I've not quite made it through all the films (I'm up to 17 at last count). It turns out watching one movie a day doesn't leave much time for getting anything else done but I will make it through the rest as soon as I can. Partly this failure was due to finding I couldn't watch a film EVERY night but it was also a result of my youngest deciding he wanted to watch them too.
He caught on around Carry On Cabby and since then I've tried to make sure we get to watch them together. Hearing George literally laughing out loud has made the films even more enjoyable and it's lovely to see him experience the series for the first time. He's not voted as he sensibly pointed out to me he's not seen them all yet, but I might come back and do a mini update when he has.
Thanks to everyone who voted, the top five were pretty clear from quite early on though the final order changed as more people voted. Up The Khyber & Screaming were neck and neck all the way and it came down to a very few votes. Cleo was clear in 3rd, while Camping & Doctor comfortably ahead of the film in 6th place. I've included the full list so you can see where your favourite came.
1. Carry On ... Up The Khyber (1968) - This is a big favourite of mine too. I placed it second in my top 5 but it could easily have been my number one. Sid James is in fine form as Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond, Joan Sims is back playing Sid's screeching wife, Kenneth Williams is wonderful as the Khasi of Khalabar and Bernard Bresslaw gets to play another tribal warlord, Bungdit Din, reprising a similar role in Follow That Camel. There's some brilliant one liners all the way through but the best is saved for last with the British completing a black tie dinner amidst the destruction of their garrison.
2. Carry On Screaming (1966) - I didn't see this one properly until a few years ago so it still seems quite fresh to me. Harry H Corbett makes his only Carry On appearance as Detective Sydney Bung. Of the regular cast only Kenneth Williams (Dr. Orlando Watt), Jim Dale (Albert Potter), Joan Sims (Emily Bung - screeching again, this time at Harry H. Corbett) and Charles Hawtry (in a great cameo as Dan Dan the Lavatory Man) appear. Star of the show though is Fenella Fielding as Valeria, in her second and final Carry On, who makes me feel all unnecessary.
3. Carry On Cleo (1964) - Surprisingly this is the only top 5 entry to include Kenneth Connor. He was a mainstay of the early films appearing in all but Spying up to this point but Cleo was his last until Carry On Up The Jungle in 1970. Sid James & Kenneth Williams are in fantastic form, the Infamy! Infamy! line one of the most memorable of the series. As is Amanda Barrie's performance as Cleopatra *loosens collar*.
4. Carry On Camping (1969) - Sid & Bernie attempt to take their girlfriends to a nudist campsite but fail miserably. Peter Butterworth is brilliant in the role of money-grabbing farmer Josh Fiddler. Kenneth Williams plays Dr Soaper, the head of an all girls school, with Hattie Jacques reprising her role as Matron from Carry On Doctor. Probably the most famous Carry On scene sees Barbara Windsor's bikini top fly off into the face of Dr Soaper during an outdoor aerobics session.
5. Carry On Doctor (1968) - Frankie Howerd makes his Carry On debut as Francis Bigger a charlatan faith healer. Jim Dale is at his physical best in the starring role of the clumsy but well meaning Dr Kilmore. Barbara Windsor (who had previously appeared in Carry On Spying) has a small but memorable role as Nurse Sandra May, which led to her becoming a regular fixture. This was the first of three hospital based Carry Ons, which do tend to merge into one, but I think it's the best. Hattie Jacques is great as Matron, a role she has first played back in 1959 during Carry On Nurse.
I've updated my personal top five which I originally published back in 2007, Screaming and Doctor replacing Camping and Sergeant in my affections. I've really enjoyed watching them all again and reckon they've stood the test of time better than you might expect.
1. Carry On Cabby (1963)
2. Carry On ... Up The Khyber (1968)
3. Carry On Screaming (1966)
4. Carry On Cleo (1964)
5. Carry On Doctor (1968)
Full list of scoring films (the rest didn't get any votes though I'd recommend both Carry On Nurse & Carry On Regardless as good early Carry Ons).
1. Carry On ... Up The Khyber (1969)
2. Carry On Screaming! (1966)
3. Carry On Cleo (1964)
4. Carry On Camping (1969)
5. Carry On Doctor (1968)
6. Carry On Jack (1963)
7. Carry On Cabby (1963)
8. Carry On Cowboy(1965)
9. Carry On At Your Convenience (1971)
10. Carry On Abroad (1972)
11. Carry On Matron (1972)
12. Carry On Teacher (1959)
13. Carry On Cruising (1962)
14. Carry On Don't Lose Your Head (1966)
15. Carry On: Follow That Camel (1967)
16. Carry On Girls (1973)
17. Carry On Constable (1960)
18. Carry On Sergeant (1958)
19. Carry On Spying (1964)
A slight change of tack for the next collaborative top five. I thought it would be nice to work on a subject with a definitive number of options and save all the faffing about with nominations. Everyone loves Carry On films, don't they? I certainly grew up watching these. I loved them then and I still love them now (apart from the last few where things went a little bit awry).
