Carry On (film series)

CARRY ON ABROAD (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1972

88 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Alfred Roome

Mus: Eric Rogers

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw, Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Connor, Peter Butterworth, Jimmy Logan, June Whitfield

The usual nudge nudge, wink wink, double entrendes and sexual innuendos from the Carry On comedy troupe.

The sense of humour is practically the same in each film of the long running series and the location is the only thing which differs in each of them.

This one takes place at a Spanish holiday resort and is no better or worse than the majority of the series.

5/10

CARRY ON AGAIN DOCTOR (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1969

89 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Ernest Steward

Ed: Alfred Roome

Mus: Eric Rogers

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Barbara Windsor, Hattie Jacques, Peter Butterworth, Patsy Rowlands, Pat Coombs

The fourth Carry On film to be set in a hospital and it's clear to see that the comedy is running out of steam.

A barrel-scraping entry to the series and probably one for big fans only.

4/10

CARRY ON AT YOUR CONVENIENCE (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1971

90 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Ernest Steward

Ed: Alfred Roome

Mus: Eric Rogers

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Cope, Patsy Rowlands, Jackie Piper, Richard O'Callaghan

More raunchy slapstick escapades in the usual Carry On style, this time concerning the staff and customers at a local plumbing merchandise store.

It goes without saying that it's mostly toilet humour.

4/10

CARRY ON BEHIND (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1975

90 mins

Comedy

W: Dave Freeman

DP: Ernest Steward

Ed: Alfred Roome

Mus: Eric Rogers

Elke Sommer, Kenneth Williams, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw, Kenneth Connor, Peter Butterworth, Jack Douglas, Windsor Davies, Liz Fraser, Patsy Rowlands

One of the better Carry On films and the final one of the series before it descended into complete trash.

The comedy this time around takes place on a campsite where archaeologists discover Roman artefacts. The humour is similar to all the other films, but at least the jokes are delivered with a fair bit of enthusiasm, rather than a tired cast simply going over the same old routine.

6/10

CARRY ON CABBY (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Anglo Amalgamated (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1963

91 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Archie Ludski

Mus: Eric Rogers

Sid James, Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Connor, Hattie Jacques, Esma Cannon, Liz Fraser, Bill Owen, Milo O'Shea, Jim Dale

Battle-of-the-sexes Carry On farce about two rival taxi firms, one staffed by men and the other by women.

It's the usual slap-and-tickle formula for the Carry On series and is decent entertainment for a bank holiday, but it's not a standout from any other films in the series.

5/10

CARRY ON CAMPING (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1969

88 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Ernest Steward

Ed: Alfred Roome

Mus: Eric Rogers

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Terry Scott, Barbara Windsor

One of the better known Carry On movies, mostly due to an iconic scene in which Barbara Windsor loses her top.

Aside from that scene, it's a rather standard entry, set at a nudist camp, containing the usual innuendos and double entrendes.

5/10

CARRY ON CLEO (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Anglo Amalgamated (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1964

92 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Archie Ludski

Mus: Eric Rogers

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor, Jim Dale, Amanda Barrie, E. V. H. Emmett, Sheila Hancock, Jon Pertwee

Carry On parody of the Elizabeth Taylor film version of Cleopatra.

It caused much controversy at the time for mocking the 1963 epic but it's all rather unspectacular now, although it does have a handful of funny moments.

5/10

CARRY ON COLUMBUS (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Island World/Comedy House (John Goldstone)

UK 🇬🇧 1992

91 mins

Comedy

W: Dave Freeman

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Chris Blunden

Mus: John DuPrez

Jim Dale, Bernard Crippins, Maureen Lipman, Peter Richardson, Rik Mayall, Alexei Sayle, Charles Fleischer, Larry Miller, Leslie Phillips, Julian Clary, Sara Crowe, Rebecca Lacey, Nigel Planer, June Whitfield, Richard Wilson

The first Carry On film for 14 years and the worst of the lot. By 1992 the formula was tired and there were much funnier things than a innuendo-filled parody about the explorer who discovered the Americas.

2/10

CARRY ON CONSTABLE (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Anglo Amalgamated (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1960

86 mins

Comedy

W: Norman Hudis [based on a story by Brock Williams]

DP: Ted Scaife

Ed: John Shirley

Mus: Bruce Montgomery

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor, Eric Barker, Leslie Phillips, Hattie Jacques, Shirley Eaton, Cyril Chamberlain, Irene Handl, Esma Cannon, Freddie Mills

Parody of the TV series Dixon Of Dock Green in the usual Carry On style.

It doesn't really have a plot and is just a series of sketches following the misadventures of four inept policeman. It does have its funny moments but few and far between.

