My Carry On Blogging Year So Far

 

It's not normally very British to blow your own trumpet (Matron!) however I wanted to do a little blog post as a round up of Carry On Blogging highlights so far in 2016. It's been quite a year and I've loved every minute of it!

I'm thrilled that the blog has now received nearly 180,000 page visits since I set it up in March 2015! July this year was the most visited month so far with over 17,000 views!

The blog Twitter account now has over 6000 followers and over 200 of your have "liked" my Facebook page. Thank you to everyone who tweets, follows, likes and comments - it's always great to hear from you!

I marked what would have been Kenneth Williams' 90th birthday in February with a special week of blog posts celebrating the life of the great man.

 

I have published a series of blogs covering each of Joan Sims' 24 Carry On performances, giving my own opinions on the roles she played.

I have started to publish a series of blogs covering each of Hattie Jacques' 14 Carry On performances. 

I have started a project of blogs running through some of the lesser known Carry On supporting actors in an A - Z feature.

I have cast the net out far and wide for a range of guest blog posts to bring in different opinions on the Carry On films. I have several lined up for the next few weeks so stay tuned for that!

I got a sneak previous of Sarah Miller Walters' new book Joyce To The World

I visited the London Film Convention earlier in the Spring where I had the great pleasure of meeting Carry On actors Jacki Piper and Fenella Fielding. You can read about that here 

 

One of the biggest developments this year has been the start of my Carry On Blogging interview series. So far I have interviewed several Carry On actors, authors and interesting folks connected to the series and British comedy:

- I interviewed the lovely Angela Douglas - you can read that here 

- I caught up with the delightful Valerie Leon to discuss her new Forever Carrying On show - you can read that here 

- I interviewed the wonderful Jacki Piper - you can read that here 

- Carry On writer and historian Robert Ross answered my questions and celebrated twenty years since the publication of The Carry On Companion here 

- I learned more about Steve Lilly's wonderful British comedy art work when I interviewed him - read that here

 

- I asked the brilliant Simon Sheridan all about his book Keeping The British End Up and the saucier side of British film comedy here

- I found out more about the fantastic Sid's Place blog in an interview with Stuart Ball - you can read that here

- I interviewed screen legend Fenella Fielding about her new audio book of memoirs - you can catch up with that here  

- I published an interview with Odysseas from the superb Art and Hue, celebrating the best of British film and television in Pop Art! You can read that here

- I interviewed the lovely Louise who runs the fantastic Joan Hickson tribute Twitter account and you can read that here

- I interviewed the brilliant Craig Deeley and you can read that here

 

- I caught up with the fabulous Judy Matheson for a chat about Hammer Horror, Robin Askwith and all things Carry On and you can read that here

- I interviewed Stuart Morriss from the terrific Misty Moon Film Society and you can catch up with that one here

- You can read my blog interview with Peter Reed, Senior Producer at the BBC Radio station 4 Extra by clicking here

- I had the great pleasure of visiting Elstree Studios to meet and interview Morris Bright and I even got to sit at Sid's piano! You can read Part 1 and Part 2 by following these links. 

 

 

- Only this week I blogged an interview with the lovely Ben Peyton, which you can read here 

- And I've also recently published a blog interview with the legendary actress Francoise Pascal  

- I recently enjoyed a wonderful chat with the lovely Madeline Smith and you can read the blog interview of that encounter here


And there's plenty more to come! I'll be blogging interviews with at least three more famous Carry On faces in the next few weeks, all being well! 

A huge thanks to everyone who's kindly taken the time to answer all my questions - it has brightened many a day and been completely and utterly enjoyable.  

Coming up in the next few weeks and months: more blogs looking back at the lives and careers of some of the lesser known Carry On supporting actors. A new series of blogs which will focus on some of my favourite images from the Carry Ons and my reasons why. And I'll be gearing up for my 1000th blog with some special treats. 

