Carry on Again Doctor

Loaded with funny jokes, and featuring Kenneth Williams at his very finest, this is one of the strongest entries in the Carry On series. Sure, it is rather silly in a number of different ways, and the music and sound effects choices are quite poor, plus there is some fast motion used very ineffectively - but otherwise there is little not to like in it. The characters are simply great, the plot is rather interesting, and there are some good, though briefly shown, tropical locations. It is all rather well shot and definitely well written. Overall, it is surprising that this entry does not have a better reputation.

Carry on Again Doctor fits a lot of different plot features into a short amount of time, there's also a lot of regulars here, in fact too many regulars to give enough screen time to each of them. One odd fact here is that Jim Dale broke his arm on set whilst doing one of his own stunts.

The plot is very odd, involving a magic (?) formula found in a jungle that gives everyone who drinks it incredible weight loss. And then they open a clinic to sell the stuff.

6/10: Jim Dale is lovable but the plot is just too bizarre for words. It's like three films put into one

The 18th of the Carry On series and the third of the medical themed adventures, plot finds Jim Dale as Doctor Nookie, who is stitched up by his superiors and sent to a tropical Beautific island to tender medical treatment to the natives. What he actually finds when he gets there is a rainy windswept isle that has no need for his services at all. The compound is run by Gladstone Screwer (Sid James), a crafty old sort who deals in whisky and cigarettes and has a wife for every day of the week. Screwer also has something else of interest that perks up the flagging interest of Nookie, a potion that considerably aids weight loss. Nookie senses an opportunity to make a financial killing back in Blighty whilst simultaneously getting one over the superiors who had him sent to his island misery.

This was the last of 10 Carry On films for Jim Dale before he returned for the ill conceived "modern" reinvention that was Carry On Columbus in 1992. I don't know if the makers knew that Dale would be leaving the series and thus made him the lead character in this jovial farce? But it proves to be a smart move. One of the unsung heroes of the series, Dale's energy and comic reactions to plot situations were always a joy to watch, and here, with James in customary wise cracking support, he lifts the film above the ordinary with a show of endearing buffoonery. He also did his own stunts and broke his arm on this production. Director Gerald Thomas keeps things brisk, with the double location axis of the plot stopping things from stagnating visually, Charles Hawtrey goes undercover in drag to provide the last third of the film with some quality laughs and the likes of Barbara Windsor and Valerie Leron raise the pulses considerably.

Thin of plot but big on charm and laughs, one of the better Carry On movies. 7.5/10

I never really took to Jim Dale in these films, and here he isn't really any better. He is the disgraced "Dr. Nookey" who after an assignation that went a bit wrong, is despatched to a distant hospital where he encounters "Screwer" (Sid James) - the procurer of a miraculous slimming formula. Determined to capitalise on this, he returns to Britain and with Hattie Jacques again donning her matron's uniform is soon making a mint. His good fortune attracts the attention of his erstwhile boss "Dr. Carver" (Kenneth Williams) and soon he has to fend of those not just envious of his success, but also those who want to see him six feet under (theatrically speaking!). I think the clue here is in the title: "Again". This is really just a rehash of old jokes and old scenarios just topped and tailed with a different front page. The jokes have been versioned several times before and to be honest, I felt the cast looked a little battle-weary. Barbara Windsor is growing in confidence and owning the screen more now, Joan Sims still has some of the best one-liners (along with James) and the film certainly doesn't hang about - but there are only just so many times Williams can flare his nostrils before you actually want some smoke to come out.

I love a vast majority of the Carry On films such as Screaming, Cleo and Up the Khyber, and this entry is no exception. Sidney James is underused but still has fun as Gladstone Screwer, admittedly an odd name,and the film does feel a little short but Carry on Again Doctor is still very funny and entertaining. Jim Dale does an above decent job taking centre stage as Doctor Nookey, with excellent comic timing. Kenneth Williams is great as always, and Charles Hawtrey has one of his better outings as Dr Stoppidge, allowing to hiss vehemently and bitterly. The locations of the Bautific Islands are very nice, and the script is filled with one liners that are witty and hilarious. Plus the slapstick finale is genuinely funny, quite possibly one of the funnier finales in the franchise. 8/10 Bethany Cox