Series Link #16: Classic Carry On
Posted by Arnold Furious on 07.07.2009
Carry On at the peak of its powers!
Series Link #16: Classic Carry On
Carry On at the peak of its powers!
SERIES LINK
Frequently when reviewing movies I notice I'm missing sequels here and there from classic series. In line with one of my key film watching beliefs I'll be making a point of tidying up some of my sequel history. The belief in question being that as long as I enjoyed the original I'll watch any sequel made of it. I don't know where this belief came from but it's one that seems to work out for me quite frequently and there are many film series where I have enjoyed multiple sequels based on my love and respect for the initial instalment (Alien, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Rocky etc).
For this sixteenth edition of Series Link I thought I'd take a continued look at the world of Carry On films. Having covered the early Norman Hudis penned films I thought I'd move on to the classic Carry On films. They spanned most of the 1960's and included 12 entries in the popular series. This was truly Carry On at its peak in the UK. They dominated the decade's UK box office and made household names of the series stars.
Series Link #16
Classic Carry On
How many films?
12. From 1963's Carry on Cabby to the end of the '60's where the "classic" phase comes to a close.
Starring?
Sid James (8 times), Hattie Jacques (4 times), Kenneth Connor (2 times), Charles Hawtrey (12 times), Bill Owen, Jim Dale (10 times), Liz Fraser, Kenneth Williams (11 times), Bernard Cribbins (2 times), Juliet Mills, Eric Barker, Dilys Laye (3 times), Barbara Windsor (4 times), Joan Sims (9 times), Amanda Barrie, Angela Douglas (4 times), Bernard Bresslaw (6 times), Jon Pertwee (3 times), Harry H. Corbett, Fenella Fielding, Peter Butterworth (8 times), Dany Robin, Phil Silvers, Frankie Howerd, Roy Castle, Terry Scott (2 times).
Directed by?
Gerald Thomas (12 times)
Series Span:
1963-1969. They fired off 12 films in just 6 years.
Carry on Cabby (1963)
Two interesting points of note about Carry on Cabby. It marked the debut of Carry On stalwart Jim Dale. It was also the first Carry on film that Kenneth Williams turned down. He considered the Talbot Rothwell penned script to be inferior to the previous Hudis efforts and rejected a role outright. He would return immediately to the series in its next instalment. And speaking of landmarks; this would be Talbot Rothwell's very first Carry On film. He'd continue on the series until 1974. Originally he'd written "Call me a Cab" as a Carry On-esque film outside of the series. But when Norman Hudis buggered off to Hollywood it became apparent the Carry On team would need a new staff writer and producer Peter Rogers picked up Call me a Cab and the rest was history.
Carry on Cabby is a very basic premise. It sees taxi company owner Charlie Hawkins (Sid James) neglecting his wife Peggy (Hattie Jacques). Pissed off with her husband's failing as a partner she aims to hit him where it hurts by founding her own taxi company. She does this without informing him and hijinks ensue. Competition is an easy route to japes and one the Carry On series hadn't exactly paid attention to thus far. Mainly because of the formula that Hudis routinely stuck to. Perhaps the change of writers did offer the series a chance to expand. Hattie Jacques claimed later that this was her favourite Carry On. There's every chance that's because she has a larger role than usual and doesn't just play it for laughs. Speaking of which there are a surprising lack of gags in Carry on Cabby. The plot drives the jokes rather than the gags forcing the situations. It's clearly a new dawn and the change of writing freshens up everything. The only problem is the lack of laughs. Only Charles Hawtrey goes all out for laughs with his bumbling incompetent new driver. His clumsy antics are purely designed for cheap laughs. You'd suspect his character was added after the original plot came along.
The change in writing means that existing Carry On regulars aren't just re-hashing their roles. It probably helps that the script was originally not a Carry On film. So Sid James and Hattie Jacques get to revel in their roles and there's a clear cut between the leads and the supporting cast. So instead of the usual ensemble the likes of Kenneth Connor and Charles Hawtrey are very much in their niche roles. Sid and Hattie are at the forefront and both excel in the roles. Sid James in particular seems very comfortable with the change of writer. Also the absence of Kenneth Williams gives the film a fresh feel. Jim Dale is some way off being a finished article as an actor though so is hardly a substitute in his amusing support role as a husband whose wife is about to give birth, or perhaps not, sending Sid James driving back and forth to the hospital.
