our favourite Carry On actors. He also struck up a writing partnership with Rothwell which lasted decades. Born in 1920, Sid started out not as a comedy writer but as a guitarist and singer during the Second World War. He was part of a beloved British dance band called Ambrose and the Squadronaires and penned the song "If Only I had Wings" for the RAF. It became an enduring hit within the organisation. After the war he began writing for radio comedy before branching out into film and television.
Let's start off by looking at Sid's brief flirtation with the world of Carry On. In 1964, Colin teamed up with his lifelong friend Talbot Rothwell to provide additional script ideas and dialogue for the gang's James Bond / Third Man spoof, Carry On Spying. Colin receives a credit in the film's titles although rumour has it the only payment he received was out of Talbot's own fee for writing the script. Sid returned to write for the Carry Ons again, six years later. In 1970 he worked with Dave Freeman on the Thames Television special, Carry On Again Christmas, which took on a Treasure Island theme and starred the likes of Terry Scott, Sid James and Charles Hawtrey. Sadly, Sid Colin never contributed to another Carry On. Given his closeness to Rothwell, it surprises me that Peter Rogers didn't ask Sid to contribute scripts for the series after Talbot rather sadly had to withdraw in 1974.
During his long career, Sid Colin wrote for many of the top comedy talents in this country, including lots of familiar Carry On names. Sid's first work for television came way back in 1949 when he wrote for the series How Do You View? This series was revolutionary at the time, being one of the first television comedy series not to rely on radio roots for success. It starred Terry-Thomas in his instantly recognisable guise as the upper-class, mischievous cad. Regular comedic support came from husband and wife team Peter Butterworth and Janet Brown as well as the legendary Diana Dors. The series was made up of sketches, introduced by Thomas. It ran until 1953.
Next up was probably Sid Colin's most memorable creation, the television comedy series The Army Game. This black and white national service comedy series ran on ITV from 1957 until 1961 and many believe it contributed to the idea for the very first Carry On, Sergeant, released in 1958. Certainly the cast of The Army Game featured several well-known Carry On faces in William Hartnell, Charles Hawtrey, Norman Rossington and Bernard Bresslaw. Those first three actors all appeared in Carry On Sergeant in very similar roles. This series marked a return to stardom for Hawtrey, previously best-known for his work with Will Hay. It was also the big break for towering star Bernard Bresslaw, whose character Private Popplewell spanned the entire run and even led to a starring role in a spin off film, I Only Arsked, also written by Colin.
In 1957 Sid co-wrote a series for Arthur Askey called Living It Up. His fellow writer was Talbot Rothwell. Probably their most famous collaboration came over ten years later when together they scripted the BBC series for which Frankie Howerd is probably still best remembered: Up Pompeii. Talbot wrote the first series in 1969 with Sid coming on board to help with the second the following year. This proved to be a popular association for Colin as it led to him writing the screenplay for the big screen version in 1971. This lavish comedy, made at Elstree Studios, again starred Frankie with a supporting cast including Michael Hodern and Barbara Murray. Bernard Bresslaw, Adrienne Posta, Lance Percival and Madeline Smith were some of the Carry On faces providing support. Sid Colin also co-wrote the two sequels, Up The Chastity Belt (with Galton and Simpson) and Up The Front with Eddie Braben, both released in 1972. Colin wrote again for Howerd in the 1973 BBC comedy Whoops Baghdad, which was along the same lines as Up Pompeii but not as successful.
Other notable works included the film version of the popular BBC radio comedy series, The Navy Lark, which Colin co-wrote with Lawrie Wyman in 1959. The film starred the likes of Cecil Parker and Leslie Phillips. In 1964 Sid Colin produced a rather bizarre series called How To Be An Alien which I doubt has ever been seen since. However, when you consider the cast comprised Frank Muir, Denis Norden, Ronnie Barker and June Whitfield, it surely can't have been all that bad?
Another notable film credit came in 1974 when Sid wrote for producer Betty Box and director Ralph Thomas. He joined an impressive writing team of Harry H Corbett and Ian La Frenais to provide the script for Percy's Progress, the follow up to the successful 1970 comedy about the first male member transplant, Percy. I've never seen these films and view them somewhat dubiously however the cast of Progress is extremely impressive: Elke Sommer, Judy Geeson, Denholm Elliott, Vincent Price, Madeline Smith, Carol Hawkins, Bernard Lee, Barry Humphries, Judy Matheson and James Booth all signed up.
