COR! BLIMEY
UK, 2000, 108 minutes, Colour.
Barbara Windsor, Samantha Spiro, Adam Godley, Geoffrey Hutchings, Steve Speirs, Chrissie Cotterill, Hugh Walters.
Directed by Terry Johnson.
Cor! Blimey is based on the play by Terry Johnson, Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick. It won the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for best comedy of 1998. He also wrote the thriller, speculating on Hitchcock, Hitchcock Blonde.
Cor! Blimey is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Carry On films between 1964 and 1976. It shows a great deal of the style of film-making, small-budget, the producer Peter Rogers being very severe on the concessions made to his cast. It shows a number of the cast, popular figures from the films. However, the focus of the film is principally on Sid James and Barbara Windsor, their relationship and their affair as well as the last years of Sid James. The film also focuses on the character of Kenneth Williams. Geoffrey Hutchings is a look-alike for Sid James and captures his mannerisms. Samantha Spiro is also a good look-alike for Barbara Windsor and invests her character with some depth. Adam Godley does an excellent impersonation of Kenneth Williams as well as indicating the torments that this rather morose comic actor suffered.
The film gives an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the Carry On films as popular entertainment – rather than works of cinema art. It also gives an interesting look behind the scenes at the British film industry.
1.The popularity of the Carry On films, over so many decades? The films in their time, the style of humour, innuendo rather than blatant humour, the changes as the 70s wore on? The cast and their personalities? The cult films?
2.The audience knowledge of the Carry On films, their style, jokes, characters? Spoofs?
3.Behind the scenes, the cast, the crew, their lives, emotions?
4.Behind the scenes of film-making, the caravans, the facilities, the studios, the sets, the costumes? The stingy attitude of the producer? The difficulties? The emotional difficulties on set?
5.The focus on Sid James, Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Williams? The others as supporting cast?
6.The period, the 1960s and 70s, English life, films, the changes, more permissiveness?
7.This film resembling a Carry On film in its style, comic characters, the caravan jokes, Matron in the hospital …?
8.The camaraderie and friendship, the clashes between the actors, the verbal humour, the verbal insults? Barbara Windsor and her friendship with Kenneth Williams, the support from Bernard Bresslaw? Kenneth Horne in the background? Joan Sims and her presence, her comment to Sid about his family? Charles Hawtrey and his eccentric mother, his relationship with men, his getting the sack? Peter Rogers as the producer, his tight budgeting? The assistants on set?
9.Introducing the characters via Sally, her drive to Pinewood, her hopes, Sid and his lewd behaviour, her staying, falling in the mud, the shower scene and its farce, her being told to be discreet, her helping Sid over the years, going to the theatre with him, leaving, going to the James Bond film?
10.The portrait of Sid James, Geoffrey Hutchings as a look-alike, his age and his lies about it? The Carry On films? His work with Tony Hancock – and his comments after Tony Hancock’s death? His marriage and family? The womaniser, the caravan, taking the women into the caravan, the passionfruit spiel? An inveterate gambler, borrowing money, even from Ron Knight? Seeing Barbara Windsor and the effect, his pursuit of her, the kiss, her decision about the affair, Ron Knight and his sending his bodyguard? The Brighton sequence, the liaison? Barbara wanting to end the affair, her relationship with her husband? Sid James and his moping, the scene for Carry On, Dick and the kiss? His phone calls and her not answering? The drink, performing in the play, his dying on stage?
11.Barbara Windsor, her work in dubbing, acting, bright, the encounters with Sid, resistance, wanting to get the affair over? Brighton, her consciousness of her husband, Eddie as the bodyguard on set, his warnings to her and to Sid? Her performances in the film? Breaking off with Sid, her friendship with Kenneth Williams and confiding in him? Not answering the phone calls, driving with Kenneth Williams and seeing the news of Sid James’s death on the television? Performing in Twelfth Night instead of going to the funeral? Her walking out of Carry On, Emmanuelle because of the dirty humour? With Kenneth Williams in the mess and his concern about his bottom? Her final scene with Kenneth Williams, the real Barbara Windsor, talking about her memories of Sid James.
12.The portrait of Kenneth Williams, in himself, lonely, his homosexuality, miserable, his quips, his spite, his clashes with Sid James, taking Eddie to the caravan, removing the bricks so that the presence of the women would be revealed? His friendship with Barbara Windsor? His ailments and talking about them? His performance in the films, his being humiliated? The scene with the stocks? His moods? His concern about his bottom? The news of Sid James’s death, his talking with Barbara Windsor? (The film omitting his suicide?)
13.The effect of audiences seeing the private lives of popular stars, the exposes of their moods, behaviour, weaknesses, infidelities?
