Sitcom Heaven at Elstree Studios!

 

Here's another smashing comedy event to look forward to this summer. Although not strictly Carry On-related, it is bound to be popular with all fans of classic British comedy.

Come and celebrate some of the Best of British big screen hit sitcoms at the home to many of the great cinema versions of small screen comedy classics.

The day comprises two sessions:

From 2-5pm

A Tribute to On the Buses – all three OTB films were made at Elstree

Come and join Anna Karen (Olive) & Andria Lawrence (Turnaround Betty) along with the films’ Executive Producer Roy Skeggs and a host of cast and crew for an EXCLUSIVE screening of previously UNSEEN interviews with Reg Varney, Stephen Lewis & Anna Karen, the screening of some classic On the Buses moments and question & answer sessions with the guests. And there’ll be a signing session too.

 

From 6.30-9.30pm

Man About the House & George & Mildred with special tribute to the late Yootha Joyce.

Come and join Sally Thomsett (Jo), Norman Eshley (Jeffrey Fourmile) and Nicholas Bond Owen (Tristram) along with fellow cast and crew members for a fun evening of exclusive recordings, question & answer sessions, signings and a tribute to the much loved Yootha Joyce.

Places are limited so book now. Doors open from 1pm on Saturday 25th June 2015. Admission by ticket only. Cash bar available.

All celebrity guests appear subject to availability.

Enquiries to: Joely Hertz at Elstree Studios 020 8953 1600 or to joely.hertz@elstreestudios.co.uk

 

WHEN

Saturday, 25 June 2016 from 14:00 to 21:30 (BST) 

 

WHERE

Elstree Studios - Shenley Road, Borehamwood, WD6 1JG 

You can buy tickets for this event here 

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

 

The writer Carla Lane has died

The television comedy writer Carla Lane has sadly passed away. The BBC has reported that Lane passed away earlier today in a care home at the age of 87.

Lane, born in Liverpool, was one of the few female television writers during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, writing about ordinary working class people and channeling humour and pathos in equal measure from every day situations. Her biggest successes were The Liver Birds (1969 - 1979), Butterflies (1978 - 1983) and Bread (1986 - 1991). 

Early on in her writing career, Carla wrote 24 episodes of the classic Thames television situation comedy Bless This House. This series starred none other than the man himself, Sidney James. Lane will mainly be remembered for producing comedy series which put strong women at their core however in Bless This House, surely as traditional as comedies get, she found crucial early experience. 

 

My own favourite of Carla Lane's body of work in the BBC2 comedy drama Butterflies. It was a shift from pure comedy for Lane and for its star, Wendy Craig. It told the story of Ria Parkinson, a middle class woman with two grown up sons and a successful middle class husband. Without a career of her own, she faced middle age without much of a purpose and soon and contemplates an affair with a rich, rather suave businessman. This series depicted changes in our society as a generation of stoic women found their voice, their freedom and their independence.

I found Butterflies' blend of traditional situation comedy with a serious edge of pathos to be both believable and refreshing. It showed a different side of leading lady Wendy Craig and demonstrated the strength of Carla Lane as a truthful writer in command of her subject matter.

 

Without a doubt Carla Lane was a trailblazer, leading the way in the days when the BBC was still overwhelmingly a male-dominated organisation. Lovers of British comedy owe her a great debt. She will be sorely missed but as with all the greats, we at least have a wonderful body of work to remember her by. 


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

From the Archive: Carry On Location Spotting!

You may remember earlier last year I published a blog remembering a trip I made some years ago to track down classic Carry On film locations. You can view that blog here. Anyway, the photos from that day were presumed lost but have since turned up so I thought another blog was in order so I could share them.

So here goes. Most of this blog will be photos as I have a lot to share!

Let's start off with the famous Pinewood Studios main entrance. We saw it recently in the Carry On Forever documentary when Shirley Eaton returned to her second home. Although the studios now have a more modern entrance for the 21st Century, this iconic building thankfully remains.

Across the road from the old main entrance to the studios is the Pinewood Green housing estate seen in Carry On Constable, Cabby, Camping, At Your Convenience and Behind. Does this house look familiar?

Further round the estate is the cul de sac, Pinewood Close. A house in this short street was used as for the Potters' home in Carry On Camping. It was used again as the house owned by Bernard Bresslaw and Patsy Rowlands in Behind and finally it appeared in Carry On Emmannuelle.

