''Carry On'' is a British comedy franchise comprising 31 films, four Christmas specials, a television series and stage shows produced between 1958 and 1992. Produced by

Peter Rogers Peter Rogers (20 February 1914 – 14 April 2009) was an English film producer. He is best known for creating the ''Carry On'' series of films. Life and career Rogers began his career as a journalist for his local paper, before graduat ...

, the ''Carry On'' films were directed by

Gerald Thomas Gerald Thomas (10 December 1920 – 9 November 1993) was an English film director best known for the long-running ''Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' series'' of British film comedies. Early life Born in Kingston upon Hull, Hull, East Riding ...

and starred a regular ensemble that included

Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a South African–British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. Noted for his distinctive laugh, he was best known for numerou ...

Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was a British actor and comedian. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 ''Carry ...

, Charles Hawtrey,

Joan Sims Irene Joan Marion Sims (9 May 1930 – 27 June 2001) was an English actress and comedienne, best remembered for her roles in the ''Carry On'' franchise, appearing in 24 of the films (the most for any actress). On television, she is known for ...

Kenneth Connor Kenneth Connor (6 June 1918 – 28 November 1993) was a British stage, film and broadcasting actor, who rose to national prominence with his appearances in the ''Carry On'' films. Early life Connor was born in Highbury, Islington, London, t ...

Peter Butterworth Peter William Shorrocks Butterworth (4 February 1915Hattie Jacques Hattie Jacques (; born Josephine Edwina Jaques; 7 February 1922 – 6 October 1980) was an English comedy actress of stage, radio and screen. She is best known as a regular of the ''Carry On'' films, where she typically played strict, no-no ...

Terry Scott Terry Scott (born born Owen John Scott; 4 May 1927 – 26 July 1994) was an English actor and comedian who appeared in seven of the '' Carry On films''. He is also well known for appearing in the BBC1 sitcoms '' Happy Ever After'' and '' Terr ...

Bernard Bresslaw Bernard Bresslaw (25 February 193411 June 1993) was an English actor and comedian. He was best known as a member of the '' Carry On'' film franchise. Bresslaw also worked on television and stage, performed recordings and wrote a series of poetr ...

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''.

, Jack Douglas, and

Jim Dale Jim Dale (born James Smith; 15 August 1935) is an English actor, composer, director, narrator, singer and songwriter. In the United Kingdom he is known as a pop singer of the 1950s who became a leading actor at the National Theatre. In British ...

. The humour of ''Carry On'' was in the British comic tradition of

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

and bawdy

seaside postcard A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. In some places, one can send a postcard ...

s. The success of the films led to several spin-offs, including four Christmas television specials (1969–1973), a 1975 television series of 13 episodes, a West End stage show and two provincial summer shows. The ''Carry On'' series contains the largest number of films of any British film franchise, and is the second longest running, albeit with a 14-year gap (1978–1992) between the 30th and 31st entries. (The ''James Bond'' film series is the longest-running, having started in 1962, four years after the first ''Carry On'', though with fewer films.) Rogers and Thomas were responsible for all 31 films, usually on time and to a strict budget, and often employed the same crew — some of whom were also regulars on the James Bond series, such as Peter Lamont, Alan Hume, and Anthony Waye. Between 1958 and 1992, the series employed seven writers, most often

Norman Hudis Norman Hudis (27 July 1922 – 8 February 2016) was an English writer for film, theatre and television, and is most closely associated with the first six of the '' Carry On...'' film series, for which he wrote the screenplays until he was replace ...

(1958–1962) and

Talbot Rothwell Talbot Nelson Conn "Tolly" Rothwell, Order of the British Empire, OBE (12 November 1916 – 28 February 1981) was an English screenwriter. Life and career Rothwell was born in Bromley, Kent, England. He had a variety of jobs during his earl ...