The slightly smuttier elements are there with the Glamcabs drivers being distinctly well endowed in the chest or leg department. Of course it's all very tame by modern standards but the attractive ladies surely helped to pack in the crowds back in 1963. Amanda Barrie, of Coronation Street fame, marks her Carry On debut (also appearing in "Cleo") as one of the girls. The film does go to pieces in the third act unfortunately as the script introduces a criminal element to spice up the Battle of the Sexes and instead make it about everyone teaming up to fight the ‘bad guys'. Otherwise this is a strong entry in the Carry On series and showed that they could continue without Norman Hudis and his gentle quip-heavy scripts.
Carry on Jack (1963)
With many ideas for contemporary Carry On's exhausted the producers made the logical choice to do a period comedy. Carry on Jack is the first Carry On film to exist outside of the contemporary setting and opening up different time periods gives the series more scope and potential. There's some debate over which Carry On film was penned by Talbot Rothwell first but clearly this one is more to the liking of Kenneth Williams who takes the starring role. Many of the other regulars missed out though including Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Liz Fraser, Kenneth Connor and pretty much everyone apart from Charles Hawtrey. Bernard Cribbins is a familiar name from UK television and he makes his first (of three) Carry On appearance in the lead role as midshipman Albert Poop-Decker promoted thanks to Admiral Nelson's need for a larger naval force. Juliet Mills also benefits from the lack of regulars as she takes over the role usually played by Liz Fraser or previously Joan Sims.
Cribbins has a different skill set to the usual leading men and in particular has a penchant for physical comedy. Which leads to a somewhat broader comedy style than any of the Hudis written comedies. The other major substitution, Juliet Mills, seems less at home in the Carry On world. Her role would have been better in the hands of say Liz Fraser. This would be her only Carry On outing and it's easy to see why. She plays Sally; a girl intent on being smuggled aboard the frigate Venus when she runs into Poop-Decker on the eve of the voyage and steals his uniform and his position. Without so many regulars the crew contains a worrying number of unfunny actors like Donald Houston and Percy Herbert. Not exactly a star-studded line-up for the wacky world of Carry On. Meanwhile Kenneth Williams has abandoned all subtlety and has gone full on with his nasal and flamboyant style.
The script is pretty lame. A series of comical misunderstandings and a ridiculous and totally unconvincing set-up sees Juliet Mills stealing Bernard Cribbins position. Can no one see that Sally is blatantly a woman? If you can get by the stupidity of the plot there are a few decent gags to be had although there's no escaping Rothwell's lack of refinement. Norman Hudis' scripts were routinely funnier than this thanks to the smarter jokes. While Carry on Cabby didn't feel like a step down from Hudis' work Carry on Jack does come up short. Mainly for the reason I've already stated. Some of the comedy is almost like Loony Tunes in its slapsticky nature. One scene where they're firing a cannon in particular sticks out. Kenneth Williams does his best with relatively poor dialogue as his witty comebacks are replaced by bumbling cowardice. Although he's still quite funny and Hawtrey hits his usual standards. Cribbins isn't as weak as Bob Monkhouse in the first Carry On film but there's no escaping the feeling that Carry on Jack is subpar because of the lack of big names. In particular Cribbins comes up short when Captain Fearless abandons ship with Sally, Poop-Decker and Hawtrey's Walter Sweetly. Cribbins delirium amounts to an unfunny jabbering about sandcastles.
The worst part of Carry on Jack isn't even the lack of casting but rather how incredibly slow the film is when Kenneth Williams and Bernard Cribbins aren't onscreen. The other actors are painfully uninteresting and some of the film is downright boring. Probably the worst Carry On film to this point. Although it'd get worse in later years.
Carry on Spying (1964)
When Carry on Jack was released it opened up all kinds of possibilities for the Carry On franchise. They were no longer anchored in contemporary scripts and the rules they come with. Carry on Jack allowed a larger sense of scale to enter the Carry On world. Now anything was fair game. And Talbot Rothwell had one eye firmly on spoof. Throughout the ‘50's and ‘60's James Bond novels had been hugely popular in the UK. They'd been at the forefront of pop culture and entering into the ‘60's there had also been the start of the James Bond film franchise. 1964 marked the release of Goldfinger arguably the best Bond film, ever. Well where there was one UK based franchise there was another waiting in the wings to parody it.
