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I don't know about you but I have
often wondered what it would be like to meet some of my Carry On
heroes! Similarly, how wonderful would it be to have a nose
around Pinewood Studios? And have you ever wanted to meet
likeminded fans, people who share the same passion for the Carry
On films and not just a passing interest?
Well on Sunday 21st November 1999 I
got to do all three! Carry On Stuffing was a special event for
Carry On fans to spend a whole day wallowing in Carry On heaven
at the home of all 31 Carry On films - Pinewood Studios!
When my Sister, Sam, and I arrived at
Pinewood Studios we entered the mansion house made famous in
numerous Carry Ons including Camping and Again Doctor and were
greeted by event organisers Morris Bright and Robert Ross. These
guys (fast becoming a Carry On double act!) are very obviously
fans of the films having recently written the entertaining book
Carry On Uncensored. Robert also wrote the essential guide The
Carry On Companion - the Carry On bible as Jack Douglas called
it!
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Having received a very warm welcome
from Robert and Morris we were ushered into the ballroom where a
sales table was heaving under the weight of Carry On memorabilia.
Father Christmas was on hand to sign autographs! Well he was
being played to perfection by Carry On actor Norman Mitchell!
Norman was due to arrive later in the day to hand out presents
but had actually arrived even before the organisers! Norman
chatted away with fans as if they were old friends and it was a
pleasure to meet him! He talked to me about the many times he had
worked in Birmingham Rep and about his three years playing a
policeman on Crossroads. |
After a very tasty buffet, Sam and I ventured into
the theatre and took our seats for a screening of Carry On
Behind. The three people sat directly in front of us chatted
constantly throughout the film, but they were easily forgiven as
it was Carry On star Jack Douglas, his wife and Bill Robertson.
Jack’s wife had never seen Behind before and was obviously
enjoying it immensely. Norman Mitchell was sat on Jack’s
left and I swear he nodded off half way through the film!
| The interview with Jack Douglas that followed was
terrific and allowed this much maligned Carry On performer to
show just how funny and entertaining he could be. We discovered
that his favourite Carry On (in which he appeared) was Dick and
that he felt the historical ones were the best of the bunch. His
dislike of Carry On Columbus was self-evident as each time he
mentioned the word ‘Columbus’ he pretended to turn and
spit. At the end of the interview Jack received a huge round of
applause and was presented with a very nice characature of
himself and Windsor Davies in a scene from Carry On Behind - I
later bought a copy of the print myself.
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This interview was followed by an auction of rare
autographs, pressbooks and even Jack’s very own set of golf
clubs. Jack’s attempts at being an auctioneer had to be seen
to be believed and I thought poor old Morris was going to have a
heart attack! I was tempted to bid for one or two items, but as
the bids climbed rapidly I felt it wise to sit on my hands!
Unfortunately Jack had to leave straight after the
auction and after I had secured his autograph in my Companion it
was off for coffee and biscuits. On our return to the theatre we
were treated to a screening of some rare footage including the
little seen 1983 Carry On Christmas Special hosted by Kenny
Williams and Barbara Windsor and a number of Carry On trailers
including Jack, Cabby and my favourite - Screaming! It was during
this screening that Brian Rawlinson and his friends arrived and
took the seats recently vacated by Jack Douglas and his party. |
| Patsy Rowlands was due to be interviewed at 17:15,
but she had been unavoidably detained, so Brian Rawlinson, Norman
Mitchell and the newly arrived Hugh Futcher took to the stage for
what was to be the added bonus of the day. They were real
troupers keeping us entertained with stories both Carry On and
non-Carry On. Alexandra Dane also arrived at this point, but
remained at the back of the theatre. When Patsy finally arrived,
Brian, Norman and Hugh took a well earned round of applause and
left the stage. As Brian and Norman helped each other down the
steps I heard Brian say to Norman, “Shall we go for a wee
now Norman? Come on, let’s have a wee break!”. Much
laughter ensued! |
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Patsy Rowlands took to the stage, obviously still
breathless from her eventful trip to the studios! Her face lit up
as she received a rapturous round of applause. I think it’s
fair to say that the whole audience was captivated by the
numerous stories she recounted including an incident in the
makeup room at Pinewood involving herself, Bernard Bresslaw and
Adrienne Posta which it is probably best not to go into! |
We also found out that it was Sid James who
recommended Patsy for the Carry Ons as she was at that time
working with him on the television programme Bless This House and
that it took quite some time for Patsy to be accepted by Kenny
Williams as one of the gang as she didn’t stand up to him
enough. For me the funniest story was about her time on Carry On
Henry. While taking her son to his friend’s before school he
asked what Mummy would be doing at work that day. She told her
son she was going to have her head chopped off. She thought no
more about the conversation until she went to pick her son up
from his friend’s after filming was complete and discovered
that her son’s friend had been in tears all day believing
that Patsy was really having her head chopped off. It took quite
some time to convince the poor boy that Patsy’s head was
still firmly in place!