So, simple task - give me your 5 favourite Carry On films in order if you can but out of order if that's too tricky. The vote is open for 31 days during which time I'm going to attempt to watch them all in order.
Carry On Sergeant (1958)
Carry On Nurse (1959)
Carry On Teacher (1959)
Carry On Constable (1960)
Carry On Regardless (1961)
Carry On Cruising (1962)
Carry On Cabby (1963)
Carry On Jack (1963)
Carry On Spying (1964)
Carry On Cleo (1964)
Carry On Cowboy(1965)
Carry On Screaming! (1966)
Carry On Don't Lose Your Head (1966)
Carry On: Follow That Camel (1967)
Carry On Doctor (1968)
Carry On Camping (1969)
Carry On ... Up The Khyber (1969)
Carry On Again, Doctor (1969)
Carry On Up The Jungle (1970)
Carry On Loving(1970)
Carry On Henry (1971)
Carry On At Your Convenience (1971)
Carry On Matron (1972)
Carry On Abroad (1972)
Carry On Girls (1973)
Carry On Dick (1974)
Carry On Behind (1975)
Carry On England (1976)
Carry On Emmanuel (1978)
Carry On Columbus (1992)
Here's a short introduction to the film series, cribbed from Wikipedia, for my overseas readers who might not me as familiar with them as us Brits;
The Carry On series is a long-running British sequence of comedy films, stage shows and television programs produced between 1958 and 1992. There were thirty-one films. Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas were the series' sole producer and director respectively. They mostly employed the same crew and a regular group of actors. The main cast predominantly featured 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 Ons comprise the largest number of films of any British series and, next to the James Bond films, are the second-longest continually-running UK film series.
I haven't had much time of late to update this. I'm going to try a bit harder to at least post once a week from now on.
Carry On films then, I'm always a bit surprised when I find out other people don't like them as much as I do. I guess that, much like Bond, I grew up with Carry On films and they caught me at an impressionable age before I could pick up my "cool gland". Actually, to be honest, I never did develop that "cool gland" which probably goes a long way to explaining many of my Top 5 choices. Anyway, Carry On films will always be, for me, a glorious institution, mining that rich vein of farce, puns and double entendres that is peculiarly British.
Here's my favourites;
1. Carry On Cabby (1963) - The first of the Carry On films written by Talbot Rothwell who was screenwriter throughout the "classic" period of the films. Hattie Jacques launches an all female Cab company to rival her husband's (Sid James) firm. Liz Fraser is one of many busty beautiful blonds. A glorious ending as hundreds of Cabs converge on a field to capture a group of crooks.
2. Carry On Up The Khyber (1968) - All the regulars now well and truly established, this is possibly the ultimate Carry On film. Kenneth Williams plays Rhandi Lal, the Khasi of Kalabar attempting to incite a rebellion against the the Devils in Skirts after Private Widdle (Charles Hawtrey) is found wearing underpants after an encounter with Bungdit Din (Bernard Bresslaw). This made the BFI's top 100 films in 1999. How can you not find this stuff funny?
3. Carry On Cleo (1964) - Another historical parody in which the Romans invade a wet and miserable Britain. Kenneth Williams (as Julius Caesar) does his stuff as various people attempt to kill him off, resulting in the famous "Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in for me!". Amanda Barry is gorgeous as Queen Cleopatra.
4. Carry On Camping (1969) - The film's tone is set early on when Sid takes his wife (Joan Simms), best pal (Bresslaw) and best pal's girlfriend (Dilys Laye) to see a film about nudist camping. Joan is not impressed "You told me this film was all about camping!" to which Sid replies "It is, those are tents aren't they?". Famous for the Barbara Windsor bra-popping scene on which she based her entire career.
5. Carry On Sergeant (1958) - The first Carry On film, and very different from the films made at it's zenith. A more subtle romantic comedy starring Bob Monkhouse and Shirley Eaton (of Goldfinger fame). Kenneth Williams did appear though he was only paid £800 for his role as James Bailey.A footnote about Carry On Screaming which is reputed to be one of the best of the series. For one reason or another I've failed to see yet but as soon as I do I'll add an update to this list. Check out The Whippit Inn or the official Carry On site if you want to know more about the series.
