Displaying items by tag: Peter Buitterworth

CARRY ON UP THE KHYBER

UK, 1968, 95 minutes, Colour.

Sidney James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Roy Castle, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth, Terry Scott, Angela Douglas, Cardew Robinson, Julian Holloway, Peter Gilmore.

Directed by Gerald Thomas.

By 1968, the Carry on series had been popular for 10 years – and there were more than 10 years more to come.

For devotees of the series, this is considered one of the best, with some plot borrowed from the many stories of British presence in India, uprisings, British stiff upper lip… And plenty of the humour associated with the series.

For those who are beginning to dislike the series, put it down, it is considered one of the worst.

 While the setup has its background of humour, Sid James as the British representative, Sir Ruff-Diamond, and Joan Sims as his pompously silly wife, various officials…, there are problems at the Khyber pass, Kenneth Williams as the local chief, doing his usual, Bernard Bresslaw with his name punning on Gunga din, wanting to oust the British.

Critics say that the basic premise is infantile. Rather, it is the kind of joking of young boys. The regiment protecting the past is the Foot and Mouth regiment, wearing kilts. And, the whole situation is whether somebody wears underpants or not, regulation say not, Charles Hwtrey doing his usual stick is found wearing underpants and a photo taken to be used with the locals to show they should not fear the British.

This joke continues throughout the film, poking fun at the British, especially the Sergeant Major played by Terry Scott.

There is a huge bombardment sequence at the end while the British sit at their table, enjoying their lavish meal, everything being shot up around them, including the orchestra who has been playing and, after their being shot at, getting up to continue playing, the only person noticing the damage is the fake religious preacher played by Peter Butterworth.

And, what is the strategy for finally defeating the uprising, the kilted men all lining up at the moment of ceasefire, raising their kilts and the Indians running for the hills.

CARRY ON COWBOY

UK, 1965, 93 minutes, Colour.

Sidney James, Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Angela Douglas, Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth, Percy Herbert, Jon Pertwee.

Directed by Gerald Thomas.

One of the advantages for this episode in the Carry on a series is that audiences are so familiar with westerns. And, underlying the Carry on humour here, there is a basic plot that could have been in any of the westerns over the decades, a gunfighter, the mayor, the sheriff, the saloon, the Madame, the gamblers, the singers, cattle rustling, the new marshall, the confrontations and the shootout. All very familiar, but generally always welcome with audiences.

So, how does the British cast handle being characters in a Western? And, their accents? Sid James is the gunfighter, with a roving eye and a leer. But, most interestingly, there is Kenneth Williams doing his usual shtick but with a huge moustache and with a heavy American accent (which he said was based on the American director, Hal Roach). And, Joan Sims does her bit as the madame, while Angela Douglas, to appear in several Carry on films, is Annie Oakley.

There is a lot of play on names like Marshall P. Knut. And a joke with Charles Hawtrey being the Indian chief, glasses, British accent and his usual comic style, Big Heap and the large Bernard Bresslaw as Little Heap (looking back one hopes the comedy overcomes any racial offensiveness).

So, the usual jokes and puns, the innuendo, a lot of physical comedy and pratfalls, and variations on the familiar American Western conventions.

And, in retrospect, as with most of the Carry on films, many bloggers saying it is the best and some saying it is the worst. (This reviewer was favourable.)

SHE'LL HAVE TO GO

UK, 1962, 89 minutes, Black-and-white.

Bob Monkhouse, Alfred Marks, Hattie Jacques, Anna Karina, Dennis Lotis, Graham Stark, Clive Dunn, Hugh Lloyd, Peter Butterworth.

Directed by Robert Asher.

A very broad British farcical comedy, based on a play, typical of popular comedies in Britain in the early 1960s – and, with some of the humour that characterises the Carry On comedies.

Bob Monkhouse was a popular film and television personality, Alfred Marks more serious. The Carry On the connection can be seen with the presence of Hattie Jacques, much more dominating and posh as an intrusive journalist. A number of popular British comedians of the time have comedy cameos, Graham Stark, before the Pink Panther films, as the journalist’s cameraman, Clive Dunn as a bumbling chemist, Hugh Lloyd as a pompous lawyer, Peter Butterworth as a shortsighted doctor getting himself into tangles.

However, the surprise for many cineastes who come across this comedy is the presence of Anna Karina, the Danish born actress who appeared in films for many decades, a variety of films in the UK, US, European countries – but is still best known as the wife of Jean-Luc Godard in the 1960s and starred in a number of his memorable films of the 1960s. Most would not associate her with this kind of British comedy.

Two brothers, novelists, live in a mansion, little income, manservant played by Dennis Lotis, getting news that a remote cousin was going to inherit the house and probably oust them. The title indicates the tone of the film, the option of marrying her and retaining the money or of murdering her. Which means there are some romantic scenes and several attempts on her life. She arrives, charms the journalist, charms the man servant, escapes all the attempts on her life, then turns the tables on them.

A great number of farcical situations, puns and quips, exaggerations all round. Nowadays mainly for film historians.