(1963–1974). Anglo Amalgamated Film Distributors Ltd produced 12 films (1958–1966), and

the Rank Organisation The Rank Organisation (founded as the J. Arthur Rank Organisation) is a British entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1937 by industrialist J. Arthur Rank. It quickly became the largest and most vertical integration, ve ...

made 18 (1966–1978), while

United International Pictures United International Pictures (UIP) is a joint venture of Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures that distributes their films outside the United States and Canada. UIP also had international distribution rights to certain Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (M ...

produced one (1992). All films were made at

Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London. The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to t ...

near

Iver Heath Iver is a civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. In addition to the central clustered village, the parish includes the residential neighbourhoods of Iver Heath and Richings Park and the hamlets of Shreding Green and Thorney. Geography, tr ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

. Budgetary constraints meant that a large proportion of the location filming was undertaken close to the studios in and around south Buckinghamshire, including areas of

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

and

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

. However, by the late 1960s, at the height of the series' success, more ambitious plots occasionally necessitated locations further afield, which included

Snowdonia National Park Snowdonia, or Eryri (), is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in North Wales. It contains all 15 mountains in Wales Welsh 3000s, over 3000 feet high, including the country's highest, Snowdon (), which i ...

, Wales (with the foot of

Snowdon Snowdon (), or (), is a mountain in Snowdonia in North Wales. It has an elevation of above sea level, which makes it both the highest mountain in Wales and the highest in the British Isles south of the Scottish Highlands. Snowdon i ...

standing in for the

Khyber Pass The Khyber Pass (Urdu: درۂ خیبر; ) is a mountain pass in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, on the border with the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. It connects the town of Landi Kotal to the Valley of Peshawar at Jamrud by tr ...

in ''

Carry On Up the Khyber ''Carry On Up the Khyber'' is a 1968 British comedy film, the 16th in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It stars ''Carry On'' regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw and Peter But ...

''), and the beaches of the

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

coast doubling as Saharan sand dunes in '' Follow That Camel''.

Background

'' Carry On Sergeant'' (1958) is about a group of recruits doing

National Service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...

; its title, a command commonly issued by army officers to their sergeants in the course of their routine duties, was in keeping with its setting. The film was sufficiently successful to inspire a similar venture, again focusing on an established and respected profession in ''

Carry On Nurse ''Carry On Nurse'' is a 1959 British comedy film, the second in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). Of the regular team, it featured Joan Sims (in her ''Carry On'' film debut), Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor and Charles Hawtr ...

''. When that too was successful, further forays with ''

Carry On Teacher ''Carry On Teacher'' is a 1959 British comedy film, the third in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It was released at the Plaza Cinema in London on 3 September 1959. It features Ted Ray in his only ''Carry On'' role, alongsid ...

'' and '' Carry On Constable'' established the series. This initial 'pattern' was broken with the fifth film in 1961, ''

Carry On Regardless ''Carry On Regardless'' is a 1961 British comedy film, the fifth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film revolves loosely around the activities of a job agency, 'Helping Hand', run by Sid James's character, Bert Handy ...

'', but it still followed a similar plot to that of many of the early films—a small group of misfit newcomers to a job make comic mistakes, but come together to succeed in the end. The remainder of the series developed with increased use of the British comic traditions of

and bawdy

s. Many titles parodied more serious films, such as their tongue-in-cheek homages to James Bond (''

Spying Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or Confidentiality, confidential information (Intelligence (information), intelligence). A person who commits espionage on ...

''), westerns (''

Cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...

''), and

Hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nail (fastener), nails into wood, to sh ...

horror films ('' Screaming!''). The most impressive of these was ''

Carry On Cleo ''Carry On Cleo'' is a 1964 British historical comedy film, the tenth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). Regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, Charles Hawtrey, and Jim Dale are present and Connor made his l ...

'' (1964), in which the budget-conscious production team made full use of some impressive sets that had been created in 1960 for the Burton and

Taylor Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to: People * Taylor (surname) ** List of people with surname Taylor * Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah * Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron * Justice Taylor (disambiguation) ...

epic ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

'' (1963) but abandoned when production moved to Rome. '' Carry On Emmannuelle'', inspired by the soft-porn '' Emmanuelle'', brought to an end the original ''Carry On'' run. The stock-in-trade of ''Carry On'' humour was

innuendo An innuendo is a wikt:hint, hint, wikt:insinuation, insinuation or wikt:intimation, intimation about a person or thing, especially of a denigrating or derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called in ...

and the sending-up of British institutions and customs, such as the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...

