Watch Your Stern

I watched this film on British television quite a long time ago. I remember it as being a perfectly acceptable black and white British comedy, in the style of the better Carry On movies. Despite a cast of successful British comic actors, it is really memorable for the performances of star Kenneth Connor, whose character I seem to recall disguises himself as a woman and a Scottish scientist (there may have been other disguises that I can't remember so well). Connor was surely the most versatile and underrated actor of the Carry On ensemble, and this film showcases him at his best.

This is not a Carry On film but it does feature a lot of the regulars but also has less of the innuendo as well.

A naval ship are testing a new experimental torpedo but the top secret plans get accidentally destroyed so the crew have a scheme to sneak in another copy before the Admiral comes into inspect them with Doctor Potter, the top scientist.

Kenneth Connor gets the bulk of the screen time as he dons several disguises to get his hands on the plan. This is a gentle but dated comedy very reminiscent of those early black and white Carry On films but I never found it more than mildly amusing and nothing much stands out as most of the cast apart from Connor are playing it straight even Sid James.

The is an odd cameo from Eric Sykes and Spike Milligan with Milligan playing a comedy Indian character which is very much of its time. What is not of its time is the top scientist turns out to be female.

Watch Your Stern is directed by Gerald Thomas and adapted to screenplay by Alan Hackney and Vivian A. Cox from the play Something About A Sailor written by Earle Couttie. It stars Kenneth Connor, Eric Barker, Leslie Phillips, Joan Sims, Noel Purcell and Hattie Jacques. Music is by Bruce Montgomery and photography by Ted Scaife. Plot is set mostly aboard a British warship and revolves around the loss of top secret plans for an acoustic torpedo. With the Admiral coming to peruse the plans the captain and his charges must try to bluff the Admiral that the plans are still in safe hands. Not going to be easy since a top scientist is also on route to inspect the plans for a fault correction.

Potter, Impostor, Foster and Uncle Humpers.

Out of Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors and filmed primarily at Pinewood Studios, Watch Your Stern is put together by the production team responsible for the popular Carry On series of films. However, to lump it in with the more bawdy and boisterous Carry On series would be wrong, for this is Carry On lite, more amiable and delicate in humour, it's a picture driven by a fine cast and solid structure of writing. The premise of course is hardly ground shaking, but story is strong enough for a good deal of humour to shine through whilst allowing the likes of the excellent Connor to showcase his undoubted comedic talents. There's even some stand out work in the secondary support slots from Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes. Not all the characters are fully formed, and in some cases; such as with Leslie Phillips, actors are not utilised for better results. But pic is never less than charming, with there being enough quality in dialogue and set pieces to make it a safe recommendation to fans of British comedy movies from off of the Anglo-Amalgamated production line. 6.5/10

Watch your Stern is a brilliant movie. Kenneth Connor's performance is one of his best, and if truth be told, (and with exception of Peter Sellers of course), Connor was funnier than any of the other English Comic greats of the time such as Frankie Howerd & Kenneth Williams. Carry on movie creators Peter Rogers & Gerald Thomas, do well on this movie and there's enough Carry on regulars here to make you wish it was an official member of the series. Eric Sykes and Leslie Phillips are still with us, but the rest of the main cast have sadly all passed away, but their contributions to British Comedy will live on through this hilarious movie. Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Eric Barker, Joan Sims, Spike Milligan and of course the great Kenneth Connor, they must have God in stiches up there.

I can't be the only person who finds Kenneth gorgeous on so many levels. Beautiful physically, immensely talented, and so, so versatile. All these qualities serve to make this film special.

The story is okay, the supporting cast brilliant, the script is not great to be honest. Some people claim it should be ranked up there with the Carry Ons but really it's a B-movie. Suitable for a cosy watch on a rainy Sunday afternoon but nothing more.

But Kenneth is, to use his own catchphrase, truly "Cor!" The film is worth watching if only to witness his comic genius. 'What A Carve Up!' is worth watching too.