''Carry On Cleo'' is a 1964 British

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

film, the tenth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). Regulars

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 ...

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 ...

, Charles Hawtrey, and Jim Dale are present and Connor made his last appearance until his return in '' Carry On Up the Jungle'' six years later. Joan Sims returned to the series for the first time since ''

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 ...

'' three years earlier. Sims would now appear in every ''Carry On'' up to '' Carry On Emmannuelle'' in 1978, making her the most prolific actress in the series.

Jon Pertwee John Devon Roland Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996), known professionally as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he became known as a comedy actor, playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee (and three other roles) in ...

makes the first of his four appearances in the series. The title role is played by Amanda Barrie in her second and last Carry On. Along with '' Carry On Sergeant'' and '' Carry On Screaming!'', its original posters were reproduced by the

Royal Mail Royal Mail Group Limited, trading as Royal Mail, is a British postal service and courier company. It is owned by International Distribution Services. It operates the brands Royal Mail (letters and parcels) and Parcelforce Worldwide (parcels) ...

on stamps to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ''Carry On'' series in June 2008. The film was followed by '' Carry On Cowboy'' (1965). It is often regarded as the best in the series.

Plot

The film opens during

Caesar's invasions of Britain In the course of his Gallic Wars, Julius Caesar invaded Britain twice: in 55 and 54 BC. On the first occasion, Caesar took with him only two legions, and achieved little beyond a landing on the coast of Kent. The second invasion was more subst ...

, with

Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman people, Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the Crisis of the Roman Republic, transformation of the Roman Republic ...

struggling to lead his armies through miserable weather. At a nearby village,

cavemen The caveman is a stock character representative of primitive humans in the Paleolithic. The popularization of the type dates to the early 20th century, when Neanderthals were influentially described as "simian" or "ape-like" by Marcellin Boul ...

Horsa and Hengist Pod attempt to alert

Boudica Boudica or Boudicca (, from Brittonic languages, Brythonic * 'victory, win' + * 'having' suffix, i.e. 'Victorious Woman', known in Latin chronicles as Boadicea or Boudicea, and in Welsh language, Welsh as , ) was a queen of the Iceni, ancient ...

to the invasion, but are captured by the Romans. Once in Rome, Horsa is sold by the slave-trading firm Marcus et Spencius, and Hengist is destined to be thrown to the lions when no-one agrees to buy him. Horsa and Hengist escape and take refuge in the Temple of Vesta. Whilst hiding there,

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 ...

arrives to consult the

Vestal Virgins In Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins or Vestals (, singular ) were Glossary of ancient Roman religion#sacerdos, priestesses of Vesta (mythology), Vesta, virgin goddess of Rome's sacred hearth and its flame. The Vestals ...

, but an attempt is made on his life by his bodyguard, Bilius. In the melee, Horsa kills Bilius and escapes, leaving Hengist to take the credit for saving Caesar's life and to be made Caesar's new bodyguard. When a power struggle emerges in Egypt, Mark Antony is sent to force

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 ...

to abdicate in favour of

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...

. However, Mark Antony becomes besotted with her, and instead kills Ptolemy off-screen to win her favour. Cleopatra convinces Mark Antony to kill Caesar and become ruler of Rome himself so that they may rule a powerful Roman-Egyptian alliance together. After seducing one another, Mark Antony agrees, and plots to kill Caesar. Caesar and Hengist travel to Egypt on a galley, along with Agrippa, whom Mark Antony has convinced to kill Caesar. However, Horsa has been re-captured and is now a slave on Caesar's galley. After killing the galley-master, Horsa and the galley slaves kill Agrippa and his fellow assassins and swim to Egypt. Hengist, who had been sent out to fight Agrippa and was unaware of Horsa's presence on board, again takes the credit. Once at Cleopatra's palace, an Egyptian soothsayer warns Caesar of the plot to kill him, but Mark Anthony persuades Caesar not to flee. Instead, Caesar convinces Hengist to change places with him, since Cleopatra and Caesar have never met. On meeting, Cleopatra lures Hengist, who accidentally exposes both Cleopatra and Mark Anthony as would-be assassins. He and Caesar then ally with Horsa, and after defeating Cleopatra's bodyguard Sosages in combat, Hengist and the party flee Egypt. Caesar is returned to Rome, only to be assassinated on the Ides of March. Horsa and Hengist return to Britain, and Mark Antony is left in Egypt to live "one long Saturday night" with Cleopatra.

