Just Jim Dale

Jim Dale has been doing the rounds in interviews as he makes final preparations to bring his one man show Just Jim Dale to the London stage.

The show has already played in the United States to great acclaim and UK audiences have been promised more Carry On content. Excellent! I can't wait to see Jim live next month at the Vaudeville theatre!

Anyway, thanks to regular blog readers for bringing the following interviews to my attention. First of all Jim appeared on Robert Elms' BBC London radio show yesterday. You can listen to that here.

Jim also appeared on Paul O'Grady's chat show last Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately I missed this being out at work and forgetting to set the television to record. Ah, I thought, lovely ITV Player would come to my aid. Alas not. On checking, for some reason every other episode of the show is available EXCEPT the one in which Jim appears. I did read somewhere that Jim uttered a couple of words not normally heard on teatime telly but surely that doesn't stop ITV making it available?! It is still available on STV Player however you must enter a Scottish postcode in order to view. Sort it out ITV!!

If you hear of Jim making any further television or radio appearances, do let me know!

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A Tale of Two Microbes

Yes you did read that. And yes there is a Carry On connection. In 1971 Frank Muir, he of the panel games and Take It From Here, wrote and starred in an educational film for Unilever called, you guessed it, A Tale of Two Microbes. And the second of those microbes was played by none other than Carry On and all round comedy legend, June Whitfield.

The short film stars Muir and Whitfield as a newly wed pair of bacteria. It could only happen in the 1970s. In actual fact the film was made to promote food hygiene and backed by the likes of Birds Eye and John West. Anyway, it's right up there with Je t'aime as one of June's most bizarre performances!

Sit back, relax and enjoy a 1970s hygiene lesson courtesy of Basil and Desdemona Salmonella! 

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Scraping the bottom of the Carry On barrel

Carry On Emmannuelle. I have been putting off writing about it mainly because I didn't know where to begin. I don't really know anyone who likes the film and it reaffirms my belief that the Carry Ons should have come to an end by 1975. Nevertheless, I'll persist and see what I can come up with.

While any attempt to bring the likes of Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, Joan Sims and Peter Butterworth together on screen must always be welcomed with open arms, Carry On Emmannuelle is one film I wish they had all turned down. After all, these four stalwarts can hardly have been short of other offers at the time. So why did they get involved in this mess of a film? Loyalty to each other, to Rogers and Thomas? Most probably.

Kenneth Williams' hatred of the film is well documented in his diaries. He loathed the script and found the whole job an ordeal and an indignity. While Kenneth was often prone to exaggeration, I can't really find fault in anything he had to say about it. He only relented and agreed to star when offered more money than usual. I think he did feel loyalty towards Gerald Thomas in particular and that must have played a part. Kenneth's role in the film is dreadful and he has several painful scenes with his on-screen wife, played by newcomer Suzanne Danielle. 

Danielle, who would go on to marry the golfer Sam Torrance, does her best with the title role and is surprisingly self-assured given her young age and lack of experience at the time. It must have been fairly daunting for her to come into such a film in a starring role opposite so many screen legends with decades of experience under their belts. She does her best yet the film is still woeful. Larry Dann is also terribly miscast as Theodore who becomes obsessed with Emmannuelle. This plot strand does, however, give us a few cherished moments of Beryl Reid in a Carry On film. A wonderful piece of casting, just a shame Ms Reid hadn't appeared in a decent entry in the franchise instead of this muck.

The depleted band of regular stars battle against a filthy script which is dreadfully slow moving and wastes their considerable talents. It is actually quite upsetting to see quality actors like Joan Sims and Peter Butterworth struggling through such an unpleasant experience. Compared to earlier glories such as Screaming, Camping and Khyber, this is not just scraping the bottom of the barrel, it's underneath it!

Kenneth Connor adds a lively spot of cheeky charm as the chauffeur but yet again his appearances are strictly limited and he just doesn't seem at home with the material. Jack Douglas is also in the film and thankfully for a change he isn't stuck with his awful Alf persona. Douglas is actually not too bad in this "straight" turn as the butler. These are slim pickings though. The vast majority of the film is a dreadful, sprawling mess.

While it was a nice touch to include Eric Barker, a stalwart from the very first Carry On twenty years before, it is a depressing experience as he is limited to a wordless cameo and really does not look well. Victor Maddern also pops up for a dialogue free scene where he romances Joan SIms in a launderette. It is probably the high spot of the film.

The main problem with Emmannuelle is the same issue that struck down Carry On England. The film is an uneasy, queasy mix of traditional Carry On coupled with what had become the norm in 70s sex comedies at the time. It tries to keep up with changing attitudes and ideals but fails miserably. The dialogue, while not shocking, is still pretty vulgar and lacks any attempt at clever comedy. The situations are tired and worn and while the film is meant to spoof classic soft porn of the era, it lacks any kind of sexiness whatsoever. 

In the end Emmannuelle was a complete flop. It failed to appeal to the traditional Carry On audience while also not attracting those who wanted something a bit edgier that pushed the boundaries. Thankfully it is rarely shown today and I for one am pleased to pretend it never actually happened.

Does anybody actually like Carry On Emmannuelle? Get in touch with your views.

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Not Quite A Carry On: Nurse On Wheels

Away from the main Carry On series, producer Peter Rogers and director Gerald Thomas made many other films, particularly during the late 1950s and early 1960s. I want to start blogging about some of these other pictures, many of which are pretty much unofficial Carry Ons, featuring familiar faces, situations and writers. While some of them are not up to the Carry On standard, they are still close to my heart.

Let's start off with one of my favourites, Nurse On Wheels, released in 1963. This film was one of a glut of economically made British comedies that came on the back of the Carry Ons' growing success and attempted to tap into this lucrative market. It may not be particularly well known today but it boasts a cracking cast and is actually a very sweet film.

