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.

Classic Carry On

In 1963 Talbot Rothwell took over the role of screenwriter. The films became more ambitious, often parodying well-known films or genres. Coinciding with the sexual revolution, they featured more explicit sexual jokes and situations. The films made in colour in the '60s (with the exception of unsuccesful attempts to change the formula, like "Follow that Camel") remain among the most popular of the series.

Related Topics:
Talbot Rothwell - Sexual revolution

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At one point, Talbot Rothwell sought and received permission to borrow several one-liners and quotes that Frank Muir and Dennis Norden had written for the successful radio comedy series Take It From Here. They include the above-quoted line "Infamy! Infamy!". Rothwell was a friend and colleague of Muir and Norden.

Related Topics:
Frank Muir - Dennis Norden - Take It From Here

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• Carry On Cabby (1963), back to black-and-white; originally scripted as a non-Carry On film called Call Me a Cab
• Carry On Jack (1963), in colour again
• Carry On Spying (1964), in black-and-white as a deliberate spoof of Film Noir in some sequences
• Carry On Cleo (1964), in full colour again (as were all the rest), using costumes and sets left standing from filming portions of Cleopatra
• Carry On Cowboy (1965)
• Carry On Screaming (1966)
• Don't Lose Your Head (1966) (Scarlet Pimpernel spoof)

::The loss of the Carry On prefix from the titles of this and the next film was due to the change of distributor from Anglo Amalgamated to Rank. Both films were later re-issued with a Carry On... prefix.

Related Topics:
Anglo Amalgamated - Rank

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• Follow That Camel (1967)

::A Foreign Legion parody, and an unsuccessful attempt to break into the lucrative American market by casting Phil Silvers as the lead.

Related Topics:
Foreign Legion - Phil Silvers

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• Carry On Doctor (1967)
• Carry On up the Khyber (1968)
• Carry On Camping (1968)