Later credits on the small screen for Sid Colin included episodes of Crown Court and Love Thy Neighbour while his final writing project was contributing uncredited ideas to the Cannon and Ball film The Boys In Blue (which co-starred Jack Douglas and Suzanne Danielle) in 1984. Sadly Sid Colin passed away at the relatively young age of 69 in December 1989.
I know very little about the man himself or what else his life comprised, so if anyone out there knows more, please do get in touch. I think it's a shame that such a prolific writer, who worked with so many comedy actors we still hold so dear, is shamefully neglected these days.
This
year marks Frankie Howerd's centenary. I am a massive Frankie fan and
have been since I was a small child. I'd love him even if he hadn't
guest starred in two Carry On films but the fact that he did (not to
mention an excellent turn in a Christmas Special) just makes me adore
him all the more.
March
2017 will see several tribute blogs from me to mark the occasion and I
really think we need to make a bit of a fuss. Frankie was quite simply
one of the best post-war comedians Britain produced. His life on screen
and off was fascinating and his many career highs and lows make for
great books and documentaries. What I love about Frankie was that he
always bounced back, no matter what. He continued to do what he always
did, all that changed was that society, whether it be film makers,
television producers or the great British public themselves, suddenly
remembered just what a talent he was and how much he could make us
laugh.
This
poll is for no reason other than I wanted to draw attention both to
Frankie's centenary and the fact that he made several great films during
his career (you'll notice I've not included The Cool Mikado...) Vote
for as many films as you like and vote as often as you like. Of course
I've included his two Carry On outings - Doctor and Up The Jungle but
I've also drawn attention to some of his lesser known 1950s films and of
course his trio of Up The...movies from the early 1970s.
Frankie
was mainly known for his television shows and stand up appearances but
he was also an accomplished screen actor at being, well himself. No
shame in that either. He was an original, a one off and we must always
remember how talented and unique he was.
So on with the results! Which film came out on top?! Well, without further ado, the winner, with 26% of the vote is Up Pompeii, that classic camp comedy from 1971. Coming a close second with 21% is the 1967 medical Carry On, Frankie's first role in the series, Carry On Doctor. And in third place with 19% of the vote was that hidden comedy horror gem, The House in Nightmare Park.
4th place went to Carry On Up The Jungle with 15%. With 9% of the vote was The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery in 5th place and coming 6th was The Ladykillers with 5%. The Runaway Bus got 4% and finally with 1% is Up The Chastity Belt. Sadly neither Up The Front nor Further Up The Creek received any votes at all!
So do you agree with the result? Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote!
You
can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and
also Facebook
Back in January I had the great pleasure of interviewing legendary theatrical agent Tessa Le Bars. Tessa has been representing some of the best and most loved comedians and writers this country has produced since the 1960s. Tessa started her working life at Associated London Scripts and she was soon mixing with the likes of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, Eric Sykes, Johnny Speight and one Mr Francis Howerd. With the centenary of Frankie Howerd's birth coming up, it seemed the perfect time to have a chat with Tessa about working closely with Frankie over the years and her memories of the great man.
First of all, I'd be really interested to find out how you became an agent?
I finished Grammar School and went on to take a secretarial course without really knowing what I wanted to do next. I went for an interview at Associated London Scripts and out of the blue they offered me the chance to be a "Girl Friday". I took the job without really knowing what to expect. When I first started I had general office duties and soon I was going to Frankie Howerd's house every week to help answer his fan mail. ALS was taken over in 1968 and became The Stigwood Organisation and I went with them into the new company. I continued with similar work but then moved into Accounts. In 1976, Beryl Vertue, who had first taken me on and was agent to Frankie and Galton and Simpson, decided to move on and became a hugely successful television producer. I took over and then set up my own agency in 1983, which I've been running ever since.
Can you tell me when you first came to work with Frankie Howerd and what projects he was working on at the time?
