Web Page No 2762 6th March 2021 1st Picture: Esma as a young actress

2nd Picture: In Carry On Constable

3rd Picture: In Carry On Cruising

4th Picture: Her grave stone

5th Picture: With her son Michael

So many of the actors and actresses who appeared in the Carry On films are well known to us. Their lives have been well documented both on screen and off. Today I want to look at a diminutive actress who brought memorable comedic turns to four early Carry On films. Esma Cannon. Esma Cannon first appearance in a Carry On film was as a deaf, dotty old lady in Carry On Constable at the of the 1950s. On location in Ealing, Constable Kenneth Williams attempts to help her cross the road and ends up being whacked with Esma's big handbag! Obviously catching the eye of the directors, she was back with a more substantial supporting role in the next film Carry On Regardless. In Regardless she played Miss Cooling, assistant to Bert Handy, owner of The Helping Hands Agency. Sid James and Esma Cannon formed a delightful double act in this film with their scenes acting as bookends between the likes of Kenneth Williams, Liz Fraser and Joan Sims. She shares a memorable scene with Kenneth Connor which leads into his famous send up of The Thirty-nine Steps. In early 1962 Esma Cannon reunited with a smaller cast for Carry On Cruising. This is probably her most effective and substantial contribution to the series. As Bridget Madderley she has a difficult task as most of her scenes are on her own with nobody to play off. It is a delightfully twittery performance, particularly the scene she shares with Dilys Laye where both characters proceed to get rather drunk, rather quickly! Her timing and presence on screen are brilliant. Esma Cannon returned for one final Carry On film, Carry On Cabby, shot in the Spring of 1963. This is a different role to her previous contributions. She is much more worldly and streetwise as Flo Sims, a lady who helps Hattie Jacques' character Peggy Hawkins set up the wonderful Glam Cabs firm in direct competition with husband Charlie's Speedee Cabs. Esma plays this one very down to earth and straight forward but it is a terrific part for her. As usual there is a real twinkle in her eye throughout. The combined forces of Hattie Jacques, Esme Cannon, Liz Fraser and Amanda Barrie bring Sid and the lads to their knees! Sadly that was Esma's last appearance in a Carry On film and pretty much her last film role. She retired not long afterwards at a time when offers of work must have been pouring in. So, what other film and television appearances is Esma Cannon well known for? On television her main role was in The Rag Trade. She played Lil in that series opposite Sheila Hancock, Barbara Windsor, Peter Jones and Miriam Karlin, between 1961-1963. Her career dates back to 1936. Over the next three decades she appeared in a wide variety of classic British films such as: Here Come the Huggetts (1948); Simon and Laura (1955); Further Up The Creek (1958); I'm All Right Jack (1959); Raising The Wind (1961); The Fast Lady (1962), On The Beat (1962) and Nurse On Wheels (1963). So what else do we know about Esma Cannon? Well, we know she was born in Australia in 1905. After early experience at Minnie Everett's School of Dancing in Sydney, she began acting on the stage at the age of four. For whatever reason, she decided to travel to Britain in the early 1930s, slowly building up a list of acting credits and achieving notable success up until the early 1960s when she decided to leave the acting profession. And that's almost all we know about her. She was most certainly married and apparently had children, or at least a son. Apparently every year on their son's birthday Esma and her husband would give each other gifts too in celebration of all they had achieved together. Esma Cannon passed away at the age of just 66 in 1972. This news was apparently not reported in the press as many of her colleagues were unaware of her passing until years later. At the time of her death, Esma was allegedly living in Camden, North London although records show she is buried in France at Saint-Benoît-la-Forêt. Again, I have no idea what was behind this. I guess we will never know much more about this elusive yet wonderful comic actress. Who knows if any of her family are still alive today? While it is a shame we do not know more about Esma Cannon, at least we can still enjoy her wonderful acting talents not only in those early Carry Ons but also a wide variety of classic British films of the 40s, 50s and early 60s. Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com You Write: News and Views: On this day 6th March 1960 – 1965 On 07/03/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was The Larkins (ATV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. On 07/03/1961 the number one single was Walk Right Back/Ebony Eyes - Everly Brothers and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. On 07/03/1962 the number one single was Rock-a-Hula Baby/Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. On 07/03/1963 the number one single was The Wayward Wind - Frank Ifield and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. On 07/03/1964 the number one single was Anyone Who Had a Heart -Cilla Black and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. On 07/03/1965 the number one single was I'll Never Find Another You - Seekers and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was First public talking computer.