Interview with Bernard Cribbins (2018)
Bernard Cribbins, OBE was in three 'Carry On's'; 'Carry On Jack' (1963), 'Carry On Spying' (1964), & 'Carry On Columbus' (1992). He is a well loved character actor, voice-over artist & musical comedian with a career spanning over seventy years.
Born in Derker, Oldham, Lancashire, Cribbins served an apprenticeship at the Oldham Repertory Theatre. In 1947, he interrupted his apprenticeship to undertake national service with the Parachute Regiment in Aldershot & in British-administered Mandatory Palestine.
Bernard has a firm & loyal fanbase due to his work spanning various hit shows and films such as 'The Wombles', 'Doctor Who', 'The Railway Children' and the 'Carry On' films to name a few.
He received an OBE in the 2011 Birthday Honours for his services to drama.
In early 2018 I caught up with Bernie to chat about his memories & time working on the 'Carry On' films & with the 'Carry On' team.
Born in Derker, Oldham, Lancashire, Cribbins served an apprenticeship at the Oldham Repertory Theatre. In 1947, he interrupted his apprenticeship to undertake national service with the Parachute Regiment in Aldershot & in British-administered Mandatory Palestine.
Bernard has a firm & loyal fanbase due to his work spanning various hit shows and films such as 'The Wombles', 'Doctor Who', 'The Railway Children' and the 'Carry On' films to name a few.
He received an OBE in the 2011 Birthday Honours for his services to drama.
In early 2018 I caught up with Bernie to chat about his memories & time working on the 'Carry On' films & with the 'Carry On' team.
CP: Do you have any special memories of the Carry On team?
BC: Sid was a lovely man. I didn’t work with him on a ‘Carry On’ but we did work together. Lovely man. Kenny Williams was the biggest show off ever! He always had to be the centre of attention. I warned Barbara about him on her first day on ‘Spying’. I said, ‘watch Kenny, he loves to have a dig’. Of course, he did and the now famous story of her standing up to him whilst he had ‘Fenella Fielding’s minge hair’ around his mouth is well known!
CP: What was it like to work on a ‘Carry On’?
BC: It was very intensive work. There was no time to rehearse and it was all a very basic set up. Normally two takes and that was your lot. It was very ‘factory’ orientated. I remember on ‘Jack’ I was doing a scene as ‘Midshipman Poop-Decker’ and it was with Cecil Parker as the Sealord. I said to Gerry (the director), can I just look back and smile at him at that point? Gerry replied ‘No, as soon as your hand is on the door handle I’ve cut and moved onto the next scene of you coming out of the door’. That is what it was like.
BC: Sid was a lovely man. I didn’t work with him on a ‘Carry On’ but we did work together. Lovely man. Kenny Williams was the biggest show off ever! He always had to be the centre of attention. I warned Barbara about him on her first day on ‘Spying’. I said, ‘watch Kenny, he loves to have a dig’. Of course, he did and the now famous story of her standing up to him whilst he had ‘Fenella Fielding’s minge hair’ around his mouth is well known!
CP: What was it like to work on a ‘Carry On’?
BC: It was very intensive work. There was no time to rehearse and it was all a very basic set up. Normally two takes and that was your lot. It was very ‘factory’ orientated. I remember on ‘Jack’ I was doing a scene as ‘Midshipman Poop-Decker’ and it was with Cecil Parker as the Sealord. I said to Gerry (the director), can I just look back and smile at him at that point? Gerry replied ‘No, as soon as your hand is on the door handle I’ve cut and moved onto the next scene of you coming out of the door’. That is what it was like.
Above: A birthday note to me from Bernie (2016);
CP: It is the 30th anniversary this year (2018) of Kenneth’s death. What was he like?
BC: Kenny was somewhat acidic. He would often have something to say about everyone. For example, Charlie (Hawtrey) would walk on set and he would say ‘Oh Christ, she’s pissed again’. The last time I saw Kenny was actually at Pinewood. It wasn’t during a Carry On. We were on opposite sides of the corridor and as he passed me he quipped ‘Oh God, you don’t change do you’. Very cryptic. It was a very cryptic thing to say.
