An Update on Whatever Happened to Valerie Shute

With thanks to Joe D'Souza-Eva for leaving a comment on the blog, I've managed to find out a little more information on the whereabouts of the Carry On supporting actress Valerie Shute. 

In September last year I wrote a blog about Valerie's life and career which you can read that here and it seems she's been quite busy recently with a new theatre production. Valerie, now under the name of Hall (her husband was the writer Willis Hall), is living in London although her project at Christmas last year was at Birmingham City University's Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Valerie wrote a brand new full-length festive musical called The Last Christmas Tree.

And it was a bit of a family affair it seems. The musical features pieces written by her step-grandson Joel Hall, who has studied at the Conservatoire. The article also provides some interesting information on some of Valerie's future projects, including adapting one of her late husband's radio plays into a stage play with songs. This project will see her collaborate with Joel once again.

Back in the day, Valerie appeared in five Carry Ons. Her debut was in Carry On Camping in 1968, playing one of Barbara Windsor's fellow Chayste Place girls. Further appearances including Again Doctor the year later, the role of the girl lover in Carry On Loving, a small part in Henry and finally, the cameo of Miss Smethurst opposite Terry Scott in Carry On Matron. 

It's great to hear more about some of the more elusive Carry On faces who are still out there leading interesting, creative lives. I wish both Valerie and Joel all the best with their future endeavours. You can read the full article here and it even features a lovely photo of Valerie as she is today.


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Whatever Happened to Valerie Shute?

 

I've been running an occasional series of blogs looking at the lives and careers of some of the lesser known names connected with the Carry On films. The Carry Ons featured a cast of many wonderful character actors who added a touch of class to our favourite series of British comedy films. Recently I've looked at actors who played fairly small roles in some of the early Carry Ons - Freddie Mills, Denis Shaw and Anna Karen.

Today I am looking back at the career of an actress who only ever had small roles in the films but still managed to appear in several titles for Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas. Valerie Shute is not a widely known name these days but she is still remembered by Carry On fans, probably for one role more than any other and she didn't even have any lines! Quite a feat! 

 

Valerie appeared in five Carry Ons between the late 1960s and early 1970s. Her first appearance came in the classic Carry On Camping in 1968. She played Pat, one of the Chayste Place girls who accompany Headmaster Dr Soaper (Kenneth Williams) and Matron (Hattie Jacques) to the Paradise Camp site where they attract the attentions of several male campers, especially Sid James and Bernard Bresslaw, before escaping with a bunch of hippies at the end of the film. Valerie can be seen throughout although her part, as with many of the actresses playing the school girls, is fairly negligible. She obviously proved herself to Peter Rogers though as she was back at Pinewood and working for the legendary producer once again the following year. Valerie was cast as one of the nurses in the third medical film in the franchise, Carry On Again Doctor. Valerie is seen in the speeded up sequence that sees Long Hampton hospital fly into chaos thanks to the bumbling antics of Dr Nookey (Jim Dale).

In 1970 Valerie grabbed her most memorable Carry On role with the part of the Girl Lover in the saucy dating agency comedy Carry On Loving. This memorable part lacked any lines to speak of (pardon the pun) but Valerie popped up all over the place throughout the film, always locked in a passionate embrace with her on-screen boyfriend played by future Citizen Smith and Last of the Summer Wine favourite, Mike Grady. Apparently Mike still regards this brief role as one of his favourites because he got to spend all day snogging Valerie Shute! Over the course of the film the pair crop up on the top deck of a London bus, in a lift with Sid James, in a phone box, in the back of a Mini and finally, under the table at the climatic wedding banquet which ends with Valerie taking one of Pinewood Canteen's very best cream cakes square in the face!

 

In October of the same year, Valerie filmed a role as a Maid in the very grand, rather splendid 21st film in the series, Carry On Henry, however sadly the role was cut from the final print. Valerie took on her last Carry On role almost a year later when she played patient Miss Smethurst in Carry On Matron. Probably her most prominent Carry On role, Valerie featured in a short scene at Finisham Maternity Hospital with the memorably named Dr Prodd (Terry Scott). And that, as they say, was it in terms of Carry On for Valerie Shute. So what else did Valerie get up to in her acting career?

