Carry On films

[Altrincham]

ITV3 are currently showing back-to-back Carry On films, which really is a bonus for me as I’m a big fan of the films, especially mid-period Carry On. Not sure what it says about current TV when the preferred Christmas night viewing in our house is something made approximately 50 years ago. (We’ve had Dad’s Army on a lot too over the last few nights).

My favourite Carry On’s are all travel-related:

Carry On Cruising
Carry On Camping
Carry On Abroad

Does anyone else on here like the Carry Ons?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I’ve only seen Carry on Camping and that was quite good although very old fashioned.

 

[DaleCooper]

Carry On... Up the Khyber is probably the best with Carry On Cleo a close second.

 

[Busaholic]

ITV3 are currently showing back-to-back Carry On films, which really is a bonus for me as I’m a big fan of the films, especially mid-period Carry On. Not sure what it says about current TV when the preferred Christmas night viewing in our house is something made approximately 50 years ago. (We’ve had Dad’s Army on a lot too over the last few nights).

My favourite Carry On’s are all travel-related:

Carry On Cruising
Carry On Camping
Carry On Abroad

Does anyone else on here like the Carry Ons?

Mid-period definitely the best. You've got to have the stalwarts included - Kenneth Williams, Sid James, Barbara Windsor, Hattie Jacques, Joan Sims, Charles Hawtrey. Some of the others were much more peripheral e.g. Jim Dale, Frankie Howard, Bernard Bresslaw.

 

[birchesgreen]

I love them all, Carry on Abroad is my favourite though.

 

[Puffing Devil]

British social history wrapped in a film. Love them!

 

[yorksrob]

Carry on at Your Convenience is one of my favourites. Doctor and Nurse are also good.

 

[kermit]

No mention so far of my absolute favourite - Carry On Screaming....so many great lines, including Kenneth Williams' "Frying Tonight!", and Fenella Fielding's "Oh, Odd Bod....." or "Do you mind if I smoke?"

 

[Altrincham]

No mention so far of my absolute favourite - Carry On Screaming....so many great lines, including Kenneth Williams' "Frying Tonight!", and Fenella Fielding's "Oh, Odd Bod....." or "Do you mind if I smoke?"

For me, Carry On Screaming is a great cinematic Carry On. Fabulously-shot!

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Yes, I enjoy most of the Carry on Films and alot of the other comedies of the 1960s and 1970s films and TV Programmes-series.

 

[SwindonBert]

I have all of them, other than Columbus on DVD.

Personal favourite is Cleo & not just the classic line, infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me

 

[trainmania100]

I like carry on doctor, carry on matron and carry on screaming
I watched the carry on films yesterday after a bit of trouble trying to find ITV3 on my bt I eventually switched over to my old sky box free sat chanels

 

[DarloRich]

Carry on films are tired, dull, low brow, childish, simplistic, smutty, misogynistic and frankly crap. There are some funny lines but the same old tired acts are rolled out time and time again. Carry on up the Khyber is about the best of the lot but the bar is low. Perhaps they were a bit risque of their time but they look terribly dated now.

 

[PeterY]

I love them. I've the complete box set. I know they were all low budget films. IMO they've stood the test of time.

In no particular order

Carry on Abroad
Carry on up the Khyber
Carry on Camping.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I have all of them, other than Columbus on DVD.

Personal favourite is Cleo & not just the classic line, infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me

Yes I like that one, I also like Carry on Spying and Teacher. The latter reminds me in parts about my school days.

 

[yorksrob]

"And fling, and in, and fling, and in...." (Camping)

I have to say, Hattie Jacques talking to her parrot in "Convenience" is still one of the funniest scenes in cinema IMO.

 

[IanD]

Carry on Behind was my favourite but rarely gets a mention. Followed by at Your Convenience. Sid James was a legend although not in my fave Not too keen on Barbara Windsor, extremely bad acting even by Carry On standards.

 

[Busaholic]

Carry on Behind was my favourite but rarely gets a mention. Followed by at Your Convenience. Sid James was a legend although not in my fave Not too keen on Barbara Windsor, extremely bad acting even by Carry On standards.

I don't think Barbara Windsor was chosen solely for her acting abilities. Actually, I don't think her acting was any worse than any of the others. Kenneth Williams was entirely OTT of course (and, his diaries reveal, fed his self-loathing) but in those diaries BW comes out a lot better than any of the other main players. Charles Hawtrey would probably have been unemployable if it wasn't for the Carry On franchise!