(''Nurse'', ''Doctor'', ''Again Doctor'', ''Matron'' and the proposed ''Again Nurse''), the

monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...

(''

Henry Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

''), the

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

(''

Up the Khyber ''More'' is the third studio album and first soundtrack album by English rock band Pink Floyd. It was released on 13 June 1969 in the United Kingdom by EMI Columbia and on 9 August 1969 in the United States by Tower Records. The soundtrack is ...

''), the armed forces (''

Sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

'', ''

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

'', '' Jack'' and the proposed ''Flying'' and ''Escaping''), the police (''

Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an officer within a police service. Other peo ...

'') and the

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

s ('' At Your Convenience'') as well as camping (''

Camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...

''), foreign holidays ('' Cruising'', '' Abroad''), beauty contests ('' Girls''),

caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Campervan, a type of vehicle also known as a motor caravan *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Caravan (trail ...

holidays ('' Behind''), and the education system (''

Teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

'') amongst others. Although the films were very often panned by critics, they mostly proved very popular with audiences. In 2007, the

pun A pun, also known as a paronomasia in the context of linguistics, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from t ...

"Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me", spoken by Kenneth Williams (playing

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

) in ''Carry on Cleo'', was voted the funniest

one-line joke A one-liner is a joke that is delivered in a single line. A good one-liner is said to be pithy – concise and meaningful. Comedians and actors use this comedic method as part of their performance, and many fictional characters are also known t ...

in film history. However, this line had originally been written by

Frank Muir Frank Herbert Muir (5 February 1920 – 2 January 1998) was an English comedy writer, radio and television personality, and raconteur. His writing and performing partnership with Denis Norden endured for most of their careers. Together they wr ...

and

Denis Norden Denis Mostyn Norden (born Denis Moss Cohen; 6 February 1922 – 19 September 2018) was an English comedy writer and television presenter. After an early career working in cinemas, he began scriptwriting during the Second World War. From 1948 t ...

for Jimmy Edwards in the radio series'' Take It From Here'' some years previously. A film had appeared in 1957 under the title '' Carry On Admiral''; although this was a comedy in similar vein (and even featured Joan Sims in the cast) it has no connection to the ''Carry On'' series itself. The much earlier 1937 film ''Carry On London'' is also unrelated (though it coincidentally starred future ''Carry On'' performer

Eric Barker Eric Leslie Barker (12 February 1912 – 1 June 1990) was an English comedy actor. He is most remembered for his roles in the popular British '' Carry On'' films, although he appeared only in the early films in the series, apart from returning ...

). The cast were poorly paid—around £5,000 per film for a principal performer.Butters, Wes and Davies, Russell. ''Kenneth Williams Unseen'',

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...

, 2008 In his diaries Kenneth Williams lamented this, and criticised several of the movies despite his declared fondness for the series as a whole. Peter Rogers, the series' producer, acknowledged: "Kenneth was worth taking care of, because while he cost very little ../nowiki> he made a very great deal of money for the franchise."

Cast

The ''Carry On'' series includes a broad cast across the films and other adaptations. A regular core ensemble cast included

, Charles Hawtrey,

, and

Filmography

* '' Carry On Sergeant'' (1958) * ''

'' (1959) * ''

'' (1959) * '' Carry On Constable'' (1960) * ''

'' (1961) * '' Carry On Cruising'' (1962) * ''

Carry On Cabby ''Carry On Cabby'' is a 1963 British comedy film, the seventh in the series of thirty-one ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). Released on 7 November 1963, it was the first to have a screenplay written by Talbot Rothwell (although the first scre ...

'' (1963) * ''

Carry On Jack ''Carry On Jack'' is a 1964 British comedy film, the eighth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). Most of the usual ''Carry On'' team are missing from this film: only Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey appear throughout, wi ...

'' (1964) * ''

Carry On Spying ''Carry On Spying'' is a 1964 British spy comedy film directed by Gerald Thomas. It is the ninth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It marks Barbara Windsor's first appearance in the series. Series regulars Kenneth Willia ...

'' (1964) * ''

Carry On Cowboy ''Carry On Cowboy'' is a 1965 British comedy Western film, the eleventh in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It was the first film to feature series regulars Peter Butterworth and Bernard Bresslaw. Series regulars Sid Jame ...

