Carry On Faces of 1967

This is part of a new series of blogs on Carry On Blogging. I plan to blog each year of Carry On, featuring photos of the most prolific actors for each year. Hopefully it will provide an interesting overview of the changing face of Carry On during the series' original mammoth twenty year run. 

It will turn the spotlight on the familiar faces who endured over the decades as well as those artists who came and went along the way. We are continuing today with 1967. Two films were produced that year, first of all Follow That Camel, a foreign legion romp in the spring and then it was back to medical matters for Carry On Doctor in the autumn of the same year.

Pictured above we have the most prolific actors to appear in 1967. They are as follows: Kenneth Williams as Dr Tinkle in Doctor; Jim Dale as Dr Kilmore in Doctor; Bernard Bresslaw pictured above as Abdul Abulbul in Follow That Camel; Joan Sims as Zig Zig in Follow That Camel; Peter Butterworth as Simpson in Follow That Camel; Anita Harris pictured as Nurse Clarke in Doctor; Charles Hawtrey as Mr Baron in Doctor; Frankie Howerd as Francis Bigger in Doctor and finally, Phil Silvers as Sergeant Knocker in Follow That Camel.

Of those featured above, only two actors (Williams and Hawtrey) were original cast members from the very first film, Carry On Sergeant in 1958. Original cast member Hattie Jacques returned to the series after four years to play Matron in Doctor but does not feature here. Williams, Sims, Hawtrey, Dale, Butterworth, Harris and Bresslaw all appeared in both films produced in 1967.

Following the success of Harry H Corbett's guest starring role in Screaming the previous year, 1967 saw the Carry Ons recruit two iconic comedians. Frankie Howerd made the first of two Carry On appearances as the dubious faith healer Francis Bigger in Doctor while American star Phil Silvers gave us a variation of his classic character Bilko in Follow That Camel.

Following several absences, regular Carry On faces Sid James, Hattie Jacques and Barbara Windsor all returned to the films in 1967. As mentioned, Hattie took on the role of Matron in Doctor after Joan Sims turned in down in favour of her lifelong friend. Sid James returned for a supporting role spent mainly in bed in Doctor. The actor had suffered a heart attack and although still recovering, was keen to be involved in the film. Barbara Windsor returned to the Carry Ons three years after her debut in Spying for her iconic role as Nurse May in Doctor. 

Stay tuned for the Carry On Faces of 1968 coming up soon!

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