Charles
Hawtrey Trivia
- Abroad was Charles' final appearance. He was
presented as a drunk on screen 90% of the time and this was intentional on Talbot
Rothwell's part due to Charlie's real life drunkenness, that had been getting
progressively worse since Carry On Cowboy, and this was the reason for him
being dropped from the films.
- Charles Hawtrey had to be given driving lessons on the
Pinewood lot as he was unable to drive before the start of filming Carry On
Cabby.
- The Carry Ons were renowned for holding to the script -
It was the bible, but occasionally the odd adlib was allowed. When
Charles gets out of bed chatting to his budgie in Constable, he kicks his
chamber pot, but the object refuses to stay still, and he shouts at it
"Be quiet".
- Peter Rogers, with his usual flair for music, wanted to
have Charles Hawtrey sing a quick snatch of Rose Marie's When I'm
Calling You Ooh in Cowboy but the American publishing house wouldn't allow
it.
- Jimmy Logans part of Mr Gaybody in Girls was obviously
written for Charlie, but due to the excesses of drink Peter Rogers didn't
want him in it anymore.
- Professor Tinkle, eventually played my Frankie Howerd
in Jungle, was offered to Kenneth Williams, but due to the writing schedule
for The Kenneth Williams Show, he declined. Peter Rogers keen to have
Kenneth in the film offered him the part of King Tonka, played eventually by
Charles Hawtrey. Kenneth was disgusted that the part wasn't on screen
until almost the end and refused.
- Hawtrey refused to play the part of Mr Bedsop in Loving
because Peter Rogers said he couldn't have third billing due to the size of
Hattie Jacques part, and his part being small. Rogers relented in the
end.
- When Carry On Nurse became as big a hit as Carry On
Sergeant, Peter Rogers announced that the next four films would be Carry On
films. He decided to offer the Carry On team (Kenneth Connor, Leslie
Phillips, Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques, Terence Longden, Joan Sims,
Charles Hawtrey and Bill Owen) a percentage of the takings, as opposed to a
fee, but they declined. Years later whenever anyone complained about
the money he just reminded them of this fact.
- He had the start of a long run disagreement with Peter
Rogers while filming Regardless, concerning his billing, stating that
"He was a comedian", but Rogers was having none of it, and in fact
Hawtrey had less to do in this film than he might.
- Charles Hawtrey plays a character with his own first
name in Camping, the first of many to do so in the Carry Ons. This is
a bit of a comic tradition Laurel and Hardy, Tony Hancock and most notably
most of the cast of Carry On Camping.