| This delightful interview with Patsy was followed by
a delicious Christmas dinner, during which Peter Rogers (producer
of all 31 Carry On films - who had just arrived) came round each
and every table to sign autographs and pose for photos. His
insistence on coming to each of us rather than us having to queue
to see him highlighted for me just how highly he thinks of Carry
On fans. |
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It was during this time that some fans started going
to Patsy Rowlands for her autograph, interrupting her while she
was trying to eat. This for me was the low point of what was a
wonderful day. I was quite disgusted that some of my fellow fans
couldn’t wait until the poor woman had finished eating
before approaching her. I felt it was only fair to wait until she
had finished before I approached her, so as Alexandra Dane had
finished her meal I went and asked for her autograph which she
was only too pleased to give. And when I asked if I could have a
photo taken with her she said, “Sure!” and grabbed me
in what can only be described as a bear hug! She also insisted
on having her photo taken with Sam, which I thought was very nice
of her, and when I told her how wonderful it had been to meet her
she said how wonderful it had been to meet me. I left her table
feeling very happy!
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| Patsy, Brian and Hugh, who were all seated together
at the same table, had by now finished their meals so I joined
the queue to meet them. I went to Patsy first and as she took my
book to sign it I apologised to her for her not being able to eat
her dinner in peace. She turned to me, smiled and said “Oh,
thank you darlin’” and proceeded to sign my Carry On
Companion. |
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Brian had started to recount a story about Dame Thora
Hird to the other people at the table and didn’t realise I
was waiting for his autograph. Patsy turned and took my book
thinking I was somebody else and I’m afraid I blurted out
“No, you’ve already signed it Patsy! It’s Brian
who’s holding the queue up!”. Everybody at the table
began to laugh and Brian turned to me full of apologies and I
felt myself going quite red as a result! Brian still had the good
grace to sign my book and pose with me for a photo as did Patsy.
Then I moved rapidly on to Hugh Futcher before I put my foot in
it again!
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| I was able to spend a little more time with Hugh and
was able to ask him about his scene in Carry On Spying where he
has to lie on a bed of nails. Hugh told me that throughout
preliminary shooting the nails had been covered in a sheet of
glass and it was only at the last minute that the glass was
whisked away. And the nails weren’t real but made of hard
rubber, but still quite painful none-the-less! Hugh also signed
my book and posed for a photo. |
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Then it was back to our seats to watch a 17 minute
whistle-stop-tour through the world of Carry On. Then Peter
Rogers took to the stage and was visibly moved by the applause he
received. Peter was presumably supposed to remain on stage during
his question and answer session, but chose to walk among the
tables as he answered question after question. I have to admit
that I have always been under the mistaken impression that the
Carry Ons came to a natural finish with Emmannuelle because their
popularity was beginning to wane, but this is not the case. Peter
told us that after the filming of Emmannuelle he and Gerald
Thomas were caught up for nine months of each of the next few
years working on the compilation episodes for television, which
left no time to make a new Carry On. But plans for a Carry On
send up of Dallas were under discussion at that time. The threat
of legal action from the producers of Dallas meant that the
location, but not the story, was changed to Australia, and so
plans for Carry On Down Under got well under way. Things got as
far as the finance being found (from an Australian backer) but at
the last moment the money was physically stolen and that is why
the film never got made! Peter recounted story after story about
such things as he always gave the final treatment to each script,
what brought him to Pinewood (asked by Brian Rawlinson) - to
which Peter replied, “A car!”, how Eric Rogers came to
take over from Bruce Montgomery as Carry On composer, why the
stars weren’t paid more and that they themselves were
responsible for not receiving a percentage of each films profits,
his families low opinion of the Carry Ons (but now his older
brother watches them all on video), the stories seemed endless.
But as is normally the case, all good things end all too soon and
before we knew it the interview was over! Morris thanked Peter
and we all gave him a standing ovation which made him very
emotional again!
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Audrey Skinner (personal secretary to Peter Rogers),
who had been present at dinner, was also thanked by Morris for
her tireless work and she also received a round of applause. Then
Peter went to fetch the guest of honour - his German Shepherd
Heidi. And then the day really was over! I just had time to get
one last autograph, that of Audrey Skinner and to have my photo
taken with her and then we left. What a glorious day it was -
highly recommended |
 
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