 

[yorksrob]

I don't think Barbara Windsor was chosen solely for her acting abilities. Actually, I don't think her acting was any worse than any of the others. Kenneth Williams was entirely OTT of course (and, his diaries reveal, fed his self-loathing) but in those diaries BW comes out a lot better than any of the other main players. Charles Hawtrey would probably have been unemployable if it wasn't for the Carry On franchise!

I've been listening to various vintage comedies on Radio 4 extra recently, and whilst different comedies from different eras have had varying effects on me, I have to say my favourite so far has Been "Stop Messing Around" with Kenneth Williams and Joan Sims. Very witty and funnier than a few more recent comedies.

 

[Busaholic]

I've been listening to various vintage comedies on Radio 4 extra recently, and whilst different comedies from different eras have had varying effects on me, I have to say my favourite so far has Been "Stop Messing Around" with Kenneth Williams and Joan Sims. Very witty and funnier than a few more recent comedies.

Can't say I remember that one. My one and only digital radio got broken soon after purchase (some years ago) so I shan't be able to discover it either. Joan Sims has a (younger, obviously) lookalike working in a bank here in Penzance, and a very pleasant person she is too.

 

[yorksrob]

I bought a digital radio and due to my location, it hasn't picked up a digital signal since I bought it.

Fortunately t'interweb has enabled me to catch up on radio 4 extra !

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I don't think Barbara Windsor was chosen solely for her acting abilities. Actually, I don't think her acting was any worse than any of the others. Kenneth Williams was entirely OTT of course (and, his diaries reveal, fed his self-loathing) but in those diaries BW comes out a lot better than any of the other main players. Charles Hawtrey would probably have been unemployable if it wasn't for the Carry On franchise!

Alot of those actors had rather sad lives and passed away quite early.

 

[furnessvale]

Alot of those actors had rather sad lives and passed away quite early.

I believe they did not make too much money out of the series either, having agreed to accept a salary in the early days rather than a percentage of profits.

 

[Aussie_Rail]

omg I love the Carry on Films!!!

I grew up as a kid watching them all, many times over! My favorite actor in them was Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Williams and Hattie Jacques.

Always a good laugh watching them. They'd never get away with making them now days though.

 

[BanburyBlue]

Carry on films are tired, dull, low brow, childish, simplistic, smutty, misogynistic and frankly crap. There are some funny lines but the same old tired acts are rolled out time and time again. Carry on up the Khyber is about the best of the lot but the bar is low. Perhaps they were a bit risque of their time but they look terribly dated now.

Totally agree - they are a product of their time, and in this day and age they are frankly embarrassing! I can't believe that ITV3 can find nothing else to put on on Xmas day but back to back Carry On films.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Totally agree - they are a product of their time, and in this day and age they are frankly embarrassing! I can't believe that ITV3 can find nothing else to put on on Xmas day but back to back Carry On films.

Agree - very much of their time - there was a programme on about Hattie Jaques some years ago , which led one to believe she was not a nice person (particularly the way she treated John LeMesurier - her husband)

However , people used to go to the cinemas happily to see them ....!

 

[edwin_m]

Totally agree - they are a product of their time, and in this day and age they are frankly embarrassing! I can't believe that ITV3 can find nothing else to put on on Xmas day but back to back Carry On films.

Independent stations traditionally tend to put on their best programmes before Xmas because the advertisers will pay more for a bigger audience in a period when people are likely to be spending more.

 

[341o2]

A lot of those actors had rather sad lives and passed away quite early.

As have many comedians. While Spike Milligan did not die early, he would be diagnosed as manic depressive today. Kenneth Williams was a bit of a Tommy Two Ways, before the Carry on series, he and Hugh Paddick did a series of "absolutely outrageous" sketches in Round the Horne as Julian and Sandy - homosexuality was now legal.

My favourites are Screaming and Don't Loose your Head, Screaming sends up Hammer horror films, while the second is a sendup of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Sir Rodney Effing (with two "f"s) alias the Black Fingernail, scourge of the French Revolution

 

[bussnapperwm]

I've noticed that Channel 4 showed a few of the franchise as well, but Teacher, Sargent and England was on neither channel.

I also noticed that some of them were edited for removal of certain points (such as Again Doctor having the examination of Goldie Locks (Babs) being extremely edited), presumably because of it being for a daytime audience.

 

[yorksrob]

Totally agree - they are a product of their time, and in this day and age they are frankly embarrassing! I can't believe that ITV3 can find nothing else to put on on Xmas day but back to back Carry On films.

Frankly they're better than a lot of the tripe on the other channels at the same time. Quite why they all suddenly seem to need to put on children's films, I don't know.

As an aside, yesterday ITV3 had on the "Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads" film on and me and my sister were chortling all the way through. Still very fresh and sharply observed.