5/10

CARRY ON COWBOY (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Anglo Amalgamated (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1965

95 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Rod Keys

Mus: Eric Rogers

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Jim Dale, Percy Herbert, Angela Douglas, Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth, Jon Pertwee

Amusing parody of High Noon and other classic westerns when the Carry On series of films was at height of its popularity.

Funny enough if you're a fan of the series.

5/10

CARRY ON CRUISING (U)

D: Gerald Thomas

Anglo Amalgamated (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1962

89 mins

Comedy

W: Norman Hudis [based on a story by Eric Barker]

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: John Shirley

Mus: Bruce Montgomery

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, Liz Fraser, Dilys Laye, Esma Cannon, Lance Percival, Ronnie Stevens, Cyril Chamberlain, Anton Rodgers

One of the weaker Carry On films with the usual slapstick and sexual innuendo, only this time set aboard a cruise ship.

The plot, jokes and cast are practically all at sea.

4/10

CARRY ON DICK (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1974

91 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Ernest Steward

Ed: Alfred Roome

Mus: Eric Rogers

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, Barbara Windsor, Hattie Jacques, Bernard Bresslaw, Joan Sims, Peter Butterworth, Jack Douglas, Patsy Rowlands, Bill Maynard

More barrel-scraping from the Carry On crew who were clearly running low on ideas.

This time it's a parody of the life of Dick Turpin, named in this as Big Dick. *chuckle*

One of the weakest entries in a long-running series.

4/10

CARRY ON DOCTOR (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1968

94 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Alfred Roome

Mus: Eric Rogers

Frankie Howerd, Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Barbara Windsor, Hattie Jacques, Anita Harris, Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth

The Carry On crew return to a hospital location, this time with a story concerning a patients revolt against an unlikeable matron.

Occasionally funny, but it's not really amongst the better films of the series.

5/10

CARRY ON - DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1966

90 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Rod Keys

Mus: Eric Rogers

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Peter Butterworth, Dany Robin, Peter Gilmore

The Carry On cast mock The Scarlet Pimpernel and other Olde English folk tales with their usual "Ooh. Matron" humour. Occasionally funny, but it's just another film in a long-running series which had at least ten films more than it needed to have.

5/10

CARRY ON EMMANNUELLE (15)

D: Gerald Thomas

Hemdale (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1978

88 mins

Comedy

W: Lance Peters

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Peter Boita

Mus: Eric Rogers

Suzanne Danielle, Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, Jack Douglas, Joan Sims, Peter Butterworth, Larry Dann, Beryl Reid, Eric Barker

A poor attempt by the Carry On filmmakers to update the formula for a more adult audience and more sexually liberal times, this time infusing their usual humour into the theme of Emmanuelle, a famous erotic movie of the early 1970's.

It didn't work (perhaps because the original film was cheesy enough) and practically killed off the series (until the awful Carry On Columbus really killed it off in 1992).

3/10

CARRY ON ENGLAND (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1976

89 mins

Comedy

W: Jack Seddon & David Pursall

DP: Ernest Steward

Ed: Richard Marden

Mus: Max Harris

Kenneth Connor, Windsor Davies, Patrick Mower, Judy Geeson, Jack Douglas, Diane Langton, Melvyn Hayes, Joan Sims, Peter Jones, Peter Butterworth, David Lodge

One of the lesser known Carry On movies, set in an army barracks during World War II.

The jokes aren't too funny and it's clear that the formula is becoming tired (as are the cast).

4/10

CARRY ON - FOLLOW THAT CAMEL (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1966

90 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Alfred Roome

Mus: Eric Rogers

Phil Silvers, Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Peter Butterworth, Anita Harris, Bernard Bresslaw, Angela Douglas, Peter Gilmore

The comedy talents of Phil Silvers joins the Carry On gang in a farce set in the Foreign Legion.

It has moments of amusing humour, but the clash of comedy styles doesn't really work.

4/10

CARRY ON GIRLS (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1973

88 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Alfred Roome

Mus: Eric Rogers

Sid James, Kenneth Connor, Joan Sims, Barbara Windsor, Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth, June Whitfield, Jack Douglas, Patsy Rowlands, Valerie Leon, Joan Hickson, David Lodge

The organiser of a seaside beauty contest annoys the members of a local women's liberation moment.

The usual formula from the Carry On gang with some occasionally funny moments.

5/10

CARRY ON HENRY (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1971

89 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Rod Keys

Mus: Eric Rogers

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Terry Scott, Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Connor, Peter Butterworth, Peter Gilmore, Patsy Rowlands

The story of Henry VIII gets the Carry On treatment resulting in an occasionally amusing farce with the usual jokes and sexual innuendos.

