Carry On... Up the Khyber

This film defines British comedy. The jokes, puns, and characters are all classic carry on. I'd say this is the best of the series, and atcually the most accomplished plot-wise. The 'dining room attack' scene, I think, is one of the best moments in film history, and should be seen. Highly recommended.

If you're American or British, you've probably watched some French classics, among them acclaimed comedies like "The Visitors", "Amelie" or "Dinner For Schmucks" but are you familiar with "The Charlots" or "The Seventh Company"?

These are staples of popular comedy whose appeal never crossed frontiers because of the very literalness of their popularity. So you might enjoy foreign movies from France, Sweden, Japan or Iceland and call yourself a legitimate cinephile: yet there's always an invisible barrier that can't be crossed and would keep many foreign gems in the dark except for the lucky or the perseverant type. I guess I'm one of these happy few because I just discovered the "Carry On" series and here's how it happened.

Since the beginning of the year, I've been regularly watching movies from the British Film Institute Top 100 and I was looking for one with a shorter runtime, "Carry On... Up the Khyber" had 88 minutes and after three black-and-white "kitchen-sink" dramas, I needed laughs, colors and goofiness. The opening credits convinced me that I'd made the right choice and this is my best comedic discovery since Woody Allen's "What's New Tiger Lily?". The film is outrageously funny and even if I didn't get more than half the references, I take pride for having never gone through one half-minute without a good chuckle at the very worst.

And so... what a jolly good journey in that Khyber Pass, a remote British camp in the Indian mountainside with not-so friendly neighbors from Kalabar, who could pass as Indians, Afghans or Arabs but you if you expect accuracy anywhere, I'd recommend the film's cousin "Zulu" with Michael Caine. The head governor of the province is Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond (Sidney James), assisted by Captain Keene (Roy Castle) and Major Shorthouse (Julian Holloway) and guarding the Pass, there's the glorious Third Foot & Mouth Regiment lead by Sergeant MacNutt (Terry Scott) who notices the shameful secret of cowardly Private James Widdle (Charles Hawtrey) contradicting the very legend of the 'Devils in Skirts' regarding what they have beneath their kilts or as a matter of fact, what they don't.

Those were the British Empire glory days and it's very fitting that the military legend of the Empire where the sun never set involved the place where the moon didn't shine. And in the very context of the film, it also tells you what kind of humor it aims: right below the kilt... making it -one year before these TV shows' releases- the spiritual predecessor of "The Benny Hill Show" and "Monty Python's Flying Circus". Now, let's move back to the plot (literally).

One of the Karaban army generals Bungdit Din (the giant Bernard Bresslaw) discovers what lies under an unconscious Widdle's kilt and brings the exhibit (no pun intended) to the Khasi of Kalabar (Kenneth Williams) who is enjoying a game of polo with his daughter Princess Jelhi (Angela Douglas) and is exchanging diplomatic smiles with the governor and Lady Ruff-Diamond (Joan Sims). It's interesting that the Khasi has servants doing the sex for him and the governor and his wife are sexually frustrated so the whole exchange of gazes and salutes in pure deliberate camp still hits that right note as it can tell you what libidinous thoughts hide behind the character's minds. At that point of the film, I decided to read a little trivia and realized that "Carry On", the film I was watching was the 16th and arguably the best entry (hence its BFI inclusion) of a series that spanned more movies than James Bond. And I had never heard of it. That made the discovery all the more thrilling for I knew I was getting educated into something exclusively British.

Resuming my viewing, I got myself transported from one gag to another, from a hilarious under-the-kilt inspection to a visit incognito to Khasi's harem, the film uses every possible gags, not too much slapsticks, a lot of double entendres and a great deal of naughty naughty humor, the kind of humor where the wrong of a woman going ti another man (Lady Joan to the Khasi) is righted by many women sent to the governor who (as you might guess it) isn't too displeased for these tiffin session. This is a film where a religious man saves women from heresy by making love to them, he's Brother Belcher (Butterworth). This is a film where a girl asks which her mother is and her father says: "Foolish child! How many times do I have to tell you? She with the emerald eyes and hair of copper... and number thirty-two stamped on her back."

The film wasn't shot on location but in Pinewood studios, it didn't embarrass itself with historical accuracy, it doesn't mock Indian traditions but a certain Kiplingesque view of it, it doesn't mock cultural gaps but demonstrate that despite them, commanders from each side are enjoying the comfort of their cushy jobs and their little privileges and benefits in kind (one that goes with the term 'tiffin'). It still decides to remain British through a riveting climactic dinner scene that gives its full sense to the "stiff upper lip" spirit (an obligatory trope in any British war film) with the orchestra playing while the governor's place is being bombarded and when a fakir's severed head is served on a plate and a few bricks fall on the table, these inconveniences only meet downplayed remarks, the best one belonging to Joan Sims "I'm a little plastered".

There's something so refreshing in that era where anything could be sources of laugh. Such a film would be impossible... except maybe for the kilt gag, because... well, who's the joke's on?

There was a small dealer here in Brazil that offered us a lot of British movies, but hereInafter didn't hear a thing about them unfortunately due sales declines so much in those hard economics past years, one of them of the valuable series Carry on where are fully exploitation of British humor style, it's seems silly at first look but certainly it isn't, there are a faithful copy of custumary and legendary British nonsense, their usual accent puts a hot peppery over so peculiar behaviors from them, this priceless comedy remind us from latest Monty Phyton's pictures, they slagging of themselves, unmissable!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2012 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.25

This film is brilliant i laugh every time i watch it . The whole thing is amazing Kenneth Williams is amazing as the Khazi of Khalibar a very unusual name! Charles Hawtrey is excellent as private Widdle. Sid is Magicial as usual Joan is excellent in fact the whole cast are excellent. This is the one start with in my opinion if you have never watched a carry on before then watch carry on up the Kyhber you will not be disappointed. Its one of the best carry ons ever made this is what the series was all about. Much better then carry on England. The film is so well done that they can get away with pretending that Wales was India!!.

'Carry On Up The Khyber' sees many of the usual Carry On favourites, this time in colonial India. Sid James plays Sir Sidney Ruff Diamond, head of the Third Foot and Mouth regiment located close to the Khyber Pass, whilst Kenneth Williams takes on the role of the Khasi of Kalabar, who is beginning to believe that the British might not be as invincible as previously thought.

'Carry On Up The Khyber' is a welcome change for the series as it is one of the few that's not based in the UK, but that's the only change you'll get because this film is laden with the usual Carry On double entendres and gags.

For many years, this wasn't one of my favourite Carry Ons but I've realised that it's actually one of the best. It largely benefits from being able to ridicule two cultures, namely British and Indian, and because it's set in colonial times, it allows Peter Rogers to successfully satirize the old fashioned Victorian attitudes as well as the more pertinent attitudes of the late 1960s when this was filmed.

There's no way a film like this would be made today but the humour is actually quite harmless, even endearing at times, and there are some clever one-liners too. It's a fallacy that Carry Ons were purely unintelligent, bawdy humour aimed at the brainless masses.

The amount of dryness in Up The Khyber is enough to give a man a thirst but it works particularly well. Excellent performances all round, particularly Sid James and Joan Sims, who bounce of each other so well, and Terry Scott, who was born to play Sergeant Major McNutt. Roy Castle too. I'm surprised he wasn't in more of the films.

Definitely worth a watch, whether you're new to the series or whether you've got them all on video.