Carry on Spying (1964)

Director:

Gerald Thomas

Writers:

Talbot Rothwell (original screenplay) and
Sid Colin (original screenplay)

Release Date:

June 1964 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

No, No, Dr. Crow Here Come Secret Agents O.O.O.h ! [U.S. One Sheet and US Half Sheet]

Plot:

A top secret chemical formula has been stolen by STENCH (the Society for the Total Extinction of Non-Conforming Humans)...

Plot Keywords:

Formula | Gadget | Agent | Top Secret | Villain

Cast

Kenneth Williams	...	Desmond Simkins
Barbara Windsor	...	Daphne Honeybutt
Bernard Cribbins	...	Harold Crump
Charles Hawtrey	...	Charlie Bind
Eric Barker	...	The Chief
Dilys Laye	...	Lila
Jim Dale	...	Carstairs
Richard Wattis	...	Cobley
Eric Pohlmann	...	The Fat Man
Victor Maddern	...	Milchmann
Judith Furse	...	Doctor Crow
John Bluthal	...	Head Waiter / Doctor Crow - voice
Renee Houston	...	Madame
Jack Taylor	...	Thug
Tom Clegg	...	Doorman

Also Known As:

Agent Oooh!

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts) | UK:U (video rating) | Australia:G (theatrical) | Australia:G (DVD rating) | Australia:PG (VHS rating)

Filming Locations:

Archive, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Peter Rogers Productions

Trivia:

The voice of Doctor Crow is provided by John Bluthal.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Desmond Simpkins and Charlie Bind lure the doorman from the fun house, Simpkins hits him with a copper pot, and his fez falls off and lands in the middle of the doorway. In the next shot, from inside the building, the fez is nowhere to be seen.

Quotes:

[Arriving at the villains' secret lair]
Daphne Honeybutt aka Agent Brown Cow: It must be their headquarters!
Charlie Bind: [Ogling a female technician bent over some equipment] Looks more like their hindquarters.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Carry on Quizzing (2006) (VG)

Soundtrack:

THE MAGIC OF LOVE

Like the first Carry On films – simple and light fun

When the evil forces of STENCH strike at a British research laboratory they get away with a top secret chemical formula. With the British agents spread thin across the world, The Chief has very few options open to him to follow up the lead into the mysterious Milchmann who led the attack. The Chief scraps the bottom of the barrel and comes up with Simkins – probably one of his worst agents. Assigning Simkins with a handful of trainee agents – Crump, Honeybutt and Bind – the ragtag band set off to meet up with Agent Carstairs in Vienna.

Despite being made in the mid-sixties this Carry On film has more in common with those made early in the series (Teacher and Sergeant) more than it does with those made around the same time as it (Jack, Cruising, Cowboy). It is not just the black and white that made me think this but also the fact that the humour seems fresher and slicker than the heavy innuendo and crudity of the later films. Others have said this has more in common with Ealing than Carry On – they are wrong, but I can see what they mean because the light spy spoof is very much an early Carry On. The material isn't great though but it does produce easy and obvious comedy and those looking to just to fill a wet Sunday afternoon.

The cast make a big difference even though not all the regulars are present. Williams and Hawtrey are the most fun as both play up their camp characters to good effect – they both get the best lines as well. Windsor is pretty good as she isn't just used as an object. Cribbins was pretty dull I thought but Dale was good value in a small role. Additional support from Barker, Laye and a few others all helps. Overall a Carry On like they first made them; not brilliant but light fun.