Nurse On Wheels tells the story of a district nurse who, having passed her driving test, takes up a new position in a small English village. The film follows her comic misadventures with the colourful local residents as well as her blossoming romance with a handsome local businessman. It is pretty twee but thanks to a good script, excellent performances and a cracking pace, it moves along well and is charming.

At the heart of Nurse On Wheels are the characters of Joanna and her mother, played brilliantly by Juliet Mills and Carry On regular (at that time) Esma Cannon. Juliet Mills, who would go on to star in Carry On Jack had previously worked for Rogers and Thomas in Twice Round The Daffodils and was obviously moving up the ranks. She is great in Nurse On Wheels, but my absolute favourite is Esma Cannon, who dithers, twitters and runs amok with wonderful comic timing. It is one of her most substantial film roles but sadly it would be her last as she retired not long afterwards.


The film also boasts supporting performances from other well known Carry On faces such as Joan Sims, Joan Hickson, Norman Rossington, Renee Houston and Jim Dale. Not a bad line up! We also get wonderful performances from Irish actor Noel Purcell, classic stage actress Athene Seyler, George Woodbridge, Deryck Guyler and Raymond Huntley. Playing the romantic lead in the film is Ronald Lewis, fresh from Twice Round The Daffodils. Lewis is effective in the lead role again and it's a shame we didn't see him in more films for Rogers and Thomas as he makes an excellent handsome hero.

The film meanders along and nothing major happens but it is charming and shows an old fashioned life long gone. Everyone acquits themselves well and the scenery is lovely. A perfect Saturday afternoon film to relax and enjoy.


Sadly, there is one downside to Nurse On Wheels and it's nothing directly to do with the finished film itself. Originally Joan Sims was asked to play the lead role of Joanna in the film and apparently Joan was thrilled to have a starring role at last. Unfortunately before filming started, Peter Rogers wrote to Joan to tell her the part had been recast and now Juliet Mills was starring. 

According to Joan's autobiography it had been agreed that she wasn't slim enough for the leading role. One can only imagine what a blow this must have been for Joan, particularly given how fragile her confidence could sometimes be. Although I like Juliet Mills, it would have been fantastic to see Joan take top billing in a film like this. Joan may not have been as slim, but she was still a gorgeous, funny, extremely talented actress and she certainly didn't deserve to be sidelined. 

Anyway, I digress. Although Joan didn't take the lead role, I still love Nurse On Wheels. It's a prime example of an early 1960s feel-good British comedy film, something of the like we don't see much of these days. Check it out next time you see it in the television schedules or hunt it down on DVD.

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Bernard Bresslaw On Song

There seems to be no end to the talent of our favourite Carry On stars. I've previously posted musical offerings from the likes of Joan Sims and Kenneth Williams, and now it's Bernard Bresslaw's turn in the spotlight!

The internet churns out all sorts of interesting Carry On paraphernalia and this is no exception. These songs were recorded at the height of Bernard's fame in the late 1950s, thanks to the success of the ITV sitcom The Army Game. Playing very much to type, Bernie delivers these songs in character as the dim-witted Private Popplewell from that series. 

While the character proved extremely popular and guaranteed the actor constant work for many years to come, it must have been vexing at times for a man who was not only incredibly talented and skilled as a performer, but also highly intelligent. Anyway, moving away from that, sit back and enjoy some classic comedy records from the golden age!

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Margaret Nolan speaks out

I've stumbled across a revealing interview Margaret Nolan did back in 2007. It's a terrific read and provides many insights into this famed Carry On glamour girl. 

As many of you will know, Margaret starred in six Carry On films between 1965 and 1974, always playing the busty dolly bird opposite the likes of Sid James and Bernard Bresslaw. Margaret also appeared briefly in classic films such as Goldfinger and The Beatles film A Hard Days Night. Along with Valerie Leon she was the go-to actress for many productions during the 1960s and 70s when a spot of glamour was required. She has an impressive CV ranging from Steptoe and Son to series with Spike Milligan.

Maggie Nolan was something of an enigma for many years. She left the country in the late 1980s, abandoning acting for a life in rural Spain. Nothing was heard about her until she returned to London shortly before this interview with website The Den of Geek was published in 2007. Although the interview is really to publicise Margaret's career as an artist, it covers much old ground and is a fascinating glimpse at the person behind the classic Carry On image.

It is clear that Margaret has little time for the Carry Ons these days, particularly those in charge at Pinewood. Her language and comments are both frank and refreshing to hear. Despite these negative feelings towards the films, it was still good to see Margaret take part in the Carry On Forever documentary earlier this year. Many of her comments about working conditions and actors pay ring true with us and confirm much of what we already know but it's always a story worth telling. 

Anyway, it's a very interesting interview and well worth a read. You can do that by following this link

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Hattie Jacques, Queen of The Players

Here's a wonderful if very brief treat. Hattie Jacques, famous for her 14 Carry Ons and as Eric Sykes' television sister, made her name as a star of music hall at London's Players Theatre. Hattie starred in countless productions at the Players in the 1940s and 1950s and her performances were fondly remembered by many.

The Players was where Eric Sykes first saw Hattie and he was astonished by her talent and versatility, not to mention her ability to do the splits at the end of her spot! Patsy Rowlands, a co-star in many Carry Ons, also worked regularly at the Players and talked of how wonderful Hattie was on stage. 

I remember several years ago being lucky enough to stand on the stage at the Players. I got goose bumps just thinking about all Hattie's wonderful appearances there. It was a special moment. Sadly, not much recorded evidence of Hattie's music hall abilities remain today, although a short clip has surfaced on YouTube, and here it is:

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