The best site I could find for Carry On movies is http://www.rhino.org.uk/carryframe.htm. They’re pretty rude (think Benny Hill), but most of them are amazingly funny.
Bastards. The whole &@$!ing lot of you. I’d never even heard of Carry On movies until TwistofFate’s date thread. You could say “Terry Thomas,” and I’d assume he was the rhythm guitarist for Faster Pussycat or something. But now, of course, ToF’s running around the board posting “Ding Dong!” and making me snigger uncontrollably every time I see it. For instance, the following:
…inexplicably, would make me cackle like an idiot. Again, damn you all.
Just to add a little clarification.
Terry Thomas isn’t really one of the ‘Carry On’ team although, of course, he did play many a cinematic buffoon. His speciality was usually the incompetent and lecherous caddish toff prying on attractive young ladies (heaven forbid !). One of my personal favourites was ‘Carlton Browne of the F.O’ but there are many others.
The ‘Carry On’ series of films might be seen as (if it’s even possible) kind of sub-Benny Hill in as far as it’s of the ‘seaside postcard’ genre.
My favourite Carry On-ers:
Charles Hawtrey (camp, incompetent wimp)
Sid James (the rudest laugh in film history)
Bernard Bresslaw (playing the non-bright spark)
Jack Douglas (he just went “wa-hay” and jumped about occasionally)
Joan Simms (hampered by not having the acting ‘talents’ of Barbara Windsor, but still a nice sized 36C cup)
- they played basically the same character role in every film. Only the costumes changed. No one seemed to bother changing the jokes, either.
The films are an acquired ‘taste’ – if you actually like them, be concerned.
And BTW Lux ,I re-introduced TOF to TT in his hot date thread. Something I now think I should be regretting because……
“you’re an absolute………shower !!
I shay !
I am a BIG Carry On fan. And make of ‘big’ in that last sentence what you will, oh you scoundrel you! My absolute favourite has to be Carry On Screaming, and so I recommend you begin with this one if you can get your grubby mitts on it screech. They are a required taste, and it probably helps if you’ve grown with Dick Emmery and his ilk. Innuendo CAN be fun!
PS The only upsetting thing about Carry On Screaming is that Sid James was ill at the time of filming, and so his role went to Harry Corbett (he of Steptoe and Son fame - the son hald). Harry does a stand-up job, however a Carry On film without Sid’s smutty-smoky infectious laugh is a bit like a scone without the lashings and lashings of butter. Ooooh, so creamy. And if ever a smily fit the bill, it’s this one!
Since this has turned into a thread about pre-1980s British comedy films, can I say that Kenneth Williams was a comic genius, and by far and away the most talented of the Carry On … crowd.
Terry-Thomas (sic), FWIW, hyphenated his stage name: his real given names were Thomas Terry and he did have a hyphenated surname but I can’t remember what it was. And while we’re on the subject, let’s not forget I’m All Right Jack (though Peter Sellers kind of stole the show in that one), Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines and Monte Carlo or Bust–absolute belters, all of them.
This also reminds me of a TV comedy show a couple of years ago in which they were discussing possible Robin Cook chat-up lines. The best one was:
[Terry-Thomas]Hong Kong![/Terry-Thomas]
Well if they will insist on curve-ball thread titles… hijack away! Does anyone else out there in dopedom like Hancock’s ‘The Rebel’? Not so much a Carry On, but certainly of the time? Very very funny. Very.
Several years ago I went to my regular doc - a rather distinguished older gent - for my annual pap smear. Usually his PA did it, but she was off that day, so the doc did the exam, with a nurse in attendance. I assumed The Position, & doc settled down with his light & chilly speculum. He paused, and said “Well. I didn’t know you had fish down here!”
There was a pregnant silence. His nurse stared at him open-mouthed. I debated whether such a crass remark deserved a kick in the goolies.
I have a tattoo of three entwined fish on the inside of my right knee, and this is what he was referring to. I still tell that story, and I bet he hasn’t forgotten it either. (I remind him every year!)
hahahahahahahaha [falling off chair and hitting head] hahahahahhaha