Carry on Spying marked the Carry On debut of one its most iconic figures; Barbara Windsor. She plays Agent Daphne Honeybutt (the silly names now in full flow, perhaps as a tribute to Bond's own daft lady names) one of a team of special agents. Filmed in black & white, as a continued parody of film noir and classic spy films, Carry on Spying sees inept spy Desmond Simpkins (Kenneth Williams) sent after the evil STENCH organisation (an obvious parody of SPECTRE) to retrieve a top secret formula. Simpkins crew of trainee agents includes Windsor, Charles Hawtrey and Bernard Cribbins. They're after the formula and two principle bad guys; "The Fat Man" (Eric Pohlman) and Milschman (Victor Maddem). They also run into field contact Carstairs (Jim Dale) and the mysterious Lila (Dilys Laye).
Kenneth Williams, complete with an over the top accent, takes great pleasure in the bumbling leading role. Of the support players Charles Hawtrey gets the best lines. He's agent Double O…O. The names Bind…Charlie Bind. The parody aspect gives the film a better focus than usual and its much better than similar espionage spoof the Road to Hong Kong. Talbot Rothwell is really finding his feet with Carry on Spying and it marks the start of a hot streak for the series. Its also, in my mind at least, the best Carry On film to date thanks to a more solid approach. Gerald Thomas has almost certainly learned from making so many of these films over the years and Rothwell's script was his most complete so far. With the series opened up already Carry on Spying showed what the series was capable of. Shooting in black & white may have put a few people off but it paid off. Win!
Carry on Cleo (1964)
When I called this Series Link "Classic Carry On" this was one of the classics I had in mind. With Carry On becoming more and more ambitious under Talbot Rothwell's writing and the success of Carry on Jack as a period piece they really reached for the stars on Carry on Cleo. Filmed on the same set as 1963's Cleopatra (sets were built in London but Liz Taylor was ill and the location shoot moved to Rome where it was warmer) to save cash it also aimed to cash in on Cleopatra's sprawling epic that won 4 Oscars. Sid James even wore Richard Burton's costume from Cleopatra! The cast stars many of the Carry On superstars; Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor and Charles Hawtrey. But Bernard Cribbins goes his own way here opting to do a play and dropping out of the Carry On experience after two films.
The film is based on Shakespeare's play. Basically a love triangle with Egyptian Queen Cleopatra (Amanda Barrie), Roman Emperor Julius Caesar (Kenneth Williams) and Mark Anthony (Sid James). The plot involves two English slaves taken to Rome. They are Horsa (Jim Dale) and Hengist Pod (Kenneth Connor). Pod is the inventor of the square wheel (so it won't roll backwards down hills). Warren Mitchell and Jon Pertwee are in the ensemble cast rounding out one of the best casts in Carry On history. Amanda Barrie is a good choice as Cleopatra because of the Carry On girls she's the one that's most spectacular to look at. Unlike the usual bubbly blondes. Kenneth Williams is outstanding as Caesar getting some superb lines like "I feel a bit queer" and the classic gag of "infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me". This is thanks to Frank Muir and Dennis Norden supplying one-liners for Talbot Rothwell.
Carry on Cleo is an abridged version of the classic tale but it's quite magnificent to look at, thanks to the Cleopatra set builders, and benefits from some great performances. Carry on Cleo has everything and it's a fine spoof. The only thing that really irks me is that as Kenneth Williams goes gleefully over the top he's followed by Sid James…who really isn't as entertaining that way. He's a far better straight man. Also they take their time reaching the Egyptian section and Cleo herself doesn't show up until 45 minutes into the film driving her attractive wedge between Mark Anthony and Julius Caesar. It helps matters that they used a Shakespeare play, and a classic at that, as source material. Shame they didn't do that more frequently not returning to such historical fare again until Carry on Henry in 1971. Imagine Rothwell working his magic on a Romeo & Juliet or Macbeth?
Carry on Cleo marks Jim Dale's elevation too. He moves up from comedy relief bit part to leading man playing it relatively straight as the hero slave next to Kenneth Connor's comedy foil. Cleo is arguably the best of the Carry On series courtesy of some fine turns, especially Kenneth Williams, and the use of sets from Cleopatra. The Carry On series is on a roll at this point!
