Carry On Blogging Interview: Valerie Leon

 

I am very excited to bring you another Carry On Blogging exclusive. Following on from my interview with Angela Douglas  last week, I am thrilled to blog an interview with another legendary actress, the wonderful Valerie Leon.

Valerie Leon appeared in six classic Carry On films. Beginning with small roles in Carry On Up The Khyber and Camping, Valerie gained larger, eye-catching supporting turns in Again Doctor and of course, Carry On Up The Jungle. Returning to the Carry Ons in the 1970s, Valerie starred in Matron as Jane Darling and finally Paula Potter in Carry On Girls. She also appeared in the television Christmas special Carry On Stuffing in 1972. 

Away from the Carry Ons, Valerie continues to enjoy a diverse and prolific career in the entertainment industry which has taken in prominent roles in Hammer Horror and James Bond films as well as work alongside the likes of Peter Sellers, Ronnie Corbett and Frankie Howerd.

So without further ado, here is my interview with Valerie:

You are due to premiere your show Forever Carrying On at the Leicester Square Theatre Lounge on 26 June. It would be great to hear how this new venture came about.

I have for sometime been giving illustrated power point presentations about my life and work  in small theatres and on cruise ships which is something I love doing. I was preparing a new talk and Robert Ross offered me the chance to try it out under the umbrella of his  ‘In conversation with … series’ 

 

I would be fascinated to hear how you first became an actress, was it something you always wanted to do?

I was always stage struck and wanted to be an actress . My parents wanted me to have a proper job so I trained as a fashion buyer for Harrods in Knightsbridge to keep them happy but Show Business won out in the end.

I'm sure many Carry On fans also love the Bond films - you worked both Sean Connery and Roger Moore as Bond. What were they like to work with?

 
I feel lucky to have worked with two Bonds. I have worked with Roger several times and he is so friendly and charming  that I have a particular soft spot for him. Sean was more of a perfectionist and most fans look on him as the definitive Bond.

2016 has seen the sad passing of both Ronnie Corbett and Burt Kwouk. Do you have any particular memories of working with Ronnie on No Sex Please We're British or Burt on The Revenge of the Pink Panther?

Working with Ronnie Corbett on No Sex Please We Are British was great fun, I had also worked with him on his television shows . He was not only a supremely talented comedian but also a real human being . I  was very fond of him.  Burt was also a lovely man and we often used to see each other at various charity events. I was deeply saddened by their deaths.
  

As you obviously enjoy meeting fans, do you have plans to attend any film conventions in the near future?

All being well I hope to be in Westminster for a Bond convention on  September 17th and at the NEC in Birmingham on November 19th.

 

I recently met fellow Carry On actor Jacki Piper and she was absolutely lovely. Did you enjoy working with Jacki?

 
Jacki Piper is a dear friend. She is a brilliant comedian and very funny in real life . I always enjoy seeing her.  We have sons who are the same age.

I see from IMDB that you have recently completed some new film projects. Can you tell me anything about those?

 
Recently I made a short film called The Golden Years where I played a kind of Norma Desmond character. 
 

Looking back at your career to date, which role(s) are you most proud of?

 
I guess I feel proud to be associated with three major British film series that have all become cults:  Bond, Hammer and of course The Carry Ons  I have been very lucky. 

Having achieved so much in your career, are there any acting roles on film, television or stage that would like to tackle?

I would love to play a real villainess but apart from that I am just grateful that I am still getting work.

I understand you released a book about your career some time back. Would you ever consider writing your autobiography?

 
I have been asked to write my autobiography many times but have always refused  I want to keep my life private!

Valerie wanted to share this message with all her fans: 

I would like to thank you and  any fans for your continued interest in me and wish you all well. And maybe see some of you on Sunday June 26th !!!

All good wishes Valerie Leon.

I would like to thank Valerie for taking the time to answer my questions. It was an absolute pleasure to hear from her and I wish her all the best with her Forever Carrying On event on 26 June. You can find out more about Forever Carrying On with Valerie Leon here.

