As I have said a few times before, although the core 'Carry On' team regulars are the ones that are best remembered and have been the principal interest of fans, film historians, biographers, authors and countless documentaries, there are some 'one time players' who had very memorable and central performances in the series. One such actress is Jenny Cox.
I had been in touch with Jenny's daughter for a few years and had hoped at some stage to get the opportunity to speak with Jenny. However, due to Jenny's commitments within her personal life I knew that she was a very busy lady and time wasn't something that she had in abundance. In June 2023 the opportunity arose to spend some time chatting with Jenny ahead of her jetting off to Japan for a few weeks. So, I grabbed at it and was able to spend some quality time speaking with her about her role in 'Carry On Behind' (1975) as well as her stage and TV career.
Jenny was an absolute joy to interview and speak with as she not only had clear recollections of her time on 'Behind' but she also recalled stories and anecdotes with brilliant vivacity.
"Ere, that's not Miss Fosdick!"...no, it is the wonderful Jenny Cox!
Above: Jenny as 'Veronica' in 'Carry On Behind' (1975) alongside Kenneth Williams & Elke Sommer.
CP: How did you get the role in ‘Carry On Behind’?
JC: I auditioned through my agent. I was simply told to be at Pinewood Studios at a certain time, so I went along and remember it was a very hot day, I think it was a semi-heatwave!
So, I get there and tell the guy at the gate I have an appointment. He looked at me and said “Not ‘ere you don’t luv, this is Rank, not Pinewood!”. Not a good start.
I thought, ‘where the fuck is Pinewood?’. Of course, back then there were no mobile phones or anything. So, I had to find a phone box and call them.
I was clearly going to be late and told a little fib that I had a puncture! What I didn’t expect them to say was “Ok luv, no problem, we will send a car to pick you up”.
I quickly replied, ‘Oh no, it is fine, the puncture is being repaired as we speak’.
I finally got there, all hot and sweaty, which wasn’t ideal in the green satin top and platform heels that I was wearing! I went in and the Runner met me and said “Ok, come on, we need to be quick they are waiting”. I was panting by the time I got to the room as I was so out of breath. I opened the door into what looked like some huge ballroom area with a long table, the longest table I have ever seen in my life! Gerald (Thomas) and Peter (Rogers) were sat there. I was so short sighted back then even though I had my contact lenses in. I stepped forwards, fell straight off the platform heels and landed in a heap on the floor.
I don’t know whether it was the comedic value, I was beyond mortified, but they said, “You’ve got the part”.
CP: Wow, what a story! Did you know what the part was for? Did you have any brief?
JC: I was simply told that it was for a 'stripper', but not a ‘sexy’ stripper, more ‘girl next door’ type. My key storyline was to be alongside Kenny Connor. It ended up being cut so much though due to timing issues.
CP: That is a pity?
JC: To be honest it was due to (principal actress, name removed) constantly being late for her scenes! To be fair, she was going through a bad patch and was always late and when she did arrive, she would be wearing the makeup she wanted to wear, not what she had been asked to wear so then wardrobe had to sort all that out. It put the shoot behind schedule, and as you know they liked to be on time and budget with the ‘Carry Ons’! One of the end scenes that we had, that was subsequently cut, was with Kenny Connor in his caravan, we were supposed to be ‘on a date’.
Above: 'Veronica' realises that the punters have really started to 'get to the bottom of things'! A signed picture from my personal collection.
CP: Incidentally, I do have some stills from that scene that I have been lucky to be sent recently (see below). Do you remember much else about the shoot?
JC: Yes, the weather was appalling! Joan (Sims) and I always seemed to end up in the caravan together taking shelter, as our scenes were constantly held up due to the weather. I remember one day that Joan was so fed up that she got me in the caravan and opened a bottle of champagne for us! Joan was such a good actress. She had put a lot of weight on though and that upset her. She was so talented. I remember at the end of the shoot that she was fed up and wasn’t going to the wrap party. So, she said her goodbyes and went home. Nobody had noticed that she wasn’t there, so I told them that she had gone home. Everyone asked why and so Kenny Connor went to fetch her and bring her back. I also remember that the music that I am actually 'dancing' to wasn't the music that they ended up using over those scenes in the final cut!
CP: You also had ‘interactions’ with another Kenneth, Kenneth Williams. What was he like?
