48-494: Walter Frederick George Williams (8 October 1928 – 30 March 2018), better known by his stage name Bill Maynard , was an English comedian and actor. He began working in television in the 1950s, notably starring alongside Terry Scott in Great Scott – It's Maynard! (1955–56). In the 1970s and 1980s, he starred in the successful British sitcoms Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt and The Gaffer and appeared in five films in
96-511: A billboard for the popular British confectionery, Maynard's Wine Gums , when he was to do performances for the BBC . Maynard progressed to repertory theatre, touring army camps with Jon Pertwee . Maynard's first television broadcast was on 12 September 1953 on Henry Hall 's Face the Music . For much of his career until the 1970s, his work was mostly towards performances: he entered and placed fourth in
144-497: A budget of £1.5 million, which was deemed too expensive – proved to be the end of the film and it was cancelled. The final proposed Carry On , before Peter Rogers's death in 2009, was Carry On London . Announced in 2003 by Rogers and producer James Black, it remained in pre-production well into 2008. The script was signed off by the production company in late March 2008, and "centred on a limousine company ferrying celebrities to an awards show". The film had several false starts, with
192-488: A command commonly issued by army officers to their sergeants in the course of their routine duties, was in keeping with its setting. The film was sufficiently successful to inspire a similar venture, again focusing on an established and respected profession in Carry On Nurse . When that too was successful, further forays with Carry On Teacher and Carry On Constable established the series. This initial 'pattern'
240-420: A long-playing record, Oh! What a Carry On! (MFP MONO 1416), featuring songs performed by Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Kenneth Connor, Frankie Howerd, Bernard Bresslaw, Joan Sims, Barbara Windsor, and Dora Bryan . A 50-minute television documentary, What's a Carry On? , was made in 1998 for the 40th anniversary of the first film. It included archive clips, out-takes and interviews with surviving cast members. It
288-430: A nervous breakdown. The breakdown was in part brought on by his public confession that he had indulged in a series of affairs since his marriage to dancer Margaret Peden in 1957. The couple had four daughters. Carry On (film series) Carry On is a British comedy franchise comprising 31 films, four Christmas specials, a television series and stage shows produced between 1958 and 1992. Produced by Peter Rogers ,
336-407: A number of VHSs were released in an eighteen VHS box-set on 1 September 2003. The film series was first released as a DVD box-set on 1 September 2008, by ITV Studios Home Entertainment. Five years later, on 7 October 2013, it was re-released with smaller packaging. All the movies contained in the collection are also available to buy individually. Since 2013, StudioCanal has released a number of
384-399: A principal performer. In his diaries Kenneth Williams lamented this, and criticised several of the movies despite his declared fondness for the series as a whole. Peter Rogers, the series' producer, acknowledged: "Kenneth was worth taking care of, because while he cost very little [...] he made a very great deal of money for the franchise." The Carry On series includes a broad cast across
432-560: A reduction in his mobility, he used a scooter or wheelchair. He died in hospital on 30 March 2018, not long after falling and breaking his hip. Terry Scott Terry Scott , born Owen John Scott, (4 May 1927 – 26 July 1994) was an English actor and comedian who appeared in seven of the Carry On films . He is also best known for appearing in the BBC1 sitcoms Happy Ever After and Terry and June with June Whitfield . Scott
480-558: A return to the stage when he appeared as the main guest of honour at the Pride of Bridlington Awards held in the East Riding of Yorkshire . By then, his career slowly wound down due to his age and impaired mobility from his strokes, whereupon his final television appearance was made on 14 April 2018 for an episode of Pointless Celebrities ; filming took place prior to his death, while the episode aired 15 days after his death. Maynard
