Interview with Patricia Franklin (2018)
RADA trained Patricia Franklin was born in 1942 in London. She is best known for her apperances throughout the 'Golden Era' of the 'Carry On' films. Playing a varierty of parts from pregnant blond beauty in 'Carry On Camping' (1969) alongside Terry Scott, Derek Francis and Charles Hawtrey to a woman liberator alongside June Whitfield in 'Carry On Girls' (1973). Her final 'Carry On' outing was as 'Corporal Cook' in 'Carry On England' (1976).
Years later she had minor roles in another successful comedy series known as the 'Cornetto Triliogy' - 'Shaun of the Dead' (2004), 'Hot Fuz'z (2007) & 'The World's End' (2013) as her daughter was engaged to a the director of 'Shaun of the Dead' - Edgar Wright.
In May 2018 I had the pleasure of catching up with Patricia who I had in fact bumped into again a few weeks earlier the the launch of 'The Kenneth Williams Companion' at Elstree Studios, London on the 15th April 2018.
CP: Carry On Camping was the first one that you did, how did that come about?
PF: I had just left RADA that summer and had been on holiday. When I returned I had three auditions lined up. The one I actually got was a farce called ‘Uproar in the House’. Joan Sims was in it as a leading lady alongside Nicholas Parsons and Peter Butterworth as the leading men. There were a lot of comedy actors in it in fact of that time and it went onto be a huge success. The ‘Carry On’ people (Peter Rogers & Gerald Thomas) came to see Joan and Peter and that is where they first saw me. I was playing a young office girl. In the second half of the show I was supposed to be trying to sell a house. I had to stay overnight in the house and it was all a farce with people coming in and out of my room all night. I was only wearing a tiny bra and pants! My big scene was at the end and that is where they really spotted me. My agent then got a call a short time later and I was taken to the location where they were filming ‘Carry On Camping’. I met Gerald formally and we had a chat. He said, “Would you like to be in a Carry On?”. I said YES PLEASE!
CP: What a great story, what were the ‘team’ like with you on that first one?
PF: Oh, they were all so professional. Peter Butterworth and Joan Sims of course knew me from the show and were so lovely to me.
CP: Kenny Williams was known to be ‘prickly’ particularly with ‘newbies’. How was he with you?
PF: He was lovely to me, he really was. I remember during ‘Camping’ that one day I was sat with Barbara and Joan in Barbara’s dressing room I think. He was pacing about outside and so I asked Joan if she would introduce me. She said “I won’t at the minute darling as I don't know how he's going to be. He knows who you are and he'll be in here in a minute." Eventually he walked into the dressing room, looked at me and said, “Whose she then?”, we were then formally introduced, and he was great with me.
PF: Oh, they were all so professional. Peter Butterworth and Joan Sims of course knew me from the show and were so lovely to me.
CP: Kenny Williams was known to be ‘prickly’ particularly with ‘newbies’. How was he with you?
PF: He was lovely to me, he really was. I remember during ‘Camping’ that one day I was sat with Barbara and Joan in Barbara’s dressing room I think. He was pacing about outside and so I asked Joan if she would introduce me. She said “I won’t at the minute darling as I don't know how he's going to be. He knows who you are and he'll be in here in a minute." Eventually he walked into the dressing room, looked at me and said, “Whose she then?”, we were then formally introduced, and he was great with me.
Above: Patricia adds her autograph to my 'Carry On Loving' (1970) DVD sleeve.
Above: It's 'Carry On' and Bust! Patricia adds her autograph to my 'Carry On Gilrls' (1973) DVD sleeve.
A few years later whilst we were filming ‘Loving’ I had a scene with him and Bill Maynard. I always remember it as I was supposed to be getting irate with Bill over something and after the first attempt Gerald said to me “Come on Patricia, give me more!”. Kenneth was also egging me on and said, “We don’t want none of that Royal Court naturalistic acting round here!”. So, I did it again with real gusto and it was brilliant. Kenneth said to Gerald “Ooh Gerald! She reminds me of Mags!”. I had no idea what he meant and so asked Gerald afterwards. Gerald said, “That was a great compliment, he was referring to his friend Maggie Smith”. I was so flattered! After the scene I remember I started to walk off with Bill and his son for lunch. Kenneth came up to me and said “Oh, you don’t want to be going for lunch with him” and insisted I went with him. I did so, and I was introduced to people I didn’t even know, it was lovely. I remember that we had Roger Moore and Britt Eckland come up to our table as they were also filming Bond there at the same time.
CP: You did 5 in total, were you asked to do any others that you couldn’t do?
PF: I was yes, I was asked to be in one where I was supposed to be playing a ‘Night Nurse’. But I was pregnant and also had other commitments with work at the Royal Court and a TV series, so I couldn’t do it.
CP: I am guessing that the part was maybe for either ‘Carry On Again Doctor’ in 1969 or ‘Carry On Matron’ in 1972?
PF: I am trying to remember the year and what I was doing. I know I had been up in Sheffield at the time and it was after ‘Camping’. I was in a very demanding play at the Royal Court in 1969 called ‘Saved’ by Edward Bond. A very different role to the Carry Ons!
CP: Ah ok, so that would suggest it would have been for ‘Again Doctor’.
PF: Yes, it would have been.
PF: I was yes, I was asked to be in one where I was supposed to be playing a ‘Night Nurse’. But I was pregnant and also had other commitments with work at the Royal Court and a TV series, so I couldn’t do it.
CP: I am guessing that the part was maybe for either ‘Carry On Again Doctor’ in 1969 or ‘Carry On Matron’ in 1972?