JC: (laughs) He probably caused more trouble than anyone! He didn’t like newcomers, especially woman. I had to wear body make-up for the role, and he hated the fact that for the strip scene I had to sit on his knee. He was like, ‘No…Noooooo’. Having said that I did work with Kenny a lot in my career as we were both passionate about working for better conditions via Equity. In fact, he and I were the representatives for Equity on some projects. For example, when they used to run the open auditions for chorus line dancers and singers for the Michael White productions the dancers were expected to simply go in and do a routine without properly warming up. It was all about getting better conditions for everyone in the industry in those sorts of circumstances.
Above: A rare still from the Pinewood vaults showing Jenny alongside co-star Kenneth Connor & Director Gerald Thomas, setting up the 'lost' caravan scene (picture courtesy of Morris Bright MBE).
CP: How about Elke Sommer? A big name at the time to get on a ‘Carry On’?
JC: Elke had never played comedy before and didn’t know comedy. In some scenes that Kenny (Williams) had with her he wouldn’t even look at her.
CP: Who else was memorable from ‘Carry On Behind’?
JC: Patsy Rowlands. She was so lovely.
CP: What was after ‘Carry On Behind’ for you?
JC: In June 1979 I was in a play with Michael Crawford called ‘Flowers for Algeron’, based on an old black and white film about a mentally disabled guy. Michael played ‘Charlie’, the mentally disabled man. The whole set was a giant ‘mousetrap’ style design, a very physical and acrobatic set.
Michael had this routine that he did with a top hat and a cane, you know, a song and dance routine, all very ‘Fred Astaire’ but with a white mouse!
CP: A real white mouse?
JC: Yes! He had trained it to run up one arm and down the other. He did this routine night after night. How many white mice they got through I don’t know!
CP: What was it like working with Michael Crawford?
JC: To be honest, he could be quite a horrible person. If he didn’t like any of the chorus girls, he would simply get rid of them. He did that quite a lot. One such chorus girl he took a dislike to had to simply sit on part of the set, deliver a line then roll off. He got rid of her as he simply didn’t like how she had done it. Kenneth (Williams) and I agreed how unfair that was as the show was new and the poor girl had a year’s contract. We insisted that they therefore pay her off and give her an opportunity on another show, and they did! She had the last laugh as the show closed in only six weeks!
CP: Did you remain in contact with Kenneth (Williams)?
JC: Yes, we met sociably several times and I often used to meet him in Regents Park, and I went to tea one day with him and his mum! They looked so alike and even spoke alike! He was cool (laughs). Unless you were Elke Sommer of course. I felt sorry for her really as she was a star from a very different film scene.
CP: Did they ask you back for any other ‘Carry On’ films?
JC: They wanted me to do others but it just never happened.
CP: What about any further TV or film projects?
JC: I also did a TV pilot called ‘Chalk & Cheese’ (originally called ‘Spasms) with Jonathan Pryce, Miriam Margolyes and Robin Hawdon. Miriam and I played two pregnant ladies who went into labour in the pilot.
After the pilot things stalled as we waited three years for Jonathan Pryce to be free from other commitments. In the end we all asked, ‘is he doing this or not?’. The answer was ‘not’, and the part was recast with Michael Crawford! Michael then insisted all the previous cast from the pilot were dropped, except him. It ran for one series then was cancelled. I worked with Miriam again after that at the BBC, she is very lovely.
CP: I admire your apparent resilience.
JC: Well, I am quite philosophical. I have to laugh at everything. You know, pick yourself up and just get on with things.
Above: Jenny and I at her home in October 2023, smiling as ever!
CP: Your scenes in ‘Carry On Behind’ were quite ‘revealing’. Was that easy to do?
JC: I had done several ‘nude’ shows in the West End, such as ‘Dirtiest Show in Town’ and ‘Oh! Calcutta’. It (nudity) was just accepted in those days. I was also due to do ‘Hair’ too but then got something else. With ‘Hair’ you have the choice of course of whether to take your clothes off or not, either is accepted.
CP: You did adverts too?
JC: Yes, one for cheese and one for the Post Office in how not to deal with the general public! It was so funny.
CP: I ask this a lot, but could they ever bring ‘Carry On’ back?
JC: No, I don’t think they could. I can’t believe the ‘woke’ and ‘PC’ culture now, it is so ridiculous. I would want to campaign! If you didn't agree with anything back then you could campaign!
Jenny and I caught up in person at her home in October 2023, after her trip to Japan. She was in wonderful spirits, looked amazing and is clearly well on the road to recovery. It was a wonderful sunny afternoon, full of anecdotes, stories and a general gossip!
My sincere thanks to Jenny for her time and support for this interview and for her ongoing support, friendship and generosity.
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