Finally, a massive thank you to everyone who reads my blog. I only do this as a hobby and your kind comments and observations keep me going even when the chips are down and I think I'm too tired to Carry On! 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Carry On Blogging Interview: Francoise Pascal

 

Last week I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing the wonderful actor Francoise Pascal about her career in film, television and theatre. It was fascinating to learn more about Francoise's life in acting and to hear her thoughts on some of her co-stars over the years. So if you like classic British film and comedy and want to hear more about the likes of Diana Dors, Yootha Joyce and a rather hilarious encounter with the infamous Violet Carson, Carry On Reading...

First of all I'd love to hear more about what made you want to become an actor?

I was an actress ever since I was born, my father remarked one day. I use to rehearse in front of a mirror. I use to watch the film Sissi with Romy Schneider, which made me want to be an actress even more. That was a very strong dream for me. I had to fulfill it one way or the other. I did, my dream did come true at an early age of 12 playing Cosette in Les Miserable to Jean Louis Barrault's Jean Valjean in Paris and I was nearly 13, don't confuse with the musical it was a straight play. The fever started then on stage and continued but my parents did not feel that it was suitable for a very young girl. That dream was still in me and I wanted to carry on. School was far from my mind.  I resumed my acting career in 1966 at the age of 16 and then went back to France to study at La Sorbonne and came back again resuming my acting career with my first film in England and the rest is history as they say.

 

In 1976 you starred in the British comedy film Keep it Up Downstairs, alongside many familiar faces from that era. What was that film like to work on?

It was a fun film and I absolutely loved it. There was Aimi McDonald, the very shy Jack Wild, the very beautiful and the lovely Diana Dors, then there were the other actors like Sally Harrison who did The Professionals, the fabulous Neil Hallett who played the Butler and Simon Brent who I co-starred in my first film in the UK, Loving Feeling, directed by Norman Cohen. There was also Willy Rushton who was a great friend if mine who I had worked with on Celebrity Squares in several episodes. Carmen Silvera who I absolutely adored, whose laughter when she told a joke was infectious.  Finally the formidable Julian Orchard, lovely man and very tall, such a story teller. 

The film was produced by Hazel Adair and Mark Forstater. They were on the set daily because I refused to appear nude.  They wanted to persuade me to do some nudity and I said no. They got Mary Millington in the film to do just what I would not do. They did not pay me enough to appear nude besides I was so fed up with nude scenes in films that I decided not to do it again. My agent was asking me why I did not do it and I told her why. I had such fun making that film and travelling to Knebworth House from central London at 5.30am, where there were no traffic and I felt at that time I was in a happy place. Yes definitely a very happy movie to be on and great actors to work with and enjoyed their company and their laughter very much. I miss those days!

One of your co-stars on that film was the legendary actress Diana Dors. What are your memories of Diana?

I loved Diana Dors, we also did the Pyramid Game together. She was a lovely and a very kind woman. I remember watching her play her part in a scene that we were all together in, the party where I was serving the drinks with Mary Millington. I watched her professionalism, her togetherness as she said her lines. I was mesmerised by her. She was very lovely to me and Mary. I was very at ease with both her and Alan Lake. They adored Mary Millington and I think they looked after her, Poor Mary, I wish she was alive now she would have loved it or hated it. Mind you, you have to be super strong minded to survive this business today. It has changed so much. I did not have many scenes with Diana so there is not much I can say about us working together. 

You appeared in the classic ITV comedy series Mind Your Language for three series. What was it like to be a part of that show?

It was fantastic being part of a show that was a hit show. We were all still dreaming when we were told that we had a hit on our hands and every time a season finished we wondered whether we would be back and yes we were back for 3 series. When I knew that we were not going to be back after the third series, I knew deep down that I was fed up with it and Barry Evans was also fed up as well as Kevork Malikyan and Dino Shafeek. Yet they made another series in 1986, I watched one episode of it. It was so awful I cringed and was happy that I never did the new series. We were a close family in the first series, the big mistake they did was to bring new people into it and it changed the whole atmosphere, I did not like it but the Producers and Writer knew better so I had to accept it.  To be very truthful, it was one of the happiest and well balance series that I have ever worked on.

