Trivia / Carry On Jack

• Billing Displacement:
  • "The Classic Carry On Film Collection" DVD boxset adds Jim Dale and Percy Herbert to the list of stars despite the two of them only playing small roles.
  • When the film was released on Blu-Ray in Australia, Patrick Cargill was given a mention on the back of the box despite only playing a bit role.
• California Doubling: Exterior shots involving the sea were filmed in a pond in Surrey.
• Completely Different Title:
  • Belgium: The Mutineers of the Venus.
  • Denmark: Beware of the Pirates/Pull Yourself Together, Skipper.
  • Germany: Carry On Venus.
  • Hungary: Go on, Jack!.
• Cowboy BeBop at His Computer: The book 50 Years of Carry On incorrectly states this was Percy Herbert's only Carry On; He would later return in Carry On Cleo as a guard and Carry On Cowboy as Charlie.
• Creator Backlash:
  • From Kenneth Williams' diary:
    Went to see Carry On Jack. It was a lousy, badly made film. I was astonished at the excellence of Charlie Hawtrey. He was superb. So was Cribbins – the best droll I've seen in years. But really good. The rest awful. Including me.
  • Although he later changed his mind by 1974:
    Went in to see Louie and we watched Carry On Jack. It is amazing how well these early Carry Ons stand up! At one or two moments I was v. good indeed & talk about economy! I get words out quicker than anyone else on the screen! Self-indulgence in acting is totally alien to me.
  • However, by 1983 he was back to disliking the film:
    We saw Carry On Jack and my incisive performance was hardly in accord with the dithering idiot I was supposed to portray.
• Creator's Favourite Episode:
  • This was Bernard Cribbins' favourite Carry On out of the three he starred in.
  • After Carry On Up the Khyber, this was Peter Rogers' favourite Carry On as he appreciated the film's pantomime qualities.
• Deleted Scene:
  • This exchange between Albert and Sally was cut by the BBFC:
    Albert: I know what to do.
    Sally: How do you?
    Albert: I watched the birds and the bees.
  • Gerald Thomas allowed Bernard Cribbins to ad-lib but his comment "You must be Dick" on seeing a filthy Charles Hawtrey in the Dirty Dick pub was cut.
  • The castaways bemoaning the cow's milk running out while adrift at sea, and Walter offering Captain Fearless a ship's biscuit from his seaboot before Albert and Captain Fearless mistake a seagull for another ship.
  • A hunger-crazy Albert trying to attack Walter with an oar:
    Walter: You know what your trouble is, don't you?
    Albert: What?
    Walter: You're hungry.
    Albert: Aah! Where's that oar? I'll murder him!
  • The castaways deciding who should be eaten first. Albert wants to eat the cow, but Captain Fearless refuses to let him harm her and offers himself up instead:
    Captain Fearless: She's a pet, she's not for eating.
    Albert: But we're all starving.
    Captain Fearless: So am I. So is the cow. Besides, I'm a vegetarian.
• Dolled-Up Installment: The original title by Talbot Rothwell was Poopdecker R.N., but Peter Rogers who owned the rights to James Mitchell's Steady Boys Steady adopted it for Talbot's script but it was quickly changed to Talbot's alternative Up the Armada, but the film censor thought it too lewd so it became a Carry On.
• DVD Commentary: With Carry On historian Robert Ross talking to Bernard Cribbins (Midshipman Albert Poop-Decker).
• Edited for Syndication: The film was cut down to 70 minutes when shown on ITV.
• Hide Your Pregnancy: Juliet Mills was three months pregnant during the filming. She didn't tell anyone in fear of being fired.
• Production Nickname: During shooting, the film was referred to as Carry On Sailor.
• Prop Recycling: Props in the film came from the film H.M.S. Defiant.
• Star-Making Role:
  • For Juliet Mills, mostly after being "overshadowed" by her sister Hayley (from The Parent Trap movies). She said in a later interview that she had a successful acting career after Jack was released.
  • Bernard Cribbins, to a lesser extent, considering that he was already a well-known television actor, but Jack gave Cribbins the evidence that he was a good enough film actor as well.^note However, he did appear in Tommy the Toreador with Sid James, which was just as popular as Carry On Jack.
• Throw It In!: Jim Dale ad-libbed the line "I'd get in if I were you, they'll be shut" in the scene where he is showing Bernard Cribbins to the Inn and a fit of bowing breaks out.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Kenneth Cope was considered for the role of Midshipman Albert Poop-Decker which in the end was cast with Bernard Cribbins.
  • Liz Fraser was originally cast as Sally but accidentally talked herself out of the role during an ill-advised conversation with distributor boss Stuart Levy.
  • Kenneth Connor was unable to appear in the film, as he was appearing in the West End.
  • Peter Rogers originally wanted to use Stock Footage from either Horatio Hornblower or The Crimson Pirate.
  • When Albert leaves the Sealord's room, Bernard Cribbins wanted to look back and smile at him, but Gerald Thomas told him not to as he wanted to keep the pacing tight.
• Working Title: Poopdecker R.N., Up the Armada, Carry On Up the Armada, Carry On Mate and Carry On Sailor.

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