Carry on Cowboy (1965)
With the series experiencing increased expansionism it was really only a matter of time before a film idea came along that was aimed squarely at an American audience. Previous Carry On's had aimed at traditionally British targets; the Navy, Shakespearian plays, James Bond etc. Carry on Cowboy was the first Carry On that went after the American audience. Spoofing popular Westerns, most notably High Noon, Cowboy saw a fictional "Stodge City" run by an inept judge (Kenneth Williams). When an English sanitation engineer (Jim Dale) is mistaken for a lawman he comes to a head with the Ringo Kid (Sid James) and a good old fashioned showdown comes about! The only famous Western character to show up is Annie Oakley (Angela Douglas – in her first of 4 Carry On appearances). Bernard Bresslaw, a series regular, makes his debut here as "Little Heap" the Injun son of Chief Big Heap (Charles Hawtrey). Also making his debut is Peter Butterworth who'd be a series regular. He's Kenneth Williams right hand man/foil Doc.
Cowboy has the unusual setting of the Wild West, which is unusual because the usual English actors play American characters. In particular Sid James and Kenneth Williams who play with American accents. Williams yucks it up as the town's mayor while Sid James channels Jimmy Cagney for his gangster role. It's Jim Dale and Charles Hawtrey who are funnier and more at ease without the accents. Hawtrey's Injun chief with the English accent is somehow funnier than the Americanised accents.
Cowboy contains one of the best sequences in the Rothwell Carry On's that became a tradition for the series as Rumpo Kid takes forever trying to reach his date with Annie Oakley thanks to a series of delays. This leads to some comical misunderstandings with Joan Sims, Charles Hawtrey (drunk on firewater) and Jim Dale. Worth a few chuckles at least and interrupting the run of cheesy gags relating to Western stereotypes. There's also another scene where the sleeping Dale is constantly interrupted by visiting ladies. This follows right on from the previous scenes giving us a run-on set of gags. Cowboy has the same flow and set up as previous Carry On successes (Cleo, Spying) and yet doesn't quite possess the full array of charms. It falls down somewhat thanks to the bizarre choice of accents. It does help itself to a fine range of Western clichés though even if in the process it quite happily steals wholesale from Bob Hope comedy The Paleface. A bit of a step backwards from the highs of the last two films but still a solid script and a fun parody. Also Jon Pertwee totally steals the show with a brief turn as the town's short-sighted, deaf Sheriff.
Carry on Screaming (1966)
Sid James was initially cast as the lead in Carry on Screaming as Sgt Sidney Bung but was ill/had stage commitments and couldn't take part thus allowing Harry H. Corbett (better known for his role in Steptoe & Son) took over the lead. The plot sees young Doris (Angela Douglas) abducted and boyfriend (Jim Dale) in search of her with the aid of Bung and his Constable (Peter Butterworth). What follows is a tribute to the Hammer horror films, Frankenstein's monster, and all headed up by the fiendish Dr Watt (Kenneth Williams) who abducts young ladies and turns them into shop mannequins. Also his Bride of Frankenstein-esque sister Valeria (Fenella Fielding) is there to power up the ‘totty rating' or "tottometer" if you'd rather. Bernard Bresslaw makes his second Carry On appearance as lumbering Lurch-like Sockett.
Corbett takes the lead on in charming fashion and avoids the usual Sid James issues (overacting). Unfortunately he was too good for the series and only appeared in this one film as an emergency replacement. I'm quite happy for the variety, which is something Carry On casting can be guilty of avoiding. Corbett's comedy timing is excellent and Jim Dale plays opposite him with an equal sense of good timing. The script from Talbot Rothwell shows remarkable consistency and his scripts continue to impress. The Hammer horror back catalogue is ripe for the picking despite perhaps not being the most serious films thanks to the low budgets. But they were hugely popular. Corbett's character has elements of Sherlock Holmes about him. Whether that's intentional or something Corbett himself brought to the plate I'm not sure.
The mixture of references and variety of subjects that Carry on Screaming draws from actually makes it a precursor to the more successful spoof movies that followed it (Airplane, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Naked Gun). The Carry On films were sometimes ahead of their time in that respect and yet the succession of cheesy jokes and one-liners ("Ear today, gone tomorrow") do age quite badly at times. Fenella Fielding does a fine job of playing the evil sister of Dr Watt too. A shame neither she nor Harry Corbett were able to return for future instalments. But that does give this particular Carry On a very different feel. Kenneth Williams is one of the few series regulars and yucks it up as the ‘heel' of the piece.
The mood and sets of Carry on Screaming are very strong and it's almost the best dressed of the Carry On films (naturally Cleo has a huge advantage). Several Carry On traditions continue during the film. The most entertaining of which is Peter Butterworth in drag ("sitting there like a bag of Nutty Slack"). There's something intrinsically English about dressing in drag. When other nations have a pop at it they don't seem to get the same laughs out of it. I think its something about the stiff upper lip. The heightened sense of dignity. Carry on Screaming is one of the better Carry On films courtesy of a diverse cast and the Hammer horror films clearly the target for some japes.
