Displaying items by tag: Bernard Cribbins

CARRY ON SPYING

UK, 1964, 87 minutes, Black-and-white.

Kenneth Williams, Barbara Windsor, Bernard Cribbins, Charles Hawtrey, Eric Barker, Dilys Laye, Jim Dale, Richard Wattis, Eric Pohlmann, Victor Maddern, Judith Furse, John Bluthal.

Directed by Gerald Thomas.

With James Bond film, Dr No, 1962, followed by From Russia With Love, it was probably inevitable that the Carry on series would move into the world of espionage and British agents. And so it was.

This episode was released at the same time as Carry on Cleo. The series had moved colour but this episode returns to black-and-white. And key members of the team are absent, Sid James, Joan Sims, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connnor. But, Bernard Cribbins had been the Kenneth Connor type character in Carry on Jack and does the same here. But, this was the first Carry on film for Barbara Windsor and she certainly makes a big impression, sense of comedy and fun, but also showing that the female characters, while definitely for the male gaze,  have character and could contribute to the more serious aspects of the plot.

Not that there are very many more serious aspects. This is very basic Carry on material, really just an espionage farce, with some of the usual jokes and more than innuendo. The screenplay was written by Talbot Rothwell, who was becoming the regular writer, but he collaborates with Sid Colin, writer of many comedies with the Chastity Belt and Up The Front comedies to come.

OF course, it is all a parody of British espionage, four dimwitted agents, Eric Barker as the version of M, Richard Wattis as a kind of Q. And there are various villains, especially led by Eric Pohlman, the in the number of British films at the time.

The impact depends on the presence of Kenneth Williams, not quite his usual role, in fact, giving up his posh accent for a rather flat one. But, a lot of the same shtick in the world of agents. Bernard Cribbins is genial but rather dumb. Charles Hawtrey is as always. And, Jim Dale is very enjoyable in a whole range of disguises as their contact. Dilys Laye sings songs and is ambiguous in her loyalties. Judith Furse is a variation on Blofeld. And, instead of SPECTRE, there is STENCH, Society for the Total Extinction of Non-Conforming Humans.

In and Algiers, an impossible number of extensive changes of costume and disguises. Some laughs, some nods to Bond and, explicitly with the zither music, The Third Man’s scene of Orson Welles emerging from the sewers. But, very basic British comedy.

CARRY ON JACK

UK, 1964, 91 minutes, Colour.

Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Bernard Cribbins, Juliet Mills, Donald Houston, Percy Herbert, Jim Dale, Patrick Cargill, Cecil Parker, Ed Devereaux, Peter Gilmore, George Woodbridge, Anton Rodgers.

Directed by Gerald Thomas.

This Carry on comedy came immediately after Carry on Cleo. One of the three Carry on films of 1964.

The film has a naval theme, even starting with the death of Nelson and the episode of “Kiss me, Hardy”. It is the first film completely written by Talbot Rothwell who was to continue the series into the 80s. He took over from Norman Hudis.

The first comment to be made is to note the absence of Sid James, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor, Hattie Jacques. Since most of the action is at sea, no major roles for Joan Sims or Hattie Jacques. The main serious role is taken by Donald Houston, a serious actor rather than a comedian, but it might have been taken up by Sid James but with much more irony than the straightforward anger of Houston. Bernard Cribbins has the central role which is very much a variation on a lot of the characters played by Kenneth Connnor.

But, Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey are there, William is the captain of the ship, initially seasick, allegedly Captain Fearless, anything but. Charles Hawtrey has a better role but much the same shtick as a cesspool cleaner press-ganged onto the ship. They have plenty to do in the latter part of the film when the four central characters experience a mutiny and are put to see in a boat.

Bernard Cribbins does very well as the put-upon midshipman, his uniform ‘s and sword stolen by Juliet Mills who wants to stow away to meet her lover in Spain. And, there are many character actors as usual, Percy Herbert as the tough officer, Jim Dale as carriage courier, Patrick Cargill as a Spanish Governor, Ed Devereaux as a pirate and Cecil Parker as the lord admirable.

Something of a little parody of Mutiny on the Bounty and H.M.S.Defiant (and the film using some of their sets). Carry on with the lighter touch.

TOMMY THE TOREADOR

UK, 1959, 90 minutes, Colour.

Tommy Steele, Janet Munro, Sidney James, Bernard Cribbins, Noel Purcell, Ferdy Maine, Kenneth Williams, Eric Sykes, Francis De Wolff, Warren Mitchell.

Directed by John Paddy Carstairs.

A piece of light, very light, entertainment from the UK in the spirit of the late 1950s. It was a star vehicle for Tommy Steele, emerging in the UK as a rock ‘n’ roll star, to rival Elvis Presley. However, he moved into light music entertainment, more a rival to Cliff Richard. This is his second film. In the later 1960s he was have success in The Happiest Millionaire, unions Rainbow, Where’s Charlie and, particularly, Half a Sixpence.

This is a colourful story of a sailor stranded in Spain, all kinds of problems, mistaken identity, accidentally saving a bullfighter, commandeered into being a toreador. There are all kinds of Mac nations about fighters and bulls, the main bullfighter arrested and imprisoned, his agent, Ferdy Maine, trying to get him out. And, rather unbelievable with Spanish accented English, Sid James and Bernard Cribbins as to entrepreneurs missing the bullfighter in jail, build up Tommy to take his place. And this is enhanced by Tommy’s accidental saving mother bullfighter, the son of the proprietor of the hotel where he and the senior, Janet Munro, who is got to know Peter being and are unable to pay! And there is a policeman on his trail.

It is in this film that Tommy Steele sings the very popular song, The Little White bull, joining with children in the performance.

In fact, the film was also very much a musical, quite a number of numbers, and, this film coming just before the Carry on series, it is a surprise to see Sid James and Bernard Cribbins combining with Tommy Steele in a song and dance routine! Definitely a sequence for Sid James fans. And, the singer has a manager, played by Eric Sykes who is said to have fame and popularity on television. And, in the role of a waiter, bewildered at the hotel, there is Warren Mitchell before his television and film career took off.

Then, all the atmosphere of the bullfight, the arena, the crowds, and Tommy going into all kinds of action, thinking he was with the kindly bull that he encountered, at the fiercest substitute confronting him, heroism, and running away, the various reactions of the crowd – and, of course, a happy ending and wedding bells.