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 Posted:   Oct 23, 2020 - 1:01 PM   
 By:   Viscount Bark   (Member)

I've long known about the Carry On series, but always assumed they were too dumb to bother with. Well, I ended up watching "Carry On Jack" last night and I LOVED it!

Is there anyone here (especially our Brit members) who can guide me on which Carry On I should watch next? Chronological order or just pick and choose?

 
 Posted:   Oct 23, 2020 - 1:32 PM   
 By:   Bill Carson, Earl of Poncey   (Member)

Some are better than others.
The later colour ones were a bit more bawdy.
There is something funny in all of them except the last couple in the 70s were a bit strained.

These days we arent supposed to find them funny, the enlightened sneer at them and anyone who likes them.
I say bollocks to that. I think they are still funny as fuck.

I love Cabby, Abroad, the Doctor n matron ones, Up the khyber, Cleo and Camping.

 
 Posted:   Oct 23, 2020 - 1:47 PM   
 By:   Thomas   (Member)

I've always hated them to be honest, never understood their popularity. I can't stand that English seaside postcard style humour that I always associated them with. And the whole "Babs" Windsor getting her baps out or not thing was cringe. Could never stand her either.

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 23, 2020 - 2:20 PM   
 By:   eriknelson   (Member)

I vividly remember seeing CARRY ON NURSE when I was a tyke. There's a scene when one of the characters is playing the piano and gets ambitious, ultimately falling off the bench. As a little kid I thought that was fantastic and couldn't stop laughing. My parents had to remove me from the auditorium.

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 23, 2020 - 2:42 PM   
 By:   Howard L   (Member)

Even I have been aware of the "Carry On Gang" for decades and decades. Sidney James, and all. Am in the mood for a watch or two.

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 23, 2020 - 3:10 PM   
 By:   Bob DiMucci   (Member)

I've only seen two of them--CARRY ON SCREAMING (their horror film spoof) way back around 1971 and CARRY ON HENRY VIII in 2013. Sadly, my memory of the most recent one is as hazy as the one from 1971, although I'd be interested in seeing SCREAMING again. I can't remember a single specific scene from HENRY VIII. I'm trying to come up with the best word to describe my overall impression of the film. Tawdry? (Too strong). Risqué? (Too bland.) Sophomoric? (Maybe.) Ribald may be best.

 
 Posted:   Oct 23, 2020 - 4:49 PM   
 By:   Viscount Bark   (Member)

I'm watching Up the Khyber tonight. I'll definitely want to get to Carry On Screaming as I always enjoy horror spoofs.

 
 Posted:   Oct 24, 2020 - 2:21 AM   
 By:   MusicMad   (Member)

I grew up with these and have seen many of them several times. I fully accept that more than a few were/are utter rubbish and they out-stayed their welcome.

Once the more adult-orientated comedies hit the screen (Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974) et al.) they hadn't a hope of competing.

But in their heyday they provided more than a few laughs (albeit largely non-PC ... even then!) and, allowing for their very limited budgets, were pretty good. I believe Cleo (1964) benefited from being able to use sets left-over from Cleopatra (1963) but otherwise it was the usual studio backlot with the occasional location shot ... Camber Sands ~ Sahara (Follow That Camel (1967)) ... and so on.

Bill mentions Cabby (1963) and I intend to watch this again one day as I recall enjoying it ... 50 years ago!

Follow That Camel doesn't work too well because the humour brought by star Phil Silvers doesn't sit easily with the style ... it is a very-British idea, a counter to the dreary kitchen-sink dramas of the late 1950s / early 1960s and a way of making fun of the British way-of-life ... be it current (as then) or historical. Even Cleo - one of the most successful - was based around British characters taken as slaves.

If you watch any of the many documentaries made you'll see that a lot of effort was put into making the films, especially given the low budgets, but - as always - money (lack of!) took its toll.

For me, the best usually had a script by Talbot Rothwell and/or starred Sid James.

From Henry there's a great sequence in which his new wife Queen Marie prepares the banquet ... he takes his first mouthful of succulent chicken/duck only to find it flavoured with garlic. At that time (1971) garlic was not commonplace in the British kitchen.

In Up the Khyber (1968) the target is the British stiff-upper-lip mentality ... carry-on no matter what. The big dinner party must not be interrupted despite the building being destroyed by cannons ... even the actors struggled to keep straight faces

In Cleo, the titular character presents Antony with an asp ... her means of dispatching Caesar ... saying just one bite to which Antony takes ... just one bite.

In Abroad(1972) which mocked the new craze of Brits taking a holiday in the sun ... a quick trip to Costa ... only to find the hotel not quite ready to accept residents (a very common complaint at the time)

And whilst the next one Girls (1973) was pushing the limits for this genre, it did make the point that the English (British) sea-side was struggling to keep up with the new world of European holiday travel.

