Frankie Howerd Trivia
- Peter Rogers was wary of included two well
known camp performers: Kenneth Williams and Frankie Howerd, in the same
cast. Indeed their roles were seemingly interchangeable. Days after turning
the film down, Kenneth was told that Frankie was out of the film and was now
offered the leading role. Typically, Kenneth balked at accepting the
responsibility and rejected the idea, ironically seeking solace in the role
of Dr Tinkle, the part he had turned down days before. Although Peter
maintained that he kept them apart on screen, in actual fact, Kenneth and
Frankie do share a couple of brief scenes together and sparkle off each
other perfectly.
- Professor Tinkle, eventually played my
Frankie Howerd was offered to Kenneth Williams, but due to the writing
schedule for The Kenneth Williams Show, he declined.
- Casting decisions also hovered over the
central role of flamboyant ornithologist Professor Inigo Tinkle in Up The
Jungle. Having sought Frankie Howerd for roles in Carry On…Up The Khyber and
Carry On Again Doctor, his availability for the jungle film hung in the
balance. Bizarrely, Peter Rogers was suddenly struck with nerves over
Frankie’s individual comic style and the threat that he would play outside
of the established team format. Frankie’s agent, Beryl Vertue, passed on a
hand-written note from Frankie to Peter dated 30th September 1969: “this is
to reassure you that no such thing will happen. Believe me, I know well your
attitudes to work, time schedules and shooting – thus, once I am agreed to
be an employee of yours I would naturally expect to abide by all the rules.
So now, stop worrying and put a bottle of champagne on ice!”
- The champagne was duly chilled and Frankie’s
performance was a triumph in Up the Jungle. On 21st November 1969, the day
after his last day on call, Frankie wrote to Peter Rogers again: “to thank
you for a very happy film, in fact, the happiest I have ever done.” Frankie
went on to note that “since the last time I worked for you was in October
1967, exactly two years ago, perhaps I may look forward to a similar please
in October 1971. Unfortunately, a victim of his own television success,
Frankie was tied up with star film vehicles when Carry On Matron went into
production at Pinewood.
- However, Frankie did work for the Peter
Rogers' franchise one final time, after Up the Jungle, not two years on but
less than two weeks later when he grabbed the ‘guest star’ roles of poet
Robert Browning and Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother in the television special
Carry On Christmas. Frankie joined jungle stars Sid James, Charles Hawtrey,
Terry Scott, Kenneth Connor and Bernard Bresslaw for rehearsals at
Teddington Yacht Club on 1st December 1969. Hattie Jacques and Peter
Butterworth were also recruited for the small screen classic, alongside
Barbara Windsor who, with Carry On Up The Jungle publicity in action, had
just previously donned a natty safari suit and posed for photos with Sid
James and Bernard Bresslaw in character on the Pinewood set.
- Died just before he was to begin filming his
third "Carry On..." movie, Carry on Columbus (1992). in which he and Joan
Sims were to have played the King and Queen of Spain. They were replaced by
Leslie Phillips and June Whitfield.
- His famous stumbling, bumbling delivery
appears to include lots of ad lib pauses and asides. In fact he and his
writers scripted every single bit, including all the "oohs" and "ahhs".
Several sources confirm he even rehearsed in front of a mirror to perfect
the physical actions including sticking out his tongue or looking to the
camera.
- He was originally considered for the Fakir
in Carry on Up the Khyber (1968), but was unavailable due to a stage
commitment. The part went to Cardew Robinson albeit in a reduced role.
- One of the comedian's most famous
catchphrases was, "Oh please yourselves!", which was used in the Carry Ons
