49-743: Sidney or Sydney James may refer to: Sid James (1913–1976), British-based South African actor and comedian Sidney James (footballer) (1891–1917), footballer for Huddersfield Town and Hartlepool United Sidney L. James (died 2004), journalist and editor Sydney James (priest) (1855–1934), Archdeacon of Dudley Syd James (Sydney Victor Austin James, 1895–1966), Australian rules footballer and cricketer Syd James (footballer, born 1898) (1898–1969), Australian rules footballer with Geelong Sydney Price James (1870–1946), British physician, parasitologist, and malariologist [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
98-679: A TV advertisement producer in Charlie Chaplin 's A King in New York , a non-comic supporting role as a journalist in the science-fiction film Quatermass 2 , and he performed in Hell Drivers (all 1957), a film with Stanley Baker . The next year, James starred with Miriam Karlin in East End, West End by Wolf Mankowitz , a half-hour comedy series for the ITV company Associated Rediffusion . Set within
147-498: A daughter Reina . They were divorced on 17 August 1952. On 21 August 1952, James married Valerie Elizabeth Patsy Assan (1928–2022), an actress who used Ashton as her stage name. They had a son, Steve James, born in 1954, who became a music producer, and a daughter, Sue, who became a television producer. During the latter part of their marriage they lived in a house partly designed by James himself, Delaford Park, in Iver , Buckinghamshire ,
196-546: A lead role in The Wedding of Lilli Marlene . He featured in another Alec Guinness film, Father Brown (US: The Detective , 1954) and in Trapeze (1956) as Harry the snake charmer, a circus film which was one of the most successful films of its year, and he played Master Henry in "Outlaw Money" (also 1956), an episode of The Adventures of Robin Hood . James had a supporting part as
245-405: A location close enough to Pinewood Studios to allow him to return home for lunch while filming. During his marriage to Valerie he had a well-publicised affair with Carry On co-star Barbara Windsor that lasted three years. The affair was dramatised in the 1998 stage play Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick and its 2000 television adaptation Cor, Blimey! . James's obsession with Windsor
294-597: A middle-class Jewish family in South Africa, James started his career in his native country before finding his greatest success in the UK. Beginning his screen career playing bit parts in films from 1947, he was cast in numerous small and supporting roles into the 1950s. He appeared in the film The Lavender Hill Mob in 1951, starring Alec Guinness . His profile was raised as Tony Hancock 's co-star in Hancock's Half Hour , firstly in
343-670: A parody version of the legend of the highwayman Dick Turpin . In Henry and Dick , James played the title roles, while in Carry On Cleo he played Mark Antony . In Carry On Cowboy (1965), he adopted an American accent for his part as "The Rumpo Kid". (James had previously played an American (with an American accent) in the films Give Us This Day (1949), Orders Are Orders (1954), A Yank in Ermine (1955), Wicked as They Come (1956), Chaplin's A King in New York (1957) and Another Time, Another Place (1958).) In 1967, James
392-533: A severe heart attack . In the same year in Carry On Doctor , James was shown mainly lying in a hospital bed, owing to his real-life health problems. After his heart attack, James gave up his heavy cigarette habit and instead smoked a pipe or an occasional cigar; he lost weight, ate only one main meal a day, and limited himself to two or three alcoholic drinks per evening. His success in TV situation comedy continued with
441-567: A shift away from the kind of roles for which he had become best known. He remained the lovable rogue but was keen to steer clear of criminal characters; in 1960 he turned down the part of Fagin in the original West End staging of Oliver! for that very reason. Galton and Simpson continued to write for both James and Hancock for a while, and the Sidney Balmoral James character resurfaced in the Citizen James (1960–1962) series. Sid James
490-446: A world-weary "Cor, blimey!", his catchphrase. His laugh can be heard here [1] . There were Carry On films in which James played characters who were not called Sid or Sidney: Carry On Constable (1960), in which he played Sergeant Frank Wilkins; Carry On Henry (1971), a parody of the TV series The Six Wives of Henry VIII ; Carry On Abroad (1972), in which James's character was named Vic Flange; and Carry On Dick (1974),
539-863: Is an important agricultural service centre in the Free State with a predominantly agricultural-orientated economy served by a modern toll-road. This brings the PWV Region within two hours drive from Kroonstad as well as being accessible from the North West , Bloemfontein and the Eastern Free State . In July 2022 Kroonstad was announced as the winner in the Kwêla Dorp Van Die Jaar competition. The Bloemspruit Monument 27°40′18″S 27°12′23″E / 27.67167°S 27.20639°E / -27.67167; 27.20639 commemorates those who died in
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#1732876261810588-469: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen ; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a South African–British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. Noted for his distinctive dirty laugh, he was best known for numerous roles in the Carry On film series. Born to