528-495: A role on Dennis Potter 's television play Paper Roses , which was about the last day in the life of a reporter, and then securing another role for Colin Welland 's television play, Kisses at Fifty in 1973. Around the same year, he worked with television actor and comedian Ronnie Barker in the (original) "Football Blues", which aired as "Spanners Eleven", and was part of a series called Seven of One . In 1974, Maynard became
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#1732787524992576-411: A series of the sketch show Scott On (1968). They also featured in supporting roles together in the film version of Bless This House . Although both Scott and Whitfield made several Carry On appearances, they never appeared in the same film. From 1981 to 1992, Scott was the voice of Penfold the hamster in the animated series Danger Mouse . He suffered from ill health for several years in
624-515: A small role in the very first of the Carry On films series of films, Carry On Sergeant in 1958. In 1968 he returned to the series with a role in Carry On Up the Khyber (1968), playing main roles in six of the later films. He starred alongside June Whitfield in several series of the comedy Happy Ever After and its successor Terry and June . They had first worked together making
672-477: A subject of This Is Your Life , when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews . Around the same time, Maynard went to work for Yorkshire Television , starring in a pilot episode for a new sitcom. In 1975, he published his autobiography, The Yo-Yo Man , with Leicester 's Golden Eagle books. Also in 1975 he appeared in The Sweeney episode Supersnout in which he played Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Quirk of
720-624: Is the longest-running, having started in 1962, four years after the first Carry On , though with fewer films.) Rogers and Thomas were responsible for all 31 films, usually on time and to a strict budget, and often employed the same crew — some of whom were also regulars on the James Bond series, such as Peter Lamont , Alan Hume , and Anthony Waye . Between 1958 and 1992, the series employed seven writers, most often Norman Hudis (1958–1962) and Talbot Rothwell (1963–1974). Anglo Amalgamated Film Distributors Ltd produced 12 films (1958–1966), and
768-413: The Carry On series . After a hiatus from television work in the late 1980s, Maynard starred as Claude Jeremiah Greengrass in the long-running television series Heartbeat from 1992 to 2000, reprising the character in the spin-off The Royal in 2003. Walter Williams began as a variety performer in the 1950s, under the stage name of Bill Maynard – the surname was inspired from seeing
816-570: The Daily Star Sunday that "we have got two new stories and we are looking to do one of the old ones again to bring it up to modern day quality – probably Carry On Sergeant " . Baker's company Carry On Films Ltd was later dissolved. The characters and comedy style of the Carry On film series were adapted to a television series titled Carry On Laughing , and several Christmas specials . In 1971, Music for Pleasure released
864-726: The British heat of the 1957 Eurovision Song Contest ; he worked alongside Terry Scott for the TV series Great Scott – It's Maynard! , after they worked together at Butlins Holiday Camp in Skegness ; and he served as part of the news team on the One O'Clock Show for Tyne Tees Television in Newcastle (1959–64). He also served for BBC Radio Leicester during the 1960s, until his departure in 1968. In 1971, Maynard entered into acting, securing
912-485: The Carry On films were directed by Gerald Thomas and starred a regular ensemble that included Sid James , Kenneth Williams , Charles Hawtrey , Joan Sims , Kenneth Connor , Peter Butterworth , Hattie Jacques , Terry Scott , Bernard Bresslaw , Barbara Windsor , Jack Douglas , and Jim Dale . The humour of Carry On was in the British comic tradition of music hall and bawdy seaside postcards . The success of
960-593: The Confessions series of sex comedies and appeared in the 1976 film It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet . In April 1992, he returned to Yorkshire Television as lovable rogue Claude Jeremiah Greengrass in Heartbeat , a new ITV drama series set in the 1960s. It was a major success, consistently drawing over 10 million viewers. Maynard published a new book, Stand Up...And Be Counted , in 1997 with Breedon Books. He remained with Heartbeat until December 2000, when he