Lunch was had at The Jolly Woodman pub out in rural Buckinghamshire. The pub was featured in both Genevieve (one of my favourite films) and of course, Carry On Dick in 1974.

Next up was a visit to Maidenhead to find the town hall, which featured prominently in Carry On Doctor, Again Doctor and Behind. 

Then we moved on to the village of Denham. Two photos from here, the first is the local church used to film the end of Carry On Matron when Kenneth Williams and Hattie Jacques were married. 

And remember this shot? Bill Maynard and Bernard Bresslaw made a quick getaway following the announcement of Sid's next big idea...

Finally, a couple of very special blue plaques commemorating two wonderful British comedy stars. Here is Frankie Howerd's home in Kensington:

And best of all, Joan Sims' from her flat in Kensington Square, just off High Street Kensington:

I hope you've enjoyed my trip down memory lane. If you have any photos from Carry On filming locations you'd like to share feel free to do so via Twitter or Facebook.

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

VOTE: Who should return for Carry On Doctors?

 

After several false starts in recent years, a brand new Carry On film is supposedly going into production later this year. The film, titled Carry On Doctors (not to be confused with the original Carry On Doctor) will start filming later this summer for a 2017 release. Not only that, it is already being heralded as the beginning of a whole new series of films. Another title, Carry On Campus, is being lined up to go into production hot on the heels of Doctors.

According to the producers, the film will be aiming to create a brand new ensemble of British comedy actors and not attempting to find the next Sid James or Kenneth Williams. Just as well really as in my opinion the entire Carry On team were one off talents and completely irreplaceable. I do like the idea of the new series allowing new comedy talent to thrive and find its niche.

I've already heard rumours that no surviving stars will be involved in the new film. I'm in two minds about this. While I think a new generation of creative people should be in charge of such a project, the film will inevitably sink or swim depending on how it is received by the Carry On films' loyal fan base. Surely if you are resurrecting the name Carry On, you must use it as an opportunity to give longstanding fans an unexpected treat. While I think new blood should carry the film, what about a few sparkling cameos would give the traditional Carry On audience something to cheer for and really get them onside. 

 

With that in mind and delving into Carry On fantasy land, I wanted to throw this question open to loyal Carry On fans. If you could choose, which surviving Carry On actors would you love to see appear in Carry On Doctors? I have narrowed it down to fourteen of our favourite stars and I want you to vote for who you would most like to see back to help relaunch the series. So here are my top choices:

Amanda Barrie is one of the most recognisable faces from the original series thanks to her prominent, eye-catching roles in two classic Carry Ons - as Anthea in Cabby and in the title role in Carry On Cleo. Her popularity has endured thanks to her two decades as Alma in Coronation Street. Bernard Cribbins is a national institution, beloved for his countless screen appearances and for his involvement with classic childrens' series such as Jackanory and The Wombles. He starred in Carry On Jack, Spying and Columbus. Jim Dale is a Carry On hero and the romantic lead in 11 of the films. Starring in some of the classic 1960s series entries, he is best remembered for playing bumbling handsome doctors in Carry On Doctor and Again Doctor.

Angela Douglas is a real fans' favourite having appeared in four 1960s Carry Ons - Cowboy, Screaming, Follow That Camel and Up The Khyber. Shirley Eaton was one of the original stars of the Carry Ons, most famously playing the lead in Carry On Nurse. Fenella FIelding needs no introduction thanks to her amazing performance as the Carry On vamp in the 1966 film Carry On Screaming as well as several supporting roles in the Doctor series. Liz Fraser appeared in countless classic British comedies, Carry On Regardless, Cruising, Cabby and Behind amongst them. Anita Harris made two Carry On appearances, in Follow That Camel and the original Carry On Doctor.

 

Carol Hawkins provided a glamorous touch to two 1970s films in the series - the classic Carry On Abroad and Behind. Julian Holloway notched up eight supporting turns in the series, including the likes of Doctor, Khyber, Camping and Henry. Valerie Leon added stunning support to six Carry Ons, most notably Up The Jungle and Girls. Jacki Piper starred in four series entries, Up The Jungle, Loving, Convenience and Matron. June Whitfield appeared in four of the films spanning the entire run, from Nurse in 1958 to Columbus in 1992. Finally, Carry On blonde bombshell Barbara Windsor appeared in nine original Carry Ons and is one the series' most high profile stars.
 
