Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head – 50 th

Anniversary.

By Collins Collaborations 1

About Collins Collaborations.

December 2016 will mark the 50th anniversary of Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head (1966).Collins Collaborations are supportive of all classic films that deserve to be celebrated, and have re-released many films such as the 50th anniversary of Mary Poppins (1964), The Sound of Music (1965) and The Wizard of Oz (1939).

The founder of Collins Collaborations is Alana Collins. After completing her Performing arts GCSE and having spent seven years of taking part in Leigh-on-Sea Theatre Train where she performed in over seven shows in Leigh, London and the West End, this ignited her interest in films and shows.

It was not until she completed work experience in a radio station and studied Print Based Media in college where she learnt about camera techniques, that Alana realised that she wanted to be a producer.

Working with her Dad, Paul Collins who is known for his photography, and her Mum, Felicity Collins who is a makeup artist, they have formed Collins Collaborations, a family run business producing and re-releasing films to the public.

Collins Collaborations have continued to grow more and more popular for their famous DVD covers, usually with their trademark of displaying celebrity faces on the front cover in frames and a bright patterned back cover, along with their posters which are always bright and eye-catching.

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Movie Press Pack: Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head .

Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2016, which is why we will be discussing re-releasing this film to the public to make this important anniversary recognised.

What will be beneficial about re-releasing this film is that the Carry On series is highly popular in the UK; these are films that will never get old and that will keep the family laughing. By re-releasing this film on Blu-ray, not only could this boost the films popularity, but it could also bring in more money for the film industry since Blu-ray is so much more popular nowadays.

Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head (1966) is a parody of The Scarlet Pimpernel (1905) a novel written by Baroness Emma Orczy.

This is the 13th film in the Carry On series, after Carry On Screaming (1966) (which was produced in the same year, but four months before Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head) and before Carry On Follow That Camel, which was produced September the following year; Carry On Follow That Camel was another film that, like Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head, was released without the Carry On prefix.

The film is set during the French revolution, 1789 in Paris, and follows the story of Citizen Camembert (played by actor, Kenneth Williams) who is beheading the French aristocracy. When this news reaches two English noblemen, Sir Rodney Ffing (Sidney James) and Lord Darcy Pue (Jim Dale) who spent their days flirting with the ladies, attending parties, hunting, shooting and fishing, they decide to make it their mission to help save the French aristocracy.

To help their French counterparts, Sir Rodney Ffing goes by the nickname of the “Black Fingernail” (due to him always leaving a piece of paper with two fingers in the air, one with a black nail, where ever he has meddled) and wears a number of disguises in order to put a stop to Citizen Camemberts actions.

When Citizen Camembert notices these acts of rebellion, and Citizen Robespierre hears of what has been happening, it is then up to Citizen Camembert to find out the true identity of the Black Fingernail, with the help of his friend, Citizen Bidet (Peter Butterworth) and to put an end to his actions, once and for all.

After following a trail to try and capture the Black Fingernail, Citizen Camembert is let to young French damsel, Jacqueline (Dany Robin) who has fallen madly in love with the Black Fingernail and helped to hide him. Troubles lie ahead when Jacqueline gets captured and hidden away by Citizen Camembert, ready to be interrogated.

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The Black Fingernail manages to slip under Citizen Camembert’s nose several times before he manages to wise up and tricks him through Désirée Dubarry, (Joan Sims) however this does not go according to plan when Désirée Dubarry falls in love with Sir Rodney Ffing also (or rather his title) and agrees to help him so long as she gets married.

The movie goes on leaving the audience to question: Will Sir Rodney Ffing save his Jacqueline? Will he get out of the deal of marrying Désirée Dubarry? Finally, will Sir Rodney Ffing get captured by Citizen Camembert?

Themes included in this film are action, romance, adventure, history, comedy, lust and slapstick comedy. The target audience of the film are families and it has a PG rating, although it is most likely to be a film that young adults and adults will watch.

As all Carry On films, this film includes loads of humour, trickery and innuendos that will get the whole family laughing.

Opportunities for the film industry to make more of a profit from this re-release will be producing Carry On themed merchandise, such as phone cases with the poster on, t-shirts, lanyards, bags, and for women in particular, necklaces like the ones Joan Sims and Dany Robin wore, and a nightgown like Dany Robin wore in the film.

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Characters:

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Citizen Camembert – Kenneth Williams (1926 – 1988)

Kenneth Williams is most well-known for his ‘posh’ voice. His passion for acting first arose when his teacher suggested he takes part in a school production.When he suggested to his parents that he was interested in perusing acting as a career his father forbade it, however once he got drafted into the army in 1944, he managed to get a job in the entertainment unit. During that time, he managed to act in shows that were there to entertain the troops. From that point onwards, once he was discharged from the army, he got to work as a professional actor, taking part in shows such as Hancock’s Half Hour (1956-1960) and the Carry On series, (26 Carry On films in total).