Carry On Camping was actually Valerie's screen debut. Further small roles followed away from the series including parts on television in the Please Sir! spin-off, The Fenn Street Gang in 1971, Secret Army in 1977, The Danedyke Mystery in 1979 and the following year, a recurring role in the Yorkshire Television soap opera, Emmerdale Farm. In 1981 Valerie was part of the cast of How We Used to Live, an education drama tracing the lives of a fictional Victorian family in rural Yorkshire. Valerie made her last screen appearance to date two years later in 1983 when she was in the cast for the Alan Plater television play, Pride of Our Alley. After that, it looks as if Valerie retired from the acting profession. 

 

Valerie Shute was born in London in 1945. In November 1973 she married writer Willis Hall and they remained together until his death in 2005. Willis formed a well regarded writing partnership with his childhood friend Keith Waterhouse. Some of Hall's most famous works include the bitter-sweet comedy film Billy Liar, A Kind of Loving and Whistle Down The Wind. On television he created the series Budgie for Adam Faith and the comedy series Queenie's Castle for Diana Dors. In all he wrote over 40 radio and television plays and twelve children's books including the Vampire series of titles.

If anyone has any more information on Valerie's life and career, please do get in touch!

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

The Chayste Place Girls!

As I frequently write about some of the lesser known stars of Carry On, I thought I would attempt a mammoth post looking at the actresses who played the infamous girls from Chayste Place Finishing School in Carry On Camping! Led by Barbara Windsor as Babs, the girls accompanied Kenneth Williams' Dr Soaper and Hattie Jacques' Miss Haggard on a summer holiday to Paradise Camp Site.

While some of the actresses are already known to us, there are several who I know by face only. Only a handful of them actually had dialogue in the film - Sandra Caron, Elizabeth Knight and Trisha Noble however the rest of them did appear throughout the film so deserve a blog of their own. I won't write about Barbara as we know her well already, this blog will focus on the lesser known girls.

Sandra Caron, who played Babs' friend Fanny.

Sandra, the sister of legendary singer Alma Cogan, had the biggest supporting role of all the girls, playing Barbara Windsor's partner in crime Fanny. These days Sandra is best remembered for playing Richard O'Brien's Mumsie in the cult Channel 4 game show The Crystal Maze between 1990 and 1993. Sandra also featured in films such as The Leather Boys and Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World and her television parts included The Odd Couple, Charlie's Angels, Dixon of Dock Green and her most recent role in the Maureen Lipman comedy Agony Again in 1995. Sandra returned to Carry On to take part in the 2002 audio commentary for Camping alongside co-star Dilys Laye.

Elizabeth Knight, who played Jane.

Liz Knight made an eye catching appearance in Camping, playing the young girl who woos Peter Potter (Terry Scott) and subsequently puts life back in the Potters' marriage. Knight must have made an impact as she was back for a small role as Nurse Willing in the following film, Again Doctor, early in 1969. In Again Doctor she worked with Steptoe's Wilfrid Brambell. Away from the Carry Ons, Elizabeth appeared in television shows such as No Hiding Place, The Liars, Sorry I'm Single and It's Awfully Bad for your Eyes Darling. On film, she played Charlotte in the 1968 film Oliver. She also appeared in Villain and Doing Time. Liz Knight's last credited role was playing a party guest in a 1980 television adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. I'm not sure what happened to her after that, sadly.

Trisha Noble, who played Sally.

Trisha Noble's role in Camping was meant to be much more to the fore than the final cut. Her character was due to have a romance with Julian Holloway's Jim Tanner. I'm not quite sure what happened to that plot line but very little remains. Sandra Caron mentioned in the audio commentary that Noble's expectations of the treatment she would receive on the film were perhaps adrift from what most artistes received on a Carry On! Born in Australia, Trisha Noble was primarily a singer however she has appeared in many other shows over the years. These include Z Cares, It's Tommy Cooper, Up Pompeii, Callan, Columbo, Mary Tyler Moore, The Rockford Files, Hart to Hart and The Love Boat. As these credits demonstrate, much of Trisha's later career took place in the United States.