One of your co-stars in Mind Your Language was the late Barry Evans. What was he liked to work with?

Barry Evans was an absolute angel and a dream to work with as his response to me on the set was absolutely professional. At times Barry was moody but that was his prerogative. We all have moments like that and Barry had his. The professional that he was would actually hide in his dressing room when he was in a mood so that no one would bother him and we didn't. He was an actor that gave his all and let you shine at the same time. he was the star of the show and yet it was more important to him that we should be the stars of the show. Barry was a timid guy and loved having a joke or two on the set but always stayed a pro at all times. I simply adored the guy. I miss him!

 

As well as being a fan of classic British comedy, I also love Coronation Street. I understand you appeared in The Street early on in your career. What are your memories of working on such a famous and popular show?

Hahahaha! Yes that was in late 1971. The year before I was filming Burke & Hare and in that film I went through a fire and unfortunately for me I actually was in a fire in real life at around that time. The publicity was enormous as I had dropped down from the 3rd floor of a house in Belgravia onto the railings, where my arm was practically impaled and broke it in 6-8 places. As I said the publicity was enormous it even reached the USA. "Actress impaled on Railings" The headlines shouted in the UK and the USA. My name was now recognised. 

By the Autumn of 1971, I had recovered and was asked by my agent if I would like to do a television role. Work is work and I have never turned down the chance to work. It turned out to be Coronation Street. The day that I arrived for rehearsals, I was to be photographed by a group of photographers, well it wasn't a group it was a hoard of photographers.  I was whisked onto that famous cobbled street, photos were taken and I thought it was great! But then, Miss Violet Carson (Ena Sharples) decided to dislike me and called me 'That bloody French Woman', which of course I found very funny and she got even more mad because I was laughing instead of getting mad or upset.

I made great friends with the girl who played Lucille Hewitt (Jennifer Moss). I adored her but not many people liked her because she had been into drugs and it was a well known fact in the press.  Nevertheless I really liked her and we became firm friends for a long while after I finished Corrie. I was only there for a week. I started the trend of famous outsiders appearing Corrie. Of course Joanna Lumley followed me and she got to stay longer than I would have liked. They don't like outsiders soaps, the actors have their own niche and they gather together in defence of their place in the soap. Fair enough I understood that even as young as I was. The men were lovely to me - I really liked Bill Roache, he was a darling to get to know.  All in all I had a very good time except for Violet Carson, and I still laugh by the way when I think of her face looking at me saying those words. 'That Bloody French Woman'! Hahahaha!

In the 1972 film Burke and Hare, you worked alongside the wonderful Yootha Joyce. What was she like to work with?

I loved meeting Yootha, she was a joy to meet and make her acquaintance. She made me laugh a lot along with Derren Nesbitt. Unfortunately, I didn't have any scenes with her in the film. I wish I had as she must have been a joy to work with. I did see her a couple of times years later when she was playing Mrs Roper in George and Mildred. I was sad when she passed away. We lost a great  Comedian and a great actress as well as a great lady.

You also guest starred in an episode of the BBC comedy Happy Ever After starring the legendary duo of Terry Scott and June Whitfield. What were they like to work with?

Well Terry was my mentor in comedy, he taught me a lot about comedy. Both Terry and Peter Sellers taught me the art of timing in a comedy. I was mesmerised by both June and Terry. June, because she was like a little porcelain doll with porcelain skin and admired her delivery with Terry and Terry for making his role his own without making it too domineering. I admired both of them.  Many years later when I was living in Godalming, I received a call from Terry saying that he was around the corner and would I like to come to tea. It was great. Unfortunately,  he was not looking too good when I saw him. I was devastated when he died. Again we lost a great Actor and Comedian.

 

As an actor do you prefer working in theatre, television and film, and why?