Sir Rodney Ffing (the Black Fingernail) – Sidney James (1913 – 1976)

Sidney James is known as the King of Carry On, since it is what he is most famous for, and he has performed in many of the Carry On films along with the TV series Carry On Laughing (1975). He got many small parts in British post-war cinema and got the other nickname as ‘one take James’. It was in 1960 that he got a part in the fourth Carry On film – Carry On Constable (1960) – and continued to be involved with 18 other Carry On movies.

Lord Darcy Pue – Jim Dale, born 1935.

Originally Jim Dale was a stand up comic. When he joined the army he held camp shows, then once he left he continued to pursue a career in comedy. After doing comedy and performing in the music variety show he soon become a singer. Later on he got a part in the film Carry On Cabby (1963) then due to doing so well and being so popular, he regularly performed in other Carry On films.

Duc De Pommfrit – Charles Hawtrey (1914 – 1988)

From the age of 11, after attending an acting school, Charles Hawtrey managed to land several stage roles, although from the age of eight he was already appearing on TV.

By 1929 his career led him to the radio. He became extremely successful on the radio which led to him starring in films. It was from 1958 that he started to work with the Carry On series. This was the first film that the Carry On’s produced which was Carry On Sergeant (1958).

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Désirée Dubarry – Joan Sims (1930 – 2001)

Joan Sims nickname were ‘The First Lady of Carry On’ due to her appearing in the second Carry On film to be produced, Carry On Nurse (1959). She appeared in many of the Carry On films, 24 to be exact, which is why she is so well known for the Carry On Films – she is the longest female member to star in the Carry On series.Joan Sims had always had an interest in pursuing a career in acting and from 1954 appeared in many films before starring in Carry On Nurse.

Jacqueline – Dany Robin (1927 – 1995)

Dany Robin first started to be trained in ballet which led to her success in being able to perform in the Opera de Paris, however, it was at the age of 19 that she knew she wanted to find a career in the movies.Dany Robin quickly became successful in the world of showbiz, starring in a huge number of comedies both in France and England, such as Lunegarde, before appearing in Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head.Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head was the one and only Carry On film That Dany Robin starred in.

Citizen Bidet – Peter Butterworth (1919 – 1979)

Peter Butterworth – otherwise known as Butterscotch – first discovered his love for acting, when he was placed in a POW camp during WWII due to his plane being shot down by the Germans. Whilst in the camp he met Talbot Rothwell who liked to write film sketches and later on became a writer for the Carry On series. During his time at war, he and Rothwell would perform their sketches – this were to both entertain and to hide the sounds of the escaping prisoners – and it was once the war hand ended that Butterworth continued his acting career. He performed in many films and TV programmes before starring in Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head.

Citizen Robespierre – Peter Gilmore (1931 – 2013)

Peter Gilmore first took an interest in acting at the age of 14, when he quit school and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, however not long after, he was expelled.Whilst in the Army, Peter Gilmore learnt that he enjoys singing and is a talented singer which led to him joining a singing group once he was discharged from the army, known as The George Mitchell Singers. From that point onwards, he then took part in several stage plays, however, he realised he wanted to do bigger things in life.

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Citizen Robespierre – Peter Gilmore (1931 – 2013)

Peter Gilmore first took an interest in acting at the age of 14, when he quit school and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, however not long after, he was expelled.Whilst in the Army, Peter Gilmore learnt that he enjoys singing and is a talented singer which led to him joining a singing group once he was discharged from the army, known as The George Mitchell Singers. From that point onwards, he then took part in several stage plays, however, he realised he wanted to do bigger things in life.

Landlady – Marianne Stone (1922 – 2009)

By having a Nan who ran her own music school, this inspired Marianne Stones’ artistic side. Marianne studied at the Royal College of Music and then went on to complete an acting scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. It was in 1945 that she had made it to West End, performing in The King Maker. She even won the Gertrude Lawrence Award for “Character Acting”.Marianne performed in nine Carry On films.

Henri – Michael Ward (1909 – 1997)

During Michael Ward’s childhood, due to his parents moving around a lot, he never really got the chance to settle down and make friends until 1930. From that point up until 1945, Michael Ward worked as a tutor and an ambulance driver. It was in 1946 Michael found his passion for the arts and abandoned his girlfriend to be a concert pianist. He then went on to study a scholarship at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and went on from there and began auditioning and got many roles in shows, TV programmes and films.

