Review of Carry On Abroad (Special Edition)

Introduction

When it comes to institutions of British Cinema, two franchises stand out from the rest of the crowd. The first is of course the perennial James Bond saga, but rivalling that in terms of cinema audiences and even more prolific were the Carry On films. When I was a child, the ribald postcard humour and cheeky innuendo of the Carry Ons was waning in favour of alternative comedy, but I could still appreciate the slapstick. Of course my parents were laughing at something else completely, and by the time I got those particular jokes, the Carry On series were a part of history, not including a disastrous attempt to resurrect the franchise with Carry On Columbus. Today, the Carry On movies still occupy a warm place in the hearts of many movie fans, and while the initial VCI release on DVD of the movies was less than well received, with incorrect aspect ratios and lacking extras, Carlton have dusted of the films once more and given them the proper care and attention to produce these Special Edition DVDs.

Carry On Abroad sees the gang on their hols, a package holiday to be precise. Those familiar faces return as they all escape for a long weekend of sun, sea, sand and debauchery. However the Mediterranean resort of Elsbels isn`t all that it`s cracked up to be, as the hapless holidaymakers are presented with woeful service and an incomplete hotel. Vic Flange (Sid James) wants a dirty weekend with Sadie Tomkins (Barbara Windsor) but unfortunately his wife Cora (Joan Sims) invites herself along. Stanley and Evelyn Blunt (Kenneth Connor and June Whitfield) have a loveless marriage, but the prudish Evelyn keeps her randy husband in check. A group of monks from the order of St. Cecilia are also on the trip, but Brother Bernard (Bernard Bresslaw) is distracted by two beautiful girls, Lily and Marge (Sally Geeson and Carol Hawkins) who are lamenting the scarcity of real men on the trip. The hotel is woefully understaffed, as Pepe (Peter Butterworth) has to perform many of the jobs himself whilst being harangued by his wife Floella (Hattie Jacques). The tour organiser Stuart Farquhar (Kenneth Williams) has his hands full trying to keep the guests entertained.

Video

Carlton have done a stellar job with the picture. A 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer brings out the best in the print, with only a little grain or print damage. The picture for the most part is bright clear and colourful, and completely belies the low budget nature of the film. The Pinewood studios car park does a good job in standing in for the Mediterranean.

Audio

The sound is presented in a DD 2.0 mono English track and it is perfectly acceptable. The dialogue is clear and all the punch lines come through loud and clear. The music is the usual Carry On music as composed by Eric Rogers. Frankly it`s hard to see how a surround remix would benefit a Carry On movie. What you get is good enough.

Features

The Special Editions of the Carry On movies definitely make up for the first releases when it comes to extras on the DVDs and Carry On Abroad is no exception.

The most prominent addition to this title is the audio commentary. Presented by author and Carry On guru Robert Ross, stars John Clive, Sally Geeson, Carol Hawkins and David Kernan join together to comment on the movie. In a sense its tragic that so much time has passed and so many of the Carry On stars are no longer with us. A Sid James commentary would have been worth it just to hear that wicked laugh, and noted raconteur Kenneth Williams would have been pure gold. Alas few of the Carry On stars remain with us, so the supporting cast provides the commentary on Carry On Abroad. Nevertheless it is interesting to listen to with some amusing anecdotes as well as the expected tirade against the notoriously bad pay that the stars received.

Carry On Laughing isn`t the half-hour clip show that we occasionally see, but rather an episode from a short-lived comedy series in the seventies that had the Carry On cast telling various stories in their inimitable style. This particular 25-minute episode, presented in 4:3 regular ratio, is Short Knight, Long Daze and sees the Carry On crew in King Arthur`s court. Kenneth Connor is King Arthur and Joan Sims, his wife Guinevere. The kingdom is in dire straits until a prophecy leads the king to cast all his hopes on the arrival of a powerful Knight. When a gormless boil doctor (Bernard Bresslaw) comes along, Sir Lance`a`lot is born. This is really quite terrible stuff, with decrepit jokes being telegraphed minutes in advance. The characters are pitiful stereotypes, with a camp knight called Sir Gay, and Guinevere`s mind ever in the bedroom. There is room for the occasional chuckle though and Peter Butterworth`s performance as Merlin is truly memorable.

There is a trailer of course; a stills gallery presented as a three-minute slideshow and some Carry On Trivia which amount to production notes. The menus are quite nice and in keeping with the Carry On style.

Conclusion

Naturally not all Carry On films are of the same quality. I am of the opinion that the early black and white efforts like Carry On Sergeant/Constable/Spying were comic gems, and later ones that adapted familiar stories or had exotic settings were excellent entertainment, Carry On Up The Khyber sprigs to mind. However the waning years of the series, especially in the seventies produced some dross. Unfortunately Carry On Abroad is a prime example.

Unimaginative scripts and tired old jokes had replaced any semblance of originality, and it feels as if the producers are following a worn out blueprint. This is Carry On distilled to its basest ingredients. The humour never varies from the smutty innuendo; indeed the first exchange is between Barbara Windsor and Sid James and starts with "Ooh, that`s a large one!" Dirty laugh and saucy giggle ensues with alacrity. This establishes the tone for the picture and it never gets off this track. The characters have become caricatures, with Sid James` dirty old man routine seeming automatic. Kenneth Connor plays the upper class randy husband whose wife is a prude, and it`s an act that` has been seen several times by now. Bernard Bresslaw is as dense as ever, and Kenneth Williams` Stuart Farquhar is just as hackneyed. For this movie the cast haven`t been required to act, just to bring their catchphrases and do what they have done twenty times before. Charles Hawtrey in particular is woefully underused in what would be his final Carry On. Peter Butterworth as Pepe is unintentionally funny, as what should be a Spanish accent comes across as more Pakistani than anything.

That said, while the script is pitiful and the story practically non-existent, The cast make the best of the situation, and because Joan Sims, Barbara Windsor, Sid James, Kenneth Williams and co are such seasoned performers, their sense of fun and verve come across on screen and they make the most of the situation, salvaging laughs where there shouldn`t rightly be any.

Then again, what do I know? My parents watched this film and they were instantly transported back in time by thirty years. They were in tears of laughter throughout. Carry On at its heart is British seaside humour that is inoffensive and universal. While there is a part of me that sees this film as puerile and childish, another part of me is giggling at the rude balloons that only make sense on a 1.78:1 print. It`s funny, it`s Carry On, just not a very good one.

The disc is very well put together, with a fine anamorphic transfer of an almost pristine print, There are a good selection of extras guaranteed to satisfy any Carry On fan.