Valerie Shute, who played Pat.

Valerie Shute is a familiar face to Carry On fans, playing small supporting roles in five of the films. Following her debut in Camping, Valerie played a nurse in Again Doctor, the Girl Lover opposite Mike Grady in Loving, a maid in Henry and finally Miss Smethurst in Carry On Matron. Away from Carry On, Valerie appeared in The Fenn Street Gang, Secret Army and Emmerdale. Valerie was at one time married to the writer Willis Hall, best remembered for That Was The Week That Was and the film Billy Liar.

Georgina Moon, who played Joy.

Georgina appeared alongside her real life father George in Camping. George played the handyman alongside Peter Butterworth's Mr Fiddler when Sid and the gang first arrive at Paradise Camp. Georgina returned to Carry On for the Camping follow up, Carry On Behind in 1975. She played Sally opposite Diana Darvey, Windsor Davies and Jack Douglas in the climatic, trouser ripping finale. Away from Carry On, Georgina had a regular role in Up Pompeii on television, playing Erotica. 

She also appeared in The Dick Emery Show, played Rose in Clochemerle and Sylvia in UFO. She played Christine Cropper in the series How's Your Father, Miss Finch in You're Only Young Twice and had two separate roles in the series Bless This House. She also played Moira in the big screen version of Bless This House, again for Rogers and Thomas. Georgina made a return to Carry On earlier this year, appearing in the second episode of the ITV3 documentary, Carry On Forever.

Jennifer Pyle, who played Hilda.

Sadly the non-speaking role of Hilda in Carry On Camping is Jennifer's only acting credit. If anyone has anymore information on her, please get in touch!

Jackie Poole, who played Betty. 

Betty was Jackie's only appearance in the Carry On series. She went on to appear in a few other small parts at around the same time in the 1960s. These included roles in The Dick Emery Show, Adam Adamant Lives, Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde and a short film called Hot Girls For Men Only (!) played The Bird. Moving on...

Vivien Lloyd, who played Verna.

Vivien Lloyd has made a few other appearances on both the small and the big screen. She has appeared Armchair Theatre, The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre and Sorry! On film, she also popped up in Change Partners and the big screen version of Steptoe and Son.

Lesley Duff, who played Norma.

Norma was Lesley's first screen acting credit and her only Carry On appearance. Lesley went on to have a regular role in Doctor's Daughters, Emmerdale, Streets Apart, Specials and Castles on television and has also had one off roles in Casualty, Minder, Juliet Bravo, Taggart and Class Act. These days Lesley is still active in the profession but as an actors' agent. 

Anna Karen, who played Hefty Girl.

Last but by no means least is the familiar name of Anna Karen. Given the rather unfortunate character name of Hefty Girl, Anna features early on in Camping in the famous fight scenes with Barbara Windsor. Anna returned for another brief role as a wife in the climatic food fight scenes in Carry On Loving. These days Anna is best remembered for her long running role in the classic television sitcom On The Buses in which she played Olive, from 1969 until 1973. Anna reprised her role as Olive in three big screen spin off films - On The Buses, Mutiny On The Buses and Holiday On The Buses. 

Anna has also appeared in Dixon Of Dock Green, the series Wild, Wild Women, the film Poor Cow, the Wendy Craig series And Mother Makes Five, The Kenneth Williams Show and Super Gran. In 1977 she reprised her role as Olive for another series, a revived version of The Rag Trade for ITV. Anna Karen was reunited with her Carry On co-star and life long friend Barbara Windsor in the BBC soap EastEnders. Anna played Peggy Mitchell's sister Aunt Sal from 1997 and still appears in the show on a recurring basis. 

So there you have it - a quick run through of the girls who made up that pack of Chayste Place little darlings! Some of them returned to Carry On for further adventures, some did well in other areas of the profession while others have vanished without trace. If anyone can fill in any gaps or knows of their whereabouts, do get in touch! 

Please click on the link to vote for Carry On Blogging in the UK Blog Awards

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan