Trivia / Carry On Dick

• Banned in China: The film was banned in South Africa in the 1970s as the South African authorities considered it anti-Christian. This was because of Dick Turpin pretending to be the Reverend Flasher.
• Billing Displacement: Bill Maynard was added to the list of stars on the original VHS release despite playing a supporting role to capitalise on his fame on TV.
• Completely Different Title:
  • Finland: Let's go, Dick.
  • Germany: Go Ahead, Dick/The Totally Crazy Hijacker.
  • Hungary: Go on, Dick!.
  • Portugal: Way to Go... of Gurnard Unleashed.
  • Sweden: Check Now Let's Take a Robber.
• Costume Backlash: Laraine Humphrys and Penny Irving had issues with the original outfits for the Birds of Paradise and made sure that Gerald Thomas knew of it.
• Creator Backlash: Kenneth Williams wrote in his diary that everyone (with the exception of Jack Douglas) was so weary during the making of the film. After watching it himself, he wrote:
  The script is utterly banal. It is incredible that human minds can put such muck on to paper.
• Creator Breakdown: This was the last Carry On script for Talbot Rothwell, who began to notice that he was being easily distracted and unable to focus on the words he was writing. He was ordered to retire by his doctor, who diagnosed him as being overworked, so Rothwell had to dictate to his daughter to finish the script on the typewriter for him. He died in 1981.
• Creator's Favourite Episode: This was Jack Douglas' favourite Carry On film.
• Dawson Casting: Sid James, at 61, was nearly twice the age of the real Dick Turpin, who was 33 when he was hanged in 1739.
• Deleted Scene:
  • Part of the scene where Dick says his goodbyes to the leaving churchgoers was cut, as evidenced by a jarring cut between Madame Desiree walking off-screen and Captain Fancey walking onscreen.
  • The church jumble sale scene was heavily cut down, resulting in the loss of most of Michael Nightingale, Patsy Rowlands, and George Moon's performances.
    Mrs. Giles: Me? I don't dare get into bed. He'd have me with child afore I could snuff the candle!
• DVD Commentary: With Carry On historian Robert Ross talking to Jack Douglas (Sergeant Jock Strapp).
• Enforced Method Acting: When Sergeant Strapp is thrown into a horse trough, Jack Douglas wasn't told of this beforehand, only that he'd be thrown outside.
• Fake Brit: The South African-born Sid James plays the British Dick Turpin.
• Harpo Does Something Funny: While Sergeant Strapp's twitching was scripted, Jack Douglas reveals on the DVD Commentary that he was given free rein to do whatever he wanted with it and go as far as possible, also his slapstick scene where he fails to make it up the belfry ladder was actually the rehearsal take that was completely improvised.
• Hostility on the Set: Penny Irving did not get along with Gerald Thomas, after she had given him trouble over the skimpy outfits she and the other Birds of Paradise had to wear.
• Real-Life Relative: Kenneth Connor's (the Constable) son Jeremy played a footpad in the film.
• Recycled Script: The trivia section on the DVD admits the film was essentially a second Don't Lose Your Head.
• Role-Ending Misdemeanor: Penny Irving was never asked back for another Carry On after her incident with Gerald Thomas. Her agent had asked if she could do another, but Thomas' reply was "Don't mention her name to me again".
• Romance on the Set: Barbara Windsor recalls (while trying to hold back tears of laughter) in the 1998 documentary A Perfect Carry On that Sid James offered to teach her how to ride a horse before her scenes, but she ended up riding something else!
• Stunt Double: Some shots of Dick Turpin on horseback during the opening credits weren't of Sid James, but believed to be of Gerry Wain.
• Wag the Director: Both Laraine Humphrys and Penny Irving had staged protests to Gerald Thomas over the skimpy outfits the Birds of Paradise had to wear.
• Word of Dante: Peter Butterworth's character is claimed to have the surname "Scholl" on many fansites. Despite this he is only referred to as "Tom" in both the film and promotional material.
• What Could Have Been:
  • George Evans and Laurie Wyman were commissioned to write a Carry On and came up with Carry On Sailor. The idea was scrapped and the two wrote a script about Dick Turpin robbing the Bank of England. Talbot Rothwell kept the flavour of the script for his version, but for all intents and purposes, re-wrote his own Don't Lose Your Head.
  • Dick Turpin was known as Dick Twurpin in the original script.
  • Kenneth Williams demanded the scene where he would be set in stocks and had food thrown at him be cut from the script, but he didn't get his wish.
  • When Sergeant Strapp keeps banging his head trying to get up the belfry, originally, he was supposed to make it into the belfry, however both the location shooting and the set built were too small for the six-foot Jack Douglas, so Douglas made up the slapstick routine to get past this.

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