Peter Rogers(1914-2009)

Peter Rogers was born in Rochester, Kent, on 20th February 1914. Educated at Kings School, Rochester, he began his career as a journalist on the "Kentish Express". Moving to the theatre in the late 1930s, he became Auriol Lee's assistant on such classic West End productions as J.B. Priestley's "People at Sea" and John Van Druten's "Gertie Maud". From the West End, he went to Fleet Street where he worked on "Picture Post". After hospitalisation during the war, Peter became a radio scriptwriter for the BBC. He entered the film industry as a scriptwriter in 1942 and was a member of the production executive committee of J. Arthur Rank's Religious Films Ltd. In 1946, he joined the Rank-controlled Gainsborough Studios, in Shepherds Bush, as an assistant scenario editor. At Gainsborough, he first met his future wife, Betty E. Box, O.B.E., herself one of Britain's most successful producers. Among the early films they co-produced were Marry Me (1949) and Don't Ever Leave Me (1949). Rank consolidated its interests in the late 1940's and moved all production to Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire. Peter Rogers and Betty Box continued their successful partnership at Pinewood, producing such films as "Venetian Bird" and the Channel Islands wartime comedy Island Rescue (1951). Peter went on to produce children's films which enabled him to combine his entertainment flair with his love of animals. These included The Gay Dog (1954), Circus Friends (1956) and The Dog and the Diamonds (1953) which won the Venice Film Festival Award in 1953. In 1957, he wrote and produced the enormously successful suspense film Time Lock (1957). Peter Rogers produced a film called Carry on Sergeant (1958), little knowing it was laying the foundation stone of what was to become Britain's greatest laughter institution. As well as producing the 30 subsequent "Carry On" films, Peter took the "Carry On" humour to the stage in 1973 at the Victoria Palace. "Carry On London!" opened in October that year and ran for 18 months. He has produced over 100 films. Recently, Peter returned to writing and published several novels, including "Forbidden" (2001), as well as working on numerous screenplays for film and radio plays.