'' (1965) * ''

Carry On Screaming! ''Carry On Screaming!'' is a 1966 British comedy horror film, the twelfth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It was the last of the series to be made by Anglo-Amalgamated before the series moved to The Rank Organisation. Of ...

'' (1966) * ''

Don't Lose Your Head ''Don't Lose Your Head'' is a 1967 British swashbuckling comedy film, the 13th in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It features regular team members Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey, and Joan Sims. Set ...

'' (1967) * '' Follow That Camel'' (1967) * ''

Carry On Doctor ''Carry On Doctor'' is a 1967 British comedy film, the 15th in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It is the second in the series to have a medical theme. Frankie Howerd makes the first of his two appearances in the film series ...

'' (1967) * ''

'' (1968) * ''

Carry On Camping ''Carry On Camping'' is a 1969 British comedy film, the 17th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Terry Scott, Hattie Jacques, ...

'' (1969) * '' Carry On Again Doctor'' (1969) * '' Carry On Up the Jungle'' (1970) * '' Carry On Loving'' (1970) * ''

Carry On Henry ''Carry On Henry'' is a 1971 British historical comedy film, the 21st release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It tells a fictionalised story involving Sid James as Henry VIII, who chases after Barbara Windsor's characte ...

'' (1971) * ''

Carry On at Your Convenience ''Carry On at Your Convenience'' (also known as ''Carry On Round the Bend'' outside the UK) is a 1971 British comedy film, directed by Gerald Thomas and starring regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Hattie Jacq ...

'' (1971) * '' Carry On Matron'' (1972) * ''

Carry On Abroad ''Carry On Abroad'' is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Gerald Thomas, the 24th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw, ...

'' (1972) * ''

Carry On Girls ''Carry On Girls'' is a 1973 British comedy film, the 25th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film features regulars Sid James, Barbara Windsor, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor, Bernard Bresslaw and Peter Butter ...

'' (1973) * '' Carry On Dick'' (1974) * ''

Carry On Behind ''Carry On Behind'' is a 1975 British comedy film, the 27th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It was the first entry in the series not to be scripted by Talbot Rothwell since '' Carry On Cruising'' 13 years previou ...

'' (1975) * ''

Carry On England ''Carry On England'' is a 1976 British comedy film, the 28th release in the series of the original 30 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1978). It was released in October 1976 and featured ''Carry On'' regulars Kenneth Connor, Jack Douglas, Joan Sim ...

'' (1976) * ''

That's Carry On! ''That's Carry On!'' is a 1977 British comedy film, the 29th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film is a compilation of the highlights of most of the previous 28 films, and features series regulars Kenneth Willi ...

'' (1977) * '' Carry On Emmannuelle'' (1978) * '' Carry On Columbus'' (1992)

Planned films

Several other films were planned, scripted (or partly scripted) or entered

pre-production Pre-production is the process of planning some of the elements involved in a film, television show, play, video game, or other performance, as distinct from production and post-production. Pre-production ends when the planning ends and the co ...

before being abandoned: * ''What a Carry On...'' (1961) * ''Carry On Smoking'' (1961), revolving around a fire station and various attempts to train a bungling group of new recruits. * ''Carry On Spaceman'' (1961), scripted by Norman Hudis and planned to be released shortly after ''

''. Satirising the

Space Race The Space Race (, ) was a 20th-century competition between the Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile-based nuclear arms race between t ...

, the cast was to consist of three would-be

astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a List of human spaceflight programs, human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member of a spa ...

s who constantly bungled on their training and their mission into outer space; most likely the trio would have been played by

, and

Leslie Phillips Leslie Samuel Phillips (20 April 1924 – 7 November 2022) was an English actor. He achieved prominence in the 1950s, playing smooth, upper-class comic roles utilising his "Ding dong" and "Hello" catchphrases. He appeared in the '' Carry On'' ...

that had been established in '' Carry On Constable''. Attempts to revive ''Carry On Spaceman'' in 1962 under

Denis Gifford Denis Gifford (26 December 1927 – 18 May 2000)Holland, Steve, Obituaries: Denis Gifford', ''The Guardian'', 26 May 2000. was a British writer, broadcaster, journalist, comic artist and historian of film, comics, television and radio. In h ...

