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

‘He enjoyed the Carry On s. The roles that he played were many and varied. For example, Follow That Camel gave him the opportunity to get his teeth into a good character part.

‘When he came home from the studios he’d give me a blow-by-blow account of what had gone on and we’d sit there giggling. Joan Sims was the greatest giggler of the lot. When they were actually filming the television series, they were heading out to a location and Bernie was sitting next to Joan on the coach. She was reading the paper and there was a photograph of Tony Greig, the cricketer. She said to Bernie: “I love Tony Greig, he’s such a hunk.” Bernie replied: “Really, people tell me I look like Tony Greig.” Joan nearly wet herself laughing because he was the exact opposite.

‘When he came home he told me about it and said: “Tomorrow morning, get the cricket gear out because I’m going to turn up as a cricketer.” And he did, wearing a boy’s school cap and whites and carrying a bat. He’d agreed with the others that he’d arrive late for maximum impact. Everyone was sitting there when Bernie walked in and went straight up to Joan, saying: “Now can you see the resemblance?” She nearly fell off her chair.’

LIZ BRESSLAW –Bernard’s widow

BRIDE

Played by Marian Collins

Celebrates her honeymoon with a cruise on the Happy Wanderer . Seen in Cruising, occupying room 309 .

BRIDE

Played by Marian Collins

Seen in Cabby, Charlie Hawkins takes newlyweds to the airport; by the time he arrives, they’re hugging and kissing in the back seat.

BRIDEGROOM

Played by Evan David

In Cruising, he’s seen celebrating his honeymoon with a cruise on the Happy Wanderer . Occupies room 309 .

BRIDEGROOM

Played by Peter Byrne

Seen in Cabby, Charlie Hawkins takes newlyweds to the airport; by the time he arrives, they’re hugging and kissing in the back seat.

BRIDGET

Played by Gloria Best

One of the saloon girls seen at Rumpo’s Place in Cowboy.

BRIGADIER

Played by Peter Jones

The wisecracking brigadier is seen in England. After assigning Captain Melly the task of trying to instil some discipline into the experimental 1313 anti-aircraft battery, he later heads down to the base to see how Melly is managing.

BRIGGS, JOHNNY

Roles: Sporran Soldier in Up The Khyber , Plasterer in Behind and Melly’s Driver in England

TV: The Case of the Coughing Parrot

Johnny Briggs, born in London in 1935, is best known as Mike Baldwin in Coronation Street , a role he’s been playing since 1976, but his career stretches back to 1947 when, as a boy soprano, he was engaged at the Cambridge Theatre.

Aged twelve, he won a scholarship to the Italia Conti Stage School and, four years later, began working in rep before completing National Service. Returning to civvy street, his career took off and he became a regular screen actor, whose films have included Quartet, Helter Skelter, The Bulldog Breed, A Stitch in Time, 633 Squadron, Au Pair Girls and The Office Party.

Other television roles include playing Detective Sergeant Russell for two years in the long-running series, No Hiding Place .

BRINTON, TIM

Role: BBC Newscaster in Emmannuelle

Tim Brinton, born in London in 1929, left school and completed National Service in the army before training for the stage at the Central School of Drama where he gained the London University Diploma of Dramatic Art. Before finishing his course he was offered a post at the BBC as a general trainee, starting as a radio news reader/announcer but, later, progressing to become a television director/producer.

In the late 1950s he was seconded by the BBC to Radio Hong Kong as head of English programmes, followed by a spell as one of the early BBC television newsreaders at Alexandra Palace in 1959. He later transferred to ITN as a senior newscaster/reporter and presented other ITV shows, including the sports programme Let’s Go and ITN’s Roving Report.

He’s presented many commercials and was also the voice of short cinema films, such as Pathé Pictorial and Look At Life. Other work saw him host BBC Radio 2’s Roundabout and he was, briefly, a DJ on Radio Luxembourg. He’s coached executives of business and industry for TV and radio, and during the 1970s was media consultant to Conservative Central Office.

In 1979 he was elected MP for Gravesend, Kent, and became a member of the House of Commons Select Committee for Education, Science and the Arts. He left Parliament in 1987 to return to presentation and media coaching for business executives.

During the 1960s and ’70s he played newsreaders and interviewers in several films and television programmes, including The Avengers, Doctor in Charge and Dixon of Dock Green for the small screen and Information Received, Bunny Lake Is Missing and Man At The Top in films.

He retired from full-time work in 1998.

MEMORIES

‘I was but a small-bit player in Carry On Emmannuelle , going to the studios for an hour or so to film a piece of about twenty seconds in the role of a TV newscaster, which in reality I’d been between 1959 and 1962. To save on the budget, the director, Gerald Thomas, filmed me looking through the frame of a TV screen. Nowadays they do it electronically – or should I write digitally?’

TIM BRINTON

BRISTOL’S BOUNCING BABY FOOD

The model Goldie Locks was filming a commercial for the baby food company when she slipped at the Advertising Film Studios and badly bruised herself. Mentioned in Again Doctor .

BRODY, RONNIE

Roles: Little Man in Don’t Lose Your Head and Henry in Loving . (Note: was also cast to play the pier photographer in At Your Convenience but released from his contract. Alec Bregonzi was his replacement but scene eventually cut.)

TV: The Prisoner of Spenda and Under the Round Table

Bristolian Ronnie Brody, born in 1918, was the son of music hall artistes Bourne and Lester. He joined the Merchant Navy at fifteen before serving with the RAF in North Africa during the Second World War.

After demob he spent several years in Variety and rep but by the 1950s, his career was dominated by both the big and small screen. Over the years he became one of the most instantly recognisable comedy character actors in the business.

During his career he worked with many top comedians in shows such as Dave Allen at Large, The Dick Emery Show, Rising Damp, Bless This House, Home James, The Lenny Henry Show and The 19th Hole . Among the films he appeared in were Help! , A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Superman III . Although often cast in comedy roles, he did occasionally appear in television dramas.

He died of a heart attack in 1991.

BROMLEY, SYDNEY

Role: Sam Houston in Cowboy

The bearded Sydney Bromley was a character actor who ran the gamut of roles on stage and screen for decades without ever being the leading man. He played over one hundred Shakespearian roles for numerous companies, and performed in venues around the world, including Broadway.

Born in London in 1909, he was only twelve when he appeared in Quality Street. Three years later, he was part of the original production of St Joan, with Sybil Thorndike, the beginning of a fruitful stage career.

He was cast in many top television shows, usually one-off roles, including Z Cars, The Pallisers, No Hiding Place, Dixon of Dock Green, as well as films such as Brief Encounter, Dark Road, A Date With A Dream, Operation Third Form, Half a Sixpence and Crystalstone.