1008-672: The Metropolitan Police 's Flying Squad being the subject of a conspiracy by Joey Stickley, a dirty and weasley informant who attempts to ruin his reputation. After a pilot episode in 1974, Maynard took on the lead role in the sitcom Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt for three series, followed by its sequel Selwyn for one series, between 1976 and 1978. The Selwyn Froggitt role made Maynard a nationwide household name. In 1980, Maynard appeared in three episodes of Worzel Gummidge as Sergeant Beetroot, alongside long-time friend Jon Pertwee. In 1981, Maynard starred in three series of
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#17327875249921056-632: The Whitehall Theatre Company . With Bill Maynard he appeared at Butlin's Holiday Camp in Skegness , Lincolnshire and partnered him in the TV series Great Scott - It's Maynard! . During the 1960s he appeared alongside Hugh Lloyd in Hugh and I (1962–1967). They both appeared as Ugly Sisters in pantomime at The London Palladium; Scott reappeared in later years in the same role alongside Julian Orchard . Scott and Lloyd later appeared in Hugh and I Spy (1968) and, as gnomes , in
1104-501: The ITV sitcom The Gaffer until its conclusion two years later in 1983. In The Gaffer , Maynard played Fred Moffat, a downbeat, cynical and cunning character focused on survival who runs a struggling engineering firm, and who is constantly trying to avoid his creditors, the tax man, the bank manager, trade unionists at his engineering firm, and indeed seeking to avoid anyone who might want him to pay for something. The character of Fred Moffat
1152-481: The Rank Organisation made 18 (1966–1978), while United International Pictures produced one (1992). All films were made at Pinewood Studios near Iver Heath , Buckinghamshire . Budgetary constraints meant that a large proportion of the location filming was undertaken close to the studios in and around south Buckinghamshire, including areas of Berkshire and Middlesex . However, by the late 1960s, at
1200-518: The acidic Kenneth Williamsesque character), Jynine James , Lenny Henry , Justin Lee Collins , Jennifer Ellison (as the saucy Barbara Windsor type), Liza Tarbuck (paralleling Hattie Jacques), Meera Syal , James Dreyfus , and Frank Skinner (filling in the Sid James role). Despite new media interest and sets being constructed at Pinewood Studios, the film was once again put on hold, and
1248-455: The attempt was cancelled due to the financial loss of Carry On Emmannuelle . The final attempt to create Carry On Again Nurse came in 1988, with a script written by Norman Hudis . It was to revolve around a hospital set for closure, and set to star original actors Barbara Windsor , Jack Douglas , Kenneth Williams , Charles Hawtrey , Kenneth Connor and Joan Sims , with Sims filling in
1296-512: The education system ( Teacher ) amongst others. Although the films were very often panned by critics, they mostly proved very popular with audiences. In 2007, the pun "Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me", spoken by Kenneth Williams (playing Julius Caesar ) in Carry on Cleo , was voted the funniest one-line joke in film history. However, this line had originally been written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden for Jimmy Edwards in
1344-428: The films and other adaptations. A regular core ensemble cast included Sid James , Kenneth Williams , Charles Hawtrey , Joan Sims , Kenneth Connor , Peter Butterworth , Hattie Jacques , Bernard Bresslaw , Barbara Windsor , and Jim Dale . Several other films were planned, scripted (or partly scripted) or entered pre-production before being abandoned: An intended sub-sequel to the successful Carry On Nurse
1392-426: The films led to several spin-offs, including four Christmas television specials (1969–1973), a 1975 television series of 13 episodes, a West End stage show and two provincial summer shows. The Carry On series contains the largest number of films of any British film franchise, and is the second longest running, albeit with a 14-year gap (1978–1992) between the 30th and 31st entries. (The James Bond film series
1440-618: The height of the series' success, more ambitious plots occasionally necessitated locations further afield, which included Snowdonia National Park , Wales (with the foot of Snowdon standing in for the Khyber Pass in Carry On Up the Khyber ), and the beaches of the Sussex coast doubling as Saharan sand dunes in Follow That Camel . Carry On Sergeant (1958) is about a group of recruits doing National Service ; its title,