He also performed in five Carry On films.Malabonce – Leon Greene (1931)

Leon Greene’s acting career started in 1965 when he first performed in the comedy How to Undress in Public Without Undue Embarrassment.From this point onwards, Leon performed in three films in 1966, one of them being Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head, and his acting career soon grew. In 1971 he returned back to the Carry On series for Carry On Henry VIII and Carry On At Your Convenience.

So far his last job was in The Six Wives of Henry VIII (2001) as the Duke of Norfolk.

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Sergeant – David Davenport (1921 – 1995)

David Davenport first started acting in 1950 when he landed the role of Lord Maurice in the TV movie, The Eve of St. Agnes (1950).For many years it took him a while to get back into the acting career, but from 1958 he soon got many jobs starring in various TV series and a few movies.

His first Carry On movie was Carry On Cleo (1964) where he played the role of Bilius. He then went on to act in two more Carry On Films, Carry On Pimpernel (1966) and Carry On Henry VIII (1971).

Captain of Soldiers – Richard Shaw (1920 – 2010)

Richard Shaw has performed in many films and TV series (119 in total) but his acting career first kicked off when he acted as a Mechanic in the film Johnny Comes Flying Home. This was an uncredited role, and he played several other uncredited roles, before he soon started to get bigger parts in films and TV series.The one and only Carry On film he performed in was Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head (1966).The last film he acted in was Young Toscanini where he played the role of Comparsa, in 1988.

Second Lady / Girl at Execution – Valerie Van Ost (1944)

When Valerie Van Ost turned 18, she quickly was swept away by the acting world, making her first appearance in a film called, Locker 69 (1962). She then started to make regular appearances in films and TV series.Her first Carry On film was Carry On Cabby (1963), and she went on to act in three more films from the series: Carry On Pimpernel (1966), Carry On Doctor (1967) and Carry On Again Doctor (1969).

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First Lady – Jennifer Clulow (1942)

Jennifer Clulow’s acting career lasted less than 40 years, however, during that time she has played important roles such as Miss Clarkson from the Mogul (1967-1968) TV series and Many Jenkins from the (1973) Crown Court TV series.Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head (1966) was the one and only Carry On film that Jennifer Clulow appeared in.

Third Lady – Jacqueline Pearce (1943)

Jacqueline Pearce first started acting from the age of 21, when she played the role of Jeannie in Secret Agent (1964). She quickly went on to star in more films and TV series such as The Philanthropist (1975) where she acted as Araminta and Doctor Who (1985) where she played Chessene.Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head (1966) was also the only Carry On film Jacqueline Pearce acted in.

Uncredited actors and actresses and their roles:

Patrick Allen – Narrator Ronnie Brody – Little ManPauline Chamberlain – Woman at ExecutionJune Cooper – Girl Billy Cornelius – Soldier Monika Dietrich – Girl Hugh Futcher – Guard Joan Ingram – Bald-Headed DowagerPenny Keen – Girl Diana MacNamara – Princess StephanieElspeth March – Lady BinderMichael Nightingale – ‘What locket?’ ManJulian Orchard – RakeDido Plumb – Citizen Christine Pryor – Girl Nikki Van Der Zyl – Messenger Anna Willoughby – Girl Karen Young – Girl

Backstage crew:

Producer: Peter RogersMusic: Eric RogersCinematography: Alan HumeFilm editing: Rod Nelson-KeysCasting: Weston Drury Jr.Art Direction: Lionel Couch

Makeup: Stella Rivers – Hair stylist Geoffrey Rodway – Makeup artist John Wilcox – Makeup artist

Production manager: Jack SwinburneAssistant director: Jack CauseySecond assistant director: Jim Brennam

Art Department: Jack Causey – Assistant director Jim Brennan – Second assistant director Peter Williams – Draughtsman Gilbert Wood – Scenic artist

Sound Department: Ken Barker – Sound recordist

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Dudley Messenger – Sound recordist Wally Nelson – Sound editor Danny Daniel – Boom operator Graham V. Hartstone – Sound camera operator

Stunts: Peter Diamond – Stunts Diana MacNamara – Stunts double for Duc De Pommfrit Nikki Van der Zyl – Stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department James Devis – Camera operator Bert Bosher – Chief electrician Steve Claydon – Focus puller Harry Gillard – Still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department: Emma Selby-Walker – Costumes Margaret Lewin – Wardrobe mistress Vi Murray – Wardrobe mistress

Music director – Eric Rogers

Other crew: Rita Davison – Continuity Terry Gilbert – Choreographer Jeremy Taylor – Horse master Bob Anderson – Fight arranger

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The Production of the Film:

The film runs for 90 minutes and is filmed in colour. The language spoken while recording this film is English. The aspect ratio of this film is 1.66 : 1 and the film length is 2,470m. The negative is 35mm. A spherical cinematographic process was used and the printed file format is 35mm.

