Carry On films

The Carry On films were a long-running series of British popular low-budget comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. An energetic mix of parody, farce and double entendres, they are seen as classic examples of British humour.

Related Topics:
British - Gerald Thomas - Peter Rogers - Parody - Farce - Double entendre - British humour

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30 films were made between 1958 and 1978 at Pinewood Studios, and another in 1992. The films relied on a repertoire of comedy actors which gradually changed over the years. The mainstays of the series were Kenneth Williams (26 films), Joan Sims (24), Charles Hawtrey (23) and Sid James (19). One of the most iconic Carry On stars was Barbara Windsor, although she only appeared in 9 of the films.

Related Topics:
Pinewood Studios - Kenneth Williams - Joan Sims - Charles Hawtrey - Sid James - Barbara Windsor

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Their humour was influenced by the British traditions of the music hall and seaside postcards, and many parodied more serious films. They often rely on deliberately bad puns, occasionally rising to inspired heights, as in Carry On Cleo, where Julius Caesar (Kenneth Williams) staggers back from an assassination attempt crying "Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in for me!" The mainstay of the Carry Ons' humour was innuendo and the sending-up of British institutions and customs, such as the National Health Service (Nurse, Doctor, Again Doctor, Matron), the Hammer horror film (Screaming), the camping holiday (Camping), the foreign holiday (Abroad), the seaside holiday (Girls), the caravanning holiday (Behind), the monarchy (Henry), the Empire (Up the Khyber) and the trades unions (At Your Convenience), among others.

Related Topics:
Music hall - Julius Caesar - Kenneth Williams - Hammer horror - Camping - Up the Khyber

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The series began with Carry On Sergeant (1958), about a group of recruits on National Service, and was sufficiently successful that others followed. Its title was based on an earlier Val Guest film, Carry On Admiral (1957), and became a standard form for the series, with a few exceptions. There was also an unrelated 1937 film Carry On London, starring future Carry On performer Eric Barker.

Related Topics:
Carry On Sergeant - National Service - Val Guest - Carry On Admiral - 1937 - Eric Barker

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There was also a television series Carry On Laughing, and several Christmas specials and stage shows.

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