1488-564: The latter part of his life. In 1979, he had a life-saving operation after a brain haemorrhage. He also suffered from creeping paralysis and had to wear a neck brace . Scott was also diagnosed with cancer in 1987. He died from its effects at his family home in Witley , Surrey , on 26 July 1994, at the age of 67. He said of his last illness: "I know it would be better to give up the booze, fags and birds, but life would be so boring, wouldn't it?" When Terry and June ended in 1987, he suffered
Bill Maynard - Misplaced Pages Continue
1536-458: The named director. At the 50th anniversary party held at Pinewood Studios in March 2008, Rogers confirmed that he was planning a series of Carry On films after London , subject to the success of the first. In early 2009, Carry On London or Carry On Bananas was once again 'back on', with Charlie Higson attached as director, and a different, more modern, cast list involving Paul O'Grady (as
1584-498: The producers and cast changing extensively over time. Only the little-known Welsh actress Jynine James remained a consistent name from 2003 to 2008. Danniella Westbrook , David Jason , Shaun Williamson and Burt Reynolds were also once attached to the project. It was announced in May 2006 that Vinnie Jones and Shane Richie were to star in the film, which was to be directed by Peter Richardson , though Ed Bye later replaced him as
1632-532: The project was abandoned after the death of Peter Rogers in April 2009. In May 2016, producer Jonathan Sothcott of Hereford Films announced plans for a new series of Carry On films, beginning with Carry On Doctors and Carry On Campus . On 12 April 2017, Sothcott confirmed to the website The Hollywood News that he was no longer involved with the film series. As of September 2019, three Carry On films were set to be filmed back-to-back, after Brian Baker won
1680-464: The radio series Take It From Here some years previously. A film had appeared in 1957 under the title Carry On Admiral ; although this was a comedy in similar vein (and even featured Joan Sims in the cast) it has no connection to the Carry On series itself. The much earlier 1937 film Carry On London is also unrelated (though it coincidentally starred future Carry On performer Eric Barker ). The cast were poorly paid—around £5,000 per film for
1728-574: The rights to the movies following a legal battle with ITV earlier that year. Production of the new films had been planned to take place in spring 2020. However, filming was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and little more was heard about the project until after the death of Barbara Windsor in December 2020, when Baker announced that he would be using old footage of the actress in the film, saying "Barbara will be making an appearance." Baker told
1776-480: The role of Matron that was previously held by Hattie Jacques . The end of the film was going to be a tribute to Jacques, with Sims turning around a photograph of the actress and asking "Well, did I do alright?" (the script is included in the book The Lost Carry Ons ). Production was scheduled to begin in June 1988, but the death of Williams two months previously, followed by that of Hawtrey six months later – combined with
1824-510: The sitcom The Gnomes of Dulwich (1969). Scott's novelty record "My Brother" (written by Mitch Murray , and released in 1962 on Parlophone ) was based on a schoolboy character (he dressed in school uniform to sing it on TV). In the 1970s he had a role in TV commercials for Curly Wurly caramel bars, in which he again appeared dressed as a schoolboy, with short trousers and cap. He repeated this performance several times on BBC TV's long-running variety show The Good Old Days . Scott had played
1872-453: Was Carry On Cleo (1964), in which the budget-conscious production team made full use of some impressive sets that had been created in 1960 for the Burton and Taylor epic Cleopatra (1963) but abandoned when production moved to Rome. Carry On Emmannuelle , inspired by the soft-porn Emmanuelle , brought to an end the original Carry On run. The stock-in-trade of Carry On humour