 

So now is the chance to have your say, just for fun! I'll keep the poll open for a couple of weeks, so Carry On Voting! 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

The A - Z of Carry On Supporting Actors: E.V.H Emmett

This is the latest blog in a brand new series for Carry On Blogging. It might be slightly ambitious, but I'm going to attempt to do a run through the alphabet of some of the more interesting Carry On supporting actors. One of the reasons I set up this blog was to turn the spotlight on some of the lesser known Carry On actors who nevertheless played an important role in the success of the film series. 

Today we continue with the next letter in the alphabet, E and E is for E.V.H Emmett.

Carry On films: E.V.H Emmett provided the voice over throughout the classic Carry On Cleo in 1964.

 

Also appeared in: Among the other films he appeared in were Passport to Pimlico (1949), Spyport (1958) and Look at Life: Ticket to Tokyo in 1959.

Best known for: Aside from providing his vocal talents for a wide variety of British films, Emmett was best known as a British newsreader on radio and the official commentator for Gaumont documentary films.

Did you know: E.V.H Emmett was also a scriptwriter, working on films such as Dance Hall (1950), Under the Southern Cross (1957) and Bothered by a Beard (which he also produced and directed).

 

What are they up to now: Sadly not a lot. Emmett passed away at the age of 68 in June 1971.

Stay tuned for the next entry in my A - Z of Carry On Supporting Actors! 
 

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

Carry On Blogging on Facebook!

Did you know that Carry On Blogging was also on Facebook? Well it is and if you are too why not follow me there?

You will find the same pictures, comment and blog posts available on my Carry On Blogging Facebook page and it provides another great forum to interact with me and other Carry On fans. 

So why not boost my page on Facebook by following and liking some of my posts? It would be much appreciated. I look forward to seeing you there!

And in the meantime, do follow me on Twitter too - I love you comments, feedback and general Carry On banter, so keep it coming! Links to both Twitter and Facebook pages at the bottom of this blog! 

Carry On Following!




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

Why a Bank Holiday needs a Carry On

 

Sadly the television networks have let us down again. Despite the mad proliferation of random stations bringing us everything from how to lay a patio to the exploits of housewives from the Mid West, it would seem none of them can provide a right good old fashioned Carry On on a Bank Holiday Monday.

For me, a Carry On film or two on the box on a Bank Holiday is tradition. A British Bank Holiday means a precious day off for many hard working people. It can be a day out at the seaside, maybe a barbeque with friends or even getting around to some of that much needed DIY. Whatever we all get up to, it's a comforting thought that we can collapse in front of a Carry On film at the end of the day.

For several years now ITV3 seems to have been the home of Carry On. Since the wonderful documentary Carry On Forever in 2015, they have shown some of the films on a fairly regular basis. Channel 4 also used to show the occasional Carry On - I remember a wonderful season of old black and white British comedies being shown on 4 in the 1990s and several Carry Ons were included. I sat one wet Bank Holiday with my grandfather and roared with laughter as Joan Sims got tipsy at that wine tasting with Nicholas Parsons! These days Film 4 will show the likes of Khyber or Behind but that's about it. It's now very rare to see a Carry On film on the BBC. I don't know why that is as even within my lifetime they did show them quite often, even if it was at 1am, you could still set the video!

 

Some Carry On films are shown again and again on the television while others are rarely shown at all. I can't remember the last time a channel showed Carry On Nurse, Cabby, Doctor or Abroad. Anyway, I digress. My main reason for tapping away at the keyboard this fine Bank Holiday morning (well it is in Scotland anyway) was to bemoan the lack of a Carry On in the schedules. So which Carry On do you think best suits Bank Holiday viewing?

Well for me only one fits the bill. It has to be Carry On At Your Convenience. I'm not quite sure why. Maybe it's the workers on a day out to the seaside sequence that does it for me. It's a memory of holidays from days gone by, before tablets and ipods and city breaks. For me nothing quite sums up both the joy of the Carry Ons and what a traditional British knees up should be about, than the sight of Kenneth, Charles, Sid and Joan camping about Brighton pier. It's so gloriously evocative with the kiss me quick hats, the ghost train, the ice cream, fish and chips and one two many in the pub on the pier! I love it and it's just a crying shame we can't enjoy the antics of W.C Boggs and Co today. Still, there's always the DVD...

 

So which Carry On do you think best suits Bank Holiday viewing?

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