5/10

CARRY ON JACK (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Anglo Amalgamated (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1964

91 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Archie Ludski

Mus: Eric Rogers

Bernard Cribbins, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Juliet Mills, Donald Houston, Percy Herbert, Peter Gilmore, Jim Dale, Anton Rodgers, Cecil Parker, Patrick Cargill

Above average Carry On film parodying Mutiny On The Bounty and other sea-faring adventures. No better or worse than the majority of the series.

5/10

CARRY ON LOVING (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1970

88 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Ernest Steward

Ed: Alfred Roome

Mus: Eric Rogers

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Terry Scott, Hattie Jacques, Richard O'Callaghan, Bernard Bresslaw, Jackie Piper, Imogen Hassall, Patsy Rowlands, Bill Maynard

The misfits of the Carry On cast try their luck at a dating agency, with some funny consequences. It's just another film in a long series of others.

4/10

CARRY ON MATRON (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1972

87 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Ernest Steward

Ed: Alfred Roome

Mus: Eric Rogers

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw, Terry Scott, Kenneth Cope, Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Connor, Jackie Piper, Patsy Rowlands, Jack Douglas

Another of the better Carry On movies. The comedy is set in a hospital again, with a con man masterminding an operation to steal medicines from a maternity hospital.

It's all cross-dressing, toilet humour and sexual innuendos, but it does have its amusing moments which make it worthwhile.

5/10

CARRY ON NURSE (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Anglo Amalgamated (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1959

86 mins

Comedy

W: Norman Hudis

DP: Reg Wyer

Ed: John Shirley

Mus: Bruce Montgomery

Shirley Eaton, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor, Terence Longdon, Bill Owen, Leslie Phillips, Wilfred Hyde-White, Irene Handl

The first real Carry On movie, when the formula was still fresh and it shows with the comedy performances of the cast.

The movie even had decent success away from British shores, unfortunately the films were very hit and miss after this one.

6/10

CARRY ON REGARDLESS (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Anglo Amalgamated (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1961

90 mins

Comedy

W: Norman Hudis

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: John Shirley

Mus: Bruce Montgomery

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor, Terence Longdon, Bill Owen, Liz Fraser, Esma Cannon, Hattie Jacques, Fenella Fielding

The assorted incompetent misfits of the Carry On cast join an odd-job agency, the rest is just a series of slapstick sketches with varying amusement and entertainment value.

5/10

CARRY ON SCREAMING (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Anglo Amalgamated (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1966

97 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Rod Keys

Mus: Eric Rogers

Harry H. Corbett, Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey, Fenella Fielding, Joan Sims, Angela Douglas, Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth, Jon Pertwee

A parody of Hammer Horror films with a welcome performance from Harry H. Corbett in the lead role. The jokes are hit-and-miss but it's certainly not one of the weaker Carry On films.

5/10

CARRY ON SPYING (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Anglo Amalgamated (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1964

87 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell & Sid Colin

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Archie Ludski

Mus: Eric Rogers

Kenneth Williams, Bernard Cribbins, Charles Hawtrey, Barbara Windsor, Eric Pohlmann, Eric Barker, Dilys Lane, Jim Dale, Richard Wattis

Intermittently amusing parody of the James Bond films from the Carry On crew.

Same cast, same jokes, same formula, same old carry on.

5/10

CARRY ON TEACHER (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Anglo Amalgamated (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1959

86 mins

Comedy

W: Norman Hudis

DP: Reginald Wyer

Ed: John Shirley

Mus: Bruce Montgomery

Ted Ray, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Leslie Phillips, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor, Hattie Jacques, Rosalind Knight, Cyril Chamberlain

Amongst the better Carry On films, set at a school where the students sabotage the headmaster's chances of getting a job elsewhere.

The slapstick and jokes were still quite fresh in one of the earlier films from the long-running series.

6/10

CARRY ON UP THE JUNGLE (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1970

89 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Ernest Steward

Ed: Alfred Roome

Mus: Eric Rogers

Frankie Howerd, Sid James, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Terry Scott, Kenneth Connor, Bernard Bresslaw, Jackie Piper

Carry On parody of Tarzan films. More barrel-scraping with a recycled formula, old jokes and a cast who are back by contractual obligation.

4/10

CARRY ON UP THE KHYBER (PG)

D: Gerald Thomas

Rank (Peter Rogers)

UK 🇬🇧 1968

88 mins

Comedy

W: Talbot Rothwell

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: Alfred Roome

Mus: Eric Rogers

Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Roy Castle, Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth, Terry Scott, Angela Douglas, Cardew Robinson, Julian Holloway

Arguably the best Carry On film, with the usual misfits and familiar faces defending British territories in India.

The movie features one of the most iconic lines in the entire series of the films and does have many funny moments.

6/10