Carry
On Teacher Trivia
- Ted Ray's comic genius was to be used in the next film
in the series (Carry On Constable), but the idea was cut off in it's prime, as
he was under contract to ABC Films. When they saw Ted Ray was doing
well in another producers film they threatened to take Stuart Levy (boss of
Anglo - the films financiers) to court. Levy instructed Peter Rogers
to drop him from the line-up, replacing him with another great regular, Sid
James.
- Ted Ray's name on the billing on the credits get
special placing. This is only repeated twice again in the series - Bob
Monkhouse in Sergeant, and Phil Silvers in Follow That Camel - Peter Rogers
has always held that the titles are the stars.
- The children in the orchestra could all play
their instruments - Richard O'Sullivan was quite an accomplished pianist.
- When Mr Bean is conducting the orchestra the
school crest can be seen on the stage curtain, which features the phrase
"Continua O Domine," which is Latin for "Carry On, O Lord."
- Dora Bryant was considered for the part of
Miss Allcock, which went to Joan Sims.
- Hattie Jacques was originally cast as
Felicity Wheeler, which was played by Rosalind Knight eventually.
- Writer Norman Hudis didn't think this script
was as successful as his first two, and in particular wasn't happy with how
old the children in the film were, believing that at that age they wouldn't
have cared whether their headmaster was leaving or not as they would be out
of school in only a year or so.
- Eric Barker was originally cast as the
Headmaster.
- On the first day of filming, Joan Sims
reported to First Aid complaining of acute pains in her right leg. The
studio doctor bound her leg to ease the pain and after filming it was
decided that rather than have her go home to rest the had her admitted to
the Wexham Park Hospital for maximum rest and any necessary treatment,
besides which the hospital was next door to the studio saving traveling
time. The filming schedule was rearranged allowing her to have maximum days
off before returning to work which she did three days later.
- Leslie Phillips considered that his
favourite Carry On film.
- Ever the practical jokers, Kenneth Williams
and camera operator Alan Hume played one on Kenneth Connor. In the scene
where he sniffs a glass jar and makes a face, a stink bomb had been placed
in the jar, making him disgusted for real. Connors got Williams back
however, when he put real itching powder in Williams' costume during the
itching powder scene.
- Norman Hudis' preliminary notes show that
the characters of Alistair Grigg the school psychologist and Felicity
Wheeler the school inspector were originally intended to be young teachers
from the United States who were concluding their study tour of British
educational establishments. In addition, their names were originally Ellis
Hackenschmidt and Cornelia Wheeler, and were to be played by Michael Medwin
and Hattie Jacques rather than Leslie Phillips and Rosalind Knight.
- During the filming, Charles Hawtrey's mother
would often visit the set. Whilst enjoying a cigarette, she accidentally
dropped lit ash from the cigarette into her handbag. Joan Sims who was the
first to spot the incident yelled, "Charlie Charlie, your mother's bag is on
fire!". Hawtry poured his cup of tea into the bag, snapped it shut, and
carried on. This is a famous anecdote that Williams would tell many times.
- Joan Sims character name, Miss Allcock was
frowned apon by the censors, but was eventually allowed.