Many interesting facts about this film include that this film is known as Carry On Pimpernel in the USA, it was only filmed in the UK – Buckinghamshire and Surrey and the budget that was supplied to produce the film was 200,000 GBP.

This film was directed by Gerald Thomas and the screen play writer were Talbot Rothwell.

Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head was produced by Peter Rogers while the music was by Eric Rogers.

The cinematography for this film was sorted out by Alan Hume, the film editing was accomplished by Rod Nelson-Keys and the art direction was done by Lionel Couch.

About The Producer, Peter Rogers:

Peter Rogers has been responsible for the production of many films from the year 1949 – 2005. He had produced 17 films before he worked with the Carry On cast to produce not only all their films, but also the Carry On Laughing (1981) TV series. Due to Peter Rogers being most famous for being the producer of the Carry On films, his nicknames were ‘Mr Carry On’ and ‘Father of Carry On’.

Peter Rogers.

There have also been a few interviews with and about Peter Rogers and the Carry On series:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VbYdiOf1kM

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During this interview with Leslie Phillips, they discussed the making of the Carry On films and about the characters such as what they were like in real life. A few of the Carry On actors were actually troubled people, for instance Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey. When asked if he were as happy as he looked, Leslie Phillips replied with “you’re as happy as you make it aren’t you?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7BgkM4qb6c

During this interview, Peter Rogers explains how he produced the very first Carry On film, along with his relationship with the actors and actresses and his favourite Carry On memories.When Peter Rogers was asked why he thinks his films are so popular, the responded with “It’s because they are common… just broad sea-side humour. What everybody understands.”

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Kenneth Williams is a very famous Carry On character, and Peter Rogers explained how “he was a very erudite character… like showing off… loved being outrageous.”Sid James is also one of the most famous Carry On men, and when Peter Rogers were asked about him, he replied saying “He were a good artist; quite right for the part.”

Reviews:On IMDB this film currently has a rating on 6.5/10, on Rotten Tomatoes this film has been rated 64% and on Empire the film has been rated 3/5.

Although this film was originally released in the UK in 1966, it was also released in Ireland, France, Italy and Yugoslavia in 1967, Denmark in 1970, Japan in 1971 and West Germany in 1987.

With 13 reviews out of 17 stating how much they loved this film on IMDB, titling their reviews “Ffing good!”, “A delightful send-up of “The Scarlet Pimpernel”” and “One of the best of the Carry On series easily” it is clear to see that this film is a winner and deserves to be re-released.

A reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes rated this film 5/5 saying that this is a “Classic mischievous Carry On.”

Empire: *** “This bigger budget 13th entry in the franchise is one of its best with some decent sword fights in amongst the general saucy mayhem.”

On Variety they commented how “Don’t Lose Your Head is a wild parody of Scarlet Pimpernel adventures in the Carry On mould. The film is a crazy debauch of duelling, doublecrossing and disaster. The troupers jump through their well-known hoops with agility.”

Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head Trailer:

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The Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head trailer lasts for 2 minutes and 41 seconds – as it was produced in 1966; a lot of film trailers did last for several minutes back then.Trailer link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUS89dI5hO8

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head we would edit this trailer keeping it very similar to the original, but I would remove a few sections to shorten the trailer which in turn would help so that we do not give away too much of the plot line. Right at the end of the trailer I would add about how it is coming out December 14 th 2016 on Blu-ray.

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Credits:

The Rank OrganisationA Peter Rogers ProductionSidney JamesKenneth WilliamsJim DaleCharles HawtreyPeter ButterworthJoan SimsDany RobinPeter Gilmore Michael WardDavid DavenpoltValerie Van OstMarianne StoneLeon GreeneRichard ShawJennifer ClulowJacqueline PearceScreenplay by Talbot RothwellMusic by Eric Rogers Music:“Don’t Lose Your Head” by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter executed by The Muchael Sammes SingersProduction Manager: Jack SwinburneArt Director: Lionel CouchEditor: Rod KeysDirector of Photography: Alana Hume B.S.C.Camera Operator: Jimmy DevisAssistant Director: Jack CauseySound Editor: W. NelsonSound Recordist: Dudley Messenger and Ken BarkerContinuity: Rita DavisonMake up: Geoffrey RodwayHairdressing: Stella RiversCostume Designer: Emma Selby-WalkerChoreographer: Terry GilbertMater of The Morse: Jeremy TaylorDirected by Gerald Thomas

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