Carry On (film and TV series) 1958-1962

#### 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...***

#### ...Sergeant (1958)

> *"The Laughter Hit of the Century!"*
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...***Sergeant*** featured National Service and starred William Hartnell, Bob Monkhouse and Eric Barker. The film was based on a play The Bull Boys by R. F. Delderfield. Actors in this film, who went on to be part of the regular team in the series, were Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor and Terry Scott. It went on general cinema release across British cinemas on October 27, 1958 and, in the US exactly a year later.

A bunch of new recruits are called up for nation service, their Sergeant has a £50 bet with the other sergeants that his last squad before he retires from the army will be the champion squad that year. However it becomes quickly apparent to him that he has his work cut out. [IMDb.com]

#### ...Nurse (1959)

> *"From the same stars and team that gave you the sensational comedy success "Carry on Sergeant""*
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...***Nurse*** was released in the UK on Mar 27, 1959 and, in the US on September 9, 1960. Of the regular team, it featured Joan Sims (in her Carry On film debut), Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor and Charles Hawtrey, with Hattie Jacques and Leslie Phillips. The film was based on the play Ring for Catty by Patrick Cargill and Jack Beale. It was the top-grossing film of 1959 in the UK and, with an audience of 10.4 million, had the highest cinema viewing of any of the "Carry On" films. Perhaps surprisingly, it was also highly successful in the US, where it was reported that it played at some cinemas for three years.

Set in Haven Hospital where a certain men's ward is causing more havoc than the whole hospital put together. The formidable Matron (Jacques)'s debut gives the patients a chill every time she walks past, with only Reckitt (Williams) standing up to her. There's a colonel (Wilfred Hyde-White) who is a constant nuisance, a bumbling nurse (Sims), a romance between Ted York (Terence Longdon) and Nurse Denton (Shirley Eaton), and Bell (Phillips) who wants his bunion removed straight away, so after drinking alcohol, the men decide to remove the bunion themselves! [IMDb.com]

#### ...Teacher (1959)

> *"You roared at Carry On Sergeant, howled at Carry On Nurse, You'll be convulsed by Carry On Teacher!"*
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...***Teacher*** was released in the UK on August 28, 1959 and in the US in October, 1962. It features Ted Ray in his only Carry On role, alongside series regulars; Kenneth Connor, Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Williams and Hattie Jacques. Leslie Phillips and Joan Sims make their second appearances in the series here, having made their debuts in the previous entry, Carry On Nurse. A young Richard O'Sullivan and a young Larry Dann – making the first of his four Carry on appearances – turn up as pupils.

Two school inspectors (Phillips and Rosalind Knight) come to the school to assess the performance of the staff with their control over the children. It is a constant battle between the kids and the teachers, with some teachers like Miss Short (Jacques) favouring the 'hard- hitting' method while others such as Mr. Milton (Williams) favouring a less disciplinary approach. All this happens because the pupils want the headmaster (Ray) to stay. There is the 'blossoming romance' story thread and the kids have fun sabotaging a piano, a rocket, and a play. [IMDb.com]

#### ...Constable (1960)

> *"Everybody but everybody must see Carry on Constable"*
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...***Constable*** was released in UK cinemas on February 26, 1960 and in the US on August 23, 1961. Of the regular team, it featured Kenneth Connor, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, and Hattie Jacques. Sid James makes his debut in the series here, while early regulars Leslie Phillips, Eric Barker, and Shirley Eaton also turn up, although Phillips did not appear again in the series for 32 years. It was the first "Carry On..." film to include some nudity with Connor, Hawtrey, Williams, and Phillips baring their behinds during a shower scene.

With a flu epidemic running rife, three new bumbling recruits are assigned to Inspector Mills' (Barker) police station. With help from Special Constable Gorse (Hawtrey), they manage to totally wreck the operations of the police force and let plenty of criminals get away, even before they arrive at the station. They all have to prove themselves or else they'll be out of a job and Sergeant Wilkins (James) will be transferred. Sub-plots include romances between Wilkins and Sergeant Moon (Jacques), Constable Charlie Constable (Connor) and WPC Passworthy (Sims). [IMDb.com]

#### ...Regardless (1961)

> *"Funniest Carry On Ever!"*
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...***Regardless*** was released in the UK on April 7, 1961 and in the US on December 1, 1963. By now a fairly regular team was established with Sid James, Kenneth Connor, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims and Kenneth Williams all having appeared in previous entries. Hattie Jacques – who was also a regular – makes a cameo appearance during a hospital scene. "Professor" Stanley Unwin appears in a guest role, playing his trademark "gobbledegook" speaking act. This would be the final appearance in the series for early regular Terence Longdon. Liz Fraser makes her debut and would appear in a further three Carry On films.

The Helping Hands agency employs some very strange people to perform some very strange jobs! Even the simplest of tasks get bungled by the incompetent but lovable staff, as they get given jobs ranging from taking animals for walks (no ordinary animals you understand) to demonstrating new products at a large and prestigious exhibition...

#### ...Cruising (1962)

> *"That Carry On crew in a luxury laughter-cruise!"*
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...***Cruising*** was released in the UK on April 13, 1962. It was the first in the Carry On series to be filmed in colour and was based on an original story by Eric Barker. P&O – Orient Lines were thanked in the credits. Regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams and Kenneth Connor appear in the movie whereas Joan Sims and Charles Hawtrey do not. Sims took ill shortly before filming began and was replaced by Dilys Laye, making her Carry On debut, at four days' notice. Hawtrey was dropped for demanding star billing, but returned for the next entry, making this the only entry during Hawtrey's 23-film run which he missed. Sims returned two years later in Carry On Cleo. Liz Fraser notches up the second of her four appearances here. Lance Percival makes his only appearance in the series, playing the ship's chef, the role originally designated for Hawtrey.

Captain Crowther (James)'s lot is not a happy one! Five of his crew have to be replaced and at such short notice before the voyage begins there isn't much to choose from. Not only does he get the five most incompetent shipmates ever to sail the seven seas, but the passengers turn out to be a rather strange bunch too. The SS Happy Wanderer will never be the same. [IMDb.com]

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