Don't Lose Your Head (1966)
Around the time Don't Lose Your Head was being shot there was a battle between Rank and Anglo-Amalgamated pictures over who owned the rights. Seeing as Rank made this film they were forced to drop the "Carry On" prefix (as they didn't own the rights). But they retained much of the cast. Sid James returned, just prior to his first heart attack, along with Kenneth Williams, Peter Butterworth and Jim Dale. Don't Lose Your Head also featured Dany Robin; a French actress who went on to star in Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz after staying in England following this feature. She ended up marrying producer Michael Sullivan and retiring shortly afterwards.
Don't Lose Your Head is another attempt at a literary adaptation (which had been so successful with Carry on Cleo). This time the initial material being Baroness Orczy's play "The Scarlet Pimpernel" (1903). Carrying on from his roles in Cleo and Screaming Kenneth Williams played the main villain; Citizen Camembert. A member of the French revolution and local beheader of dandies. Amassing a personal fortune in the process. Stealing for the people! Along comes the Black Fingernail (Sid James) who's a fop (Sir Rodney Ffing) and civilised until he dons a mask to save the rich from the chop. The French setting and Revolutionary era time explains the title. It was a time when the aristocracy were having difficultly keeping their heads on their shoulders. Literally.
Both Sid James and Jim Dale have a whale of a time as the two British layabouts turned heroes to the counter-revolution. Dale's popularity and stardom within the franchise had reached a new high with Don't Lose Your Head as he rubbed shoulders with main star Sid James. It apparently went to his head as he complained to producer Peter Rogers about working conditions on behalf of the cast and crew. Rogers was furious! It can't have upset him too much as he returned for the next film. The set wasn't the most pleasant of places as Kenneth Williams had a running feud with Joan Sims. It seems Sims had some guests visit the set and Williams was rude to them. I know, Kenneth Williams being rude! I'm shocked and appalled. They argued for 3 days straight.
Charles Hawtrey gets some of the best gags as a member of the aristocracy rescued from the guillotine by the Black Fingernail. Williams dishes out his usual campy greatness; "I'm Camembert…I'm the big cheese". Unfortunately Sid James gets quite annoying in the role after 20 minutes or so and both he and Dany break the 4th wall in an awful scene. Dany Robin's lack of English speaking experience makes her pretty hard to understand. Not in a "sexy French accent" kind of way but rather in a mangling the English language kind of way. As Don't Lose Your Head progresses the film splits in twain. The good Kenneth Williams half and the bad Sid James half. One is funny and one isn't. There are some fun little set pieces. The duel is amusing if somewhat cheesy and the big swordfight conclusion is pure Errol Flynn even if the actual fighting looks pretty terrible. Don't Lose Your Head is a real mixed bag although Rothwell's writing was still at a good level with gags and storyline.
Follow That Camel (1967)
Follow That Camel marked Peter Rogers main attempt at breaking the American market. He was concerned the films were limited to popularity in the UK (where they were all hits) and wanted to crack a bigger audience. In order to shake things up he hired Phil Silvers, star of a hit US TV show as Sgt Bilko, to play a Bilko-esque leading character in Follow That Camel. Hiring Silvers was potentially a risk though as he was suffering from short term memory loss and needed cue-cards in order to remember his lines. This didn't set well with Kenneth Williams who trashed his co-star whenever the opportunity arose. Originally the role was written for Sid James but he was recovering from a heart attack. Elsewhere Jim Dale and Peter Butterworth had a falling out and refused to speak to each other between takes.
The plot sees Bo West (Jim Dale) joining the foreign legion to clear his reputation. He's joined by his manservant Simpson (Peter Butterworth) and is followed by his love interest Lady Jane (Angela Douglas) in disguise. On arriving he discovers an assortment of nutjobs such as Sgt Nocker (Phil Silvers) and Commandant Burger (Kenneth Williams) who are having trouble with the locals lead by the ‘ethnic' Bernard Bresslaw; who gets a lot more to do than in previous roles. Williams plays Burger with an outrageous German accent. Meanwhile Charles Hawtrey, who's supposed to be French, plays it straight as ever. Rather like his Native American accent, or lack thereof, in Carry on Cowboy.