637-533: Is said to be one of the Free State's loveliest towns and lies on the banks of the Vals River , a tributary of the Vaal , roughly two hours' drive from Johannesburg. It is situated in an area characterised by open spaces and an abundant variety of vegetation that makes it particularly beautiful. Kroonstad is a quaint town that serves as a good stop over en route between Johannesburg and Bloemfontein, lying as it does at virtually
686-616: Is the fourth largest town in the Free State (after Bloemfontein , Welkom and Bethlehem ) and lies two hours' drive on the N1 from Gauteng . It is the second-largest commercial and urban centre in the Northern Free State (after Welkom), and an important railway junction on the main line from Cape Town to Johannesburg . Kroonstad was established in 1855 by the Irish pioneer Joseph Orpen , and
735-547: The Carry On films, and other topics. The interview is notable for its relaxed, humorous style. The producer of the forthcoming BBC Carry On documentary, Richard Latto, contacted James's surviving daughters after confirming the recording's authenticity. Reina James commented: "To hear him talking just before he's about to die.. there's something hugely moving about that". Sue James called the interview "lovely and sympathetic". A Heritage Foundation commemorative blue plaque to James
784-874: The South African Broadcasting Corporation . Toots divorced him in 1940. During World War II he served as a lieutenant in the Union Defence Force Entertainment Unit in South Africa's army, and subsequently took up acting as a career. He moved to the United Kingdom in December 1946, financed by his service gratuity. Initially he worked in repertory , before being spotted for the nascent British post-war film industry. James made his first credited film appearances in Night Beat and Black Memory in 1947, both crime dramas. He played
833-536: The British Seaside . James became a leading member of the Carry On films team, originally to replace Ted Ray , who had appeared in Carry On Teacher (1959). It had been intended that Ray would become a recurring presence in the Carry On series, but he was dropped after just one film because of contractual problems. James ultimately made 19 Carry On films, receiving top billing in 17, making him one of
882-664: The Jewish community of London's East End, the series of six episodes was transmitted in February and March 1958, but plans for further episodes were abandoned after a disappointing response. For a while though, it had looked as if his commitment elsewhere might end his work with Tony Hancock, one of the most popular television comedians of the time. He had begun working with Tony Hancock in 1954, in his BBC Radio series Hancock's Half Hour . Having seen him in The Lavender Hill Mob , it
931-568: The Kroonstad Concentration Camp, A Garden of Remembrance 27°39′05″S 27°14′19″E / 27.65139°S 27.23861°E / -27.65139; 27.23861 commemorates Allied soldiers fallen in the two World Wars. A blockhouse south of the city is a reminder of later stages of the Second Boer War . Stone corbelled huts, refuges for the prehistoric inhabitants of the region, occur in various locations about
980-552: The Serfontein Dam. Horseriding, gliding and hiking trails are also available. Kroonstad lies directly on the N1 , which bypasses the town centre to the east (to Johannesburg in the north and Bloemfontein in the south). Other regional roads in the town are the R34 to Odendaalsrus in the south-west and Heilbron in the east, the R76 to Steynsrus in the south-east and Viljoenskroon in
1029-759: The alcoholic hero's barman in Powell and Pressburger 's The Small Back Room in 1949. The Lavender Hill Mob in 1951 was his first comedy film, ranked 17th out of the 100 best British films by the British Film Institute : with Alfie Bass , he made up the bullion robbery gang headed by Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway . He also appeared in Lady Godiva Rides Again and The Galloping Major , both films were released in 1951, and as Harry Hawkins in The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953), and also had
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#17328762618101078-563: The banks of the willow -lined Vals River (Valsrivier) are frequented by anglers and watersport enthusiasts. Leisure opportunities are plentiful in Kroonstad, where visitors can enjoy golf on the 18-hole course in the town, lion tours and interaction with lion and tiger cubs at the Boskoppie Lion and Tiger Park, fishing in the well stocked Vals River or on the Bloemhoek Dam , and boating on
1127-539: The city became the capital of the Orange Free State , and subsequently the site of a concentration camp to contain Boer women and children. The main industry of Kroonstad is agriculture . It is the centre of a rich agricultural district, producing maize, wheat, dairy and meat products and wool. The Bloemhoek Dam lies just east of the town and supplies much of its water needs. A caravan park and many more camp sites on
1176-616: The city. In addition, fossils and San rock art are present in the region. By 1931, the Kroonstad municipal council had assumed a coat of arms . It was registered with the Orange Free State Provincial Administration in February 1967 and at the Bureau of Heraldry in April 1971. The arms were: Or, a tree on an island proper; on a chief Argent fimbriated Azure, a locomotive and tender Sable ("a golden shield displaying