Plenty of fond memories ... but very much a product of their time.
Mitch

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 24, 2020 - 3:30 AM   
 By:   Rameau   (Member)

Yeah, I grew up going to the cinema to see them as they were released. I'd recommend Cleo, I find it still very funny & one of the best looking films of the series (they used the abandoned Cleopatra sets when the production moved to Italy). The one b/w Carry On I still like is Spying, no Sid James, but it does have Bernard Cribbins & Jim Dale & the humour is very goonish, if that means anything on this US site). Don't Lose Your Head is pretty good. Saying that, I think I'm done with them, I've just seen 'em too many times.

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 24, 2020 - 4:02 AM   
 By:   Tall Guy   (Member)

I've always hated them to be honest, never understood their popularity.


Infamy!

 
 Posted:   Oct 24, 2020 - 4:08 AM   
 By:   MusicMad   (Member)

I've always hated them to be honest, never understood their popularity.


Infamy!


They've got it infamy!

 
 Posted:   Oct 24, 2020 - 4:17 AM   
 By:   Bill Carson, Earl of Poncey   (Member)

..."Friends...romans...."
"....Countryman..."
"I know!!"

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 24, 2020 - 7:57 AM   
 By:   Rameau   (Member)

..."Friends...romans...."
"....Countryman..."
"I know!!"


My favourite line in that, isn't joke, it's where Julius Caesar (Kenneth Williams) meets up with Mark Antony (Sid James) near the start of the film. They greet each other like two old theatrical agents...TONY!...JULIE!

 
 Posted:   Oct 24, 2020 - 8:14 AM   
 By:   Bill Carson, Earl of Poncey   (Member)

I always rolled up at this exchange in Khyber ...

The Khasi of Kalabar: "May the benevolence of the god Shivoo bring blessings on your house."

Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond: " And on yours."

The Khasi of Kalabar: "And may his wisdom bring success in all your undertakings."

Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond: "And in yours."

The Khasi of Kalabar: " And may his radiance light up your life."

Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond: "And up yours."

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 24, 2020 - 8:34 AM   
 By:   paulhickling   (Member)

Always loved the Carry Ons. They are of course of their time, but so what? Many classic films including comedy are.

The black and white ones are a natural 'carry on' from the Ealing comedies. Only when we get to such as Carry On England and Emmannuelle do things start to really slide, and merge into the Confessions films. Yuk.

That first b&w one by the way has William Hartnell - the first Doctor Who star - as it's star (and third Doctor Jon Pertwee was in a few).

I can watch them any time. Of the colour ones Khyber, Cowboy - a British western!!!, and Screaming are my faves. "Frying tonight!"

There are plenty of other comedies with various Carry On team members (eg. What A Carve Up, comedy horror with Sid James and Kenneth Connor), and some were made separately with the Carry On prefix added when they realised it would make more money that way. I'm pretty sure the Phil Silvers one is that, and maybe Don't Lose Your Head.

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 24, 2020 - 9:28 AM   
 By:   ZardozSpeaks   (Member)

I don't cringe or intone 'yuk' to Suzanne Danielle in her panties:

 
 Posted:   Oct 24, 2020 - 10:21 AM   
 By:   Bill Carson, Earl of Poncey   (Member)

One of the worst of the series but Suzanne was sexy.

One of the things that was funny was their use of names.
Like Dan Dan the lavatory man, the khasi, burpers, mr Biggar, etc. Corny yes, but still funny.

Edit Brother Belcher the burper, carry on camping "mr Fiddler" big grin

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 24, 2020 - 10:38 AM   
 By:   Bob DiMucci   (Member)

One of the things that was funny was their use of names.
Like Dan Dan the lavatory man, the khasi, burpers, mr Biggar, etc. Corny yes, but still funny.



From CARRY ON DICK--"Captain Fancey", 'Sergeant Jock Strapp", and "Reverend Flasher"

 
 Posted:   Oct 24, 2020 - 10:50 AM   
 By:   Bill Carson, Earl of Poncey   (Member)

after a servant rings a gong, in the style of a famous film Organisation logo]

The Khasi of Kalabar: "I do wish you wouldn't keep doing that. Rank stupidity!"

 
 Posted:   Oct 24, 2020 - 11:48 AM   
 By:   Viscount Bark   (Member)

So I've gone through Jack, Khyber, Screaming and am now on Behind (oo-er!) - all four giving me pleasure and groans (those puns and innuendos!) I ought to tackle some of the earlier ones next.

Does anyone know what "frying tonight" signifies?

 
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