Career: James became known in the film trade as 'one-take James' and was constantly in demand for small parts. His first major role was alongside Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway in The Lavender Hill Mob (1951). His first big break came in 1954, when he became Tony Hancock's sidekick in the hugely popular BBC radio comedy Hancock's Half Hour. His next break came when he appeared on the big screen in Carry On Teacher (1959). He went on to make 19 Carry On films and various stage and TV spin-offs. On the small screen, he enjoyed success in the sitcoms Hancock's Half Hour, Citizen James, George and the Dragon and Bless This House. He was touring in a stage version of The Mating Season when he suffered a fatal heart attack on April 26, 1976. He was 62.

Career: Sims went on to appear in a number of farces at Brian Rix's Aldwych Theatre but she preferred working on films. She made her first appearance on the big screen in 1953 opposite George Cole in Will Any Gentleman? She followed this up with roles in Trouble in Store and Doctor in the House. She continued her run in comedy films when she was offered a part in Carry On Nurse. She went on to become a regular in the Carry On series, appearing in 24, including Carry On Screaming, Carry On Henry, and Carry On Camping. After the Carry On films ended in 1978, Sims became a regular face on TV, making appearances in Worzel Gummidge, In Loving Memory, Doctor Who, Farrington of the F.O., Simon and the Witch, On the Up, As Time Goes By, and The Last of the Blonde Bombshells. She died on June 27, 2001, at the age of 71.

Career: Two major film roles in 1962 - Death Trap and Sparrows Can't Sing - resulted in greater recognition, but it wasn't until stage show Fings Ain't What They Used to Be that Windsor found true fame. Her career really took off after her appearance in the comedy film Carry On Spying. Stereotyped as a glamorous dolly bird, she was seen as the ultimate Carry On girl and appeared in nine of the classic movies. In recent years, she has appeared in the long-running soap EastEnders, playing Peggy Mitchell and becoming a genuine soap icon. She left Walford in 2010, and since then has done panto and regularly stood in for Elaine Paige when she's been unavailable to host her Radio 2 show.

Career: Whitfield became one of BBC Radio's most beloved stars - 22 million people regularly tuned in to her show Take It From Here during the 1950s - but is probably best known for her TV appearances, and has starred alongside Frankie Howerd, Peter Sellers and Tony Hancock. Among her many comedy programmes during the first half of her career were Steptoe and Son, Hancock's Half Hour and The Benny Hill Show. Her long professional relationship with Terry Scott resulted in such series as Happy Ever After and Terry and June. She has also appeared in several Carry On films. Since then Whitfield has won acclaim in Absolutely Fabulous, The Last of the Blonde Bombshells, Jude and Mirrorball.

Career: Bresslaw went on to star in 14 Carry On films, including Carry On.. Up the Khyber, Carry on Camping, Carry on Abroad, and Carry On Screaming! Other films included Jabberwocky (1977), Krull (1983) and Leon the Pig Farmer (1992). On the stage, he appeared in a number of pantomimes and also performed with the Young Vic Theatre Company, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. He died of a heart attack at the age of 59 on June 11, 1993, the day after fellow comedy actor Les Dawson.

Career: Richard's early TV roles included guest appearances in Hugh and I, The Arthur Haynes Show, The Likely Lads, Up Pompeii and On the Buses. She had a recurring role in the BBC's 1960s soap opera The Newcomers. Richard's big break came in 1972 when she began playing shop assistant Miss Brahms in the hugely popular sitcom Are You Being Served? She also featured in film versions of the sitcoms On The Buses (1971), Bless This House (1972) and Are You Being Served? (1977). Already a household name, Richard found further success as matriarch Pauline Fowler in BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role she played from the first episode in 1985 until her character's death in December 2006. Away from TV, Richard appeared regularly on the Radio 4 panel game Just a Minute. Richard died of breast cancer on February 26, 2009, at the age of 65. The last three months of her life were documented in the BBC programme Wendy Richard: To Tell You the Truth.

Career: During the Second World War, Connor served as an infantry gunner with the Middlesex Regiment but continued acting with the Stars in Battledress concert party and ENSA. After the war, he joined the newly formed Bristol Old Vic before moving on to the London Old Vic Company. He found his greatest successes in comedy. He took over from Peter Sellers in the radio show Ray's a Laugh and made occasional appearances on The Goon Show when one of the regular cast members was ill. His first major role on the big screen came when he was cast in the first Carry On film, Carry On Sergeant (1958). He went on to become a regular in the Carry On series, appearing in 18 Carry On films. Connor was also notable for his many TV roles, which included parts in Rentaghost, Hi-de-Hi! and ‘Allo ‘Allo. He died on November 28, 1993 at the age of 75.