Theatre all the time! When you work on TV or films, there is not an audience that you can feed on and receive feedback from. When you work in the theatre that is what you get. It's live performance and anything can happen, which makes it so much more interesting and exciting!  In films or TV shows, when an actor goes wrong, they can just edit it or shoot the scene again. Performers on stage have so much more pressure put on them to get it right first time, but they get more of a reward for all their efforts - a huge round of applause from hundreds of audience members who paid and came especially to see them! That is what theatre is all about.

What projects are you working on at the moment?

At the moment, I am producing a film and a TV mini series. Hard work in front of me but that is my calling these days.  I am not acting in them just being the Executive Producer. Enjoying that role immensely!

Are there any roles out there that would still love to play?

No. I think I am too old now to play Cleopatra or Hedda Gabler or too old to play Camille. So no I stick to producing -  it is much more fun and has so much more to offer. I keep busy and that is the main thing!

I started my blog partly as a tribute to the late actress Joan Sims. Why do you think actors like Joan are still so popular today?
Her comedic instinct. She was a natural, sensitive, that is why she is so popular today.  I guess she endured a lot for her craft. They played so many jokes on her and the audience will always feel sorry for the downtrodden. She played it with great dignity. I bet she must have had a fork tongue when it was needed. She seemed also to have suffered from depression, I don't know but her eyes hinted this in her later years. She will always last because any actors who did what she did and endure the banter of Kenneth Williams and Sid James deserve a medal. I loved watching Joan Sims and she will always, no, forever last in my memory.

 

Finally, who is your favourite Carry On actor?

Kenneth Williams and Sid James, there you go I named two instead of one!

Thanks so much to Francoise for answering my questions, I thoroughly enjoyed being in touch with her and hearing more about her really interesting career. You can follow Francoise on Twitter @Fpascal 

And you can visit her website here: http://francoisepascal.co.uk/


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

The Esma Cannon Mystery Continues...

I wrote a couple of blogs last year  about that wonderful comedy character actress, Esma Cannon. Esma has long been a fan favourite and she was incredibly prolific in British film over a period of thirty years until her retirement in 1964.

While we all love her performances in the Carry On films, very little is known about Esma away from the limelight. Apart from some sparse details - we know she came from Australia,  was married, had a son, lived in North London and ended up in France - most of Esma's life remains a mystery. 

Last year I was browsing the internet and came across a photo of Esma Cannon I had not seen before. It was accompanied by a brief article in French (my French is very patchy these days but I got the general gist of it). Although it doesn't provide much extra information on Ms Cannon, it does give a fascinating glimpse at the reclusive actress very much as "herself". 

This article pretty much confirms that Esma spent her later years living in France until her death in 1972. 

I was looking for some photos of Esma to share on Twitter the other evening when I started to investigate the later stages of her life once again. I remembered reading that Esma had a son from her marriage to Ernst Littmann and as he was born in London in 1946 I thought there was a fair chance of him still being around today.

Google brought up very little and I was about to call it a night when my search took me to some Border Control documents from Australia in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This archive is all publicly available so I decided to have a trawl. Eventually I came across a record for a Michael Anthony Littmann, born in London in early 1946. The date of birth matched Esma's son and as I scrolled further so did the address of the house they shared as a family in North London from the 1950s until the early 1970s.

I began to get a little excited when I saw Esma Ellen Charlotte Cannon listed as the mother's maiden name. So it looks like Michael Littmann returned to Esma's native land to live after she died in the early 1970s. Furthermore, by 1981 at least Michael was married to an Australian lady called Susan Doris Pinter. Further research has sadly revealed athat Susan passed away suddenly in 2014 in her mid sixties. The whereabouts of Michael Littmann remains unknown but I feel I have inched a little bit closer.

If anyone knows of Michael or indeed it's a bit of a long shot, but if Michael sees this blog, please do get in touch as I'd love to chat to you about your wonderful mother.   

