Webber - Fifty Years Of Carry On

Contents

About the Book

In August 1958, the opening scenes of a low-budget black and white film flickered onto cinema screens up and down the country. No one could have foreseen what impact Carry on Sergeant would have then and in the future. Not only did it become one of the top three grossing films for that year, it also kick started the longest running and most successful comedy series of all time.

Here, for the very first time, is the essential biography of this most treasured institution in the world of British cinema. Complete with exclusive interviews with cast and crew and the debut publication of Vince Powells script of Carry On Down Under, Fifty Years of Carry On is a must for any fan of the unique and ever hilarious spectacle that is Carry On .

About the Author

Richard Webber is the author of many TV-related books including Fifty Years Of Hancocks Half Hour and a number of authorised Dads Army titles, including the hugely successful Complete A-Z of Dads Army , as well as books about Only Fools and Horses, Porridge, Rising Damp, Some Mothers Do Ave Em and The Good Life .

Also by Richard Webber

The Complete One Foot In The Grave

That Was the Decade That Was: Best of Sixties TV

Porridge: The Complete Scripts and Series Guide

Fifty Years of Hancocks Half Hour

The Complete A-Z of Dads Army

The Complete A-Z of Only Fools and Horses

Rising Damp: The Complete Scripts

Some Mothers Do Ave Em

Dads Army: Walmington Goes to War

The Complete Scripts for Series 14 (Scripts)

Porridge: The Inside Story

Rising Damp: A Celebration

A Celebration of The Good Life

Dads Army: A Celebration

Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?

Are You Being Served?: A Celebration of Twenty Five Years

The Life and Legacy of Reginald Perrin: A Celebration

For Hollie and Peter, with love

Acknowledgements

Whenever you write a book like this there are always countless people who help in innumerable ways. There are too many to name individually so Id like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who, in whatever capacity, helped get this book up and running it wouldnt have been possible without you.

But there are some people, however, I would particularly like to mention by name, beginning with Peter Rogers who, once again, helped in many ways, including allowing me to publish internal documents, script extracts and an unfinished script for an unmade film in the latter stages of the book. Then there is Norman Hudis, who has become a friend through the various chats and exchanging of e-mails during the time that I have been working on the book. Thank you, Norman, for answering so many questions in depth, which has given me the chance to appreciate the Hudis era more fully than would otherwise have been possible. I had the pleasure of meeting Norman and his lovely wife Rita on one of their recent visits to Dorset: it was an enjoyable day and a get-together that I hope to repeat in the near future.

Others I would like to mention include all the actors and crew members and the relatives of the deceased who gave up their time to answer queries and talk about the Carry On days. These include Alan Hume, Jack Douglas, Dilys Laye, Jacki Piper, Suzanne Danielle, the late Patsy Rowlands, Patricia Franklin, Kenneth Cope, Fenella Fielding and Angela Douglas. I also owe thanks to writer Vince Powell for sharing memories of the scripts he worked on and, again, for granting permission for me to publish his Down Under script herein, and to Lance Peters for discussing Carry On Emmannuelle and allowing me to publish extracts from his original script.

Last, but certainly not least, my thanks to John Goldstone; to my agent Jeffrey Simmons; to Hilary Johnson for, again, providing her valuable advice; to Brett Tremble, Andy Davidson, Gwilym Hughes, Beryl Vertue and John Antrobus; to Gill Kenyon, for transcribing so many tapes; to those helpful souls at the BFI, especially Carolyne Bevan, and to everyone at Random House, particularly Hannah Black for commissioning the book and Katie Duce. And, of course, to my wife, Paula, whos always been there to lend an ear during the trials and tribulations of writing the book.

Thank you all.

Introduction

The summer of 1958 saw the birth of a cinematic legend which continues to entertain millions even today, five decades later. The indefatigable Carry On films, a catalogue of 31 low-budget productions, have spawned numerous spin-offs, including television series, stage shows, myriad videos and DVDs, a plethora of merchandise and countless happy memories. No matter which film you watch the duffs or the gems youre guaranteed a barrage of quips, double entendres and innuendoes, along with moments of sheer slapstick flying all over the place all par for the course in the world of the Carry On s.

The Carry On s were hardly Oscar-winning material. Why then do so many people hold them in such high esteem? Turn on a DVD, press the fast-forward button and no matter where you stop, the chances are that youll arrive at a point close to a memorable scene memorable in its abundance of corny gags, obvious situations and predictable punchlines.

Think Cleo : an alarmed Julius Caesar, played by Kenneth Williams, comes running into view, spouting those immortal lines: Infamy! Infamy! Theyve all got it in for me! If ever a one-liner or snatch of dialogue epitomised what the Carry On s were all about, its this, which, in recognition of its popularity, topped a recent poll of funny one-liners conducted by Sky Movies Comedy. But if it hadnt been this line there were thousands more to choose from. Trawling through the archives, Cowboy finds the Rumpo Kid (Sid James) talking to the Indian chief, Big Heap (Charles Hawtrey): Once talked peace with the Sioux but you cant trust them. One moment it was peace on, the next peace off. Then theres Peter Butterworth extracting information from Kenneth Williams in Screaming! : Name? Dr Watt. Dr who? No, Watt, Whos my uncle the list is endless.

One might regard the Carry On s style and form of humour as anachronistic in todays world but, love them or loathe them, no one can deny that together they form by far the most successful big-screen comedy series, in terms of longevity and audience appeal, ever produced.

No one associated with the Carry On movies ever expected them to be celebrated for their artistic merit, and some film historians would dismiss the claim that the comedy series was more than a mere footnote, albeit a popular one, in the history of the British film industry. Some critics were persistent in decrying the merits of the films. Yet others were less dismissive, valuing the product more highly and believing that it should be accorded the respect and credit it deserved. Most of the films provide perfect examples of team playing at its best. With Peter Rogerss insistence that no one, however high their profile, could have their name above the title Carry On , everyone had to pull together; each actor played their part, with women being given equal standing in such matters as character billing. Yes, there were some real individuals after all, there could only ever be one Kenneth Williams or Charles Hawtrey but when the camera began to roll egos disappeared and everyone performed for the benefit of the product otherwise they were out on their ear.

In a climate when many complain about a surfeit of repeats on our screens, or see the discarding not only of repeats but of proven classics, too, these timeless little films from the Rogers-Thomas stable continue to entertain. Forgetting the obvious entries that didnt come up to scratch, what is it in the Carry On s make-up that makes them as accessible and as rip-roaringly funny as the day they were released?