 

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

Carry On Blogging Interview: Angela Douglas

 

A bit of a first now for Carry On Blogging. After over a year of writing blogs about my favourite series of comedy films and the teams both in front of and behind the camera, I have now plucked up the courage to contact one of the stars of the films.  

The lovely Angela Douglas has been a big hit on Twitter over the past year and regularly interacts with her fans. Angela of course starred in four Carry Ons in the 1960s - Cowboy as Annie Oakley, Screaming as Doris Mann, Follow That Camel as Lady Jane Ponsonby and finally Up The Khyber as Princess Jelhi. 

 

I was absolutely delighted when Angela agreed to answer my questions, both about her time making the Carry Ons and other aspects of her work.  
 

 

 

I originally started up my blog as a tribute to Joan Sims, an actress I rate really highly. What are your memories of working with Joan?

Joan Sims was wonderfully talented and huge fun to spend time with. But privately she was lonely and lost.


One of my other favourite comedy actors is Peter Butterworth. There is a wonderful photo of you both on the set of Up The Khyber. I think he was the backbone of so many films but never really gets the recognition he deserves. What was it like to work with Peter?

Peter Butterworth was my closest friend on the movies. We really were deeply fond of one another.

 

Although I love the Carry Ons, I do think think they walk a fine line with their content. Do you have any views on the way women are portrayed in these films?

Women were portrayed as stereotype characters really. It was the genre and it was the times. Take the job or leave it alone. It was all in the game called show biz! I was never treated with disrespect.

One of your earliest roles was the part of Eunice Bond in an episode of Coronation Street. I also write for a Coronation Street Blog so I'm interested in any recollections of the early days of Coronation Street?

Coronation Street? I was too young...too long ago...but I do remember Pat Phoenix being particularly kind too me...I was a relative new comer. Only 19!

 

And are there any roles you would still like to play?

I'd like to have played Gertrude in Hamlet and the wife in the Master Builder.


I absolutely loved your autobiography Swings and Roundabouts - it's beautifully written. Do you have plans to publish more of your writing?

Thank you for saying you enjoyed Swings. I have just written another! A novel called Josephine. Now seeking a publisher! Wish me luck as I do you. Angela.

 

  

I do indeed wish Angela all the luck in the world with her new novel and I hope we all get to read it very soon! Thanks so much to Angela once again for taking the time to answer my questions and really making my day!    

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

Why didn't Anita Harris make more Carry Ons?

I think it's an interesting question and I honestly don't know the answer. I love Anita Harris in both her mid-60s Carry On appearances and I really wish she had been in more of the films.

Anita, still vivacious and as talented as ever, always speaks of her time working with the Carry On team with such fondness and enthusiasm and it's lovely to hear her stories. For her very first film appearance, and for someone who was primarily a singer, her role as Cork Tip in Carry On Follow That Camel was superb! She plays the sultry, devious belly dancer with aplomb and her dancing is certainly memorable!

Anita works well opposite Jim Dale in both her Carry On appearances, providing the same kind of role that Angela Douglas enjoyed in other films of the time. As Nurse Clarke in Carry On Doctor, Anita excels as the romantic interest for Jim. That role is in great contrast to the sultry Cork Tip from earlier the same year, showing Anita's versatility. For a new young actress, working with such experienced performers as Frankie Howerd, Sidney James and Hattie Jacques must have been daunting, however you would never know. Anita is assured throughout and provides a fresh interest for the films. She is also never over-shadowed by her fellow nurse in that film, the bubbly Barbara Windsor. 

So why didn't Anita Harris make more Carry Ons? I know her music career really took off in the 1960s and she was also prolific in many stage shows and musical theatre, so perhaps she was just in demand elsewhere. I think it is a shame she didn't join up with the gang for later adventures, although perhaps, like Angela Douglas and Jacki Piper, she maybe wouldn't have been suited to some of the saucier adventures that followed in the mid-1970s.

What do you think? Do you wish Anita Harris had made more Carry Ons or was she best suited to the two she appeared in? Could you envisage her appearing in later offerings like Matron or Abroad?