Background notes

The costumes and sets used in the film were originally intended for ''

'' (1963) 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 ...

before that production moved to Rome and rebuilt new sets there. ''Carry On Cleo'' was filmed between 13 July and 28 August 1964. The original poster and publicity artwork by

Tom Chantrell Thomas William Chantrell (20 December 1916 – 15 July 2001) was a British illustrator and cinema poster artist. Born the son of a circus performer in Manchester, England, he started work in advertising as an illustrator. During WWII he put hi ...

were withdrawn from circulation after

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

successfully brought a copyright infringement case against distributor Anglo Amalgamated, which found the design was based on a painting by

Howard Terpning Howard Terpning (born November 5, 1927) is an American Painting, painter and illustrator best known for his paintings of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans. Life and career Terpning was born in Oak Park, Illinois. His mothe ...

for which Fox owned the copyright and was used to promote the Cleopatra film.

Cast

* Charles Hawtrey as Seneca *

as Hengist Pod * Joan Sims as Calpurnia * Jim Dale as Horsa * Amanda Barrie as

Victor Maddern Victor Jack Maddern (16 March 1928 – 22 June 1993) was an English actor. He was described by ''The Telegraph'' as having "one of the most distinctive and eloquent faces in post-war British cinema." Life and career Born in Seven Kings, ...

as Sergeant Major * Julie Stevens as Gloria *

Sheila Hancock Dame Sheila Cameron Hancock (born 22 February 1933) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has performed on stage in both plays and musicals in London theatres, and is also known for her roles in films and on television. Her Broadway ...

as Senna Pod *

as Soothsayer *

Brian Oulton Brian Oulton (11 February 1908 – 13 April 1992) was an English character actor. Biography Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, Oulton made his acting debut in 1939 as a lead actor. During the Second World War he served in the British Army, and retu ...

Brutus Marcus Junius Brutus (; ; 85 BC – 23 October 42 BC) was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. After being adopted by a relative, he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, which was reta ...

* Michael Ward as Archimedes *

Francis de Wolff Baron Francis-Marie Arist de Wolff (7 January 191318 April 1984) was an English character actor. Large, bearded, and beetle-browed, he was often cast as villains and foreigners in both film and television. Early life De Wolff was born in Essex ...

as Agrippa * Tom Clegg as Sosages *Tanya Binning as Virginia *David Davenport as Bilius * Peter Gilmore as Galley master * Ian Wilson as Messenger * Norman Mitchell as Heckler *

Brian Rawlinson Brian Rawlinson (12 November 1931 – 23 November 2000)

as Hessian driver * Gertan Klauber as Marcus * Warren Mitchell as Spencius * Michael Nightingale as Caveman *Peter Jesson as Companion * E. V. H. Emmett as Narrator *Judi Johnson as Gloria's bridesmaid (uncredited) *Thelma Taylor as Seneca's servant (uncredited) * Sally Douglas as Antony's dusky maiden (uncredited) * Wanda Ventham as Pretty bidder (uncredited) * Peggy Ann Clifford as Willa Claudia (uncredited) *Mark Hardy as Guard at Caesar's palace (uncredited) * Percy Herbert as Guard (uncredited) *Christine Rodgers as Hand maiden (uncredited) *Gloria Best as Hand maiden (uncredited) *Virginia Tyler as Hand maiden (uncredited) *Gloria Johnson as Vestal Virgin (uncredited) *Joanna Ford as Vestal Virgin (uncredited) *Donna White as Vestal Virgin (uncredited) * Jane Lumb as Vestal Virgin (uncredited) *Vicki Smith as Vestal Virgin (uncredited)

Filming and locations

*Filming dates: 13 July – 28 August 1964 Interiors: *

, Buckinghamshire * Chobham Common, Surrey

Reception

The film premiered at London's Warner cinema on 10 December 1964 and went on to become one of the 12 most popular movies at the British box office in 1965. Colin McCabe, Professor of English at the

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a research university in the West Country of England, with its main campus in Exeter, Devon. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of ...

, labelled this film (together with ''

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 ...

'') as one of the best films of all time. 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, 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. The line was not written by Rothwell but borrowed with permission from a '' Take It from Here'' script 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. In a 2018 retrospective on the series, the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

named ''Carry On Cleo'' as one of the series' five best films, alongside ''

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), ''

'' (1968), '' Carry On Camping'' (1969), and '' Carry On Matron'' (1972).

References

Bibliography

* * * * *''Keeping the British End Up: Four Decades of Saucy Cinema'' by Simon Sheridan (third edition) (2007) (Reynolds & Hearn Books) * * * * *

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carry On Cleo 1964 films 1960s historical comedy films 1960s parody films British historical comedy films British parody films Carry On films Cultural depictions of Calpurnia (wife of Caesar) Depictions of Cleopatra on film Depictions of Julius Caesar on film Depictions of Mark Antony on film 1960s English-language films Films directed by Gerald Thomas Films produced by Peter Rogers Films set in ancient Alexandria Films set in ancient Rome Films set in prehistoric Britain Films set in the 1st century BC Films set in the Ptolemaic Kingdom Films shot at Pinewood Studios Films with screenplays by Talbot Rothwell 1964 comedy films 1960s British films Films scored by Eric Rogers (composer) English-language historical comedy films