1225-601: The curtain to close and requested a doctor, while the audience – who were unaware of what was happening – laughed, believing the events to be part of the show. An ambulance was called, and he was pronounced dead on arrival at Sunderland General Hospital . He was 62. At the time of his death, negotiations were being held for a seventh and eighth series of Bless This House , as well as another film adaptation, to be produced along with an hour-long television variety special featuring James, but those plans were scrapped due to his death. Bruce Forsyth ultimately replaced him in
1274-584: The halfway mark. Kroonstad offers an array of activities that include flea markets , a tea garden, fishing on the Vals River or at the Bloemhoek Dam, walking trails and lion tours and lion and tiger interaction at Boskoppie Lion and Tiger park. Today, as an important administrative, agricultural and educational centre, Kroonstad still boasts much of the inherent rugged beauty which led the Voortrekkers to establish
1323-403: The leading role of the 1976 TV version of The Mating Season that went out on ITV in December of the same year. James was cremated and his ashes were scattered at Golders Green Crematorium . James has been the subject of at least five tribute shows: Channel 4 's With Out Walls, Seriously Seeking Sid in the late 1980s; a 1996 one-off tribute, The Very Best of Sid James ; a 2000 episode of
1372-586: The most featured performers of the regular cast. The characters he portrayed in the films were usually very similar to the wise-cracking, sly, lecherous Cockney he was famed for playing on television, and in most cases they bore the name Sid or Sidney, for example, Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond in Carry On Up the Khyber and Sid Boggle in Carry On Camping . His trademark "dirty laugh" was often used and became, along with
1421-499: The north-west, the R721 to Vredefort in the north-west and the R82 to Sasolburg in the north-east. Kroonstad Railway Station serves the town and is located on the important railway junction from Cape Town to Johannesburg via Bloemfontein . On 4 January 2018, a passenger train, operated by Shosholoza Meyl , collided with a truck on a level crossing near Kroonstad/Hennenman. The train
1470-535: The programmes Two in Clover (1969–70) and Bless This House (1971–1976); the latter led to a film version in 1972. James married three times. He and his first wife, Berthe Sadie Delmont, were married in 1936 and a daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1937; they were divorced in 1940, mainly as a result of his many relationships with other women. In 1943, he married a dancer, Meg Sergei (1913–1977); in 1947, they had
1519-427: The radio series and later when it was adapted for television and ran from 1954 to 1960. After this he became known as a regular performer in the Carry On films, appearing in 19 films of the series, top-billed in 17 of them (in the other two he was billed below Frankie Howerd ). His starring roles in television sitcoms continued. He starred in the 1970s sitcom Bless This House until his death in 1976. James
Sidney James - Misplaced Pages Continue
1568-406: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sidney_James&oldid=1050807416 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
1617-603: The series The Unforgettable ; a 2002 episode of Heroes of Comedy ; and in 2013, the BBC's The Many Faces Of Sid James . James was played by Geoffrey Hutchings in Terry Johnson 's play Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick , which premiered at the National Theatre in 1998. Hutchings reprised the role in the subsequent film adaptation, Cor, Blimey! . In the 2006 BBC television film Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa! , James
1666-422: The series made the transition to television. His part in the show now greatly increased, and many viewers came to think of Hancock and James as a double act. Feeling the format had become exhausted, Hancock decided to end his professional relationship with James at the end of the sixth television series in 1960. Although the two men remained friends, James was upset at his colleague's decision. The experience led to
1715-404: The television show Undermind , Episode 6, "Intent to Destroy", broadcast on 12 June 1965. His name is heard announced, and the show is seen on a television camera seconds later. In 1968, James, Val Doonican and Arthur Askey were filmed playing golf in the village of Cockington near Torquay ( British Pathé archives, film reference 457.1), for their production Viva Torbay: Travelling to
1764-567: The town where they did. Sporting facilities of all kinds are well catered for, notably for jukskei , an Afrikaner folk sport. The headquarters of the SA Jukskei Council has been established here since 1951. The city is rich in historical sights; several historic buildings and statues, a former concentration camp, the Sarel Cilliers Museum (although currently inactive) and other places of national interest can be found here. Kroonstad
1813-481: The wall" Kroonstad Kroonstad ( Afrikaans directly translated "Crown City"), which consist of suburbs as follows: Brentpark, Constantia, Constantia Park, Dawid Malanville, Elandia, Gelukwaarts, Goedgedacht, Heuningspruit, Industria, Jordania, KoeKoeVillage, Kroonheuwel, Maokeng, Morewag, Noordhoek, Ou Dorp, Panorama, Phomalong, Presidensia, PrisonArea, Seisoville, Suidrand, Tuinhof, Uitsig, Vooruitsig, WestPark and Wilgenhof. Kroonstad