1920-752: Was innuendo and the sending-up of British institutions and customs, such as the National Health Service ( Nurse , Doctor , Again Doctor , Matron and the proposed Again Nurse ), the monarchy ( Henry ), the Empire ( Up the Khyber ), the armed forces ( Sergeant , England , Jack and the proposed Flying and Escaping ), the police ( Constable ) and the trade unions ( At Your Convenience ) as well as camping ( Camping ), foreign holidays ( Cruising , Abroad ), beauty contests ( Girls ), caravan holidays ( Behind ), and
1968-618: Was a supporter of the Labour Party , but in March 1984 Maynard stood against Tony Benn in the by-election at Chesterfield as an Independent Labour candidate, after objecting to the way that Benn became the official Labour Party candidate in a safe seat. Maynard took fourth place in the by-election. On 4 September 1989, Maynard married actress and singer Tonia Bern, the widow of Donald Campbell , at Hinckley Registry Office. They divorced in 1998. Bern died on 14 June 2021. In later life, having suffered multiple strokes which resulted in
Bill Maynard - Misplaced Pages Continue
2016-739: Was born and brought up in Watford , Hertfordshire , and educated at Watford Field Junior School and Watford Grammar School for Boys . He was the youngest of three children, and the only surviving son after his brother Aubrey died when Scott was six. After National Service in the Navy at the end of the Second World War , he briefly studied accounting. Scott began his acting career with appearances on radio shows such as Workers Playtime , which were followed by appearances on television. He gained an opportunity to perform in farce when he joined
2064-578: Was born in Farnham , Surrey , whereupon his family moved north to Leicestershire . He was educated at Kibworth Beauchamp Grammar School . Maynard lived in Sapcote , Leicestershire, during the latter part of his life. He married Muriel Linnett on 5 November 1949, and they had two children. She died in June 1983. Maynard was a vegetarian. His son is musician Martin Maynard Williams . Maynard
2112-582: Was broken with the fifth film in 1961, Carry On Regardless , but it still followed a similar plot to that of many of the early films—a small group of misfit newcomers to a job make comic mistakes, but come together to succeed in the end. The remainder of the series developed with increased use of the British comic traditions of music hall and bawdy seaside postcards . Many titles parodied more serious films, such as their tongue-in-cheek homages to James Bond ( Spying ), westerns ( Cowboy ), and Hammer horror films ( Screaming! ). The most impressive of these
2160-439: Was forced to retire from the programme following a series of strokes . Despite this, he returned to acting in 2002 to reprise his character in spin off series The Royal until 2003. Maynard made a comeback to radio in March of that year on BBC Radio Leicester . His programme Bill of Fare aired every Sunday from 2pm to 4pm for nearly five years, until he was dismissed without notice on 5 February 2008. In October 2009, he made
2208-583: Was in contrast to the high profile, upbeat, good hearted, bumbling, casual labourer Selwyn Froggitt from his earlier sitcom, with the contrasts between the two even going as far as Fred Moffat having a beard and Selwyn Froggitt being clean shaven. During the 1970s, Maynard secured roles in a number of films: he starred in five of the Carry On films, including Carry On Matron (1972) and Carry On Dick (1974). He starred as Mr. Lea alongside Anthony Booth , Robin Askwith and Doris Hare in all four films in
2256-587: Was included as an extra on the DVD release of Carry On Emmannuelle . A two-hour radio documentary, Carry On Forever! , presented by Leslie Phillips , was broadcast in two parts on BBC Radio 2 on 19 and 20 July 2010. A three-part television retrospective with the same title, narrated by Martin Clunes , was shown on ITV3 in the UK over Easter 2015. The Carry On film series has had numerous individual releases on VHS, and
2304-577: Was renamed and made as Carry On Doctor in 1967. Carry On Nurse was alluded to twice in Carry On Doctor , firstly with the sub-titles (one reading Nurse Carries On Again and Death of a Daffodil ), and again in a later scene with Frankie Howerd commenting on a vase of daffodils in his hospital room. A second attempt at Carry On Again Nurse came in 1979, after the series left Rank Films and moved to Hemdale. A completed script had been written by George Layton and Jonathan Lynn in 1977, but
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