You can check on the French article here and you can read my original blog on Esma here.

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Carry On Blogging Interview: Ben Peyton

Earlier last month I caught up with the actor and all round lovely man Ben Peyton to find out more about his acting career and his love of two great British film franchises: James Bond and Carry On...

Enjoy!

First of all, it would be great to hear what made you want to become an actor?

I was originally aiming to become a PE teacher. I went to a very sporty school (Millfield) and was gunning for Loughborough University. Sadly, my grades weren't up to scratch (to be honest I was more interested in playing the fool and trying to make the girls laugh!) so PE wasn't an option. My drama teacher suggested I tried to audition for some drama schools. I made several phone calls only to be told that most of them had closed their entrance auctions for the year, but one was still open and had a space for me to audition. That was the Guildford School Of Acting. They accepted me and I had a fantastic three years there. 

What was your first acting job and what are your memories of that experience?

My first professional acting job was a corporate film for the Army. It was called Substance Misuse and I played the clean-cut squaddie trying to talk my best mate out of taking drugs when we were on leave. He takes them, we get randomly drug tested and he gets booted out. It was a lot of fun as I got to hold a bloody big gun and look menacing. Well, I had a big gun at least. It was a really nice introduction to acting as there weren't a lot of lines to learn, but lots of camera time. Also, it paid quite well and that wasn't something I was used to!

 

As an actor do you prefer working in film, television or theatre? And why?

I much preferred theatre as the thrill of performing live is an incredible rush. With TV and film there's an awful lot of hanging around and you usually get more than one chance to get it right. With theatre you have to think on your feet if something goes wrong and you can adapt your performance according to audience reaction. 

What's been your favourite acting role so far and why?

Two roles spring to mind. Horst in Martin Sherman's play Bent, and Stanhope in RC Sherriff's play Journey's End. Two hugely demanding roles and characters any actor would be honoured to play. The emotions involved in both are incredibly draining and the stories are both horrific, witty and inspiring. I encourage you to seek out these plays if you don't know them.

 

I remember you rather fondly from your time working on The Bill. What are your memories of working on that show?

The Bill was life changing in many ways. I was earning good money, was able to secure a mortgage to buy my first property, I met my wife there and I was working regularly at a job I loved. Every day was different as I think we filmed four episodes a month and you'd be working with different directors, cast and crew all the time. I look back on my opening episodes and cringe. I was not good. I hadn't had much television experience and that was written all over my face. By the time I left I think I'd developed into a fairly competent TV actor. Some might disagree with that last statement! ?

You are obviously a bit of a Carry On fan. Why do think the series is still so popular today?

I think Carry On Films are still popular today because their charm and humour, some of it, are timeless. They're light, not too long and a smile all the way through. They make me think the world isn't such a bad place when I watch them. I want to join in with them and have fun with them. Especially when Valerie Leon is on screen!

 

If you had been around in their heyday, would you have accepted a role in a Carry On and if so, which film?

I would've loved to have been in a Carry On film. I think it was Roger Moore that said, "as an actor you should say yes to every job" or similar. Taking them at face value they just looked like they were such fun to be involved with. However, when you scratch the surface and see how desperately sad and depressed some of the cast were then perhaps it might not have been that much fun after all. I think I would've liked to have been in Don't Lose Your Head. The production values are quite nifty and I would've loved to have dressed up in all that fancy period costume. 

I see from your Twitter account that you are also a big fan of the James Bond films. What's your favourite in the series and why?
James Bond is a MASSIVE part of my life. My first real Bond memory was watching Goldeneye as an 18 year old at the cinema. I left wanting to be James Bond. And Pierce Brosnan. That guy just oozes charm, sex appeal and suaveness. From then, I devoured the books, the films and any literature I could get my hands on. I have loads of life-size standees advertising the DVDs and cinema releases that I collect and stacks of other memorabilia. Daniel Craig has taken 007 to another level. He is just superb. Skyfall is my favourite Bond film as it ticks all the boxes for me. It borrows from many of its predecessors and combines them to make an "ultimate" Bond film.

