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.

Some of the external location scenes for this film, were shot at the then H.M. Dockyard, Chatham, when it was still a working Naval Dockyard. The Dockyard is now closed, but the historical part, which includes the Main Gatehouse seen in the film, is open to the public. The gatehouse has featured in a number of TV programmes and films. In one film, 'Let Him Have It', which told the story of Derek Bentley, the Gatehouse was used to depict the entrance to the prison, where Bentley was held prior to his execution. Other parts of the Dockyard used includes the Admirals Offices, which was used in the first series of the British TV series 'Cats Eyes', filmed in the early 1980's, which starred Jill Gascoigne and Leslie Ash.

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

There were a number of naval comedies made at this time,Carry On Admiral,Up the Creek,The Navy Lark.This is is one of the lesser examples of these nautical comedies.Kenneth Connor was a fine comedy character actor but he wasnt capable of carrying a film with a rather unfunny script.Eric Sykes and Spike Milligan contribute an unpleasant racist cameo

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.