, again by Hudis, failed, and the project was subsequently abandoned. * ''Carry On Flying'' (1962), about a group of RAF recruits. Norman Hudis penned a script and the film got as far as pre-production before being abandoned.

was to have had a starring role. * ''Carry On Robin'' (1965), a spoof of

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

starring "the ''Carry On'' regulars". Rogers outlined the film and registered it with the British Film Producers Association but never pursued it any further. * ''Carry On Escaping'' (1973), scripted by

, a spoof of World War II escape films. The complete script is included in the book ''The Complete A–Z of Everything Carry On''. * ''Carry On Texas'' (1980), a spoof of popular American soap opera ''

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

'', was pursued in 1980. A script was written and casting offers made to Williams, Connor, Douglas, Sims, Windsor, Hawtrey and Dale. The production was abandoned when ''Dallas'' production company

Lorimar Productions Lorimar Television, formerly Lorimar Productions, Inc. and Lorimar Distribution, was an American production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969

demanded a

royalty fee A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset or ...

of 20 times the total production budget. The idea was revisited in 1987, with casting considerations for Windsor, Douglas,

and

Anita Harris Anita Madeleine Harris (born 3 June 1942) is an English actress, singer and entertainer. Harris sang with the Cliff Adams Singers for three years from 1961 and had a number of chart hits during the 1960s. She appeared in the '' Carry On'' fil ...

, but the idea progressed no further. * ''Carry On Down Under'' (1981) was considered when, while on holiday in Australia, Gerald Thomas scouted locations and spoke to the

Australian Film Commission The Australian Film Commission (AFC) was an Australian government agency was founded in 1975 with a mandate to promote the creation and distribution of films in Australia as well as to preserve the country's film history. It also had a product ...

about a potential film. The production was abandoned when finance fell through, and a complete script written by Vince Powell is included in the book ''Fifty Years of Carry On''.

''Carry On Again Nurse''

An intended sub-sequel to the successful ''

'' was renamed and made as ''

'' in 1967. ''Carry On Nurse'' was alluded to twice in ''Carry On Doctor'', firstly with the sub-titles (one reading ''Nurse Carries On Again'' and ''Death of a Daffodil''), and again in a later scene with

Frankie Howerd Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian. Early life Howerd was born the son of a soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...

commenting on a vase of daffodils in his hospital room. A second attempt at ''Carry On Again Nurse'' came in 1979, after the series left Rank Films and moved to Hemdale. A completed script had been written by

George Layton George Layton (born George Michael William Löwy; 2 March 1942) is a British actor, director, screenwriter and author best known for three television roles – junior doctor Paul Collier in the comedy series ''Doctor in the House'' and its sequ ...

and

Jonathan Lynn Jonathan Adam Lynn (born 3 April 1943) is an English film director, screenwriter, and actor. He directed the comedy films '' Clue'', '' Nuns on the Run'', '' My Cousin Vinny'', and '' The Whole Nine Yards''. He also co-created and co-wrote the ...

in 1977, but the attempt was cancelled due to the financial loss of '' Carry On Emmannuelle''. The final attempt to create ''Carry On Again Nurse'' came in 1988, with a script written by

. It was to revolve around a hospital set for closure, and set to star original actors

, Jack Douglas,

, Charles Hawtrey,

and

, with Sims filling in the role of Matron that was previously held by

Hattie Jacques Hattie Jacques (; born Josephine Edwina Jaques; 7 February 1922 – 6 October 1980) was an English comedy actress of stage, radio and screen. She is best known as a regular of the ''Carry On'' films, where she typically played strict, no-no ...

. The end of the film was going to be a tribute to Jacques, with Sims turning around a photograph of the actress and asking "Well, did I do alright?" (the script is included in the book ''The Lost Carry Ons''). Production was scheduled to begin in June 1988, but the death of Williams two months previously, followed by that of Hawtrey six months later – combined with a budget of £1.5 million, which was deemed too expensive – proved to be the end of the film and it was cancelled.