CP: It is. Particularly as I assume there had been no previous ‘problems’?
BC: No, exactly. I always thought how very cryptic.
CP: So, this year marks the 60th anniversary of Carry On. What do you think the stars of the series who sadly aren’t with us any longer would make of the ongoing popularity of the series?
BC: Well, I think they all might think the same thing, what a great shame I didn’t have a piece of the action! (referring to the well known low pay and lack of any residuals from the films). The money was dreadful.
CP: I know. In fact, you are the second person to tell me that in as many days! I spoke with Bill Maynard this week and he pretty much said the same thing to me!
BC: Ah Bill (laughs). We did a show together called ‘Dangerous Davies’. I was ‘Dangerous’. I always remember one day on a break from filming he was sat in the caravan reading the paper. I went in to get changed between scenes and said, ‘I’m knackered Bill’. He glanced up from his paper and replied ‘well, you said you could do it when you wrote in!’ (laughs). I love that.
BC: Kenny was somewhat acidic. He would often have something to say about everyone. For example, Charlie (Hawtrey) would walk on set and he would say ‘Oh Christ, she’s pissed again’. The last time I saw Kenny was actually at Pinewood. It wasn’t during a Carry On. We were on opposite sides of the corridor and as he passed me he quipped ‘Oh God, you don’t change do you’. Very cryptic. It was a very cryptic thing to say.
CP: It is. Particularly as I assume there had been no previous ‘problems’?
BC: No, exactly. I always thought how very cryptic.
CP: So, this year marks the 60th anniversary of Carry On. What do you think the stars of the series who sadly aren’t with us any longer would make of the ongoing popularity of the series?
BC: Well, I think they all might think the same thing, what a great shame I didn’t have a piece of the action! (referring to the well known low pay and lack of any residuals from the films). The money was dreadful.
CP: I know. In fact, you are the second person to tell me that in as many days! I spoke with Bill Maynard this week and he pretty much said the same thing to me!
BC: Ah Bill (laughs). We did a show together called ‘Dangerous Davies’. I was ‘Dangerous’. I always remember one day on a break from filming he was sat in the caravan reading the paper. I went in to get changed between scenes and said, ‘I’m knackered Bill’. He glanced up from his paper and replied ‘well, you said you could do it when you wrote in!’ (laughs). I love that.
My 'Carry On Columbus' DVD cover design signed by Bernie.
CP: Now, ‘Carry On Columbus’?
BC: Well, that was a disaster.
CP: Well to be fair I personally don’t think it was as bad as a lot of people make out. It is big in Australia. You can readily get it on DVD over there and the USA but not in the UK?
BC: (Laughs), well Australia, now that’s a completely different thing you see.
CP: What are your thoughts on all the rumours over the years of resurrecting the ‘Carry On’ films?
BC: It wouldn’t work. You would have to call it something different or it wouldn’t work. You could apply the same formula, but it would have to have a different title?
CP: Do you still attend many events and conventions these days?
BC: I do, if they are convenient for me. If you are around, you will have to come over and say ‘hi’.
If I am ever in your neck of the woods I will come and find you and we can go fishing (laughs) (Bernie is a keen fisherman).
My thanks & gratitude to Bernard Cribbins for taking the time to share his memories & talking to me for this feature for the website
BC: Well, that was a disaster.
CP: Well to be fair I personally don’t think it was as bad as a lot of people make out. It is big in Australia. You can readily get it on DVD over there and the USA but not in the UK?
BC: (Laughs), well Australia, now that’s a completely different thing you see.
CP: What are your thoughts on all the rumours over the years of resurrecting the ‘Carry On’ films?
BC: It wouldn’t work. You would have to call it something different or it wouldn’t work. You could apply the same formula, but it would have to have a different title?
CP: Do you still attend many events and conventions these days?
BC: I do, if they are convenient for me. If you are around, you will have to come over and say ‘hi’.
If I am ever in your neck of the woods I will come and find you and we can go fishing (laughs) (Bernie is a keen fisherman).
My thanks & gratitude to Bernard Cribbins for taking the time to share his memories & talking to me for this feature for the website
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