Carry On Girls
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Carry on Girls | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Gerald Thomas |
| Produced by | Peter Rogers |
| Written by | Talbot Rothwell |
| Starring | Sid James Barbara Windsor Joan Sims |
| Music by | Eric Rogers |
| Cinematography | Alan Hume |
| Editing by | Alfred Roome |
| Distributed by | Rank Organisation |
| Release date(s) | 1973 |
| Running time | 88 mins |
| Country |  UK |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Carry On Girls is the twenty-fifth Carry On film, released in Britain in 1973. The film is notable for the absence of both Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey for the first time: Williams was appearing in a West End play, My Fat Friend, and Hawtrey had been dropped from the series the year before.
Contents |
[edit] Plot Summary
The film takes place in the boring seaside resort of Fircombe, where district councillor Sid Fiddler (Sidney James) proposes a beauty contest to boost tourism. The incompetent mayor, Frederick Bumble (Kenneth Connor) agrees to the idea, but the duo face fierce opposition in the shape of Augusta Prodworthy (June Whitfield), an advocate of women's lib. As the beauty queens arrive in town, publicity man Peter Potter (Bernard Bresslaw) is prodded into action in a number of increasingly unlikely ways, and the mayhem escalates as the contest draws ever closer. But will Mrs Prodworthy win the day?
[edit] Critique
Carry On Girls was the penultimate Carry On film written by Talbot Rothwell, and it's his last outstanding screenplay for the series, a fast-moving, bawdy farce packed full of snappy banter, falling trousers, slamming doors, failing hotels, pratfalls, slapstick, cross-dressing, randy admirals, punch-drunk bellboys and scantily clad glamour girls. As most of the action takes place at Joan Sims' seafront hotel, comparisons with Fawlty Towers are inevitable - though this film predated that series by two years, many of the regular characters in John Cleese's classic sitcom seem to have their prototypes here, such as the elderly permanent residents played by Peter Butterworth and Joan Hickson. Girls is also rather cruder than previous series entries - still a model of restraint compared to the stupefyingly crass Carry On England or the singularly ill-advised Carry On Emmanuelle, but heavy on semi-nudity, catfights, double-entendres and close-ups of heaving cleavages all the same. But it remains an enjoyable, entertaining series romp, a nicely cheeky last gasp before the quality began to decline the following year.
[edit] Trivia
Fircombe is appropriately portrayed by Brighton, the British seaside town which had previously featured in Carry On at Your Convenience. The beauty contest is supposedly held in the theatre on the (now-derelict) West Pier and the film includes some on-location footage of the external parts of the pier.
The external shots of the hotel are in fact of Clarages, also in Brighton, owned by actress Dora Bryan.
Valerie Leon's voice was dubbed throughout by June Whitfield; the reasons for this are unknown.
The shoddy editing — particularly noticeable in the scene where Barbara Windsor and Valerie Leon discuss Bernard Bresslaw's latest publicity stunt — has been significantly cleared up in the 2003 Carlton DVD release. There are still several continuity botches, however.
Arnold Ridley, familiar as Godfrey from Dad's Army, has a memorable two-line cameo as Councillor Alderman Pratt.
[edit] Memorable quotes
HOPE SPRINGS : It's not her fault she has to wear a falsie.
SID FIDDLER : What d'you mean, a falsie?
HOPE SPRINGS : She's got one bigger than the other.
SID FIDDLER : Is that right?
HOPE SPRINGS : No, left.
LAWRENCE PRODWORTHY : I'm supposed to be covering the mayor's opening.
SID FIDDLER : You do get some unpleasant jobs, don't you!
ADMIRAL : This young woman molested me!
IDA DOWNS : Well, I like that!
ADMIRAL : Whether you like it or not, my dear...it's quite immaterial!
[edit] External links
| Carry On films |
|---|
| Principal cast: Kenneth Williams | Joan Sims | Charles Hawtrey | Sid James | Kenneth Connor | Peter Butterworth | Bernard Bresslaw | Hattie Jacques | Jim Dale | Barbara Windsor | Terry Scott |
| Films: Sergeant • Nurse • Teacher • Constable • Regardless • Cruising • Cabby • Jack • Spying • Cleo • Cowboy • Screaming • Don't Lose Your Head • Follow That Camel • Doctor • Up the Khyber • Camping • Again Doctor • Up the Jungle • Loving • Henry • At Your Convenience • Matron • Abroad • Girls • Dick • Behind • England • Emmannuelle • Columbus TV: Laughing • Christmas Specials • That's Carry On! Unmade: Spaceman Upcoming: London |
