Richard Webber - The Complete A–Z of Everything Carry On

Born in Gosport, Hampshire, in 1907, into a naval family, Bevis was educated on HMS Conway, the cadet-training ship, before serving two years in the Royal Navy. After returning to civvy street, he was soon back at sea, working as a navigating officer for Canadian Pacific Steamships. He left the ocean wave behind in his early twenties and found work with a tin-canning company as a trainee production manager until being made redundant when the company was taken over.

He followed friends involved in crowd work in films and gradually forged a new career in the industry. Eventually switching to behind the camera, he gained experience via a host of jobs, including production manager on, among others, The October Man, Odd Man Out and The Way To The Stars . He progressed to associate producer and worked on several films in this capacity, including Cromwell and Nicholas and Alexandra , before retiring in 1980. He died in 2003.

BIDDLE, KEN

Played by Bernard Bresslaw

A patient in Fosdick Ward at the Borough County Hospital, Mr Biddle is seen in Doctor. He was originally admitted to have his appendix removed but fell off the operating table and hurt his leg, prolonging his stay. Falls in love with Mavis Winkle, a patient in Caffin Ward, while he’s hospitalised.

BIDE-A-WEE REST HOME

The home of Dr Olando Watt and his sister, Virula, is seen in Screaming!. It’s situated on Avery Avenue, in the middle of Hocombe Woods.

BIDET

Played by Gertan Klauber

One of the soldiers who arrives in England with Francis, the King of France. Seen in Henry.

CARRY ON BEHIND

A Peter Rogers production

Distributed through Fox / Rank Distribution Ltd

Released as an A certificate in 1975 in colour

Running time: 90 mins

CAST

PRODUCTION TEAM

Screenplay by Dave Freeman

Music composed and conducted by Eric Rogers

Production Manager: Roy Goddard

Art Director: Lionel Couch

Editor: Alfred Roome

Director of Photography: Ernest Steward BSC

Camera Operator: Neil Binney

Assistant Director: David Bracknell

Make-up: Geoffrey Rodway

Continuity: Marjorie Lavelly

Sound Recordists: Danny Daniel and Ken Barker

Hairdresser: Stella Rivers

Costume Design: Courtenay Elliott

Set Dresser: Charles Bishop

Dubbing Editor: Pat Foster

Titles: G.S.E. Ltd

Processed by Rank Film Laboratories

Assistant Editor: Jack Gardner

Caravans supplied by C I Caravans Limited

Producer: Peter Rogers

Director: Gerald Thomas

Elke Sommer and Gerald Thomas chat before filming

Let the cameras roll

The esteemed archaeologist, Professor Crump, is off on an archaeological dig to Templeton where a Roman encampment has been unearthed next to a caravan site. Assisting him on his dig are a group of eager students from the University of Kidburn and Professor Vooshka, an attractive woman whose mispronunciations of the English language are in danger of landing her in all sorts of trouble, especially when she greets everyone with the phrase, ‘How are your doings?’

Other people heading to this quiet corner of England include Fred Ramsden and his mate, Ernie Bragg, two middle-aged men who tell their wives they’re off on a fishing trip, but it’s birds – and not the feathery kind – rather than fish that Fred’s hoping to catch. Arthur Upmore, meanwhile, is looking forward to a break with his wife, Linda, until he discovers his nagging mother-in-law is joining them. But it’s not the mother-in-law who’ll be causing problems in the Baxters’ caravan, but their enormous dog.

Two late arrivals at the Riverside Caravan Site, which is normally restricted to caravans, are Sandra and Carol, two leggy girls who are hoping to camp. Although Major Leep, the site owner, points out no tents are allowed, he’s quick to bend the rules when Sandra shows a bit of thigh, claims she’s got a bad leg and will need it massaged later. Their cunning gets them through the gates and they pitch their tent next to Fred and Ernie’s caravan, who are soon eyeing them up.

In the Lipmores’ van, Arthur is already fed up to the back teeth with the moaning Daphne Barnes, his mother-in-law; he’s soon getting the blame for the expletives pouring out of the beak of Daphne’s myna bird, and is somewhat relieved when it later escapes from its cage. But Daphne becomes a changed woman when she stumbles across her ex-husband, Henry, who’s working at the site as an odd-job man. Now with nearly £20,000 in the bank, thanks to a win on the Pools, they rekindle their love after ten years apart.

A lack of progress on the girl front sees Fred and Ernie head for a pint at the local where they learn from the landlord that the caravan site is riddled with holes caused by Roman mining; they take little notice but their ignorace comes back to haunt them later.

To liven up the site, Major Leep is planning a cabaret evening and contacts a theatrical agent for a singer. When he interrupts the conversation to talk to his caretaker about paint stripper, the agent gets the wrong end of the stick and thinks he’s after a stripper. Everyone is shocked when the dancer arrives and starts her erotic act, but while the men are lapping it up, the women aren’t so pleased. When some decide to leave they find they’re stuck to the recently painted chairs, tearing their trousers and skirts in the process.