Carry on....

[Magpie]

Last night I watched "Carry On Up The Khyber", the night before it was "Carry On Cleo", tonight I'm watching "Carry On England".

It's pretty amazing the range of quality. "Khyber" and "Cleo" are two of the best (certainly in the top five), whereas Carry On England is definately toward the bottom. (I confess I've never been able to get past the first 15 minutes of 'Carry On Emmanuelle')

Anyone else care to share their "Carry On" memories?

[Magpie]

For the record, here's my top 5 (in no particular order)


Carry On Cleo
Carry On Jack
Carry On Up the Khyber
Carry On Screaming
Carry On Cabby


I'd give Carry On Teacher and Carry on Sargeant honourable mentions--they are good movies, but the Carry On formula hadn't evolved yet.

[Phil H]

The best Carry Ons in my mind are the film-take-offs, Cleo even used costumes and props from the Burton/Taylor epic.

Jack is a send up of those C18th naval films (HMS Defiant etc and the Hornblower books. Khyber was a send-up (IMHO) of the pre-war Imperial adventures (there were at the time it was made TV series on the same topic: "The Regiment" with Christopher Cazenove - BBC; and North West Frontier with Gary Bond ITV.

Spying had the Bond (and many contemporary spin-off movies) to relate to.

Henry referenced the Keith Michell TV series "Six Wives of Henry VIII" and Burton's "Anne of the thousand days".

The earliest films - Sergeant, Constable, Nurse - were liket spoof documentaries, almost successors to the ealing Comedies in style. Sergeant had a direct link to the hit TV series "The Army Game" with William Hartnell (1st Doctor Who, of course) reprising his CSM role.

Phil

[Heinrich]

I first realized that what is considered humorous can be largely cultural when I attended a cinema in England which was showing Carry On Up the Khyber. The entire audience was laughing their heads off every few seconds, getting wild even, at one schoolboy sexual innuendo after another. At one stage I found myself distinctly feeling I belonged to a different species, seriously wondering what was so funny to everyone else and why it all escaped me.

[Magpie]

I first realized that what is considered humorous can be largely cultural when I attended a cinema in England which was showing Carry On Up the Khyber. The entire audience was laughing their heads off every few seconds, getting wild even, at one schoolboy sexual innuendo after another. At one stage I found myself distinctly feeling I belonged to a different species, seriously wondering what was so funny to everyone else and why it all escaped me.

Not only cultural, but age can be a factor. When I first saw "Khyber" it was one of my least favourite, for some reason. As I got older, it moved up to the top of my list, because in amongst the tits and fart jokes, there is some pretty biting satire. It's actually one of the smartest of the Carry On movies (the same with Cleo).

[Robert]

Hi Magpie

I think in general the best Carry Ons were the earliest ones - the first 6 or 7. Carry On Screaming was slightly later, and is probably the best of the lot.

[tji]

I remmeber been given 'carry on don't lose your head' when I was about 7. I watched it over and over until the tape snapped.

I remember watching Carry on Cabbie, but not being impressed as it was in black and white, but watched it a few years ago again and quite enjoyed it.



Tj

[Phil Carter]

Charles Hawtrey in Carry on Constable.. with renditions of Sid James calling out.. "Potter...!" to Leslie Phillips in the same film..and Charles Hawtrey in Carry on Nurse (I think.. could be Carry on Doctor) when sitting up in the hospital bed conducting the music coming through his earphones.. and falling out... precious moments.

Same movie, Leslie Phillips as Mr Bell..

Nurse.. "Mr. Bell?"
Bell.. "Ding dong, you're not wrong!"


Happy times.


kindly

Phil


Source: Fading memory

[jason_c]

Last night I watched "Carry On Up The Khyber", the night before it was "Carry On Cleo", tonight I'm watching "Carry On England".

It's pretty amazing the range of quality. "Khyber" and "Cleo" are two of the best (certainly in the top five), whereas Carry On England is definately toward the bottom.

Ooooo'er Matron!





Sorry, I couldnt resist.

[Phil Carter]

Hello Jason..neither could I... lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dictn9w0Avc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS6yJOtt24g&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajdjPkTWuOE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpk0KuH10uc&feature=related

[Robert]

Phil, Carry On Constable was super. Best moment has to be the three new officers (Connor, Phillips and Williams) walking on their way to the station, with Phillips carrying a tennis racket.

[Phil Carter]

Hello Robert,

Your wish is my command.. at 4min 50 onwards I believe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS6yJOtt24g

kindly

Phil

[Robert]

Ha, that's it. What you had in the Carry Ons was a central nucleus of superb actors who could get laughs out of just about any scene and any line.

[Phil Carter]

Hello Robert,

One of my favourite lines is from Carry on Loving..

"Advise? You couldn't advise a cow with constipation on the use of a laxative"... or something like that. (forgive me if I have mis-remembered this slightly)

That line makes me laugh just reading it.

kindly

Phil

[Robert]

Hi Phil

There were also some "almost Carry Ons" that were good. I remember one called Raising The Wind about a bunch of music students. During his conducting exam, Kenneth Williams antagonizes the orchestra who then play too fast and force him to conduct the William Tell Overture at 100 mph.