Carry On Sergeant
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| Carry on Sergeant | |
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 Carry On Sergeant promotional poster |
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| Directed by | Gerald Thomas |
| Produced by | Peter Rogers |
| Written by | Norman Hudis |
| Starring | William Hartnell Kenneth Williams Kenneth Connor Charles Hawtrey Bob Monkhouse |
| Music by | Bruce Montgomery |
| Cinematography | Peter Hennessy |
| Distributed by | Anglo-Amalgamated |
| Release date(s) | 1 August 1958 |
| Running time | 84 min. |
| Country |  UK |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £73,000 |
| Preceded by | None |
| Followed by | Carry On Nurse |
| IMDb profile | |
Carry On Sergeant is the first Carry On film. Its first public screening was on 1 August 1958 at Screen One, London. Actors in this film who went on to be part of the regular team in the series were Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor and Terry Scott. The film also starred William Hartnell, Bob Monkhouse, Shirley Eaton, Bill Owen, Eric Barker, Dora Bryan, Norman Rossington and Terence Longdon.
The film was based on a play The Bull Boys by R. F. Delderfield. Norman Hudis adapted this into a script with John Antrobus contributing additional material.
"Carry on Sergeant" is a normal expression for an army officer to use. The title was used to cash in on the popularity of the 1957 film Carry On Admiral, which was written by Val Guest. At the time, the success of Carry On Sergeant prompted applause and audience laughter in serious settings where the phrase was used, including amongst audiences of the film The Devil's Disciple (1959).[1]
Carry on Sergeant had not been conceived as the start of a movie series; only after the film's surprising success did the producer Peter Rogers and director Gerald Thomas set about planning a further project. After reusing the Carry On prefix and some cast members in their next project Carry On Nurse (1959) and having success with that film, a Carry On series of films evolved.[2]
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[edit] Plot summary
The fim revolves around Sergeant Grimshawe, responsible for training National Service recruits at Heathercrest National Service Depot. Grimshawe is due to retire after the current intake has completed their ten weeks training and is desperate to leave his job as a success. A rival sergeant (Terry Scott) bets him 50 pounds that the latest lot won't be champions (This was actually Scott's fee for the part).
Grimshawe, a gruff but well-meaning soldier, tries his best, but has grave doubts about the abilities of the new intake, who include newly-wed Monkhouse, intellectual Williams, hypochondriac Connor and effeminate Hawtrey. The film follows the group as a whole and several of the trainees individually as they progress from almost certain failure to surprising success after they learn of the bet and decide that they will be the champion platoon.
The film ends on a happy note as the now-qualified recruits bundle into a truck and wave goodbye to a smiling Hartnell, now dressed in civvies and retiring from the Army.
The film reflects the social structure of the time, with class divisions being very much in evidence. Grimshawe assumes one conscript is bound for officers' training because of his upper class bearing. It also highlights the difference between career soldiers and conscripts, and the differing backgrounds from which they are drawn. The characters can be seen as stereotypes, (Terry Scott's Paddy O'Brien being the Irishman, Gerald Campion the fat man), but the calibre of the principal actors makes them believable individuals.
As the first film of the Carry On series, this set the tone for what was to follow, with emphasis on character to the fore. A few double-entendres were present, even at this early stage. The scriptwriting services of Hudis were retained for the next five films, and producer Peter Rogers and Director Gerald Thomas stayed with the series until the end (1993's Carry On Columbus).
Hattie Jacques appears as a formidable but sympathetic army medical officer, who examines Connor many times, but can't find anything wrong with him. This is the pattern of many 'Matron' types Hattie would play throughout her Carry-on career.
[edit] Business data
[edit] Filming locations
Interiors:
- Stage B, Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire
Exteriors:
- Army camp: Queen Elizabeth II Army Barracks, Whateley Road, Stoughton near Guildford, Surrey
- Wedding scene: St Mary's Church of England, Church Hill, Harefield, Middlesex
- Church scenes: Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
[edit] Royal Mail
On 10 June 2008, the Royal Mail issued a new first stamp that featured Carry On Sergeant, as part of a series to celebrate Carry On and Hammer horror films.[3][4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Ross, Robert. The Carry On Companion, B. T. Batsford: London, 1996. ISBN 0-7134-7967-1 p 16
- ^ Ross, Robert. The Carry On Companion, B. T. Batsford: London, 1996. ISBN 0-7134-7967-1 p 17
- ^ Lewinski, John Scott. "Original Doctor Who Immortalized on Brit Stamp", The Underwire, CondéNet, 2008-06-08. Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
- ^ Classic Carry On and Hammer Films. Royal Mail. Royal Mail Group. Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
[edit] External links
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