PF: I am trying to remember the year and what I was doing. I know I had been up in Sheffield at the time and it was after ‘Camping’. I was in a very demanding play at the Royal Court in 1969 called ‘Saved’ by Edward Bond. A very different role to the Carry Ons!
CP: Ah ok, so that would suggest it would have been for ‘Again Doctor’.
PF: Yes, it would have been.
CP: Your last entry to the series was with ‘Carry On England’ in 1976. Did you know at that stage that the series was winding down?
PF: No, we didn’t know it was coming to an end although I am not fond of ‘England’ to ne honest. I had quite a few lines but only one ended up being kept in. The film was coarse to me and had more nudity. It wasn’t the naughty seaside postcard formula that the other were.
CP: I have to ask as I find it quite curious; they tried to resurrect the series again in 1992 with the doomed ‘Carry On Columbus’. Having spoken with a lot of the original actors from the original series they all maintain they weren’t asked to be in it? I know Amanda Barrie once told me that she couldn’t understand why they weren’t approached?
PF: I know I wasn’t approached but yes, that does seem strange. I admit I have not seen that one all the way through. That is the one with Julian Clary in it isn’t it?
CP: Yes, and the alternative comedians they brought into it.
PF: The trouble is that the ‘Carry On’s’ are on TV all the time and are so well known all over the world. It was always going to be hard for anyone coming into a revival as people would simply be comparing them to the original team.
CP: So, you don’t think we will ever see a new ‘Carry On’ film as is often muted every few years?
PF: No, we didn’t know it was coming to an end although I am not fond of ‘England’ to ne honest. I had quite a few lines but only one ended up being kept in. The film was coarse to me and had more nudity. It wasn’t the naughty seaside postcard formula that the other were.
CP: I have to ask as I find it quite curious; they tried to resurrect the series again in 1992 with the doomed ‘Carry On Columbus’. Having spoken with a lot of the original actors from the original series they all maintain they weren’t asked to be in it? I know Amanda Barrie once told me that she couldn’t understand why they weren’t approached?
PF: I know I wasn’t approached but yes, that does seem strange. I admit I have not seen that one all the way through. That is the one with Julian Clary in it isn’t it?
CP: Yes, and the alternative comedians they brought into it.
PF: The trouble is that the ‘Carry On’s’ are on TV all the time and are so well known all over the world. It was always going to be hard for anyone coming into a revival as people would simply be comparing them to the original team.
CP: So, you don’t think we will ever see a new ‘Carry On’ film as is often muted every few years?
PF: Well, would modern day comedians want to do it? Could they do it? Who would you cast? That period in comedy and those films required different skills to what we have now. It was the skills of the people involved which is why they remain so popular today.
CP: Does the continued interest in the series surprise you?
PF: It does, particularly after all these years when fans still want to meet myself at conventions. I am amazed that something I did all those years ago, often only small parts and made over two or three weeks, are remembered today.
PF: It does, particularly after all these years when fans still want to meet myself at conventions. I am amazed that something I did all those years ago, often only small parts and made over two or three weeks, are remembered today.
Above (Top): Patricia with Derek Francis & Charles Hawtrey in 'Carry On Camping' (1969); Above (Bottom): Patricia as 'Mrs Dreery' alongside Bill Maynard in 'Carry On Loving' (1970).
Above (Top); Patricia in character as a zombie in 'Shaun of the Dead' (2004); Above (Bottom): As the shopkeeper in 'Hot Fuzz' (2007).
CP: So, from one successful film series to another…the ‘Cornetto Trilogy’ as they are affectionately known! How did you become involved in those?
PF: Oh yes (laughs). Well, the director, Edgar (Wright), was friends with David Walliams and they met my daughter at Glastonbury. They became friends and then Edgar and my daughter started dating. He was looking at making a new film. Edgar mentioned that her that he had been brought up on the ‘Carry On’s’ and my daughter obviously told them of my involvement in the series. I was doing small parts at the time and a lot of student films. Edgar asked my daughter if I would be interested and she said “oh, she will do anything!” (laughs). So, I was invited along to meet them. I read the script and thought it was VERY funny. I just thought that it was going to be another ‘student’ film. I had no idea, none of them did, of how big it would become.
CP: Being a huge ‘Zombie’ fan I love ‘Shaun of the Dead’, do you have any memories from making it?
PF: Oh yes (laughs). Well, the director, Edgar (Wright), was friends with David Walliams and they met my daughter at Glastonbury. They became friends and then Edgar and my daughter started dating. He was looking at making a new film. Edgar mentioned that her that he had been brought up on the ‘Carry On’s’ and my daughter obviously told them of my involvement in the series. I was doing small parts at the time and a lot of student films. Edgar asked my daughter if I would be interested and she said “oh, she will do anything!” (laughs). So, I was invited along to meet them. I read the script and thought it was VERY funny. I just thought that it was going to be another ‘student’ film. I had no idea, none of them did, of how big it would become.
CP: Being a huge ‘Zombie’ fan I love ‘Shaun of the Dead’, do you have any memories from making it?
PF: It was great fun to do! We did a lot of testing between takes on set trying out different zombie makeup and effects to see what would and wouldn’t work, that was great, We also took part in a ‘movement class’ to learn how to act and walk like a zombie!
CP: Do you have any other plans this year with it being the 60th Anniversary of ‘Carry On’?
PF: I am at a special event in Ealing in June actually.
CP: Yes, the ‘Whippet Inn’ are running a 60th event in Ealing on 3rd June. I am at the event, so I shall see you there!
PF: That’s the one! See you there!
My sincere thanks to Patricia for her time and for sharing her memories with me for this section of the website!
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