Carry on Girls

This is a fun movie. Yes, it may be politically incorrect by today's standards. Sure. But who cares? What's funny is funny. I for one can find the humour in the CARRY ON movies -- and I was born after the last of the series was made! There's nothing explicit in GIRLS, nothing truly offensive (the makers poke more fun at the men than they do the women) and come on, it's just harmless boob and bum laughs, anyway.

I love this movie because it makes me laugh, and makes me laugh every time I see it (which is quite a few times now). The jokes all hit the mark. There is an actual plot, unlike the comparable sex comedies being made today. The acting is fantastic. Sid James, Barbara Windsor and the usual gang know what they're doing and they do it perfectly. The only true weakness I would say is the directing and editing, though I would chalk that up to the obvious constraints of making films on a low budget.

And, in conclusion, to all those who decry the CARRY ON films as being old sexist rubbish, let me just say, in the words of the late great Sid James: "Knickers!"

CARRY ON GIRLS is probably the one CARRY ON film that cements this film series's reputation as the 'smutty postcards' of the film world. It's certainly the sauciest of all the CARRY ON films to date, using the excuse of a beauty contest to reveal the flesh of as many girls as possible, and indeed the fresh beauty of the starlets (in particular Valerie Leon, Margaret Nolan, and Wendy Richard (!)) puts everybody else, the regular team included, into the shade.

The story is some silly thing about scheming councillors (Sid James playing himself, and a delightfully stuffy Kenneth Connor) arranging a beauty contest only to have their efforts thwarted by the local women's lib, led by an enjoyable June Whitfield. In reality, though, what we get are endless innuendos, risqué sight gags, and plenty more besides. It's a film in which Peter Butterworth's groping old bloke is played for laughs, so what more can you say?

Yes, the format feels a little tired and stale by now, with Bernard Bresslaw's cross-dressing antics bringing to mind those of Kenneth Cope in CARRY ON MATRON and a general seen-it-all-before sense to the proceedings. But, for better or worse, CARRY ON GIRLS provides one of the most unforgettable set-pieces of all the franchise, and I'm talking about THAT eye-popping cat-fight between Barbara Windsor and Margaret Nolan. People always remember the exercise scene from CARRY ON CAMPING but this goes considerably further and once watched is difficult to erase from the memory banks.

In a run down English seaside town, Sid Fiddler (Sidney James) persuades the pompous mayor (Kenneth Connor) to hold a beauty contest in order to improve it's image.

Above average farce in that it is often hilariously funny despite retreading every British sex joke in the book - very saucy and all the better for it. There is one hilarious moment where Sid James has Barbara Windsor in his room in her nighty and his nagging wife Joan Sims comes in and Sid has to hide her. However, he overlooked the nighty and puts it on in a pathetic attempt to persuade his wife that it's his. Cracking stuff! The Carry On team was beginning to break up by this stage, but while Sid James, Joan Sims, Barbara Windsor and Kenneth Connor were still there, they could carry the film without Charles Hawtery and Kenneth Williams though they are sadly missed.

Setting a Carry On in a UK seaside town seems so obvious—after all, the series had been using the saucy style of humour found on British holiday postcards for years—yet it wasn't until 1973 that the team took a trip to the coast for their 25th film, Carry On Girls. Set in the rundown resort of Fircombe (actually Brighton), 'Girls' sees Sid James as councillor Sidney Fiddler, who decides to boost the town's failing tourism trade by organising a beauty contest. However, not everyone is as keen on the idea as Sidney, with the local women's libbers, led by prudish councillor Augusta Prodworthy (June Whitfield), planning to sabotage the event.

Such a plot allows for plenty of innuendo and bare female flesh, with the sexy contestants stripping to their undies, indulging in cat-fights, and occasionally bursting out of their swimming costumes, much to the delight of the town's randy male populace. Carry On regular Babs Windsor plays Hope Springs, focus of Sid's attention, but being in her mid-30s and a touch wobbly, she is easily eclipsed by most of the other beauties in the show. Margaret Nolan as busty Dawn Brakes easily outdoes her in the chest department, and when voluptuous beauty Paula Perkins (Valerie Leon) enters the contest, the rest of the girls might as well give up and go home.

As well as an endless tirade of fit dolly birds, this caper also provides the obligatory 'man in drag' moment (Bernard Bresslaw entering the competition in one of Sid's crazy publicity stunts), Jack Douglas doing his hilarious 'Tourette's Syndrome' routine (Waheyyy!), the Confessions series' Robin Askwith as a newspaper photographer, and James Logan as the impossibly camp TV presenter Cecil Gaybody. Subtle it may not be, but it ain't 'alf funny.

I'm stunned to see how bad some of the reviews are for it, and how as of today it has a score of 5.4.

I'm definitely standing up for Carry on Girls, I love it, from the opening credits, and it's opening music, to the very end. I understand that it's totally non Politically Correct, a phrase that didn't really occur in the 70s, but it's all harmless fun. A bit saucier then the usual Carry on Films, but it's hardly offensive.

It has a great cast, and all are on top form, oh my days Joan Hickson literally has me in tears, she is so funny!! I wish she'd appeared in many more of them... 5 was not enough

Margaret Nolan was simply jaw dropping, what a stunning girl, she had a much more substantial role then in her previous appearances, the fight scene with Babs was big fun. Patsy Rowlands also had a much more substantial part, she was fun.

I don't think there was a standout performance, all were on good form, possibly Sid's charisma gives him the edge.

Of course it's the finale that you're waiting for, it doesn't disappoint, Peter Butterworth's reactions are hilarious, alright it's not the absolute best entry, but it makes me laugh out loud and i've seen it hundreds of times, 8/10