I met Frankie soon after I started at Associated London Scripts and we got on well from the beginning. I can remember him working on a show in the theatre at around this time called "Way Out in Piccadilly" and I think Cilla Black was involved in the show too. I used to go to the dressing room to help with his mail and Cilla would often be there. They were great friends and stayed in close contact until Frank died.
How would you sum up your experience at Associated London Scripts?
I was very young and I didn't really know what to expect or what would be ahead of me, I'd just left school and really just took things as they came along. I knew of most of the people who worked in the offices there but it was quite something to find myself working with them, even as a junior. I had been aware of Frankie Howerd for some time and remember going with my local youth club to see him in the stage musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" in the 1960s. To suddenly find myself working with Frank was quite something but I just got on with it really.
What was Beryl Vertue like to work with?
It was Beryl who hired me in the first place. She had known Alan Simpson since school and they ended up working together many years later once he had started writing with Ray. Beryl first got to know Frankie when he was managed by Stanley Dale, or Scruffy Dale as he was known. Eventually Frank came over to work with Beryl. Beryl knew the business inside out and eventually went on to form her own production company, Hartswood Films which is still in business today. She is one of the biggest, most successful female television producers and still working today (Vertue is the Executive Producer of Sherlock). Beryl and I are still in touch and are really close friends.
I know Eric Sykes was a major player at ALS. I loved him in Sykes with Hattie Jacques. What was he like to work with?
Eric was very friendly, just like the rest of them really. I used to see them all in the offices most days and we'd all go out to lunch and Eric would be a part of that. There were the usual office parties and get togethers but there was a falling out which led to the agency splitting in 1968 as I mentioned before. When I moved as part of the Stigwood Agency, Eric decided not to join.
We all know Frankie's comedy persona but what was he like to be with?
Frank really had the same sort of personality off as he did on. He was always a funny man and good fun to be with. Like all of us, he did have a serious side and loved getting into heated discussions with people about life and what was going on in the world. I got to know him very well over the 28 years we worked together and after a while I was invited to family parties and gatherings and would regularly visit Frank at his home in Somerset and also take holidays with him at his place in Malta. Frank had his ups and downs and worried about his career but he kept coming back and he was great to be around.
Who was Frankie closest too amongst his contemporaries?
He didn't realise socialise with fellow comedians that much, other than those he worked with through ALS and Stigwood. People like Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes and Galton and Simpson.
i run a blog about the Carry On films. How important a part do you think those films played in Frankie's career?
Beryl was his agent when he did those films but I know they had a huge impact and are still very popular today. Frank only made two I think but everyone tends to think he was in all of them! The brand is so powerful really. I know he was paid more than the regular actors to make the two films he did. The only thing I was aware of really was that he, like many other of the actors in the Carry Ons, was annoyed about the lack of residuals given how often the films were shown afterwards.
I read that Frankie was quite surprised by his popularity amongst university students in the late 1980s. Why do you think they embraced his comedy?
Frank became a sort of a cult figure among all the students. I remember us producing special Frankie t-shirts and a range of merchandise and he was really very popular. He was getting a bit older by that stage and was genuinely delighted that they found him funny and they respected what he did. There was a lot of alternative comedy around at that time but there was Frank doing just what he'd always done. I was with him when he went to play the Oxford University Student Union, which was a very prestigious place to go. I remember vividly how nervous and fraught he was before he went on and although it was a huge success, he was glad when it was over!
What do you think Frankie would make of his continued popularity today?
I think he would be delighted that he had achieved such longevity and that people still enjoyed his work. Frank worked for a long time but he always respected his fans and was very kind to them, he was adored by the public and Frank was thrilled by the reception he got.
What role do you play in preserving his legacy in 2017?
I represent his recorded work, in television and on radio. If a television company want to use one of his shows or whatever they come to me and ask for permission to use it. I'm not involved in any personal way or as a manager as all of his family are now gone.
Will there be celebrations planned to mark Frankie's centenary this year?
No is the short answer! There won't be any physical celebration as far as I'm aware as so many of the people connected to Frankie are now no longer with us. Very few people are actually asking about the centenary which is a shame. I've prompted the BBC several times about doing something to mark it but they haven't showed real interest although I'm going to have another go. I was talking to Spike's agent the other day and it's his centenary this year too, so I might use that angle.