Follow That Camel does push at the boundaries its predecessors struggled with. Lady Jane, being a woman travelling alone, finds herself sexually prepositioned at every turn while Anita Harris plays a belly dancer. This is all a pre-cursor to Barbara Windsor's chesty antics in later Carry On's. Some of the Phil Silvers stuff is a little stilted even though he's basically playing Bilko again. It's a clash of styles having Silvers mixing it up with the British actors and because he's such a big star he somewhat overwhelms the others. Except for Bernard Bresslaw who really leaps into his role and dominates it and Kenneth Williams who can't be overwhelmed by anyone and adopts such a ridiculous accent that no one can compete with him. You get the feeling he was probably in competition with Silvers during production.
Despite the flaws Follow That Camel is another solid entry in the series. Buoyed by Bernard Bresslaw's best performance in a Carry On so far and Kenneth Williams' increasingly OTT work. It has a few memorable set pieces including the concluding cricket match and it is nice to have a new star like Bresslaw to push Carry On forward. While Williams has been moving forward and becoming increasingly bizarre by the film Charles Hawtrey has remained the same character since the first Carry On film. Which is perhaps why Kenneth Connor was left out of so many of the late 60's Carry On's. The Phil Silvers experiment wasn't exactly a success so the producers next turned to Frankie Howerd to front the series.
Carry on Doctor (1967)
One of the highlights of the early Carry On films was a little gem called "Carry on Nurse (1959)". It was a big crossover hit that did the unthinkable and was a smash in the USA too. With other attempts at regaining that Stateside glory (like hiring Phil Silvers) falling short producer Peter Rogers turned back to the formula that had been so successful on "Nurse". Just replace the Nurse in the title with Doctor and essentially re-hash the movie! Hattie Jacques returned as the matron and new starlets Jim Dale and Babs Windsor would play big roles. Meanwhile Sid James was well enough to return after his heart attack but only because his character would spend the vast majority of the film in bed. With Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Simms and Frankie Howerd on board this is one of the more star-studded entries in the series.
While "Nurse" had been a success it isn't one of my favourite early Carry On's. There are a few neat set-pieces but I feel its short on jokes. Certainly Talbot Rothwell had intensified the joke turnover when he took over writing the series. Also by this point several of the regulars were well known for their characters (Hawtrey, James and Williams) so needed little building up in that respect. The lack of need for character introductions was speeding up access to gags. Which is one of the benefits of Rothwell's series style. He was able to get into the meat of the situation much quicker than in the earlier films. Plus after the bumpy ride on "Carry on Jack" the series had hit a rich vein of form. The streak up to this point had reached six decent movies in a row.
Carry on Doctor is a similar film thematically to Carry on Nurse but the sense of humour is more in line with the more recent Carry On's. The problem with this being most of them had been period pieces. And I miss the period pieces. Doctor covers old territory for the most part and even acknowledges it does when Frankie Howerd's character mentions he's "seen that film before" when a nurse comes around with fresh daffodils. Howerd is convinced he's going to die of a bruised coccyx, which leads to some amusing scenes. Although Howerd is out-done in the comedy stakes by a much funnier Bernard Bresslaw who's now come into his own as a performer. His cheesy one-liners are delivered beautifully.
The rest of the cast suffer from what I call Carry On Syndrome. Which means they deliver an unfunny one liner and then deliver a signature laugh that's completely over the top for the standard of gag. The worst offenders are Sid James and Kenneth Williams but they all do it. Was Gerald Thomas asking them to do so or was this just a natural development? But people laughing at their own jokes is only funny if the jokes are and it seems the worst jokes get the chuckling added in. Most of the cast play in the comfort zones and there are too many characters that require no effort. I'm proud of Joan Simms stepping outside of her comfort zone though with her portrayal of Frankie Howerd's deaf assistant who secretly loves him. She plays it frumpy and quiet, which is the opposite of her usual behaviour. The patient's revolt that concludes the film allows some closure but it isn't funny. In short; too many characters not enough jokes and next to no plot.
Carry on Up the Khyber (1968)
I think this may be the Carry On film I've seen the most times. It was a regular on terrestrial TV in the 1980's when I was growing up. I probably saw it 5 or 6 times as a youngster. It has one of those great Carry On casts too. Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey and Sid James all play prominent roles. And I think I remember this with such affection because it's made that way. Happily taking shots at Hollywood's colonial films and keeping to the Carry On tradition of cheesy one-liners and daft names it ranks among the best of the series. Plus it gets back into period pieces after the near boredom of the hospital return in Carry on Doctor. Sadly of the Classic Carry On's this was the last period piece and arguably the last great film in the series.
