Producer who sparked a Carry On by hooking off Babs’ top dies at 77
THE man who created an iconic movie moment by whipping off Barbara Windsor’s top with a hook and some fishing line has died aged 77.
Film producer Paul Cowan was a rising star behind the camera when he was drafted in to help on the 1969 film Carry On Camping, one of the most popular in the series.
As third assistant director, the film’s shoestring budget meant he was encouraged to improvise.
In the classic comedy, Ms Windsor’s character “Babs” is doing an outdoor aerobic session at a family campsite when her bikini flies off and hits co-star Kenneth Williams in the face.
Mr Cowan was off camera pulling on the fishing line attached to the young actress’s bikini “time and time again” until the scene was perfect, creating one of the most loved skits in British cinema.
The film helped catapult Ms Windsor and her cleavage into the limelight while Mr Cowan went on to produce some of the bestknown Paul Cowan films during the 1980s and 1990s, including the IRA psychological thriller The Crying Game and The Krays, about East End gangsters Ronnie and Reggie. Mr Cowan’s wife Karen said: “At a time when unions had a stronghold on the film industry, getting his break on the Carry On films as a third assistant director was an achievement. “He worked his way rapidly up to first assistant director. “Carry On Camping was filmed on a shoestring, in a few days, with angry farmers and a lot of mud. “Paul had the fun task of removing Barbara Windsor’s bikini top again and again.” The grandfather-of-two, from Bampton, Oxfordshire, who developed dementia in his latter years, died from heart disease this month. His funeral took place yesterday. He is survived by Karen and children Lara, Nina, Johnny and Molly.