 

What are your thoughts on who should be next to play Bond?

I'd like to see Chris Hemsworth get the part. If you've seen Rush you would have heard that he can do the accent. He also looks the part and is a terrific actor. I'm not too fussed about his nationality. A good enough actor is all I'm interested in. Tom Hiddleston, Michael Fassbender and Jamie Dornan are definitely in the running. I'm not convinced by Aiden Turner at all. And people really need to stop talking about Idris Elba too. He's a brilliant actor, but far too old.

You shared your wedding video with me on Twitter due to its Carry On theme - what's the story behind that unusual wedding music and how was it received on your big day?

I'm a huge fan of movie music. I must have about 700 pieces from films I've watched over the years. I was searching iTunes for Carry On music when Eric Rogers' take on the Wedding March popped up. I bought it and added it to my ever increasing playlist. It was only when my wife and I were trying to agree on hymns and incidental music that I thought of it. We'd already agreed that my wife would walk down the aisle to PM's Love Theme (Love Actually) by Craig Armstrong, the theme to Life Is Beautiful by Nicola Piovani would play during the signing of the register so we wanted another film piece to close the ceremony. Eric's music was the perfect match. We had a very accommodating Reverend and he was only to happy to let us use it. In his eulogy he even said that he thought our wedding would be "a right carry on". Lovely man. It sounded terrific and I think a lot of people knew where we had found it. It struck just the right balance of respect and fun. Exactly what we wanted. 

Who is your favourite Carry On actor and why?

Bernard Bresslaw is my favourite Carry On actor. Where a lot of the regulars repeat their roles in many of the films, Bernard was usually extremely different. His versatility shone through and he was rarely the same and played each part with such accomplished timing, charm and ease that it's easy to overlook his contribution to the franchise. I just love him in Camping. Such a bumbling dork. Hard to think it's the same actor that was Gripper Burke in Loving. I also have a soft spot for Charles Hawtrey. My dad told me that when I was about 4 or 5 I would run around shouting, "Chi-els, Chi-els is on tele", when he was on.

What's your all-time favourite Carry On film?

My favourite Carry On film is...damn. Too hard. Either Girls, Henry, Don't Lose Your Head or Camping. Alright, it's Camping. I simply love everything about that film. Most of the regulars are in it, and it has a terrific script that is delivered to perfection by that talented gang.

 

And finally, what's up next for you?

I stopped acting in 2007 as I simply wasn't working enough. It was a massive weight off my shoulders when I called it a day. I might go back to it one day. Maybe. Perhaps. We'll see. 

Right now I'm a full time dad to my two children and an attentive and caring husband to my amazing wife. She'll read all this back so I have to say that. 

Thanks again to Ben for taking the time to answer my questions, it was a pleasure to do. You can follow Ben on Twitter @BenPeyton007

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

Five of the Best: Dashing Carry On Leading Men

 

Carry On films are known for their female characters. The classic, sometimes stereotypical women such as the formidable Matron and the bubbly blonde. However there were also some very strong male characters in the films. The likes of Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey and Kenneth Connor were almost constants throughout the entire run of the films.

However were there many (or any) traditional male romantic heroes in these films as we've come to recognise them today? I would argue that there were and in this blog I'm going to pick out five of the very best.

Terence Longdon in Carry On Nurse (1959)

Nurse was only the second film in the franchise yet remains a classic amongst fans. At the centre of the film is the romance between the characters played by Shirley Eaton (Nurse Denton) and journalist patient Ted York (Terence Longdon). Terence is often the forgotten man of Carry On, however he was definitely the romantic lead of these early films. While there weren't many traditional Carry On laughs in this storyline, Terence added a backbone of (almost) serious dramatics to Nurse an continued a theme of a serious social commentary to many of writer Norman Hudis' early Carry On scripts. 

