Interview with Alan Curtis (2018)
Alan starred in Carry On Henry (1971) & Carry On Abroad (1972).
I have been privileged to know Alan personally now for a few years & whilst he has not been in great health in recent years his mind & wit are as sharp as ever! Always happy to chat about his memories & vast career in the business he happily recounts anecdotes & memories from 40 & 50 years ago as though they happened last week!
He is a true gent in every respect with a great sense of humour & is always eager to chat about his career & the people that he has worked with over the years.
Below is a transcript of our conversation that we had in January 2018, the year of the 60th anniversary of 'Carry On':
I have been privileged to know Alan personally now for a few years & whilst he has not been in great health in recent years his mind & wit are as sharp as ever! Always happy to chat about his memories & vast career in the business he happily recounts anecdotes & memories from 40 & 50 years ago as though they happened last week!
He is a true gent in every respect with a great sense of humour & is always eager to chat about his career & the people that he has worked with over the years.
Below is a transcript of our conversation that we had in January 2018, the year of the 60th anniversary of 'Carry On':
CP: How are you? I hope life is treating you well?
AC: Well, unfortunately, due to an injury many years ago, I have developed osteoarthritis in my hand and so I am struggling a little in holding and gripping things for a long time. They said it may lead to this someday. I have got through three phones recently as I am struggling to hold them! Plus, the buttons are so small it isn’t easy using them!
CP: Sorry to hear that. Other than that, you are ‘Carrying On’?
AC: Yeeees, I’ve had a few health issues over the last year and in fact I think I only left the house in 2017 about seven times!
CP: Hopefully 2018 will be a better year for you!
AC: I hope so.
CP: Can you believe it is the 60th anniversary of ‘Carry On’ this year? Do you have any special memories of your times on them?
AC: Well, I was only in two you know? ‘Henry’ & ‘Abroad’. Those earlier ones though were really masterpieces, they really were.
CP: I agree. But there are also some gems amongst the later ones.
AC: Yes there are. I know ‘Carry On Up The Khyber’ was very popular and a favourite with fans. ‘Abroad’ was though too.
CP: I think ‘Henry’ is also up there and a favourite of fans and also some of the cast? I know Barbara Windsor always said she liked ‘Henry’ and the costumes.
AC: ‘Henry’ was a very colourful picture and I can see why it is popular.
CP: It is also of course the 30th anniversary of the death of Kenneth Williams this year (2018). Did you know Kenny very well?
AC: Is it really 30 years? Good grief. I got on very well with Kenneth. He was always jolly good fun to be with. Mind you, half the time I think we were pissed! He could be a little strange at times though. I remember the last time I saw him walking down Regent Street in London. I said ‘Hello Kenny! How are you?’. You know what? He totally blanked me. It was some years later so maybe he didn’t recognise me? He was in deep conversation with someone though and it seemed like he didn’t have time.
AC: Well, unfortunately, due to an injury many years ago, I have developed osteoarthritis in my hand and so I am struggling a little in holding and gripping things for a long time. They said it may lead to this someday. I have got through three phones recently as I am struggling to hold them! Plus, the buttons are so small it isn’t easy using them!
CP: Sorry to hear that. Other than that, you are ‘Carrying On’?
AC: Yeeees, I’ve had a few health issues over the last year and in fact I think I only left the house in 2017 about seven times!
CP: Hopefully 2018 will be a better year for you!
AC: I hope so.
CP: Can you believe it is the 60th anniversary of ‘Carry On’ this year? Do you have any special memories of your times on them?
AC: Well, I was only in two you know? ‘Henry’ & ‘Abroad’. Those earlier ones though were really masterpieces, they really were.
CP: I agree. But there are also some gems amongst the later ones.
AC: Yes there are. I know ‘Carry On Up The Khyber’ was very popular and a favourite with fans. ‘Abroad’ was though too.
CP: I think ‘Henry’ is also up there and a favourite of fans and also some of the cast? I know Barbara Windsor always said she liked ‘Henry’ and the costumes.
AC: ‘Henry’ was a very colourful picture and I can see why it is popular.
CP: It is also of course the 30th anniversary of the death of Kenneth Williams this year (2018). Did you know Kenny very well?
AC: Is it really 30 years? Good grief. I got on very well with Kenneth. He was always jolly good fun to be with. Mind you, half the time I think we were pissed! He could be a little strange at times though. I remember the last time I saw him walking down Regent Street in London. I said ‘Hello Kenny! How are you?’. You know what? He totally blanked me. It was some years later so maybe he didn’t recognise me? He was in deep conversation with someone though and it seemed like he didn’t have time.
Above: Alan as the 'Chief of Police' in 'Carry On Abroad'; Bottom: My 'Carry On Henry' booklet signed by Alan.
CP: Do you have any specific memories of ‘Henry’ or ‘Abroad’?
