Carry On (film and TV series) 1963-1966

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### Background

The ***Carry On franchise*** primarily consists of a sequence of 31 low-budget British comedy motion pictures (1958–92), four Christmas specials, a television series of thirteen episodes, and three West End and provincial stage plays. The films' humour was in the British comic tradition of the music hall and bawdy seaside postcards. Producer Peter Rogers and director Gerald Thomas drew on a regular group of actors, the Carry On team, that included Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor, Peter Butterworth, Hattie Jacques, Terry Scott, Bernard Bresslaw, Barbara Windsor, Jack Douglas, and Jim Dale.

The Carry On series contains the largest number of films of any British series, and it is the longest continually running UK film series, although with a fourteen-year break (1978–92). Anglo Amalgamated Film Distributors Ltd produced twelve films (1958–66), and the Rank Organisation made the remaining nineteen (1967–92).

Producer Peter Rogers and director Gerald Thomas made all 31 films, usually on time and to a strict budget, and often employed the same crew. Between 1958 and 1992, the series employed seven writers, most often Norman Hudis (1958–62) and Talbot Rothwell (1963–74). In between the films, Rogers and Thomas produced four Christmas specials in 1969, 1970, 1972, and 1973, a thirteen episode television series in 1975, and various West End stage shows which later toured the regions.

All the films were made at Pinewood Studios near Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. Budgetary constraints meant that a large proportion of the location filming was undertaken close to the studios in and around south Buckinghamshire, including areas of Berkshire and Middlesex. However, by the late 1960s (at the height of the franchise's success) more ambitious plots occasionally necessitated locations further afield, which included Snowdonia National Park, Wales, (with the foot of Mount Snowdon standing in for the Khyber Pass in Carry On Up the Khyber), and the beaches of the Sussex coast doubling as Saharan sand dunes in Follow That Camel.

### ***Carry On...***

#### ...Cabby (1963)

> *"You'll strip your gears laughing at . . . Carry on Cabby"*
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...***Cabby*** was released in the UK on June 7, 1963 and in the US in January 1964, it was the first to be written by Talbot Rothwell (although the first screenplay "Tolly" submitted to Peter Rogers was developed as Carry On Jack) from a story by Dick Hills and Sid Green (script writers for Morecambe and Wise). Regulars Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor and Charles Hawtrey are all present. Liz Fraser makes her third appearance (although she'd have to wait 13 years for her next Carry On) and Esma Cannon makes her fourth and final appearance. This was the first film in the series to feature Carry On regular Jim Dale, and the first not to feature Kenneth Williams.

Carry On Cabby was originally planned as a non-Carry On film, called Call Me A Cab (after a stage play) but midway through it became part of the Carry On series.

Speedee Taxis is a great success, which means its workaholic owner Charlie Hawkins (James) starts neglecting Peggy, his wife (Jacques). Suddenly a fleet of rival taxis appears from nowhere and start pinching all the fares. The rivals are Glamcabs, and they have a secret weapon. All their drivers are very attractive women! Who's behind Glamcabs? It's open warfare and only one fleet can survive! [IMDb.com]

#### ...Jack (1963)

> *"You'll go over board for Carry On Jack"*
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...***Jack*** was released in the UK on November 5, 1963. Most of the usual Carry On team are missing from this film: only Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey and Jim Dale appear throughout. Bernard Cribbins makes the first of his three appearances in a Carry On. Juliet Mills, Donald Houston and Cecil Parker make their only Carry on appearances in this film. Carry On Jack was the second of the series to be filmed in colour and the first Carry On film with a historical setting and period costumes.

As with its immediate predecessor, the script for Carry on Jack started off as a non-Carry On film (originally entitled Up the Armada) and after a number of title changes was incorporated into the series.

This is the tale of Albert Poop-Decker (Cribbins), a newly commissioned Midshipman (although he took 8 1/2 years to qualify). He joins the frigate Venus, and adventures through Spanish waters, mutiny and Pirates taking his Captain (Williams), his sweet-heart (Mills) and his best-friend (Hawtrey) with him! With mistaken identities and shipwrecks awash, it's a surprise any of them live to tell the tale!

#### ...Spying (1964)

> *"They're at it again- O.O.Oh!"*
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...***Spying*** marked Barbara Windsor's first appearance in the series. Series regulars Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey and Jim Dale are present. Bernard Cribbins makes the second of his three Carry On appearances (although it would be 28 years before he returned in Carry On Columbus). Eric Barker appears for his third entry (his final appearance would be in Carry On Emmannuelle 14 years later). Dilys Laye returns after her debut in Carry On Cruising. Released in the UK on June 19, 1964 and in the US on March 10, 1965, Carry On Spying was the last Carry On film shot in black and white.

