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

JIMMY DEVIS

DIAMOND, ARNOLD

Role: 5th Specialist in Sergeant

Born in London in 1915, Arnold Diamond started his working life as a librarian, acting as an amateur during the evenings, until he was called up for the Second World War. During hostilities he was wounded and transported to an Italian hospital for POWs, where upon recovering he wrote and directed plays for fellow prisoners.

CARRY ON DICK

A Peter Rogers production

Distributed through Fox / Rank Distribution Ltd

Released as an A certificate in 1974 in colour

Running time: 91 mins

CAST

PRODUCTION TEAM

Screenplay by Talbot Rothwell

Based on a treatment by Lawrie Wyman and George Evans

Music composed and conducted by Eric Rogers

Production Manager: Roy Goddard

Art Director: Lionel Couch

Editor: Alfred Roome

Director of Photography: Ernest Steward

Camera Operator: Jimmy Devis

Continuity: Jane Buck

Assistant Director: David Bracknell

Sound Recordists: Danny Daniel and Ken Barker

Make-up: Geoffrey Rodway

Hairdresser: Stella Rivers

Costume Design: Courtenay Elliott

Set Dresser: Charles Bishop

Dubbing Editor: Peter Best

Master of Horse: Gerry Wain

Assistant Editor: Jack Gardner

Casting Director: John Owen

Stills Cameraman: Tom Cadman

Wardrobe Mistresses: Vi Murray and Maggie Lewin

Coach and Horses supplied by George Mossman

Titles: G.S.E. Ltd

Processed by Rank Film Laboratories

Producer: Peter Rogers

Director: Gerald Thomas

Sgt. Strapp (Jack Douglas) took a peep once too often

It’s 1750 and England is rife with crime. Highwaymen are a constant threat on the roads, and none more so than Richard Turpin, better known as Big Dick due to the extraordinary size of his weapon. To help wipe out the tidal wave of crime, a special police force, the Bow Street Runners, is set up by King George and run by Sir Roger Daley, who himself becomes a victim of the elusive Dick Turpin, leaving him and his wife, Lady Daley, naked and embarrassed.

Just when the Bow Street Runners believe they’re closing in on the criminal, he slips out of their hands into the darkness. Unbeknown to the police, by day Dick Turpin dons a cassock and dog collar and becomes the Reverend Flasher. When the attacks continue, Captain Fancey and Sergeant Jock Strapp of the Bow Street Runners take personal responsibility for tracking down the dastardly villain.

They head for the Old Cock Inn, a well-known watering hole amongst the criminal fraternity, pretending to be crooks in search of some clues to help capture Turpin; when an old woman, Maggie, the local midwife, tells them that Turpin has a birthmark on his ‘diddler’, Jock Strapp is given the unenviable task of following every man into the toilet to check for the birthmark, but it’s a pointless task and results in Strapp almost being attacked for being a Peeping Tom.

Fancey makes out he’s a criminal wanting to bring Turpin in on a job he’s planning, so a meeting is arranged between them, but Turpin, who’s no fool, tips off the local parish policeman about the meeting and enjoys the last laugh when Fancey and Strapp are arrested and thrown in the stocks suspected of being highwaymen. A relieved Sir Roger is informed of the supposed arrest of Turpin and travels to see the legendary highwayman behind bars, but when history repeats itself and his coach is robbed en route, he knows the dastardly villain is still at large.

But Turpin’s game is soon up, or so everyone thinks, when one of his sidekicks, Harriett, is captured and held as bait. Fancey, Strapp and the parish constable await Turpin’s arrival, knowing that he’ll try rescuing his loyal friend and would-be lover, but yet again they’re fooled by the highwayman as he enters the local jail with his colleague, Tom, disguised as women; they end up freeing Harriett and tying up Fancey and Strapp.

Next day, Fancey realises he recognised Turpin’s face while disguised as a woman, and when it transpires that the Reverend Flasher was the only person who knew of his plans to lure Turpin, it’s clear that the clergyman is the wanted highwayman. They burst in on his sermon but out of respect decide to wait until the service is over before making their arrest, but before long Turpin is on the run again, crossing the border into Bonnie Scotland.

Capt. Fancey (Kenneth Williams) is entertained by the ‘Birds of Paradise’

After demob he decided to try his luck professionally, studying at RADA, before working in various reps around the country, including Bolton and Southwold. He later worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford.

Many years in rep followed before television work began to dominate. He appeared in, among others, The Borgias, Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) , Citizen Smith, Dad’s Army, Crossroads and Master Spy . His final appearance in a series was In Sickness and In Health . Among his sixty-plus films are favourites such as The Constant Husband, Zeppelin, The Frightened City and The Italian Job.

Although most of his roles were small, his services were in demand in every aspect of the entertainment business, including theatre and radio, particularly playing suave official types. He died in 1992 after being hit by a car, aged seventy-seven.

DICK

A photographer in Matron who accompanies the reporter to the Finisham Maternity Hospital to cover the story of film actress Jane Darling giving birth.

DICK, CARRY ON

see feature box here.

DICKENSON, TERRY

Role: Recruit in Sergeant

DIETRICH, MONICA

Role: Girl in Don’t Lose Your Head and Katherine Howard in Henry

For a short period around the time of her Carry On appearances, Monica Dietrich made a few screen appearances, in television shows such as Department S and Jason King , and films like A Dandy in Aspic and For Men Only.