AC: Well, I remember with ‘Henry’ that the night before we had been doing a show at the Royal Variety Show. For one reason and another I didn’t get much sleep that night and we had all had quite a bit to drink. I had to be at Pinewood for 6.30am the following morning for ‘Henry’ as we were filming my scene in the courtyard. I was coming into the castle on a horse to meet with Terry Scott’s character I think. I had told them I could ride. I met with the horse master and he introduced me to the horse. It was a fairly large, about seventeen hands. He said to me ‘Alan, watch this one he is a bit lively. He threw Julian Holloway off last week’. I thought good grief! Anyway, I went around the courtyard with him and then we filmed the scene. Gerry Thomas shouted ‘cut, cut’ and said ‘Alan, we’re going to do that again. It looks like you are looking for the number!’. So, we did it again (laughs).
CP: Did you know any of the core team well?
AC: Yes, Kenny Connor and I were great friends. We had previously done some radio stuff together and he and Sid James had also been my henchman in ‘Babes in the Wood’ not long before. Kenny Connor lived in Harrow where Ernie Wise also had a house. I used to go and see Kenny a lot at his home. I used to see Bill Kerr a lot on that road too as he used to wall his dog there. Kenny had a great singing voice you know? He was such a versatile actor and a great character actor. In fact, I actually spent two weeks convalescing at Kenny’s home. I had been in hospital for an operation on my back and needed to recover. He put me up at his home whilst I recovered. I did however have to take a couple of days out as I had agreed to a brandy commercial in Berlin. Kenny used to come to my home a lot too. I’ve lived in the same place for so long. Sid could be quite grouchy. He always seemed to be grumbling about something.
AC: Well, I remember with ‘Henry’ that the night before we had been doing a show at the Royal Variety Show. For one reason and another I didn’t get much sleep that night and we had all had quite a bit to drink. I had to be at Pinewood for 6.30am the following morning for ‘Henry’ as we were filming my scene in the courtyard. I was coming into the castle on a horse to meet with Terry Scott’s character I think. I had told them I could ride. I met with the horse master and he introduced me to the horse. It was a fairly large, about seventeen hands. He said to me ‘Alan, watch this one he is a bit lively. He threw Julian Holloway off last week’. I thought good grief! Anyway, I went around the courtyard with him and then we filmed the scene. Gerry Thomas shouted ‘cut, cut’ and said ‘Alan, we’re going to do that again. It looks like you are looking for the number!’. So, we did it again (laughs).
CP: Did you know any of the core team well?
AC: Yes, Kenny Connor and I were great friends. We had previously done some radio stuff together and he and Sid James had also been my henchman in ‘Babes in the Wood’ not long before. Kenny Connor lived in Harrow where Ernie Wise also had a house. I used to go and see Kenny a lot at his home. I used to see Bill Kerr a lot on that road too as he used to wall his dog there. Kenny had a great singing voice you know? He was such a versatile actor and a great character actor. In fact, I actually spent two weeks convalescing at Kenny’s home. I had been in hospital for an operation on my back and needed to recover. He put me up at his home whilst I recovered. I did however have to take a couple of days out as I had agreed to a brandy commercial in Berlin. Kenny used to come to my home a lot too. I’ve lived in the same place for so long. Sid could be quite grouchy. He always seemed to be grumbling about something.
CP: I have just realised that it would also be Kenneth Connor’s 100th birthday this year.
AC: Would it really?! Good grief. Yes, that would be right as he was about 13 years older than me. I didn’t realise that he would have been a 100 this year! My God.
CP: Will we be seeing you at any events in the future?
AC: Well, it depends as they are looking at closing it again aren’t they? (The Cinema Museum where I last saw Alan in 2016).
CP: Yes, I believe that there is a petition at the moment to save it?
AC: Yes. Well, they will want to turn it into expensive office blocks no doubt or something like that bloody monstrosity that’s the American Embassy. Even Trump doesn’t want to go there!
Left (Top): Alan & I at The London Film Convention in 2014; Left (Bottom): Alan with Gail Grainger in 'Carry On Abroad'.
My thanks to Alan Curtis for taking the time to share his memories & talking to me for this feature for the website.
AC: Would it really?! Good grief. Yes, that would be right as he was about 13 years older than me. I didn’t realise that he would have been a 100 this year! My God.
CP: Will we be seeing you at any events in the future?
AC: Well, it depends as they are looking at closing it again aren’t they? (The Cinema Museum where I last saw Alan in 2016).
CP: Yes, I believe that there is a petition at the moment to save it?
AC: Yes. Well, they will want to turn it into expensive office blocks no doubt or something like that bloody monstrosity that’s the American Embassy. Even Trump doesn’t want to go there!
Left (Top): Alan & I at The London Film Convention in 2014; Left (Bottom): Alan with Gail Grainger in 'Carry On Abroad'.
My thanks to Alan Curtis for taking the time to share his memories & talking to me for this feature for the website.
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