Finally, what's your favourite of all Frankie's performances?
I like the comedy horror film he made in the 1970s, The House in Nightmare Park. I also have a great deal of affection for Up Pompeii and a lot of his stand up work still really makes me laugh.
I'd like to thank Tessa for giving up her time to chat on the phone with me. It was a fascinating conversation and it's a thrill to feature her on the blog. I hope you have enjoyed reading this interview as much as I enjoyed doing it.
Earlier today I had a fantastic conversation on the phone with the delightful Madeline Smith. Many of you will know Madeline from her successful acting career which has included appearances in Hammer Horror, James Bond and of course Carry On. So Carry On Reading to find out more about Madeline's life and career...
First of all, I'd love to hear more about how you became an actress in the first place...
It was never the plan. There were no connections to the acting profession in my family and it had never really occurred to me that it might be possible. I had always written little plays for friends to perform but that was all. When I was around 15 years old I discovered a youth theatre in Ealing called the Questor. At the time I was at a convent school - the same one Dusty Springfield had been at - and the nun who was responsible for us forbade me from attending the theatre group so that was that. She was very cruel and put me off pursuing acting for quite some time.
Interestingly, later this year I am going to a special screening of one of the films I made in the 1970s - Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell. They are showing it at the Questor Theatre which is now run by the son of the man who was in charge when I wanted to join.
One of your early jobs was working for the legendary fashion store Biba, is that right?
Yes I took a temporary job there in 1967, first of all as an assistant in one of Barbara Hulanicki's shops. Barbara spotted me and I appeared as a model in her very first catalogue. That was how I got into modelling. London in the Sixties was a marvellous place to be - if you wanted to go out and do something you just did. I was cheeky and just asked to do things, more modelling and catalogue work followed and I loved it all.
Tell me more about your first professional acting role?
In the 1960s in London you could get spotted in the street and offered modelling work or small parts in films. The very first film I appeared in was called Escalation and it starred among others the actress Claudia Auger. It was fun to do, just a few days, but most of the films I made back then were very slight, fun but nothing to them. Eventually my agent at the time asked if I was serious about acting or wanted to continue as a model. I decided that although I loved modelling, I wanted to concentrate on acting and hopefully get meatier parts.
I must ask about the filming of Carry On Matron. What was that like and what were Barbara Windsor and Hattie Jacques like to work with?
When I got the part in Matron I was about to give up acting. I had a place to train to become a nurse at St Bartholomew's Hospital. However my father was very proud of the bits of acting work I had been getting and when he found out about Carry On Matron, he insisted I did it. It was a joy to make the Carry On, I was only there for half a day and gone before lunchtime which was a shame. The atmosphere on set was delightful and that was mainly down to the genius of director Gerald Thomas. He was such a nice man, genial with a sunny personality and loved making films and everyone he was with. Hattie and Barbara were really kind and easy to work with and the lovely Joan Sims was there too doing reaction shots to what the three of us were filming. Jacki Piper was also on set although I didn't do anything with her there. She is an adorable person, really lovely and a great friend. Even though I didn't train to be a nurse I did eventually go to University to study English when I was about 30 - I really loved that experience.
Would you like to have appeared in more of the Carry Ons?
Peter Rogers wanted me to come back for more of the films and I would have loved to, Matron was such a good experience. However by the time the next Carry On was going into production I was contracted to do a theatre tour with Patrick Macnee as the star. The tour was awful, the play was bad and the reviews meant nobody came to see us. Dinah Sheridan was also in the play and we were both so miserable. I really regret doing that tour now as it stopped me taking on other lovely jobs like more Carry Ons. Once the tour was finished offers like that had stopped coming in, at least for a while.
Of course they are talking about making another Carry On at the moment...
Yes every so often they come up with the idea to make another but I knew some of the people in the last of the original Carry Ons - Emmannuelle and Columbus - and they weren't fun to make or to watch because the innocence had gone. I have watched some of the comedy series they have remade recently on the BBC and I wish they had left things alone. They all had very talented actors in them but I wish they could do new things with the talent that is around today.