You can visit Anita's website here 

You can follow her fans Twitter account here

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

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Happy Birthday Anita Harris!

 

Many happy returns to the eternally youthful Anita Harris, who celebrates her birthday today. Anita, still very active with her singing career and touring commitments, did of course star in two classic Carry On films in the mid-1960s.

A legendary star of cabaret and musical theatre, Anita scored early successes on the big screen with the Carry On team. First appearing in the eye-catching supporting role of Corktip in Follow That Camel, Anita was popular with audiences and the Carry On team alike and was back at Pinewood later the same year for the starring role of Nurse Clark in Carry On Doctor, once again playing Jim Dale's on screen love interest.

I loved Anita's roles in the Carry Ons. She was a natural addition to the team and played her two very different roles with aplomb. I always think it's a shame she didn't join the team for further adventures. Still, she has always been proud of her Carry On association and was a very welcome interviewee in last year's Carry On Forever documentary. In the programme, she returned to Camber Sands, the location for much of Follow That Camel and talked fondly of working with the likes of Jim Dale and Hattie Jacques.

I had the great pleasure of meeting Anita last September at the London Film Convention. She was an absolute delight: warm, welcoming and genuinely pleased to be meeting fans of both herself and the Carry On series. 

 

Whatever Anita is up to today, I hope she had a wonderful birthday!

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

What Another Carry On in Ealing ... with Angela Douglas!

 

As you know, I like to keep fellow Carry On fans up to date with the latest news on all of our favourite Carry On actors. There have been announcements on public appearances from Valerie Leon and Fenella Fielding recently and now here's something for all fans of the lovely Angela Douglas.

Angela, the star of Carry On Cowboy, Screaming, Follow That Camel and Up The Khyber, will be appearing at "What Another Carry On in Ealing" on Sunday 25 September. This event is being organised by the fabulous "The Whippit Inn" team (do check them out on Facebook!). Angela will be attending to talk about her long and illustrious career in film, television and on the stage and will be sharing memories of her time working with the Carry On team. 

The event will take place at The Grange in Ealing. According to the announcement on Facebook, further guests will be announced shortly as well as information on how to book tickets for the event. I will keep my eyes peeled and update this blog as soon as more information becomes available. 

 

I am a massive fan of Angela, love her performances in the Carry Ons, really enjoyed her autobiography and it's great to see her on Twitter. Sadly I missed out on the last event she took part in up at Elstree so hopefully I'll make it along to a Carry On in Ealing in September!

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

The A - Z of Carry On Supporting Actors: Hilda Fenemore

This is the latest 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, F and F is for Hilda Fenemore.

Carry On films: Hilda Fenemore appeared in small roles in two early black and white Carry Ons. Her first appearance was as Mrs Rhoda Bray in Nurse in late 1958. She was the wife of snobbish Henry, memorably played by Brian Oulton. The following year Hilda returned to Pinewood for a brief cameo as a lady in need of a copper, opposite Kenneth Connor in Carry On Constable. 

Also appeared in: Fenemore spent a lifetime in supporting roles in the very best of British film and television. She usually played small roles, those of neighbours, friends and passers by. Her films included Chance of A Lifetime (1950), Feet of Clay (1960) and Absolution (1978). On television she could be seen in the likes of No Hiding Place, Dad's Army, Goodnight Sweetheart and The Duchess of Duke Street.

Best known for: Hilda Fenemore was probably best known for her long running role as Jennie Wren in the classic television police series Dixon of Dock Green. She played the part for five years from 1960. Hilda also had recurring roles as Mrs Duffy in The Fenn Street Gang and as a cleaner in the BBC comedy Are You Being Served?

Did you know: One of Hilda's most prominent roles was as Gladys, the matriarch in The Wind of Change in 1961. This was one of the first British films to tackle the issue of race relations. 

 

Although making her last screen appearances in the early 1990s, Hilda continued with radio voiceover work right up until her death.

What are they up to now: Sadly Hilda Fenemore passed away at the grand old age of 89 in April 2004. 

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

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