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The Carry On films were a long-running series of British popular low-budget comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rodgers. An energetic mix of parody, farce and double entendres, they are seen as a classic examples of British humour. 30 films were made between 1958 and 1978 at Pinewood Studios, and another in 1993. The films relied on a repertoire of comedy actors which gradually changed over the years. The mainstays of the series were Kenneth Williams (26 films), Joan Sims (24), Charles Hawtrey (23) and Sid James (19). One of the most iconic Carry On stars was Barbara Windsor, although she only appeared in 9 of the films. Their humour was influenced by the British traditions of the music hall and seaside postcards, and many parodied more serious films. They often rely on deliberately bad puns, occasionally rising to inspired heights, as in Carry On Cleo, where the stabbed Julius Caesar (Kenneth Williams) staggers back, crying "Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in for me!" The series began with Carry On Sergeant (1958), about a group of recruits on National Service, and was sufficiently successful that others followed. Its title was based on an earlier Val Guest film, Carry On Admiral (1957), and became a standard form for the series, with a few exceptions. There was also an unrelated 1937 film Carry On London, starring future Carry On performer Eric Barker. There was also a television series Carry On Laughing, and several Christmans specials and stage shows.
Early filmsFrom 1958 to 1962 the films were written by Norman Hudis and mostly shot in black and white. Set in institutions of various types, the bungling protaganists usually initially fail, then eventually triumph in the face of some adversity.
Classic Carry OnIn 1963 Talbot Rothwell took over the role of screenwriter. The films became more ambitious, often paradoying well-known films or genres. Coinciding with the sexual revolution, they featured more explicit sexual jokes and situations.
Into the 1970sAlthough the series continued to be popular in the early 1970s, there was a growing feeling among the cast and critics that the quality of the films was declining. British society was becoming more accustomed to seeing sexual content on screen, and the innuendos of the series began to pale in comparison, although they became noticably stronger. Rothwell continued as writer.
DeclineAfter Rockwell ended his run as writer in 1974, the already variable quality of the series took a sharp downturn. British society had changed significantly and Carry On humour now seemed dated and innocent.
RevivalDuring the 1980s the Carry On films were viewed by many as representing the worst side of British attitudes to women and to sex. However, they were still very popular and were regularly broadcast on television. In 1992 an attempt was made to revive the series with Carry On Columbus. The producers managed to persuade a number of alternative comedians such as Rik Mayall, Alexei Sayle, Peter Richardson and Julian Clary to appear in the film, but it did not achieve any great commercial success. Of all the original Carry On stars, only Jim Dale (playing the title role) appeared in the film – many of the others were deceased. Barbara Windsor, however, refused to appear after reading the script. A handful of other actors who had played a few roles in the original films, such as Bernard Cribbins, Jon Pertwee, June Whitfield and Leslie Phillips also appeared. In 2004 the magazine Total Film described the greenlighting of the movie, and the decision to use alternative comedians, as the number 2 "dumbest decision in movie history". A new film Carry On London was announced in 2003, but production has not been completed. Regular actorsThere was a core group of regulars throughout the the series (listed here with the number of films they were in):
Many of the actors portrayed characters with similar traits – for example Sid James was often portrayed as a womaniser, something that caused problems in his private life. See alsoExternal links
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