''Carry On London''

The final proposed ''Carry On'', before Peter Rogers's death in 2009, was ''Carry On London''. Announced in 2003 by Rogers and producer James Black, it remained in pre-production well into 2008. The script was signed off by the production company in late March 2008, and "centred on a limousine company ferrying celebrities to an awards show". The film had several false starts, with the producers and cast changing extensively over time. Only the little-known Welsh actress Jynine James remained a consistent name from 2003 to 2008. Danniella Westbrook,

David Jason Sir David John White (born 2 February 1940), known professionally as David Jason, is an English actor. He has played Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in the sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses'', Detective Inspector Jack Frost in the drama series '' A Touch ...

Shaun Williamson Shaun Williamson (born 29 November 1965) is an English actor best known as Barry Evans in ''EastEnders'' and as a satirical version of himself in the BBC/HBO sitcom '' Extras'', 'Barry off EastEnders'. Early life Williamson was born in Park W ...

and

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor most famous during the 1970s and 1980s. He became well known in television series such as ''Gunsmoke'' (1962–1965), '' Hawk'' (1966) and '' Dan Augus ...

were also once attached to the project. It was announced in May 2006 that

Vinnie Jones Vincent Peter Jones (born 5 January 1965) is an English actor, presenter, and former professional footballer. Jones played professionally as a defensive midfielder from 1984 to 1999, notably for Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, C ...

and

Shane Richie Shane Patrick Paul Roche (born 11 March 1964), known as Shane Richie, is an English actor, comedian, presenter and singer. Following initial success as a stage and screen performer, he became best known for his portrayal of the character Alfie ...

were to star in the film, which was to be directed by Peter Richardson, though

Ed Bye Edward Richard Morrison Bye is a British film and TV producer and director. He directed the episodes of the science-fiction sitcom ''Red Dwarf'' from Series I-IV and VII-VIII. Early life Ed Bye is the son of Royal Marine Colonel Francis Cliffo ...

later replaced him as the named director. At the 50th anniversary party held at Pinewood Studios in March 2008, Rogers confirmed that he was planning a series of ''Carry On'' films after ''London'', subject to the success of the first. In early 2009, ''Carry On London'' or ''Carry On Bananas'' was once again 'back on', with

Charlie Higson Charles Murray Higson (born 3 July 1958) is an English actor, comedian, author and former singer. He has also written and produced for television and is the author of the young adult post-apocalyptic book series ''The Enemy'', as well as the fi ...

attached as director, and a different, more modern, cast list involving

Paul O'Grady Paul James O'Grady (14 June 1955 – 28 March 2023) was an English comedian, broadcaster, drag queen, actor, and writer. He achieved notability in the London gay scene during the 1980s with his drag persona Lily Savage, through which he gained ...

(as the acidic Kenneth Williamsesque character), Jynine James,

Lenny Henry Sir Lenworth George Henry (born 29 August 1958) is a British Jamaicans, British-Jamaican comedian, actor and writer. He gained success as a Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian and impressionist in the late 1970s and early 1980s, culminating in ' ...

, Justin Lee Collins,

Jennifer Ellison Jennifer Lesley Ellison is an English actress, former glamour model, television personality, dancer and singer. Ellison is perhaps best known for playing Emily Shadwick in the television soap opera '' Brookside'' until 2003, and as Meg Giry in ...

(as the saucy

type),

Liza Tarbuck Liza Tarbuck ( ; born 21 November 1964) is an English actress, comedian, and television and radio presenter. Early life Liza Tarbuck was born in Liverpool and grew up near Kingston upon Thames. She is the daughter of comedian Jimmy Tarbuck an ...

(paralleling Hattie Jacques),

Meera Syal Meera Syal FRSL (born Feroza Syal; 27 June 1961) is an English comedian, writer, playwright, singer, journalist and actress. She rose to prominence as one of the team that created '' Goodness Gracious Me'' and by portraying Sanjeev's grandmoth ...

James Dreyfus James Louis de Zogheb Dreyfus (born 9 October 1968) is an English actor most notable for roles on television sitcoms '' The Thin Blue Line'' as Constable Kevin Goody, and '' Gimme Gimme Gimme'' as Tom Farrell. Dreyfus is most recently known for ...

