It is the 6th of June. It is a cold and wet day. Sat at the kitchen table I'm staring through the blinds onto the dark and bleak looking garden. I couldn't help but think that it's these types of days, usually Sundays, that are so appropriate for one of the earlier black and white 'Carry On' films. This was very fitting as over the past few weeks I have been in contact with John Antrobus. Oddly, John was never someone that I had really given much attention to. That was really a mistake on my part as he is one of only a handful of people who link the first 'Carry On' film (Sergeant) and the last film (Columbus). Extraordinary, how had I missed this guy? It may have been, at least in part, that I was not sure what John was up to these days or in fact if he was even in the UK, he always seemed a little 'off the radar' compared to some of the other cast and crew regularly on the 'con circuit' or at special events.
I have met and have interviewed a lot of famous and interesting people over the years associated with my hobby. I have never taken it for granted and have always tried to remain objective, fair and above all else interesting, never hubristic. There has been so much written on the 'Carry On' series over the years and the stars that made them so special. It becomes hard to bring something fresh and new to the table, but not impossible. I still get a flutter in the pit of my stomach before I meet with or speak to someone from the 'biz', no matter how long they have been retired or out of the limelight. You see, you never know how they are going to be or react to the questions. So, you get your facts straight and research...and then research again. It can take hours, weeks or even months. Then there is the odd time that you connect with someone and things just 'click'. It is rare. It can take months to set an interview up and gain someone's trust. I'm not Parkinson or a 'pro', it isn't my day job. I'm a stranger. Can you blame them? They must be sick to death of the same lame questions and must wonder (as I would) 'what do I get out of the deal?'. So, you put yourself in their position. The best you can of course.
Why is this relevant to John Antrobus or the interview? Well, John is one of those 'rare occasions'. He is one of those people who puts you at ease straight away. Chatty, friendly, honest. As I called him on schedule, he answers the phone but seems to be eating. A mild panic sets in as I check and double check the time and the date as clearly the poor guy is enjoying his breakfast. I hesitate and offer to call back. "Oh no" he claims. "It is actually my second breakfast today!" and chuckles. His dear partner, Nicole, clearly takes care of him very well and he tucks into his second breakfast of a croissant. It is like chatting to an old mate and I'm put at ease straight away. So, here we have my conversation with dear John Antrobus, perfectly legible through his croissant, because he is an old pro...
CP: How did you first get involved with 'Carry On Sergeant'?
JA: I was asked to write the script for 'Sergeant' by Peter Rogers. They had already decided on the title.
CP: Where did you get the inspiration for it?
JA: Well, I was in the army which really helped me to draw on my experiences. I went in at 19 and came out at 21. I came from a military family though. My father was a Sergeant Major! Imagine that! Your father being a Sergeant Major! (laughs).
CP: You then stepped onto the other side of the camera as you had a small part in 'Carry On Constable'?
JA: (laughs) I had a very small part in that! I was nervous as an actor. I am a recovered alcoholic and at the time was battling with that so I was very nervous about acting.
CP: Apart from 'Columbus' did you contribute to any of the other 'Carry On' films?
JA: I possibly wrote some additional material for 'Constable' and I believe also for 'Nurse'? Yes, I'm sure that I contributed material for 'Nurse' too but it wasn't used and ended up on the cutting room floor.
CP: What a great pity!
JA: Yes, but that is how it went. They (Peter Rogers) would send a script over to me by taxi and ask me to write additional material. I got paid whether they used it or not. In fact, my full script for 'Sergeant' is in the book 'The A-Z of everything Carry On'.
CP: After 'Constable' did you continue to write for Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas?
JA: I still got involved in their films. For example, I also had a small part in their film 'Raising the Wind', which in fact was a bigger part than 'Constable'. I played a James Dean type of character in a pub. You know, stood around stroking a beer pump acting 'cool'.
CP: You have worked with and have written for some remarkable people?
JA: I did the 'Milligan Papers' for Spike Milligan. That was six radio scripts. In fact, I even did the artwork for the book.
CP: Do you have any current projects?
JA: I have a new book coming out soon called 'Indication to a Plague'. It is actually something that I wrote 50 year ago! I wrote it all in 8 days in 1967. It was originally called 'The Incurables'. Quite remarkable considering what is going on at the minute with coronavirus! I also have a book out, hopefully around Christmas, called 'Goon But Not Forgotten'. It is the scripts that I wrote for Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan.
CP: That is great to hear! I am sure that they will prove very popular due to the subject matter on both counts! Just jumping back to the 'Carry On' films for a moment, you were reunited with Peter Rogers, Gerald Thomas and some of the gang in 1992's 'Carry On Columbus'. How did that come about after a 32 years gap?
