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.

Into the 1970s

Although the series continued to be popular in the early 1970s, there was a growing feeling among the cast and critics that the quality of the films was declining. British society was becoming more accustomed to seeing sexual content on screen, and the innuendos of the series began to pale in comparison, although they became noticeably stronger. Rothwell continued as writer.

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• Carry On Again, Doctor (1969)
• Carry On up the Jungle (1969)
• Carry On Loving (1970)
• Carry On Henry (1970) (with Sid James as Henry VIII)
• Carry On at Your Convenience (1971)

:: This was the first box office failure in the series, something attributed to the film's attempt at exploring the realistic political themes of the trade union movement - with, crucially, the unionists portrayed as buffoons. This apparently alienated the traditional working-class Carry On core audience, and the film did not return full production costs until 1976 after several international and television sales.

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• Carry On Matron (1971)

:: After the problems caused by the topical and political nature of the previous film's story, this was a lightweight farce that returned to the familiar Carry On... setting of a large hospital. Matron featured all the main regular cast of the period with the exception of Peter Butterworth, and was the final Carry On for recurring players Terry Scott and Jacki Piper.

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• Carry On Abroad (1972)

:: This film, about a disastrous package holiday where anything that could possibly go wrong did go wrong, was Charles Hawtrey's last Carry On.

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• Carry On Girls (1973)

:: This film tells the story of a struggling seaside resort's attempt to organise a beauty contest, and the efforts of militant feminists, to oppose it. The sexual humour in this film is notably less subtle than its predecessors, because Rothwell attempted to emulate the Confessions series of films. In a further attempt to attract the Confessions audience, one of that series' main actors, Robin Askwith, was cast in a similar role as a sexually naïve young man.

Related Topics:
Feminists - Robin Askwith

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• Carry On Dick (1974) (a Dick Turpin spoof)

:: The last Rothwell film, and the last to feature Sid James, Hattie Jacques, and Barbara Windsor. It is widely acknowledged to be the last true Carry On.

Related Topics:
Sid James - Hattie Jacques - Barbara Windsor

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