Carry
On Columbus Trivia
- Columbus cost £2.5 million to make, way in excess of
£330,000 the highest costing previous Carry On took to make, this was
mainly due to the elaborate boat set and the costumes. However it
still made £1.6 million at the box office, and this was before video rights
etc. This was more than either 1942 or Christopher Columbus
- The Discovery.
- The bit where Jim Dale and Bernard Cribbins arrive in America
was filmed at the same place as The Bernard Cribbins/Kenneth
Williams scene from Jack.
- The King and Queen of Spain was originally offered to
Frankie Howerd and Joan Sims, when this never came off Barbara Windsor and
Bernard Bresslaw were approached, but this never worked. Barbara said
later that the script was "crap".
- Harry Enfield, a big fan of the Carry Ons was offered
the role of Bart Columbus, but concerned of the Carry On resurrection after
so many of the originals had died - he declined. He had done a homage
to the Carry Ons previously with Carry On Banging.
- Jim Dale was second choice for the role of
Columbus. First choice went to Robbie Coltrane - Unbelievable.
- All the surviving Carry On members were asked to join
the production but were to ill or in other productions. I think
Kenneth Connor said it best when he told them, "He wanted to be
remembered as a Carry On principal, not a bit-player".
- Producer John Goldstone upset Carry On fans by telling
an interviewer that even if Sid James, Kenneth Williams and Hattie Jacques
had been alive they would have been to old to be cast.
- Sara Crowe married Jim Dale's son whilst filming
Columbus after meeting on the set. He was playing one of
the Spanish Inquisitor and his dad's double.