Above: A young John in 'Carry On Constable' (1960).
Above: John adds his autograph to my 'Carry On Sergeant' & 'Carry On Constable' DVDs.
JA: You know I'm really not sure! I had previously suggested titles for new 'Carry On' films to them (Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas) that they never actually used. I do remember saying to them at some point "Can I be in your next Carry On film?". I think that may be how I got involved in 'Columbus'. They said "Yes, you can have the Charles Hawtrey part".
CP: That's interesting. So was that for 'Columbus' or one that was planned earlier? I know there were various attempts in the 1980's to revive the series but they were shelved when both Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey passed away in 1988?
JA: It may have been around that time then, I'm not sure.
CP: Well, you came back in 1992 with 'Carry On Columbus', although it only featured a handful of the original cast members. Can you tell me more about your role in 'Columbus' as I understand that it was originally a much bigger part? Your scenes were alongside the late great Jon Pertwee?
JA: Yes, I played a manservant to Jon Pertwee. I had quite a few lines and saw an opportunity to improvise with it.
CP: Brave move as wasn't the script the 'Bible'?
JA: Well, they let me do it but it ended up on the cutting room floor! There were some great scenes with Jon Pertwee but a lot of the scenes were cut out (the part of Jon Pertwee's 'Duke of Costa Brava' was heavily cut in the final version of the film, including a wedding scene amongst the scenes that got the chop). I did write some additional material though for 'Columbus' but, you know, it wasn't the best film.
CP: Maybe so but it still did better in the box office than the other two 'straight' Columbus films released that year to mark the quincentenary.
JA: Did it really? (laughs) I didn't know that!
Above (right): John alongside Jon Pertwee in 'Carry On Columbus' (1992)
Above: John adds his autograph to my 'Carry On Columbus' VHS sleeve.
CP: Did you like the 'Carry On' films?
JA: To be honest I wasn't a fan of 'Carry On'. I wrote the additional material to earn a few quid but I really wanted to venture into being a playwright. At the time that I wrote the extra material for 'Nurse' I was battling with illness due to alcohol and was separated from my family and living alone in Putney. It earnt me some extra money.
CP: I am sure that many can relate to darker times in their life, I know I certainly can, and mental health is big news these days because it impacts so many people. Many people suffer with some form of mental illness.
JA: They do. Life is such a beautiful thing but the same could be said for childbirth! (laughs). It is a malaise. A spiritual malaise. I don't necessarily mean that in a religious way but it is a malaise of the brain.
CP: That is a great analogy. They do say that laughter is the best medicine and I do agree with that. Do you have any anecdotes of your time working on the 'Carry On' films?
JA: (laughs) I'll tell you an anecdote; When we were on the set of 'Columbus' we came to a break and they announced "Right, tea break!". So, the tea trolley came around with all our lovely refreshments and buns and the like and do you know they made us pay for our tea and buns! We had to pay! (laughs).
CP: Well, I knew they were frugal on the 'Carry On' films but that is a whole new level!
CP: Did you get involved in any of the special events for the Carry On series over the years?
JA: No, but I nearly did. They were holding some sort of special event at Pinewood a few years ago and they contacted me with a weeks' notice to say "Can you be our feature speaker? We will send a car for you and pay for expenses". I was in France at the time and said "I don't think you will pay for my expenses from here!", I said, "That's short notice, what's happened? Has the previous feature speaker died or something?". They said "Well, actually, yes. Something like that" (laughs).
CP: Wonderful! Sadly, though there are not many of the original stalwarts left now. On that note, do you think that they could ever bring the 'Carry On' films back?
JA: No. They just can't. They were centralised around repression. Sexual repression, repression of rights etc and that is how the parts were played by such as Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey. That 'spring' of repression to 'escape'. It just wouldn't work these days as that repression simply isn't there.
John and I chatted a little while longer about general things and we agreed to keep in touch. Mainly because he was unhappy that many of his biographical details online are simply incorrect. He has never lived in Monaco for example, although he didn't quite put it like that and I have missed out one or two adjectives! I agree to help him change these online entries as it is quite common for the likes of IMDB and Wikipedia to be wrong. I have found this during my own research. So, I agreed to help him correct these entries the best I could and to use our chat as the citations.
Speaking with John you get the sense of a life well lived but not always easy, possibly even slightly bohemian. His manner and voice is calm and 'chilled', he has a wonderful serenity. He certainly sounds much younger than his age and is an all-round smashing guy!
My sincere thanks to John for speaking with me about his life and career and his association with the 'Carry On' films. Keep an eye out for his new books as I am sure that they will prove to be an interesting and honest read!
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