''Carry On England'' is a 1976

British comedy In film, television, and radio, British comedy has produced some of the most renowned characters in the world. In it, satire is one of the features of British comedy. Radio comedy in Britain has been almost exclusively hosted on the BBC. History ...

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 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 ...

, Jack Douglas,

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 ...

and

Peter Butterworth Peter William Shorrocks Butterworth (4 February 1915Windsor Davies Windsor Davies (28 August 1930 – 17 January 2019) was a British actor. He is best remembered for playing Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the sitcom '' It Ain't Half Hot Mum'' (1974–1981) over its entire run. The show's popularity resulted ...

Diane Langton Diane Shirley Maria Langton (31 May 1944 – 15 January 2025) was a British actress, singer and dancer whose career on stage and screen spanned six decades. After beginning her career in theatre, she went on to appear in television shows, portr ...

and Peter Jones, as well as the fifth and last for Patricia Franklin and the eighth and last for Julian Holloway. Patrick Mower, Judy Geeson and

Melvyn Hayes Melvyn Hayes ('' né'' Hyams; born 11 January 1935) is an English actor and voice-over performer. He is best known for playing the effeminate Gunner (later Bombardier) "Gloria" Beaumont in the 1970s BBC sitcom '' It Ain't Half Hot Mum'', for ...

make their only appearances in a ''Carry On'' film. The film was followed by '' That's Carry On!'' in 1977.

Plot

During the darkest days of the war Captain S Melly is put in charge of the experimental 1313 Anti-Aircraft Battery along with the bellowing, ball-squeezing Sergeant Major “Tiger” Bloomer. Melly soon discovers the “experiment” is that half his men are women, led by the randy Bombardier Ready, Sergeant Tilly Willing and Sergeant Len Able. Tiger is unable to discipline properly as he is unable to swear around women and must avoid the libidinous advances of Private Ffoukes-Sharpe. Meanwhile the battery are happy to spend the war in each other’s beds. Melly shakes things up with a fake air raid and is furious when instead of loading the gun they dive for cover in their private bunker, the “Snoggery”. Even worse the anti-aircraft cannon is made of wood; with a war on, real guns are hard to come by. Determined to get the battery up to standard Melly and Tiger put the men, and women, through vigorous retraining, violent exercise and 12 mile long route marches. In response Ready, Willing and Able sabotage Melly’s uniform, leaving him red faced and bare cheeked. The whole battery is confined to camp as punishment, Melly not realising that men and women in close quarters don’t need to leave camp to enjoy themselves. Realising his mistake Melly endeavours to separate man from woman with barbed wire around the sleeping quarters, round the clock battle drills and separate mealtimes. Determined to reunite with their beloveds, the battery digs secret tunnels under the barbed wire for easy access, making life bearable again. Unfortunately the very next day Melly finally takes delivery of an anti-aircraft cannon, which promptly falls into the tunnel. Forced by Melly to retrieve the gun from its hole the battery sabotages an inspection by Melly’s Brigadier, hoping Melly will be reassigned somewhere else. When a real air raid arrives both battery and officers pull together to defend England, successfully shooting down all enemy planes and with only one casualty: Captain Melly’s two sprained fingers, which go on to inspire one of the most famous symbols of victory for the entire war.

Production

This film featured few established members of the ''Carry On'' team. ''Carry On'' regular Kenneth Connor played a leading role, but the only other long-time regulars present, Joan Sims and Peter Butterworth, had only small supporting roles.

Windsor Davies Windsor Davies (28 August 1930 – 17 January 2019) was a British actor. He is best remembered for playing Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the sitcom '' It Ain't Half Hot Mum'' (1974–1981) over its entire run. The show's popularity resulted ...

, who had joined the series with a main role in the preceding film '' Carry On Behind'', again plays a major role, reprising (in all but name) his Sergeant-Major character from the BBC sitcom '' It Ain't Half Hot Mum'', along with

as his effeminate foil. Other main roles are played by established and recognisable actors Judy Geeson and Patrick Mower, both newcomers to the ''Carry On'' films. The role of the Brigadier was written for series regular

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 ...

, and the role of Private Easy was written for series regular

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''.

, but Williams was unavailable due to appearing in the stage play ''Signed and Sealed'', and Windsor was unavailable due to appearing in ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'' at the

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...

. Series regular

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 ...

was unavailable for the film due to appearing in the stage play ''The Mating Season''. On the opening night of the play at Sunderland Empire Theatre on 26 April 1976, James suffered a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

on stage and died, at the age of 62. In 2023, actor Larry Dann dedicated a chapter of his autobiography
Oh, What A Lovely Memoir
to share his memories of the making of this production. The film was originally certified AA by the

British Board of Film Censors The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is a non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films A film, also known as a movie ...

which would have restricted audiences to those aged fourteen and over, but was cut down to the non-age limited A certificate by heavily toning down the scenes featuring topless nudity and removing one comedic use of the word ''fokker''. However, it still proved to be a major commercial failure and was withdrawn from some cinemas after just three days.Ross, Robert, ''The Carry On Companion''. London: B.T. Batsford, 1996. p. 120

Cast

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

S Melly *

Sergeant Major Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's ...

