samkydd

In the 50s Hancock was getting £2000 per radio show, which is incredible even today. What is more incredible is that in the 30s Gracie Fields was earning £40,000 per film! There's a lesson for you, never mind proper careers get yourself or your kids off to drama school! Work three months a year, tell everyone in interviews how hard it is getting up early at 11am every day, then spend the rest of the time somewhere hot in a drug crazed stupor with loads of tottie until the panto season starts!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

smudge

And George Formby earned a phenomenal amount of money at his peak too, don't forget....

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

Jackdaw

Tommy Trinder was reputed to earn £2,000 per week in the early 50's, and I also learned recently that Joy Beverley earned £750 p.w. as one- third of the Sisters, before she married Billy Wright.
To put things in perspective,the day-return railfare from Bournemouth Central to Waterloo was 15/8d (78p) in the mid-fifties, and my father earned £12.50 pw,again in the mid-fifties,in a managerial position.

Roll on the revolution!

Cheers

Jacky

jacobean

I know that Sid James used to get knock backs by arranging blatent product placement on the films with the likes of Johnny Walker scotch. The most glaring example of this is during 'Again Doctor when he opens a cabinet to show Jim Dale the medicine cabinet and dozens of bottles of said scotch are clearly shown. Also, at the beginning of Abroad (my favourite) there are loads of references to a certain make of beer in the pub he runs. I think he had a long running agreement with a well known cigar company as well. They used to pay him in cigars for years!

Williams complains that he got the same amount for each film despite the fact that the first and last were 20 years apart and there was no allowance for inflation. It was either £2000 or £5000 depending on what you read!

They were an interesting bunch. There were loads of stories about Charles Hawtry being banned from every pub in his hometown of Deal because of his behaviour. Surprised that he lasted so long as he sadly drowned his sorrows for 14 years before dying.

samkydd

I read somewhere at the time of his death that he was supposed to have his legs amputated to save him (as did Arthur Askey) from whatever life threatening disorder warranted such drastic action, but CH chose not to go through with the operation and subsequently died. I've got him in a Will Hay as a school kid and he never changed much really!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

Fellwanderer

I always found it funny that "Sergeant" Bob Johnson called him Pop in A Canterbury Tale when we would normally apply that, or similar, to someone who was quite clearly [to our eyes] in his dotage - not 29!

FELL

All the best
FELL

A signature is no substitute for a life

Harbottle

In the main I prefer the earlier films which had more charm and less obvious smut which the later overdosed on. Not to say I don't enjoy honest smut of course but “Convenience” for example was pretty dire. Top favs:

1. Carry on Screaming
2. Carry on Cleo
3. Carry on Constable
4. Carry on Cruising
5. Carry on Doctor
6. Carry on Spying
7. Carry on Sergeant

jacobean

Behind, England and Emmanuel were the worst for this as they got much more like the 'Confessions' films with their soft porn content. Dont even mention Columbus.

My favourites are the contempory late sixties and early seventies ones - so bad that they are funny. I think people are more interested in the private lives and sad endings of the stars than anything else.

Bryanb

my fave would have to Be camping,..it's a riot, however i do like Carry on doctor and Carry on Screaming....... and the poster who said about Harry H Corbett was spot on, he was wasted as a comedian IMO.... he's brilliant in Steptoe and screaming...as Sidney Bung i didn't know til recently that he was married to Sheila Steafel.

fred kite

My favorit Carry On film would have to be Carry On Cabby because the men cab driver's try to get theire own back on the woman cab driver's because they keep on taken theire passingers from them and it is a laugh from the begining to the end expecialy when Kenneth Conner dresses up like a woman cab driver to sneek in to theire office to find out what theire planning.ha ha ha.......

Cuffy

I happened to spot Carry On Behind on cable today (I'm one of the few who like it). I like them all, but particularly liked the suggestion of Carry On Screaming as a favourite - it was a bit of a one off but I have vivid childhood memories of winding back the VHS tape to watch particular scenes. Also, it featured Harry H, which is never a bad thing.

orpheum

I was driving uo to the West End yesterday and after i turned from Albany Street to go past Albany Mansions saw that this was no longer there,just a hole in the ground.This of course was where Kenneth Williams spent the last years oof hids life.The blue plaque obviously was gone.I wonder if they will put it on the new building

hankoler

Carry on sergeant was my favourite, then the other B/W carry ons .

clive saunders

Have to agree - Carry On Cabby is great. Esma Cannon is wonderful and we also see a young Jim Dale with pregnant wife! Full of laughs and in black & white too!

What an absolute shower! Be seeing you!

Carmel

Carry on Camping and Screaming were by far the best, although any carry on is worth the watch. What ever happened to Carry on London they were making it and talking about it then nothing we havn't heard any thing in a long time surly they have finished making it by now or have they ceased making it altogeather.