Carry on Sergeant (1958)

Director:

Gerald Thomas

Writers:

R.F. Delderfield (by)
Norman Hudis (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

August 1958 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | War

Tagline:

It's an On-the-Ball Riot About an Off-Limits Romance

Plot:

Sergeant Grimshaw wants to retire in the flush of success by winning the Star Squad prize with his very...

Plot Keywords:

Sergeant | Military | Corporal | Carry On | Military Spoof

Cast

William Hartnell	...	Sergeant Grimshawe
Shirley Eaton	...	Mary Sage
Eric Barker	...	Captain Potts
Dora Bryan	...	Norah
Bill Owen	...	Corporal Bill Copping
Charles Hawtrey	...	Peter Golightly
Kenneth Connor	...	Horace Strong
Kenneth Williams	...	James Bailey
Terence Longdon	...	Miles Heywood
Norman Rossington	...	Herbert Brown
Gerald Campion	...	Andy Calloway
Hattie Jacques	...	Captain Clark
Cyril Chamberlain	...	Gun Sergeant
Arnold Diamond	...	Fifth Specialist
Gordon Tanner	...	First Specialist
Martin Boddey	...	Sixth Specialist
Frank Forsyth	...	Second Specialist
Ian Whittaker	...	Medical Corporal
Basil Dignam	...	Third Specialist
Anthony Sagar	...	Stores Sergeant
John Gatrell	...	Fourth Specialist
Alec Bregonzi	...	First Storesman
Graham Stewart	...	Second Storesman
Alexander Harris	...	Third Storesman
Pat Feeney	...	Fourth Storesman
Terry Scott	...	Sergeant Paddy O'Brien
Edward Judd	...	Fifth Storesman
John Mathews	...	Sergeant Matthews (as John Matthews)
Ronald Clarke	...	Sixth Storesman
Ed Devereaux	...	Sergeant Russell (as Edward Devereaux)
David Williams	...	Seventh Storesman
Leigh Madison	...	Sheila
Bernard Kay	...	Injured Recruit
Jack Smethurst	...	First Recruit
Haydn Ward	...	Eighth Recruit
Brian Jackson	...	Second Recruit
Graydon Gould	...	Ninth Recruit
Don McCorkindale	...	Third Recruit
Jeremy Dempster	...	Tenth Recruit
Leon Eagles	...	Fourth Recruit
Terry Dickenson	...	Eleventh Recruit
Malcolm Webster	...	Fifth Recruit
Henry Livings	...	Twelfth Recruit
Patrick Durkin	...	Sixth Recruit
Derek Martinus	...	Recruit
James Villiers	...	Seventh Recruit
Michael Hunt	...	Fourteenth Recruit
Bob Monkhouse	...	Charlie Sage
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ivor Danvers	...	Recruit (uncredited)
Helen Goss	...	Mary's Mum (uncredited)
Norman Hartley	...	Thirteenth recruit (uncredited)
Benny Lee	...	Recruit (uncredited)
Martin Wyldeck	...	Mr. Sage (uncredited)

Directed by
Gerald Thomas

Writing credits
R.F. Delderfield		(by)
Norman Hudis		(screenplay)
John Antrobus		(additional material)
R.F. Delderfield		(novel "The Bull Boys") uncredited

Produced by
Peter Rogers	....	producer

Original Music by
Bruce Montgomery

Cinematography by
Peter Hennessy		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter Boita

Casting by
Betty White

Art Direction by
Alex Vetchinsky

Makeup Department
Stella Rivers	....	hairdressing
Geoffrey Rodway	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Frank Bevis	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Geoffrey Haine	....	assistant director
David Tringham	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Peter Murton	....	set dresser
Tony Rimmington	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Seymour Logie	....	sound editor
Robert T. MacPhee	....	sound recordist
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Hume	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joan Ellacott	....	dress designer

Music Department
Bruce Montgomery	....	music director

Other crew
Nat Cohen	....	presenter
Joan Davis	....	continuity
Stuart Levy	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Peter Rogers Productions (as A Peter Rogers Production)

Distributors

• Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (1958) (UK) (theatrical) (as Anglo Amalgamated Film DistributorsLtd)
• Governor Films (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• StudioCanal (2002) (worldwide) (all media)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (video) (VOD)

Other Companies

• B&D Film  logo (as B&D Film Corporation)
• Pentagon Film Titles Ltd.  titles
• The Band of the Coldstream Guards  music played by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G (DVD rating) | Australia:PG (VHS rating) | Finland:K-8 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #19423) | UK:U (video rating) (1988) (2001) (2006)

Filming Locations:

Harefield, London, England, UK

Company:

Peter Rogers Productions

Trivia:

William Hartnell wanted to have Bernard Kay fired.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Captain Potts pins the chart to the training progress board, the board has the intake as No.29 but when the prize giving is announced near the end of the film it is announced as the prize giving for the 60th intake

Quotes:

Captain Potts:Who are you?
Miles Heywood:4277298 Private Heywood, M, sir.
Captain Potts:Heywood? Ever heard of General Heywood?
Miles Heywood:My father, sir.
Captain Potts:Really? Read Admiral Heywood?
Miles Heywood:My grandfather, sir.
Captain Potts:Air Commodore Heywood?
Miles Heywood:My uncle, sir.
Captain Potts:Ah! Quick test. What's the first thing that comes into your head?
Miles Heywood:Women, sir.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Carry on Snogging (1998) (TV)

What's Wrong with Gentle Humor?

Humor doesn't need to be slapstick, sexual, or degrading to be funny. It's the juxtaposition of elements that creates tension and laughs in this gentle comedy about a newly-wed husband who finds out on his wedding day that he's been drafted. Add to this an Army instructor who's about to retire, and who makes an extravagant bet that in his last platoon he will finally have a Champion Platoon, only to find that he's been saddled with a bunch of misfits. Sgt. Grimshawe is played in low-key style by William Hartnell in a gentle send-up of his many 'tough sergeant' roles. Bob Monkhouse, Hattie Jacques, Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Connor, et. al. turn in equally understated performances that actually enhance the humor.

This film is the obvious inspiration for Bill Murray's 'Stripes', which, while funny, doesn't have anywhere *near* the charm of 'Carry On, Sergeant'. It holds up very well, indeed.