 

Leslie Phillips in Carry On Teacher (1959)

The wolfish Leslie Phillips took over where Terence left off. Leslie's Carry On characters were much more comedic than Terence's but he was most certainly leading man material, romancing the likes of Joan Sims, June Whitfield and Shirley Eaton. He was perhaps at his best for me in Carry On Teacher, sharing wonderful chemistry with Joan Sims' Miss Allcock and both infuriating and melting her heart in equal measure. Leslie has been forever linked with his slightly caddish Carry On persona which while being unfair just shows what a powerful characterisation that was.

 

Jim Dale in Carry On Doctor (1967)

Jim was without a doubt the most successful male juvenile lead in the Carry On series. His unique brand of dashing good looks, comedic physicality and excellent timing made him a star and so successful that he soon took his talents to the West End stage and beyond. He shined in each of his Carry On roles however for me, his role as Dr James Kilmore in Carry On Doctor is the best. He excels as the dashing young doctor who wins the heart of Anita Harris' Nurse Clark while falling foul of the hospital establishment. He is a favourite as far as the patients are concerned and their campaign to reinstate him in the hospital gives this film it's real heart.

 

Roy Castle in Carry On Up The Khyber (1968)

A brilliant entertainer, Roy Castle was also a popular choice for films and television in the 1960s and 70s. He took on the difficult challenge of coming into the Carry Ons to take a role very obviously written with the absent Jim Dale in mind. Roy takes the part of Captain Keene and really makes it his own. There are dashing romantics, a great chemistry with co-star and on screen love interest Angela Douglas and great comedy in his scenes with the likes of Terry Scott, Charles Hawtrey and Sid James. He also looks not too bad in his kilt. To replace someone as popular as Jim and carry it off is no mean feat. 

 

Kenneth Cope in Carry On Matron (1971)

The Carry Ons struggled to find a suitable replacement for Jim Dale following his departure in 1969. Various actors came along and had a crack at it but there wasn't one male star who played the romantic lead parts consistently throughout the 1970s. For me, Kenneth Cope comes closest to achieving this. His debut as union rep Vic Spanner in Convenience was hardly leading man potential however his follow up as Cyril Carter in Matron was much more like it. Kenneth spent most of this film in drag as a trainee nurse and despite this he still carries off the dashing romantics and is very believable with Barbara Windsor. Cope was a natural in the Carry Ons and it's just a shame he didn't continue in the series after this film.

So those are my top five. Do you agree and if not, what are yours?


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

Two Evenings with Robin Askwith!

 

The lovely people at the Misty Moon Film Society have arranged another treat for fans of classic British comedy. Robin Askwith, star of the Confessions films, Bless This House and Carry On Girls, to name just a few, will be taking part in "An Evening With.." on Wednesday 14 September at the Phoenix Artist Club.

This from the Misty Moon website:

After his sell out gig at The Phoenix Artist Club in April The Ego Is Back......

Yes everyone's favourite cheeky window cleaner is back for another raucous evening of confessions. This time he will be talking films and no one is safe...

Be prepared for another evening of stories about the career of one of Britain's best loved comedy legends of the 70s as told by the man himself. From smoking dope with Jimi Hendrix and experiencing the real Withnail and I, to rolling around with Charlotte Rampling, Pamela Stephenson and Princess Margaret, as well as simulating sex whilst being watched by Darth Vader and Chewbacca, he will have you in stitches.

The only thing we can hope for is that he will keep his trousers on !!!

It sounds like a great night out! Robin will be at The Phoenix Artist Club on Wednesday 14 September, from 9pm. You can buy tickets here

 

Robin will also be making an appearance at the Darlington Film Club on Monday 12 September for a special event all about "Confessions of A Window Cleaner"! That event kicks off at 7.30pm at The Forum. You can buy tickets for that one here

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

What another Carry On in Ealing!

 

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. Joining Angela will be Carry On Sergeant actor Jack Smethurst and Carry On Nurse actress Christine Ozanne.

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