Trivia / Carry On Matron

• Actor-Shared Background: Hattie Jacques, who played the titular Matron, was a nurse in the VAD during World War II.
• Author's Saving Throw: Barbara Windsor's leading role in the film after missing out on Carry On at Your Convenience the year prior was thought to be an attempt to win back the viewers who had deserted the series after that film.
• Completely Different Title:
  • Finland: Let's go Over Treatment.
  • French Canada: The Crazies of the Hospital.
  • France: Crazy People in the Maternity Ward.
  • Germany: It's Crazy - The Totally Crazy Matron.
  • Greece: Mad Racketeers.
  • Hungary: Go on, Matron!.
  • Poland: Matron, Let's do it!.
  • Portugal: Until... Motherhood!.
• The Danza: Sid James as Sid Carter.
• Deleted Role:
  • Laura Collins as Nurse Rose Knightley, although she can still be spotted in the back of crowd scenes with all the nurses.
  • Marianne Stone as Mrs. Putzova.
  • Juliet Harmer as Mrs. Bentley.
• Deleted Scene:
  • Nurse Knightley and Cyril (disguised as Cyrille) giving their names to Mrs. Kemp:
    Mrs. Kemp: First name?
    Cyril: Cyril.
    Mrs. Kemp: "Cyril"?
    Cyril: Oh sorry, I was thinking of something else. Er... Magna.
    Mrs. Kemp: "Magna"... Magna Carter?
  • Dr. Prodd telling Mrs. Bentley that she's pregnant:
    Dr. Prodd: Why, if it will make you feel better you can have the father with you during the birth.
    Mrs. Bentley: Oh, I don't think that would be very wise.
    Dr. Prodd: Why not?
    Mrs. Bentley: I don't think my husband would like him to be there.
  • Mrs. Putzova discussing her condition with Dr. Goode:
    Dr. Goode: Anyway, Mrs Putzova, I want you to talk to me absolutely frankly. In Russian, if it will make it easier.
    Mrs. Putzova: Do you speak Russian then, Doctor?
    Dr. Goode: Oh no, but as long as one understands what's going on it'll be all right.
  • Jane Darling admiring her triplets in a hospital bed.
  • The final scene lost a segment where Sir Bernard suffers from an attack of nerves after marrying Matron.
• DVD Commentary: With Carry On historian Robert Ross talking to Jacki Piper (Sister), Patsy Rowlands (Evelyn Banks), and Valerie Leon (Jane Darling).
• Edited for Syndication: When aired on ITV3, the film cuts straight from Sid, Matron, and Cyril on the fire escape to Matron chasing Sid across the car park, losing all the scenes of the nurse in the bath.
• Fake Brit: The South African-born Sid James plays the British Sid Carter.
• Fake Russian: The Deleted Role of Mrs. Putzova was played by the British Marianne Stone.
• Real Life Writes the Hairstyle: Kenneth Cope and Bernard Bresslaw had to wear wigs for their appearances in this film.
• Reality Subtext: When discovering Cyril is part of his father's gang, Nurse Ball frets that she doesn't want to be a gangster's Moll. In Real Life, her actress, Barbara Windsor, was married to Ronnie Knight, nightclub owner and notorious gangster (or as he called himself, "loveable rascal").
• Referenced by...:
  • In the Jonathan Creek Christmas Episode "Black Canary", Adam states that he's found a specialist to treat his gallstones and keep him away from the film's cast.
  • The Endeavour episode "Lazaretto" mentions a hospital called Finisham.
• Saved from Development Hell: The film's title was registered just before the release of Carry On Doctor in 1968 and was set to be produced just after Carry On Again Doctor. However, trouble in getting Norman Hudis to return to write the script saw the film stuck in limbo until the usual scriptwriter Talbot Rothwell was brought back in early 1970.
• Stunt Double: Kenneth Cope had a female stand-in for some scenes.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Norman Hudis was initially approached to write the script, 7 years after his last one (Carry On Cruising), but his comeback was out due to difficulties over his membership of the Writers Guild of America so the script writing job went to Talbot Rothwell.
  • Peter Butterworth was supposed to play Freddy but was unable because of other work engagements, leading to Bill Maynard's casting.
  • Frankie Howerd had hoped during the filming of Carry On Up the Jungle that he'd be available to come back for whatever film they'd make in October 1971, but wasn't available as he was busy filming Up Pompeii.
  • Margaret Nolan wasn't originally cast as Mrs. Tucker but got herself the role after writing a letter to Gerald Thomas telling him she'd be happy to work with him on a Carry On film again.
  • Dick Francis was sought for a role, but for whatever reason was unavailable.
  • The original ending was the wedding ceremony between Sir Bernard and Matron, rather than seeing them outside the church.
  • Another ending would have had Dr. Goode looking at the camera and saying, "I do love happy endings, don't you?".
  • Another ending had Sir Bernard faint before the ceremony after seeing an advert for an early Viagra product and Sid being arrested, with the idea of the next film being his escape.
  • Also cut was Sid's last line, upon seeing that his gang run off for the idea of a nudist camp, he remarks that it's a job he'll get more out of before his infamous laugh.

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