Khyber sees British governor Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond (Sid James) and his wife (Joan Simms) enjoying the finest of life in colonial India. Also in this Indian high society is local ruler the Khasi of Kalabar (Kenneth Williams in a borderline racist portrayal, which stays on the side of ok because of how ridiculous it is). Up in the Khyber Pass the guards of the 3rd Foot & Mouth (the Devils in Skirts – feared by the locals) are the last defence against the local rebellion. Terry Scott returns to the Carry On line-up as an angry Sgt Major; a role which suits him to a tee. Meanwhile Bernard Bresslaw gets to go local again as Bungit Din (again, pushing the boundaries of racism if Bresslaw wasn't so good at it). It's his character that brings things to a head when he discovers wimpy soldier Private Widdle (Charles Hawtrey) wears longjohns.
With Jim Dale unavailable he was replaced, rather obviously, by Roy Castle. But Castle brings a certain charm to the role rather than the dorkish, bumbling Dale. He's not quite as able at delivering lines but it actually helps the feel of the film to have a ‘straight man' rather than an entire casts of buffoons. Kenneth Williams has really outdone himself this time occasionally slips out of character and into his usual accent to deliver a humorous line. He also takes a shot at Rank, who distribute the Carry On films, with a "rank stupidity" line.
The film also has the benefit of a memorable conclusion as the locals rise against the colonial oppressors. The British sit eating their dinner while bombs fall onto the palace. Stiff upper lip and all that. I think it may be the defining moment of British dignity in the face of destruction. Akin to the band playing on as the Titanic sank. Peter Butterworth, who'd already excelled in drag, is the only one concerned about the assault and possibility of certain death. It might be the best scene in the entire series.
Carry on Camping (1969)
Carry on Camping was the highest grossing film in the UK in 1969. That says all you need to know about the popularity of the franchise in its main target area. Carry on up the Khyber was second btw. Camping appealed to what was at the time one of the classic British holidays (before tourists started flocking to the warmer shores of sunny Spain on package holidays) and as a result was very popular. I personally didn't enjoy this direction in the series. Probably because what was topical then really wasn't by the time I saw it in the early 1980's on TV. I much preferred the timeless Carry On movies set in the past (in particular Khyber and Cleo). The return to present day for Camping marked a trend that would continue in Carry On films; contemporary settings. Carry on Henry broke this mould in 1971 but in general the Carry On films were destined to be more ‘relevant' from this point onwards. A pity.
The plot sees Sid (Sid James) and Bernie (Bernard Bresslaw) ogling a film on nude camping. It inspires them to take their ladies (Joan Sims & Dilys Laye) on a camping holiday. They're joined by an assortment of oddball others on the campsite, which Sid & Bernie hope is the nudist camp but isn't. However there is the appeal of a bunch of sex starved schoolgirls including Babs (Barbara Windsor). The girls, supposedly high schoolers look to age between 21 and 40 (Babs herself was 32 at the time of filming). They're lead by Ms Haggard (Hattie Jacques) and Dr Soaper (Kenneth Williams). Camping is the most raunchy of the Carry On's with actual nudity and more forthright sexual references. It's nice to have Bernard Bresslaw in another bigger role as he'd been the star of the previous run of Carry On's. His gentle charm becomes more apparent.
With the emphasis on sex Talbot Rothwell rather forgot to include any jokes. Many of the characters seem forced like Charles Hawtrey and Kenneth Williams who seem happier with less risqué material. If there's a point where the Carry On films distinctly lose their appeal this film is it. The innuendo in the earlier films was significantly more subtle. In Camping it's overdone. It also takes ages to get anywhere. 50 minutes into the 90 minute run-time and the girls school, Terry Scott and Charles Hawtrey haven't even got the campsite. Maybe it should have been called "Carry On Driving to a Campsite". Quite how this film was the most popular of 1969 in the UK is anyone's guess although I'd wager the increased level of crudeness didn't hurt. Of course when the ‘70's rolled around films became generally ruder and raunchier thus rendering the Carry On franchise as somewhat old fashioned. Even with its increased rudeness.
Some performers did come out of Camping with good performances that weren't affected by the weaker script. Peter Butterworth in particular turns in a fine performance as Mr Fiddler, the campsite owner, who keeps adding charges for all sorts of reasons much to Sid James' frustration. Betty Marsden contributes a quite horrendous laugh as Terry Scott's wife. Williams & Hawtrey, despite appearing uncomfortable at times, are both professional. Sid James and Bernard Bresslaw don't come off quite so well and both are a bit unattractive to believably be hitting on teenagers. Sid was 56 at the time for pity's sake. What is this, a Woody Allen movie? Carry on Camping hasn't aged well at all, which goes to show that being popular doesn't mean being good.