1862-588: Was at a hairdressing salon in Kroonstad , Orange Free State , that he met his first wife. He married Berthe Sadie Delmont, known as Toots, on 12 August 1936 and they had a daughter, Elizabeth, born in 1937. His father-in-law, Joseph Delmont, a Johannesburg businessman, bought a hairdressing salon for him, but within a year James announced that he wanted to become an actor, and joined the Johannesburg Repertory Players. Through this group he gained work with
1911-517: Was born Solomon Joel Cohen on 8 May 1913, to Jewish parents in South Africa (at that time a British dominion ), later changing his name to Sidney Joel Cohen, and then Sidney James . His family lived on Hancock Street in Hillbrow , Johannesburg . He claimed various previous occupations, including diamond cutter , dance tutor and boxer, but in reality had trained and worked as a hairdresser. It
1960-439: Was derailed, and at least one of the carriages caught fire. Twenty people were killed and 260 were injured. Kroonstad is served by a small airport with no passenger flights. Shopping in Kroonstad is characterised by typical high street shopping. The development of the new Kroonstad Water Front Mall is underway, Maokeng Mall, Panorama Plaza, Checkers Centre, Shoprite Centre, Ultra City Centre and Pick'n'Pay centre. Kroonstad
2009-496: Was installed at the former Teddington Studios on Broom Road, Teddington , Greater London, until 30 June 2015 – at which time it was stolen, just before the building was demolished to make way for housing. A further blue plaque, placed by the British Comedy Society, commemorates his time living at 35 Gunnersbury Avenue ( A406 ), from 1956 to 1963. The first plaque here was also stolen; the second "was placed much higher up
Sidney James - Misplaced Pages Continue
2058-616: Was intending to play Sergeant Nocker in Follow That Camel , but was already committed to recording the TV series George and the Dragon (1966–1968) for ATV , then one of the ITV contractors. James was replaced in Follow That Camel by the American comic actor Phil Silvers . On 13 May 1967, two weeks after the filming began of what eventually became an entry in the Carry On series, James suffered
2107-423: Was now consistently taking the lead role in his television work. Taxi! (1963–64) was his next series. A comedy-drama rather than a sitcom, it was created by Ted Willis , but although it ran to two series, the programme was not particularly successful. In 1964, he made his first of two appearances on The Eamonn Andrews Show . The first few moments of the opening credits of one of them can be heard and seen in
2156-507: Was on tour in a revival of a comedy, The Mating Season , when he suffered a heart attack on stage at the Sunderland Empire Theatre . Actresses Olga Lowe and Audrey Jeans thought that he was playing a practical joke at first when he failed to reply to their dialogue. When they ad-libbed to him and he still failed to respond, they moved towards the wings to seek help. The technical manager, Melvyn James (no relation), called for
2205-505: Was played by Ged McKenna. In August 2018, it was announced that a radio interview which James had recorded for BBC Radio Solent on 22 March 1976 had been re-discovered during research for a forthcoming BBC radio documentary celebrating the Carry On film series. The recording had been kept by BBC presenter Jeff Link, who had carried out the original interview. In the interview, James discusses his attempts to keep fit by skipping , his preference for working in films, his genuine affection for
2254-428: Was pregnant. James was an inveterate and largely unsuccessful gambler, losing tens of thousands of pounds over his lifetime. His gambling addiction was such that he had an agreement with his agent, Michael Sullivan, under which his wife was not told how much he was being paid, so that a portion could be set aside for gambling. On 26 April 1976, four days after the end of the sixth series of Bless This House , James
2303-428: Was such that it was rumoured that her then husband Ronnie Knight had all of James's furniture rearranged at home as a subtle threat and, on another occasion, put an axe in James's floor, but close friends of the time, including Vince Powell and William G. Stewart , dismissed the suggestions. According to his biographer Cliff Goodwin, James struck his pregnant girlfriend, and he also struck his first wife when she
2352-437: Was the first founded after the independence of the Orange Free State . While Kroon means "crown", this was in fact the name of a horse that had drowned in the nearby ford . A lover of animals, Orpen had witnessed the incident, and named the infant settlement in honour of the unfortunate creature. Similarly, the ford in question came to be known as Kroondrift . During the Second Boer War , from 13 March to 11 May 1900,
2401-402: Was the idea of Hancock's writers, Galton and Simpson , to cast James. He played a character with his own name (but having the invented middle name Balmoral) who was a petty criminal and would usually manage to con Hancock in some way, although the character eventually ceased to be Hancock's adversary. With the exception of James, the other regular cast members of the radio series were dropped when
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