A top secret chemical formula has been stolen by STENCH (the Society for the Total Extinction of Non-Conforming Humans), and so Agent Simpkins (Williams) and his three trainees (Windsor, Hawtrey and Cribbins) are hot on the trail, chasing the villains across the world. There are gadgets galore, and disguises are compulsory if the heroes are to win the day from The Fat Man (Eric Pohlman), Dr Milchman (Victor Maddern) and Dr Crow (Judith Furse)! [IMDb.com]

#### ...Cleo (1964)

> *"Caesar...Sees Her...And Seized Her...Then the Fun Began."*
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...***Cleo*** was released on November 20, 1964 in the UK and on October 25, 1965 in US cinemas. Regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, Charles Hawtrey, and Jim Dale are present and Connor made his last appearance until his return in Carry On Up the Jungle six years later. Joan Sims returned to the series for the first time since Carry On Regardless three years earlier. Sims would now appear in every Carry On up to Carry On Emmanuelle in 1978, making her the most prolific actress in the series. The title role is played by Amanda Barrie in her second and last Carry On. The costumes and sets used in the film were originally intended for Cleopatra (1963) before that production moved to Rome and rebuilt new sets there.

The Romans invade the wet and miserable Britain, and, among others, enslave the cowardly inventor Hengist Pod (Connor), and the fearless warrior Horsa (Dale). In an attempt to kill the Roman Emperor Caesar (Williams) at a Roman temple, Horsa kills Caesar's enemies, but Hengist gets all the credit, and is made Caesar's bodyguard. Meanwhile, Mark Antony (James), Caesar's best friend, becomes besotted with the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra (Barrie), but the only way to achieve his heart's desire is to kill Caesar and Hengist.... [IMDb.com]

#### ...Cowboy (1965)

> *"How the west was lost!!"*
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...***Cowboy*** was released in the UK on November 26,1965, and was the first film to feature series regulars Peter Butterworth and Bernard Bresslaw. Series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey and Joan Sims all feature, and Angela Douglas makes the first of her four appearances in the series. Carry on Cowboy was the first film in the series to have a sung main titles theme. Douglas has a nightclub scene in which she sings "This is the Night for Love".

Stodge City is in the grip of the Rumpo Kid (James) and his gang. Mistaken identity again takes a hand as a "sanitary engineer" (plumber) by the name of Marshal P. Knutt (Dale) is mistaken for a law marshal! Being the conscientious sort, Marshal tries to help the town get rid of Rumpo, and a showdown is inevitable. Marshal has two aids - revenge-seeking Annie Oakley (Douglas) and his sanitary expertise...

#### ...Screaming (1966)

> *"Do you believe in ghoulies and ghosts and things that go bump in the night? Do you shudder at the clunking of chains? Cringe from the dull, hollow, mournful moans? Then You'll Carry On Screaming"*
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...***Screaming*** was released in the UK on August 19, 1966 and in the US on April 7, 1967. It was the last of the series to be made by Anglo-Amalgamated before the series moved to The Rank Organisation. Of the regular cast, it features Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw and Peter Butterworth. It also features Harry H. Corbett in his only Carry on and Fenella Fielding making her second and final appearance. Angela Douglas makes the second of her four Carry on appearances. Carry On Screaming is a parody of the Hammer horror films, which were also popular at the time.

Young ladies are being spirited away in the woods by Oddbod (Tom Clegg), creation of fiendish Dr Watt (Williams). Henpecked Sergeant Bung (Corbett) is on the case, but an early lead comes to nothing with the ghastly drowning while at work of lavatory attendant Dan Dann (Charles Hawtrey). Bung does seem to be having success with Valeria (Fielding) and her very obvious charms, but completely fails to realise her sinister country house holds the key to the unimaginable horrors going on.

#### ...Don't Lose Your Head (1966)

> *"'Carry On' Laughing until you have hysterics..."*
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...***Don't Lose Your Head*** features regular team members Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey and Joan Sims. French actress Dany Robin makes her only Carry on appearance. It was released in the UK on December 27, 1966 and December 14, 1967 in the US. Set in France and England in 1789 during the French Revolution, it is a parody of Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel.

The first Carry On to be produced by the Rank Organisation, Don't Lose Your Head was not conceived as a part of the series and was first released without the Carry On prefix. However the ongoing popularity of the series persuaded Rank to add the prefix to this and the following film, Follow That Camel, when they were re-released.

Two bored English noblemen, Sir Rodney Ffing (pronounced "Effing") and his best friend Lord Darcy Pue (played by Sid James and Jim Dale respectively), decide to have some fun and save their French counterparts from beheading by the guillotine.

Enraged revolutionary leader Citizen Camembert (Williams) and his toadying lackey, Citizen Bidet (Peter Butterworth), scour France and England for the elusive saviour of the French nobles, who has become known as The Black Fingernail. After abducting the Fingernail's true love, Jacqueline (Robin), Camembert and Bidet plot to lure the Fingernail to his death... oblivious that Desiree (Sims), Camembert's flamboyant sister, is herself in love with the hero and will do all she can to save him from the guillotine.

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