Sid James

James, right at the beginning of the show, we opened with the wonderful theme tune to Bless This House, the movie from 1972.

And Without a Shadow of a Doubt goes in my top 50 films of all time because it's just so... cosy and beautiful and I feel like we're kindred spirits because I thought no one's ever going to choose that you've obviously some things have changed from the TV series Robin Asquith is now playing the son Peter Butterworth is now playing Trevor the next door neighbour but you have still got Diana Coupland, Sid James and Patsy Rowlands at the helm with Sally Gieson as well James tell us why you chose that and what that means to you

The difference you didn't mention was Eric Rodgers, the music.

Yes, of course.

And I know it's formulaic and I know it's simple.

And I know you could write the you know, you could write the synopsis and probably the script on the back of a fag packet.

But who cares? And Sid James is at his peak, I think.

And obviously, and also Sid James and Peter Butterworth, you know, an on-screen partnership made in heaven.

Yeah.

I, I don't know if you've ever seen 12 Angry Men, the, the, uh, Tony Hancock one with Sid James.

Mm.

He's Sid James in there sitting behind, uh, in, in the j- in the juror's bench, sitting behind Hancock going, "Why don't you object?"

[laughs]

[laughs]

I think we're going to be debating whether Kenneth Williams plays the most gloriously incompetent naval captain ever in British cinematic history.

We're going to mourn the loss of people like Sid James and Joan Sims at some point during this.

What we need to discuss at some point, this didn't start off life as a carry-on film.

Mark wasn't aware of this, were you, mate? Because Mark's always held this one in a little bit...

That's by the Gribbons bringing it, I think, the comedy there.

So we're missing, like, Sid, Hattie Jakes, Joan Sims, but does the film suffer? Does it suffer without those traditional anchors, for want of a better word? Or does it give the cast a bit more room to shine? I

don't actually think there was a room for Sid James in this one.

I don't think he'd have actually had a part that would have been worth playing for him in it.

Expresso Bongo.

In the South African army during the war, his officer was Sid James.

There you are.

That's a bit of useless information for you.

Romans themselves were always intrigued by the vestal virgins and so later generations have been in different ways.

If you're a bit antique like us, you might have a vague inkling that Carry On Cleo with Sid James gives us a little glimpse inside the Temple of the Vestal Virgins.

And a rather louche temple it is too.

And it's actually where Kenneth Williams, as Caesar, delivered his immortal words.

Okay, here we go.

For those who've been hanging out for a bizarre wig story, this one has the famous carry-on movies with Sid James and Kenneth Williams.

What have you got for us?

Hattie Jacques, Remember Her, Matron and all of that.

This one floods in tonight.

And I'm sure you remember vividly the buxom blonde British bombshell Dame Barbara Windsor.

She did nine carry-on movies of the 60s and 70s with Sid James, who was normally chasing her around.

She usually played the saucy nurse with the heaving bosoms and usually no knickers on, if I remember it.