, and

Frank Skinner Christopher Graham Collins (born 28 January 1957), known professionally as Frank Skinner, is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. At the 2001 British Comedy Awards, he was named Best Comedy Entertainment Personality. His televisio ...

(filling in the

role). Despite new media interest and sets being constructed at Pinewood Studios, the film was once again put on hold, and the project was abandoned after the death of Peter Rogers in April 2009.

Reboot

In May 2016, producer

Jonathan Sothcott Jonathan Sothcott (born 26 April 1980) is a British film producer and author. Biography Before making his name in feature films, Sothcott produced documentaries and moderated DVD commentaries for numerous cult films, including ''The Wild Gees ...

of Hereford Films announced plans for a new series of ''Carry On'' films, beginning with ''Carry On Doctors'' and ''Carry On Campus''. On 12 April 2017, Sothcott confirmed to the website ''The Hollywood News'' that he was no longer involved with the film series. As of September 2019, three ''Carry On'' films were set to be filmed back-to-back, after Brian Baker won the rights to the movies following a legal battle with ITV earlier that year. Production of the new films had been planned to take place in spring 2020. However, filming was postponed due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

and little more was heard about the project until after the death of

in December 2020, when Baker announced that he would be using old footage of the actress in the film, saying "Barbara will be making an appearance." Baker told the '' Daily Star Sunday'' that "we have got two new stories and we are looking to do one of the old ones again to bring it up to modern day quality – probably '' Carry On Sergeant''. Baker's company Carry On Films Ltd was later dissolved.

Spin-offs

Television

The characters and comedy style of the ''Carry On'' film series were adapted to a television series titled ''

Carry On Laughing ''Carry On Laughing'' is a British television comedy series produced in 1975 for ATV. Based on the '' Carry On'' films, it was an attempt to address the films' declining cinema attendance by transferring the franchise to television. Many of t ...

'', and several Christmas specials.

Stage shows

Album

In 1971, Music for Pleasure released a long-playing record, ''Oh! What a Carry On!'' (MFP MONO 1416), featuring songs performed by Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Kenneth Connor, Frankie Howerd, Bernard Bresslaw, Joan Sims, Barbara Windsor, and

Dora Bryan Dora May Broadbent (7 February 1923 – 23 July 2014), known as Dora Bryan, was an English actress of stage, film and television.Leslie Phillips Leslie Samuel Phillips (20 April 1924 – 7 November 2022) was an English actor. He achieved prominence in the 1950s, playing smooth, upper-class comic roles utilising his "Ding dong" and "Hello" catchphrases. He appeared in the '' Carry On'' ...

, was broadcast in two parts on

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

on 19 and 20 July 2010. A three-part television retrospective with the same title, narrated by

Martin Clunes Alexander Martin Clunes (born 28 November 1961) is an English actor, director and television presenter. He is best known for portraying Martin Ellingham in the ITV comedy-drama series '' Doc Martin'', Gary Strang in the BBC sitcom ''Men Behavin ...

, was shown on

ITV3 ITV3 is a Television in the United Kingdom, British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. The channel was first launched on Monday 1 November 2004 at 9 pm, replacing Plus (British TV channel), Plus ...

in the UK over Easter 2015.

Home media

The ''Carry On'' film series has had numerous individual releases on VHS, and a number of VHSs were released in an eighteen VHS box-set on 1 September 2003. The film series was first released as a DVD box-set on 1 September 2008, by ITV Studios Home Entertainment. Five years later, on 7 October 2013, it was re-released with smaller packaging. All the movies contained in the collection are also available to buy individually. Since 2013,

StudioCanal StudioCanal S.A.S. (formerly known as Le Studio Canal+, Canal Plus, Canal+ Distribution, Canal+ D.A., and Canal+ Production and also known as StudioCanal International) is a French film & television production and distribution company which is a ...

has released a number of the ''Carry On'' films on Blu-ray, beginning with ''

'' (21 October 2013), ''

'' (5 May 2014), ''

'' (2 June 2014) and ''

'' (7 July 2014).

Cultural influence

The success of the ''Carry On'' series occasionally led to affectionate parodies of the series by other contemporary comedians: * In ''The

Spitting Image ''Spitting Image'' is a British satirical television puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn. First broadcast in 1984, the series was produced by 'Spitting Image Productions' for Central Independent Television ...

