THE FILMS Steven Gerrard The Carry On Films Steven   G errard The Carry On Films Steven   Gerrard School of Film and Digital Media University of Wales Trinity St David Swansea, United Kingdom The Northern Film School Leeds Beckett University Leeds, UK ISBN 978-1-137-52004-3 ISBN 978-1-137-52005-0 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-52005-0 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016956392 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2 016 The author(s) has/have asserted their right(s) to be identifi ed as the author(s) of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the pub- lisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Macmillan Publishers Ltd. The registered company address is: The Campus, 4 Crinan Street, London, N1 9XW, United Kingdom The Carry On fi lms will always have a special place in my heart. I love and adore them. Therefore, as I raise a pint of Watney’s at T he Cock Inn, I dedicate this book to the greatest comedy team that Britain has ever produced: Sid, Kenneth, Kenny, Charlie, Joan, Babs, Hattie, Jim, Bernie, Frankie, Leslie, Patsy, Gerald, Peter, Eric, Norman and, last but defi nitely not least, the brilliant Talbot … saluté! But most of all … this book is dedicated to my Mum and Dad. Ding Dong! C arry On! Steve Gerrard Carry On fi lm fan A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS This book would not have been possible without the following people. That lovely bunch at Palgrave Macmillan include Chris Penfold, Lina Aboujieb and Harry Fanshawe, who all provided much-needed advice and guidance for me to get the book in. My enormous gratitude to them, plus the design team who have made it look so lovely. Thanks and appreciation must also go to J.L. Green and all the staff at the British Board of Film Classifi cation who provided me with detailed lists of how the Carry On fi lms were processed through the then-censors’ hands. I also want to heap praise on the staff at the British Film Institute, who provided me with so much research material. Two of Pinewood Studios’ fi nest stalwarts must not be left out: Ann Runeckles and Carol Kenyon not only got me an interview with the pro- ducer of the Carry On fi lms, Peter Rogers, but I also got to be whisked around Pinewood’s lot to stand on one of the Bourne movies’ sets, see the studio’s remarkable giant water tanks and learn the secret methods of using broccoli and a pint of goat’s milk to help recreate storm conditions at sea. I was also able to drive down Goldfi nger Avenue to see the James Bond soundstage being built. Unlike Charlie Bind’s ‘Oh oh … Oh’, this was defi nitely O-O-heaven! I would also like to thank all those C arry On personnel both in front and behind the camera who took the time to reply to my questions and provide me with some lovely autographed photos. For those who didn’t reply, my thanks too! A special acknowledgement must go to Robin Askwith and Linda Hayden. When I was eight years old, I got to see them romping around on stage in some farce at Southsea. Afterwards, I got Robin’s autograph vii viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS on the back of a packet of John Player’s cigarettes and was able to sit on Linda’s lap. She gave me a kiss on the cheek and that was the beginning of my association with keeping my own British end up. I was eight years old. My eternal gratitude to them. THANKS This book stemmed from my PhD, and so my fi rst thanks must go to Professor Robert Shail for his unswerving support at telling me to pull my fi nger out and get on with it. I also want to thank Professor Justin Smith and Dr Kevin Donnelly for being my gentle v iva voce examiners. I am part of a utopian collective and so I must thank my terrifi c mates Steven Griffi n, Nicholas Jones and Phillip Mahoney for putting up with me for all these years. Thanks also go to my Uncle Perry for forcing me to watch horror fi lms and for locking me in a graveyard to pick blackberries when I was fi ve years old. C ONTENTS 1 Introduction 1 2 Everything Has a Beginning 1 3 3 The C arry On Saga 29 4 ‘ Carry On, Sergeant! ’ 55 5 Heroes, Rogues and Fools: The C arry On Men 73 6 Hottentots and Harridans: The C arry On Women 107 7 Room at the Bottom 1 29 8 Spies and Screamers! 1 61 9 Cowboys and Khasis 1 93 ix x CONTENTS 10 Conclusion: C arry On Concluding 2 19 Filmography 227 Bibliography 2 37 Index 2 49 A A BOUT THE UTHOR Dr Steven Gerrard is Lecturer of Film, Media and Visual Culture, and works for both The Northern Film School and University of Wales. He has written for T he Dark Side Magazine, Culture Unbound: The Journal of Current Cultural Research, We Belong Dead Publications, and his work on the C arry On fi lms has appeared as chapters in edited collections. He loves science fi ction and horror cinema, and anything to do with British Low Culture. In his spare time he wishes to be either Status Quo’s rhythm guitarist or Doctor Who – he’ll have a long wait. xi