I watched the re-make of Porridge and although it had the same writers it just didn't work for me...
No it didn't, it needed the genius of Ronnie Barker - he was such a lovely man to work with and so was dear Richard Beckinsale. He was lovely and shy and very talented. I worked with him on something before he got Porridge and he was just superb. I could tell then that there was something not right as he didn't seem that well for a young man. It was such a shame when he died.
What are your memories of making the film of Up Pompeii?
It was another delightful experience. Bob Kellett was the director of that film and he was such a lovely man to work for. Bill Fraser was one of the stars of the film and he was an absolute joy - I had been a fan of Bill's for a long time and used to watch him in Bootsie and Snudge on television. Bill brought us champagne for the first day of filming and it certainly all went very well after that!
You worked with Frankie Howerd a great deal I believe. What was he like to work with?
I got on very well with Frankie and worked with him often, quite a bit of it on television. I was part of the furniture, didn't offer opinions or try to steal scenes because he was the star. He was such a talented man and there were never any problems. He was very kind to the women on set and those who worked with him. I don't know why they no longer show his work on television today - he did so many things for both the BBC and ITV and it's such a shame he's not shown, apart from the odd documentary.
You also appeared in the film Theatre of Blood in 1973. What are your memories of that production?
I remember that the part I was originally offered was much bigger than what I played but I really just wanted to be in the film to be with that cast! There were so many revered actors in that film that it was just great to be there with him all around me. It turned out to be a good film and I think it's now a bit of a classic. It was made on a tiny budget, all out on location in the freezing cold with no studio work. It was quite uncomfortable but just great to be with all those wonderful people.
I also must ask about the Bond film Live and Let Die - what was that like to film and what was Roger Moore like to work with?
Roger was absolutely adorable. I had previously worked with him on an episode of The Persuaders. He had slimmed down a bit since then, had shorter hair for the part of Bond was just as professional and lovely to be with. I may be wrong but I think Roger actually suggested me for the part in Live and Let Die. I was only there for three days I think but it was great. They had created Bond's very 1970s flat in a corner of one of the big studios at Pinewood and it felt like a real flat - the attention to detail was superb. It was great to work with the lovely Bernard Lee (M) and Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny) too - she was such a nice lady and there was no fuss with any of them. I knew Michael Caine for a while around that time and the set of the flat always reminded me of his flat at the time.
Did you enjoy working at Pinewood Studios?
Oh yes! I worked at the beautiful Pinewood many times - it was a very comfortable place to work and you were always very well looked after there. The dining room at Pinewood is beautiful too. Very happy times.
I set up my blog as a tribute to Joan Sims, my favourite actress of the day. Why do you think actors like Joan are still so popular?
Because they were just brilliant at what they did. Joan was a superb actress, extremely talented and wonderful comic timing. I agree she could have been a great straight actress too but I understand she was quite insecure about her life and her career which is a great shame.I worked with Joan and Richard Briers in an episode of Ooh La La! a French farce on television in 1973. She was brilliant in that and kept myself and Richard laughing during rehearsals but even then you could see she lacked confidence in herself.
Even though she didn't do much straight acting, I think she was still an actor rather than a comedienne?
Yes you are completely correct - they were most definitely all actors who could do comedy first and foremost.
If you could choose between film, television and the stage, which medium would you prefer to work in?
This might surprise you but I prefer television. It's quick to do, you don't have to get up at the crack of dawn so you're not tired all the time and I like being in a studio, particularly with a live audience. I did a lot of satire and children's television later my career and I think those were my favourites.
What do you think are the main differences with the acting profession now compared to when you were in the business in the 1970s?
I think actors are expected to go a lot further with certain things now - particularly in terms of love scenes and nudity - it always seems to push things further than they need to go and if it was my time now I don't think I'd be completely comfortable with it. Having said that, there is a lot of great stuff being produced these days and I'd certainly say the quality of the drama we see on television now is definitely much better.
I had an absolute ball chatting with Madeline, she couldn't have been nicer to interview. It was fun, lively and thoroughly enjoyable. A bit thank you to Madeline for giving up her Sunday afternoon to talk to me. I hope you've all enjoyed the interview!
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