Book'', released in 1985, there is a reference to a fictitious made-for-TV film entitled ''Carry On Up the Rectum'', satirising the transparency of the puns used for ''

'' and possibly '' Carry On Up the Jungle''. *

Harry Enfield Henry Richard Enfield (born 30 May 1961) is an English comedian. He is known in particular for his television work, including '' Harry Enfield's Television Programme'', '' Harry Enfield & Chums'' and '' Harry & Paul'', across which he created ...

's mockumentary '' Norbert Smith: A Life'' (1989) includes a clip from an imagined film, ''Carry On Banging'' (a parody of the more risque approach of the later films, such as '' Carry On Dick'' and '' Carry On Emmannuelle''). The setting is the

Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp was a series of protest camps established to protest against nuclear weapons being placed at RAF Greenham Common in Berkshire, England. The camp began on 5 September 1981 after a Welsh group, Women for Life ...

of the 1980s, and featured

, Jack Douglas and

. * ''

That Mitchell and Webb Look ''That Mitchell and Webb Look'' is a British sketch comedy television series starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb that ran from 2006 to 2010. Many of its characters and sketches were first featured in the duo's radio show '' That Mitchell an ...

'' features the sketch "Bawdy 1970s Hospital", which portrays a stereotypical ''Carry On''-style hospital with frequent use of

double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacc ...

, except by one doctor who has trouble fitting in as he comes out with simple obscenity, unable to understand the distinction. * A "

flash frame Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * The Flash, several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Barry Allen ** Wally West, the first Kid Flash and third adult Flash ...

" of the end shot of ''

'' is used in series two of '' The Young Ones''. * In Tom Holt's eighth Portable Door novel ''When It's a Jar'' (2013) the ''Carrion'' franchise offers a "uniquely quirky blend of spatterfest zombie horror and traditional British slapstick-and-innuendo comedy" with titles such as ''Carrion Nursing'', ''Carrion Camping'' and ''Carrion Up the Khyber''. * In

The Goodies The Goodies were a trio of British comedians: Tim Brooke-Taylor (17 July 1940 – 12 April 2020), Graeme Garden (b. 18 February 1943) and Bill Oddie (b. 7 July 1941). The trio created, wrote for and performed in their The Goodies (TV series), ...

' book ''The Making of the Goodies Disaster Movie'', the trio visit the set of ''Carry On Christ'' in order to get advice from the Carry On team, while they are filming a scene relating to 'The Feeding of the Five Thousand', with some of the cast noted as Kenneth Williams playing 'Pontius Pilate', Charles Hawtrey as 'A Wise Virgin', Barbara Windsor as 'Not a Wise Virgin' and Hattie Jacques as 'The Five Thousand'. * Clips from several ''Carry On'' films are used in ''In The Movies It Doesn't Hurt'' (1975), a short film on laboratory safety for schools starring

. * The satirical website TVGoHome often included ''Carry On'' films in its fictional listings. * In the song '' Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others'' by

The Smiths The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...

, one of the lines is "As Anthony said to Cleopatra, as he opened a crate of ale, oh, I say", making reference to ''

Carry on Cleo ''Carry On Cleo'' is a 1964 British historical comedy film, the tenth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). Regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, Charles Hawtrey, and Jim Dale are present and Connor made his l ...

''. * In the 2023 television series ''

Funny Woman ''Funny Woman'' is a British drama television series directed by Oliver Parker and adapted for the screen by Morwenna Banks from the best-selling novel '' Funny Girl'' by Nick Hornby. It stars Gemma Arterton with an ensemble cast including ...

'', the ''Carry On'' films are mentioned several times as character Sophie Straw (

Gemma Arterton Gemma Christina Arterton (born 2 February 1986) is a British actress. After her stage debut in Shakespeare's ''Love's Labour's Lost'' at the Globe Theatre (2007), Arterton made her feature-film debut in the comedy '' St Trinian's'' (2007). She p ...

) receives an offer for a role in a proposed entry in the series.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

* Detailed information on the ''Carry On'' film series
What a Carry On
A tribute to the series
Carry on Films
at

IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carry On (Franchise) British film series Comedy film franchises Film series introduced in 1958