The Carry On Collection

Doctor: "Gotta shave ya." Patient: "It's my appendix; not my face." Doctor: "I'm not gonna shave your face." Innocent setup. Saucy punch line. Typical Carry On. Between 1958-1978, a total of 30 Carry On films--beloved and influential British comedies that fall somewhere in content and tone between Monty Python and Benny Hill--were created by the decades-long team of producer Peter Rogers and director Gerald Thomas (a poorly regarded 31st film--Carry On Columbus--was released in 1992). Anchor Bay's The Carry On Collection presents the first 12 films (from 1958's Carry On Sergeant through 1966's Carry On Screaming!) together with That's Carry On (a 1977 tribute hosted by Kenneth Williams and Barbara Windsor, comprised of highlights from 28 of the films, introduced with bits of ribald banter). Largely plotless, propelled by one visual or verbal gag after another, some of the best early Carry On films spoofed other movies (Kenneth Williams shines as secret agent Desmond Simpkins in 1964's Carry On Spying), the American western (the early films' other main man, Sid James, is an understated hoot as the Rumpo Kid in 1965's Carry On Cowboy), British history (amusingly twisted in 1964's Carry On Cleo, where "liberties have been taken with Cleopatra"), education (1959's Carry On Teacher), and recreation (1962's Carry On Cruising). Regardless of the subject, however, the films--to paraphrase Oliver Goldsmith--invariably stoop to conquer, serving up risqué double-entendres on sex and bodily functions, ranging from the mild (fondly recalling the one that got away, an early British caveman in Carry On Cleo wistfully says, "I could have dragged that girl anywhere") to the true blue in later entries such as 1974's Carry On Dick (built around the tale of highwayman Richard "Big Dick" Turpin--but that's a subject for The Carry On Collection 2). Hardly classic cinema, these films nevertheless have a devoted following, thanks to smart joke-writing and the impeccable comic timing of series stalwarts Williams, James, Windsor, Charles Hawtrey and Joan Sims, who do indeed sparkle on this seven-disc set, which sports nicely saturated color transfers (on the five color entries) and sharp b&w on the rest. Recommended. (R. Pitman)