"Tiger" Bloomer * Patrick Mower as

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 ...

Len Able * Judy Geeson as Sergeant Tilly Willing * Jack Douglas as Bombardier Ready * Peter Jones as

Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

Private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

Alice Easy *

as Gunner Shorthouse *

Peter Butterworth Peter William Shorrocks Butterworth (4 February 1915Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

Carstairs *

as Private Jennifer Ffoukes-Sharpe * Julian Holloway as Major Butcher * David Lodge as Captain Bull * Larry Dann as Gunner Shaw *

Brian Osborne Brian Osborne (26 March 1940 – 8 July 2021) was an English actor. He was best known for his roles in ''Upstairs, Downstairs (1971 TV series), Upstairs, Downstairs'' and ''The Sandbaggers''. Osborne also had minor roles in six Carry On (franch ...

as Gunner Owen * Johnny Briggs as Melly's driver * Patricia Franklin as

Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...

Cook * Linda Hooks as Nurse * John Carlin as Officer * Vivienne Johnson as Freda *

Michael Nightingale Alfred George Cyril Michael Nightingale (6 October 1922 – 8 May 1999) was an English stage, film and television actor. He appeared in 13 (9 credited and 4 uncredited) of the ''Carry On'' film series – the tenth highest number of appear ...

as Officer *Jeremy Connor as Gunner Hiscocks *Richard Olley as Gunner Parker *Peter Banks as Gunner Thomas *Richard Bartlett as Gunner Drury *

Billy J. Mitchell Billy J. Mitchell (June 16, 1942 – 9 March 1999) was an American character actor based in the United Kingdom. He was known for portraying North American characters in British-based productions like ''Superman'' (1978), ''Top Secret!'' (1984), a ...

as Gunner Childs *Peter Quince as Gunner Sharpe *Paul Toothill as Gunner Gale *Tricia Newby as Bombardier/Corporal Murray *Louise Burton as Private Evans *Jeannie Collings as Private Edwards *Barbara Hampshire as Private Carter *

Linda Regan Linda Regan (born 5 November 1949), born Linda Mary Drinkwater, is a British actress and author, who has appeare ...

as Private Taylor *

Barbara Rosenblat Barbara Rosenblat (born 17 July 1950) is a British actress. She is best known as a prolific narrator of audiobooks, for which ''AudioFile'' named her a Golden Voice. She has also appeared on screen such as in the Netflix original series ''Orange ...

as ATS girl

Crew

*Screenplay – David Pursall & Jack Seddon *Music – Max Harris *Production Manager – Roy Goddard *Art Director –

Lionel Couch Lionel Couch (1913–1989) was a British art director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction. Selected filmography Couch was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction: * '' Sons and Lovers'' ( ...

*Editor – Richard Marden *Director of Photography – Ernest Steward *Camera Operator – Geoffrey Godar *Wardrobe – Vi Murray & Don Mothersill *Casting Director – John Owen *Stills Cameraman – Ken Bray *Make-up – Geoffrey Rodway *Sound Recordists – Danny Daniel &

Gordon McCallum Gordon McCallum (26 May 1919 – 10 September 1989) was an American-born English sound engineer. He won an Academy Award for Best Sound and was nominated for three more in the same category. He worked on more than 300 films between 1944 and ...

*Continuity – Marjorie Lavelly *Hairdresser – Stella Rivers *Costume Design – Courtenay Elliott *Set Dresser – Donald Picton *Dubbing Editor – Pat Foster *Assistant Editor – Jack Gardner *Assistant Director – Jack Causey *Titles – GSE Ltd *Processor – Rank Film Laboratories *Gun –

Imperial War Museum The Imperial War Museum (IWM), currently branded "Imperial War Museums", is a British national museum. It is headquartered in London, with five branches in England. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, it was intended to record the civ ...

*Producer –

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 ...

*Director –

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 ...

Filming and locations

*Filming dates – 3 May–4 June 1976 Interiors: *

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 ...

, Buckinghamshire Exteriors: *

. The orchard was utilised once again as it was for the camping and caravan sites in ''

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, ...

'' and '' Carry On Behind''. * Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire

Reception

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 England'' as one of the series' five worst films, alongside ''

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), '' That's Carry On!'' (1977), ''

Carry On Emmannuelle ''Carry On Emmannuelle'' is a 1978 British comedy film, the 30th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film was to be the final ''Carry On'' for many regulars, including Kenneth Williams (in his 26th ''Carry On''), ...

'' (1978), and ''

Carry On Columbus ''Carry On Columbus'' is a 1992 British comedy film directed by Gerald Thomas and starring Jim Dale, Bernard Cribbins, Maureen Lipman, Peter Richardson and many other British comic actors. It was written by Dave Freeman and John Antrobus. I ...

'' (1992).

References

Bibliography

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

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carry On England 1976 films British World War II films

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 ...

1970s English-language films Films directed by Gerald Thomas 1976 comedy films Films shot at Pinewood Studios Films produced by Peter Rogers 1970s British films British war comedy films