I recall first being aware of Carter in the late 1980s as the mournful father in "The Singing Detective" and as a lecherous school headmaster in Ken Russell's film of D.H. Lawrence's "The Rainbow."
He was seen in my favorite movie, "Shakespeare In Love," as the bar man/actor who plays the nurse in the production of "Romeo And Juliet." He has a great line -- I think someone asks him if he thinks something is funny and he replies something like "I was a pirate and now I'm a nurse -- THAT's funny!" But got a little tired of his story about the fame of his eyebrows in TV interviews when he was in New York with other cast members, but that was my problem, since I was seeking out all TV appearances of members of the cast and crew of "Downton Abbey" and they can't come up with something amusing and different for ALL of them! Love him on the show.
I bought the "Top secret" DVD a long time ago gambling that it might have a chance of being funny since it was from the makers of "Airplane" "Police squad" and "Naked gun" (all three extremely highly recommended). The gamble payed off handsomely with a big sack of change to boot.
I know the makers themselves are not that happy with it (then again their commentaries on all the above mentioned DVDs are not too positive of the respective films but they are exceptionally derogatory on this one).
Deja Vu was the most entertaining but Chocolate Mousse is als great since he has a genuine French accent. The film is filled with totally surreal scenes from stationary trains in mobile landscapes, people landing on a pidgeon statue an underwater western bar fight (preceded by a hilarious fight on who controls the radio of the "Raiders of the lost ark" truck), and the reversed book store scene with Peter Cushing, who must have loved his scene in this totally insane comedy, as must Omar Sharif. The commentary track has a good one on Cushing: the makers asked him that Hammer would have finished the book store scene already in the time the "Top secret" team were only half way. Cushings reply: "At Hammer they would have cut the film and started the sequel". Judging from the boisterous laughter on the track that comment was received extremely well by the Zuckers.
I neglected to follow the original YouTube link, until now, and it is SO funny!!!!!! Mr. Carson would have a fit! But those who watch the show know that Mr. Carson had a career in an early form of vaudeville, which came back to haunt him in, as I recall, the first season of "Downton." Thanks Montana Dave for THIS:
Incidentally, has any "Downton" fan bought the new book?
Behind the Scenes at Downton Abbey -- Hardcover by Emma Rowley (Author) , Gareth Neame (Foreword)
Kindle $7.50 Hardcover $21.68
It's in my Amazon shopping cart and I'll probably place the order as soon as I can think of something else to add so I can wipe out the shipping charge.
