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

Son of an engineer, he trained at Bristol’s Old Vic Theatre School after giving up his job in the drawing office at the Automatic Telephone Company. While at Bristol, he made his screen debut when a production of The Duenna in which he was appearing was recorded.

After graduating, he worked in repertory theatre, initially at Cromer, before moving to London, earning money as a part-time garage attendant in-between acting jobs; eventually television work came his way with early credits being episodes of The Adventures of Robin Hood, Ivanhoe and Dixon of Dock Green.

His big break came with the role of Jed Stone in Coronation Street , which led to appearances on That Was The Week That Was. But for many people, he’ll always be remembered as Marty Hopkirk, the helpful ghost in the detective series, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).

He’s also chalked up a lot of film credits, including X the Unknown, The Yangtse Incident, Dunkirk, Naked Fury, Father Came Too, A Twist of Sand and Juggernaut.

MEMORIES

‘One scene in At Your Convenience involved a motorbike sequence with my character and Bernard Bresslaw’s. That was very memorable because Bernard couldn’t ride and was terrified. I think he’d told the production team that he could.

‘On the set at Pinewood, he had to come round this corner to my front door, switch off the engine, park it, leave it on its stand and come up the steps to my character’s house. Well, we could hear the bike revving up around the corner and then the bike would stall. He didn’t appear for about six or seven takes. Eventually he managed to get it around the corner but then drove too far past the mark, so that was no good. This went on for what seemed like all day. What made it even more funnier was that poor old Bernie’s visor was misted up and he couldn’t see anything either. In the end, a couple of fellas pushed the bike into the shot.

‘ Matron was a lot of fun, too. Playing Cyril Carter was a lovely part. I had some say in the costume and went for suspenders because I thought they’d be funnier than tights. At lunchtime, you couldn’t get changed else you’d lose about fifteen minutes off your break, so I kept my costume on and walked over to get some lunch, wearing my full make-up, wig, the lot. I used to love going down the corridors in Pinewood because the high heels would make a hell of a noise on the floor. One day I passed three guys in the corridor, dressed like a nurse, and went straight into the gents. That didn’t half make them look!’

KENNETH COPE

COPPING, CORPORAL BILL

Played by Bill Owen

Sergeant Grimshaw’s trusty old corporal. Seen in Sergeant , he helps turn Able Platoon from a bunch of no-hopers into the champion platoon during their ten-week training course.

CORBETT, HARRY H.

Role: Detective Sergeant Sidney Bung in Screaming!

Born in Burma in 1925, the son of an army officer, Harry H. Corbett moved to Manchester as a child and served as a Royal Marine during World War Two, before training as a radiographer.

He was then drawn to the stage, first working as an understudy for the Chorlton Repertory Company and, from 1951, acting with the Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal, Stratford. He went on to roles at the Royal Court Theatre and the West End in productions such as Hamlet, The Power and the Glory and The Way of the World.

In 1955 Corbett began his big screen career, acting in films such as Nowhere To Go before going on to play Harold Steptoe in the television comedy series Steptoe and Son in 1962, a role which was the catalyst to his becoming a household name.

He continued acting in films, adding Sammy Going South, The Bargee, Rattle of a Simple Man, and The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins to his lengthening list of credits, as well as appearing in other television series, including Grundy and Potter, while on the stage he was seen playing the lead in Macbeth at the Globe Theatre in 1973.

He was made OBE in 1976, before his death in 1982, aged fifty-seven.

CORDELL, SHANE

Role: Attractive Nurse in Nurse

Shane Cordell was seen in a 1957 episode of Dixon of Dock Green , as well as a handful of films during the ’50s, including Three Men in a Boat, The Good Companions, Fiend Without A Face and Girls At Sea.

CORKTIP

Played by Anita Harris

A belly dancer-cum-fortune teller in Follow That Camel who’s first seen entertaining customers at the Café ZigaZig. Sergeant Nocker takes a shine to her and although she initially works with Sheikh Abdul Abulbul to entrap Nocker and Bertram West, she ends up being employed as Nocker’s batman when he’s eventually promoted to commandant.

CORNELIUS, BILLY

Roles: Odbodd Junior in Screaming! , Soldier in Don’t Lose Your Head , Patient in Plaster in Again Doctor , Guard in Henry , Constable in Girls , Tough Man in Dick , Man with Salad in Behind . Also uncredited roles in Cleo (Companion/escaped slave) and Cowboy (cowboy shot in opening scenes). He doubled for Terry Scott in Up the Jungle

TV: Christmas (’72), One in the Eye for Harold , Under the Round Table and Short Knight , Long Daze

Billy Cornelius, born in London in 1934, entered the printing trade upon leaving school. Always a keen amateur boxer, he turned professional in the mid-1950s and fought competitively for five years.

When he quit the ring, he followed a friend’s suggestion and began doing extra work and stunt work in film and television, which he combined with running pubs around the London area. His screen credits include The Avengers, Doctor Who, Callan, Ace of Wands and three episodes of Carry On Laughing for television, as well as When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, Bless This House, The Mind of Mr Soames and, his last film, The Long Good Friday.

CARRY ON COWBOY

An Anglo Amalgamated film

A Peter Rogers production

Distributed through Warner-Pathe Distribution Ltd

Songs: ‘Carry On Cowboy’ and ‘This is the Night for Love’ – music by Eric Rogers Lyrics by Alan Rogers

Sung by Anon

Released as an A certificate in 1965 in colour

Running time: 95 mins

CAST

PRODUCTION TEAM