Carry on Again Doctor (1969)
After being absent for two films Jim Dale returned to the line up here as the ‘Classic' period of Carry On came to an end. Into the 1970's the Carry On team continued to produce movies but of lessening significance and varying quality. Most of the cast slip back into familiar roles within the hospital set-up. Charles Hawtrey trades teams however and moves from his usual laid back character to a stiff doctor called Stoppidge. There's a very definite effort to throw more and more jokes into the script. It's a constant bombardment from Talbot Rothwell's script. Kenneth Williams must be loving it as he gets a gag almost every line. They also make the smart move of hiring comedic actors to make minor appearances like Patricia Hayes and Wilfred Brambell (of Steptoe & Son fame). Shame that Peter Butterworth is reduced to a, albeit funny, cameo rather than having a decent role.
Again Doctor also benefits from a change of focus from the patients (Matron/Doctor) to the staff at the hospital. This allows them to skip all the introduction business and go straight into the jokes. It helps that the characters are already established from previous films. The audience knows these people. Even Barbara Windsor whose bubbly characters are basically all T&A. This time is no exception as she appears in next to nothing. Jim Dale also reminds audiences that he knows his way around a pratfall better than anyone else in the cast. I don't know why but I am troubled at Stoppidge's practical joke of spiking Jim Dale's drink with surgical alcohol. Surely that's, well, incredibly dangerous! It does provide him with an opportunity to badly mispronounce words like "japarmas". I'm not a big Jim Dale fan but this is easily the best of his performances as a lead. Shame he decided to take a different course and leave the series at this point. His only other Carry On being 1992's Carry on Columbus.
Sid James is an odd case in this film. He wasn't in the best of health and hadn't been for some time following his heart attack. So despite being one of the main name stars he doesn't even appear until Dr Nookey (Dale) is shipped off to the badly named Beatific Islands. So Sid appears in the 38th minute. Which is of benefit to the film as Sid James had been going downhill for quite some time and he's reduced to chasing young girls around and having a stupid name here (Gladstone Screwer). With Dale and James having to play centre stage in the second act it really drags and brings the film down overall. The chemistry between Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey and Jim Dale was working really well in the opening third. Dale does his best though, this being the Jim Dale show, and manages a fine job of falling apart on Johnnie Walker Red Label and chain smoking cigarettes while putting together a 500 piece jigsaw of Queen Victoria. There's also another cameo, this time from Shakira Caine…Michael's wife.
The thing about Carry on Again Doctor is that is has a sense of scope way beyond the other two Carry On films set in hospitals. The second act flounders somewhat but it's brought together by the convergence of all the characters in the film's finale. Charles Hawtrey in drag, Barbara Windsor in the nude, Sid James dressed as Wee Willy Winky trying to seduce Hattie Jacques/Charles Hawtrey in drag and a few sex change gags spice up the last ten minutes. All together it makes this the best of the hospital Carry On's and a pleasant way to finish up the 1960's for the Carry On team. The ‘70's would see a marked decline in the popularity and quality of the series but for a while there in the late ‘60's Talbot Rothwell, Gerald Thomas and Peter Rogers were on quite the streak!
RATINGS -
Carry on Cabby ***
Carry on Jack **
Carry on Spying ***1/2
Carry on Cleo ****
Carry on Cowboy ***
Carry on Screaming ***1/2
Don't Lose Your Head ***
Follow That Camel ***
Carry on Doctor **1/2
Carry on Up the Khyber ****
Carry on Camping *
Carry on Again Doctor ***1/2
The 411 –
All of the best Carry On films took place during an epic run from 1963-1969. As Talbot Rothwell found his feet as the scribe he was able to produce some excellent scripts loaded with gags. There are a few stinkers but they're outweighed by the successes of Cleo, Khyber Spying and Again Doctor. This was pretty much it for Carry On as everything that followed this was either a commercial failure or just crap and in many cases both. As the ‘70's rolled around the Carry On crew was seen as outdated and old fashioned. The audience moved on to more risque films like the Robin Askwith "Confessions Of" sex comedies, which are routinely awful. Still most of the best memories I have of Carry On films are from this period when they were most successful.
