Carry on Behind

I don't laugh easily, haven't particularly liked British films, or lowbrow humor. But this flick had me in stitches 15 year ago. I remember a rapid succession of scabrous double entendres and sexual innuendo. It was so unrelentingly silly I felt mercilessly tickled. I wish I could say I became a fan of the Carry On series. But few other instalments amused me so much. Yet the gang is VERY talented and appealing and offers an exceedingly gentle sort of imbecility, totally unlike American low-brow, which is rather vicious. This series threatens to make an Anglophile out of me, AGAIN!

Ah, c'mon..! We *know* it's not a patch on Carry on up the Khyber and Carry on Cleo but it's still fantastic in it's own rubbish way. The whole universe of cuckolded, horny husbands, shrewish wives and anaemic-looking dolly birds still makes me laugh my ass off every time.

You can see the gags coming from a thousand yards away and the plot's wafer thin but Kenneth Williams cackles like a champ, Kenneth Connor sleazes for England and Elke Sommer still looks fantastic in that cheeky suede skirt.

I grew up with the Carry On films and watching one is like opening a can of Instant Nostalgia. I studied archaeology at university and people always ask me if I was inspired by Indiana Jones. I've got a sneaky suspicion it was really Carry on Behind.

CARRY ON BEHIND is the last of the great Carry Ons, I think. It really shouldn't be a good film; it's a virtual remake of CARRY ON CAMPING except in caravans rather than tents, and not as good. Half of the major cast members from the series are long gone, with Sid James, Barbara Windsor, Hattie Jacques, and Charles Hawtrey, all conspicuous by their absence.

Even so, CARRY ON BEHIND manages to recapture the old-fashioned humour and hijinks of the series at its best. It's all rather lowbrow, of course, with silly jokes and sillier characters, and yet I somehow loved it all the same. It may be that the remaining cast members seem to give it their all, realising that the shared weight of the film's success is on fewer shoulders. So Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth, Joan Sims, and Kenneth Connor in particular give it their all, and then some.

The newcomers to the series aren't so bad either. Jack Douglas and Windsor Davies have a little double act going which makes up for wit with sheer energy. The person who really feels missed is, and I say this to my surprise, Barbara Windsor, because the women they bring in to replace her just aren't very good. I did like Elke Sommer (LISA AND THE DEVIL) though; she might be an imported Euro-star, but she gives it her best with the rest of them and her character is oddly appealing; she allows Kenneth Williams to shine for sure. Ian Lavender is also good value, although it's a shame that they bring Liz Fraser in, age her with an unappealing haircut, and then keep her off-screen for a very long time.

Highlights of this film include the Mynah bird, the clever and unexpected climax which recalls the set-piece glory days of old, the water main hijinks, the shower stalls, and every scene with Peter Butterworth, who really is at his best here. Plus, the scene between him and Sims late on in the production is unexpected and probably the most moving moment ever seen in a Carry On movie.

This later Carry On is missing Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Barbara Windsor and Charles Hawtrey. Popular regulars Kenneth Williams, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw, Kenneth Connor, Patsy Rowlands, Jack Douglas and Peter Butterworth are in substantial roles and are great. However the departed regulars are missed.

The story works well. It is essentially a series of sketches about various people at a campground, but the story threads form a cohesive whole.

Some characters work better than others. Ian Lavender and Adrienne Posta as a young couple with a huge dog don't seem to have been given any jokes. Their scenes are pretty limp and peter out with no punchline. This brings down the pace of the film.

The characters played by Bresslaw, Rowlands and Sims develop nicely as the film progresses. Sims starts as a battle axe but becomes more sympathetic.

The scenes with Jack Douglas and newcomer Windsor Davies as mates on a fishing holiday (with Davies hoping to hook some dolly birds) work well, and are funny. Davies does the impossible - successfully stepping into the Sid James role. Newcomers Carol Hawkins and Sherrie Hewson acquit themselves well as the young women unfortunate enough to have them in pursuit.

Kenneth Williams and guest Elke Sommer are archaeologists studying the old cesspool. Their bits are classic Carry On and very funny. Sommer fits in seamlessly and is the series' most successful guest star.

Kenneth Connor as the lusty owner of the camp site and Peter Butterworth as the scruffy odd jobs man are great too.

Liz Fraser returns after many years' absence but only has a small role.

Look out for Larry Dann as the main university student in the film. Dann had appeared in Carry On Teacher (1959) as a student, and this film saw his return. He went on to roles in England (1976) and Emmannuelle (1978), then was a long running regular in police TV series The Bill.

This has to be one of the crudest carry on's ever, I am amazed its only got a PG rating, supposedly suitable for children! The subject matter is entirely adult from beginning to end of this film

There is very little in the way of a plot, it starts off simply by explaining how the different characters find themselves at the camp site. What follows is over an hour of undiluted toilet humour of the lowest kind. Its completely smutty and the sexual innuendo never lets up, its unrelenting

Part of the story is meant to be about an archeological dig but we never see any real work going on at the site. Its just another excuse for more smut as the Roman 'artifact' turns out to feature an erotic painting. The actress playing the Russian archeologist is obviously having a good time, her accent is not very believable and of course her poor grasp of the English language is used to create yet more filthy jokes

The two up for it lads are played exactly the same as Carry On Camping, come to think of it, this is really a sequel to Carry On Camping! But the highlight for me was seeing Kenneth Williams performance, he works his usual magic and seems to be on top form. Although we are missing a few favourite characters you soon forget and begin to enjoy yourself. The sight of a man falling into a cesspool is one highlight that really sets the tone near the beginning of the film

As well as the dirty humour there are some very funny set pieces which have to be seen to be believed. The part where Kenneth Williams hits his head in the caravan is priceless, had me laughing uncontrolably! Throughout the film the jokes are predictable, you can see the outcome ages before the inevitable happens but its all so drawn out that it becomes even funnier

The film doesn't really have an ending, the constant stream of crudeness continues, later on some strippers arrive. Its almost as if the producers were concerned there wasn't enough smut in the film so they got some stippers just to be on the safe side. They needn't have worried

Eventually there is a shot of a single caravan leaving the park, which is just an excuse for the events to draw to a close

In conclusion nothing actually happens in this film, there is no plot and no character development. The earlier Carry On's at least had some kind of love interest but this is really just an excuse for a filth fest of epic proportions

I have never seen anything like it. Its crude, offensive and sex mad to the end It actually makes me proud to be British, to think we can come up with stuff like this. We're years ahead of the rest of the world!

I loved it!