Carry on at Your Convenience

I find this one of the most unusual carry ons,as it seems to take life a bit more serious,its more kitchen sink drama, which for this carry on is appropriate for the title.For me it has the funniest plot of all,which is the budgie who can pick horse winners,and the excellent teaming of Sid James and Hattie Jacques as the married couple.Vic the union leader and his nagging Irish mum are also very funny.Although the usually very funny Bill Maynard seems a bit wasted in this film,i don't think he gets many funny lines,if any.On the whole this is a very enjoyable carry on,and the only time you see a man get spanked in a film, which was quite original.It was a carry on, which tried to be different from the others and does succeed.Although it does still have the same naughty gags,but then thats what carry on films are for.We don't make films like these anymore so enjoy them while you can.

What stands out for me is the trip to the sea side. Oh what a sweet time! I never saw England back then but today it just looks charming. I would love to visit that pier complete with the tacky corny rides and attractions. It really is quite delightful. The film captures the period beautifully. The reliable cast are all there. Thankfully the annoying ones are not (especially Kenneth Connor). Hawtrey is superb in this and Sid James and Hatti are a delight. Its lovely seeing the sacred cows get a knocking. There is nothing PC about this film. If dear old Sid did some of the things he does to lovely Joan he would be up on harassment charges today. Its all good fun. They certainly did not think much of the union movement in this film. Not the best carry on but it has lovely moments.

This is the Carry On film which took longest to make back its money. It's not difficult to see why as it is so disparaging towards the unions and the typical Carry On fan in the early 70s was working class. If you are going to insult your target audience then don't be surprised to find they don't go to see your film. Having said that the basic storyline has plenty of opportunities for Talbot Rothwell's seaside postcard humour especially as they go on a works outing to Brighton. One of the Carry On films' best points is the way they added those little details so you get a toilet manufacturer called WC Boggs, the foreman's name sounds like plumber, his daughter's name is Myrtle which is a plant that grows in bogs. If I could only buy a budgie like Sid Plummer's I'd be laughing even more.

I like this entry in the series, I really do. Many others however find it a dud and feel that it should be flushed down one of the toilets that feature at W.C. Boggs' factory in the film. Blending the obvious toilet gags with a tale about unionised shop floors, the Carry On team have actually crafted one of the franchise's less mucky pictures. Sid James, so long the bastion of sexually driven lechery in Carry On folklore, has a very restrained role in this one, and this to me somewhat explains to an extent why "Convenience" is often shunned by the series fans.

Elsewhere it's the subplots away from the factory that put the smile on my face. Charles Hawtrey is indulging in strip poker with shop steward, Vic Spanner's mother!. While James' Sid Plummer is getting horse racing winners from his budgie!, all under the watchful eye of his apparently scatty wife Beattie (a terrific Hattie Jacques). Sexy eye candy for us blokes comes in the form of Jacki Piper, and the film finale on the Brighton seaside is drunken buffoonery to at least raise a giggle or two. Not the best Carry On by a long shot - that could have been predicted by Sid and Hattie's budgie, but certainly not one of the worst either. 6.5/10

At Your Convenience is the 22nd of the Carry On Series, at the time of its release, the film was deemed as controversial seeing as the plot circled around problems with the trade unions at the time. Many carry on fans choose to boycott this film.

Cause of all that At Your Convenience was the first financial flop at the box office. It's hard to believe that now this is rated one of the best Carry On films in entire series.

Why is it one of the best? Well lets start with the plot, is film is set at a local toilet making factory called W.C. Boggs & Son. Which is run by W.C. Boggs played by Kenneth Williams and his son Lewis played by Richard O'Callaghan.

The company is going through a bad patch and loosing money fast, due to the amount of strikes that the company has suffering. Which is Mainly caused by the lazy union representative Vic Spanner played by Kenneth Cope, who complains about the littlest thing in the factory and causes a strike.

The story also shows how the lives of our lead characters are having due to all the strikes, Sid Plummer played by Sid James who is repeatedly fed up of listening to his wife Beattie talking to her pet budgie all day. Sid is also very keen on the next door neighbour and fellow colleague Chloe played by Joan Sims. Chloe is also got problems at home with her husband, who is often away on business and if he is home he normally rejects any sort of affection she gives him.

Sid and Beattie also have a daughter Mrytle played by the always gorgeous Jacki Piper, who works in the factory as one of the canteen staff. Meryle is permanently being pursued by both Vic Spanner and Lewis Boggs. Which at times can be annoying for her, mainly because the both of them are just as bad as each other.

While Vic Spanner despite him being in his late 20's-early 30's... is still living with his mam, who is permanently having a go at him for the amount of lack of money he brings into the house and all the strikes he causes. His Mum who is played by Renee Houston, has been forced to take in a lodger who is the jolly Charles Coote played by Charles Hawtrey, who also works at the factory as a toilet designer. Vic's mother seems to treat Charles a lot better than Vic by being more polite and generous.

Vic also has a mate and a fellow colleague Bernie played Bernard Bresslaw, Bernie comes across as a bit daft and allows himself to be bossed about by Vic too much.

The plot isn't spectacular but its simple and the script is fantastic. The casting is 100% cast and all the regular faces are present, though Terry Scott had a deleted scene playing the part of a union big wig.

Everybody involved looked to be enjoying themselves which helps with there performance, they probably all looked forward to the trip to Brighton!

I found at times the film does take a couple of serious moments, one being there is a nice scene between Sid and Chloe who during a night shoot. Showing that both of them have got more feelings about each other, sadly the only thing missing about this scene was a nice kiss at the end. Anyhow the scene is well acted by both Sid James and Joan Sims. For this movie Sid is taken away from his usual dirty old man character and many of the cast have said this probably the closest how Sid was like in real life. To be honest its the same for Kenneth Williams who I find less camp in this film, this time round he is playing the straight guy.

At Your Convenience is probably the most Carry On I've watched the most. It's a nice gentle Carry On and shows what the Carry On's were all about... family friendly comedy.

If you haven't watched At Your Convenience then you must, I can only describe it as a beautiful looking Carry On and comedy. I give Carry On At Your Convenience a 8/10.