Talbot Rothwell

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Talbot Rothwell (born November 12, 1916 in Bromley , Kent as Talbot Nelson Conn Rothwell , † February 28, 1981 in Worthing , Sussex ) was a British writer and screenwriter .

Life

Rothwell initially worked in many different professions, including administrative clerk, pilot and police officer. During the Second World War he became a German prisoner of war . There he began working with Peter Butterworth on entertainment programs for the other prisoners. While Rothwell wrote skits and lyrics, Butterworth acted as an actor. For both of them, this developed into their later work in show business as well as a lifelong collaboration.

After returning to England, Rothwell worked as a stage, film and radio writer. He wrote texts for Terry-Thomas and Ted Ray , among others, and his plays have been performed in London's West End. In 1963 he wrote the script for a comedy about a London taxi driver and his emancipated wife, which he offered to producer Peter Rogers . At that time, Rogers was looking for a new writer for his carry-on ... film series because Norman Hudis , who had already written six comedies for Rogers and his director Gerald Thomas , was no longer available after moving to the USA . The script by Rothwell fit well with the character of the previous films, so Gerald Thomas directed it under the title Carry on Cabby as the seventh film in the series. From then on, Rothwell remained closely connected to Rogers' production staff and wrote 20 additional scripts for carry-on films and two carry-on television specials for Christmas. When cast in the style of Commedia dell'Arte, Rogers and Thomas relied largely on the same actors as Kenneth Williams , Sid James , Kenneth Connor , Joan Sims and Rothwell's friend Peter Butterworth. Rothwell's scripts parodied the James Bond films ( Carry on Spying ) , period films ( Carry on Cleo and Carry on Henry ), adventure films ( Carry on Jack ) , westerns ( Carry on Cowboy ) , horror films ( Carry on Screaming ) , and doctor films ( Carry on Doctor ) as well as numerous everyday situations (such as vacations, dating, strikes and beauty pageants). In 1974 Rothwell wrote his last screenplay for a carry-on film with Carry on Dick about the legendary British mugger Dick Turpin . In 1976, Jack Seddon adapted Rothwell's play on the stage, Carry on England, for the Carry-on series.

In 1977 Rothwell was awarded the OBE Order for his services to the arts . Talbot Rothwell died on February 28, 1981 at the age of 64 after a long illness in Sussex.

Films (selection)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Rothwell, Talbot
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Rothwell, Talbot Nelson Conn
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British author and screenwriter
DATE OF BIRTH November 12, 1916
PLACE OF BIRTH Bromley , Kent
DATE OF DEATH February 28, 1981
Place of death Worthing , Sussex