Carry on Behind

I'm a dissenting voice in the crowd as I actually rather like this late entry in the Carry On series. In fact, I'd probably have it in my top 5 Carry Ons.

There were so many reasons why this entry should have been below par. The previous film in the series, Dick, saw the last appearances of Sid James, Barbara Windsor and Hatties Jacques (we'd already just lost Charles Hawtrey) and importantly this film was the first in a very long time not to have been scripted by master of the double-entendre, Talbot Rothwell. There were only three Carry Ons after this one, and they were all seriously bad. On paper, this is the film where it should have gone wrong, but instead what we have is a likable film full of Carry On humour. It feels like a natural sequel to Carry On Camping. It's a roughly 50:50 cast split between Carry On regulars (Williams, Sims, Bresslaw and Connor) and newcomers (Davies, Posta, Lavendar), and there's a guest star thrown in, Elke Sommer. I've never been a great fan of guests in Carry Ons as they inevitably don't 'fit in' with the crew (like them or loathe them, Ted Ray, Harry H Corbett, Phil Silvers and Frankie Howerd all kind of stood-out as not quite being in the Carry On mould). Elke, playing a Russian archaeologist, adds greatly to this film, and she gets quite a lot of the funny lines, mostly from her misinterpretation of English words.

Although I very much like this film it isn't without its faults. The plot is thinner than usual and the ending is poor (there isn't really a story to conclude at all). I'm not a prude, but there are blatant breasts on display; the Carry Ons always seemed better when they were more innocent. Technically the film is shoddy, with an awful lot of dialogue having been added after filming - at several points the cast speak without even having to move their lips! But there's plenty to enjoy here, cameos from Marianne Stone and David Lodge, a larger role than usual for Patsy Rowlands, music by Eric Rogers, and the English love of life in caravans and under canvas.

Heartily recommended, the last great Carry On.

This is my first "Carry On"-film and I really and unexpectedly enjoyed this. I mostly started watching this for completism, to have at least seen one movie from the famous franchise. And then I really enjoyed it and watched it to the end. Why? The plot is crap, basically it's a bunch of diverse characters getting together on an English campground in march, which looks about as jolly as an toxic waste site in winter, and then getting up to some horribly contrived antics.

Still, like wine, old jokes can still be good. What makes this movie so enjoyable are the many excellent actors with their impeccable delivery. And the movie always stays slightly naughty and mischievous without ever becoming sleazy.

It's a retread of Carry On Camping only with caravans as the usual array of characters ripe for fun picking innuendo laden shenanigans. Plot for what it's worth has a bunch of Carry On holidaymakers caravanning next to a Roman excavation site being run by Prof Anna Vrooshka (Elke Sommer) and Prof. Roland Crump (Kenneth Williams). Chaos inevitable ensues.

The absence of Sid James, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques and Terry Scott was always going to be felt (they had all left the franchise by this time), but Williams, Bernard Bresslaw , Kenneth Connor, Joan Simms and Peter Butterworth plough on stoically with the thin formulaic screenplay. Windsor Davis supplements them but he's no Sid James.

The series would trundle out two more films in the 70s before the ill advised comeback movie in 1992 (Carry on Columbus), one of which was the dreadful Carry on England. "Behind" isn't an awful movie as it does have its moments, such as the by-play between Sommer and Williams, and Bresslaw's henpecked husband act. It's also a very good snapshot of the era with budget holidays pointing to the unsteady political climate, while the sexual aspects reek of a time well left behind – but those attitudes did exist back then.

Passable Carry On fare but carrying with it the sadness in knowing the series was long past its sell by date. 6/10

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!

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!