Keep Calm and Carry On

By Elliott West

“Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it in for me!”

Kenneth Williams

Introduction

It is a British comedy film franchise that stood the test of time. Anarchic, satirical and packed with innuendos, the Carry On films had an impressive run, spanning from black and white to colour and with 31 films from 1958 to 1992. Made on a shoestring and filmed in less than glamorous locations, this was a family affair with cast members reunited for six weeks of the year in rain, snow and sometimes sunshine, huddled together in caravans with flasks of steaming tea in between takes. These films, the brainchild of Peter Rogers, directed by Gerald Thomas with scripts written by Norman Hudis and later Talbot Rothwell and well-known poster artists such as Renato Fratini, Terrence ‘Larry’ Parkes, Tom Chantrell, Eric Pulford ,Arnaldo Putzu and music by Eric Rogers, summed up saucy, seaside postcard humour and what the butler saw. A laugh from start to finish, the cast members of Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor, Bernard Bresslaw , Joan Sims and Charles Hawtrey rarely changed with a few additions squeezed in every so often.

The Winning Formula 

The Carry On films gave a humorous escape from everyday life. Second only to the longevity of the James Bond franchise, the crew was handpicked and were very loyal, returning film after film with Peter Lamont, Alan Hume and Antony Waye regulars on the James Bond set. Filmed at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, the film locations rarely strayed far from the studios. Exceptions to the rule came with Snowdonia National Park posing as the Kyber Pass in Carry On Up The Kyber and Camber Sands replacing the Sahara sand dunes in Carry On Follow That Camel. They even borrowed the props and costumes from the 1963  film Cleopatra for Carry On Cleo in 1964.

The cast were poorly paid with key cast members getting a flat fee of £5000. Peter Rogers had an ethos of no one being a star and no one being bigger than the film itself. Yet despite this penny pinching and Thomas becoming a millionaire from the films, products and spin-offs, allowing him to live a lavish lifestyle and to drive around in a Rolls Royce, the cast only grumbled in private and Kenneth Williams venting his anger in his diaries. The fondness and the love for these films is deeply rooted in the depiction and the joy that they have brought generations of viewers. With so many memorable lines and scenes, Carry On has become a film brand in its own right, unique, inspirational and has nurtured future shoots of comedy.

There were of course a few duff films like Carry On Emmanuel and Carry On Columbus but overall the majority of the franchise had plenty of great moments. The secret was to keep the same brand of humour and repackage it with another title and a change of scene and costumes. Although some of the humour may be considered dated, sexist and bawdy, it is far more innocent than much of the comedy that followed it. Some might say they overstayed their welcome and should have ended on a high but Gerald Thomas was determined to keep his Carry On legacy going as long as possible. Some of the films never made it past the script stage. These included Carry On Spaceman, Carry On Flying, Carry On Robin, Carry On Nursing, Carry On Escaping, Carry On Dallas and Carry On Down Under and Carry On London.

The Legacy 

Very few of the cast are alive now but so many interviews in the can of their time in the films, it is clear that these weeks of the year film were a blast. A group of people  who should have been chalk and cheese but  were united in a Carry On experience that created lifelong friendships. Kenneth Williams with his infectious laugh, baring his bum and farting on set, an affair between Sid James and Barbara Windsor and the many card games played on set for a few quid. Sid James left after the making of Carry on Dick in 1974 and Charles Hawtrey was sacked after being drunk on the set of Carry On Abroad in 1972. Kenneth Williams appeared in 26 of the films, Sid James (19), Charles Hawtrey (23), Joan Sims (24), Hattie Jacques (14) and Barbara Windsor (10). A brand of comedy that will keep an audience laughing for many years to come.