Carry on Pimpernel (1966) Don't Lose Your Head (original title)

Director:

Gerald Thomas

Writer:

Talbot Rothwell (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 December 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy

Tagline:

Carry On laughing until you have hysterics, but...Don't Lose Your Head!

Plot:

The time of the French revolution, and Citizen Robespierre is beheading the French aristocracy. When word gets to England...

Plot Keywords:

French Revolution | Sequel | Historical Fiction | Scarlet Pimpernel | Carry On

Cast

Sid James	...	Sir Rodney Ffing / The Black Fingernail (as Sidney James)
Kenneth Williams	...	Citizen Camembert
Jim Dale	...	Lord Darcy Pue
Charles Hawtrey	...	Duc de Pommfrit
Peter Butterworth	...	Citizen Bidet
Joan Sims	...	Désirée Dubarry
Dany Robin	...	Jacqueline
Peter Gilmore	...	Citizen Robespierre
Marianne Stone	...	Landlady
Michael Ward	...	Henri
Leon Greene	...	Malabonce
David Davenport	...	Sergeant
Richard Shaw	...	Captain of Soldiers
Valerie Van Ost	...	Second Lady / Girl at Execution
Jennifer Clulow	...	First Lady
Jacqueline Pearce	...	Third Lady
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patrick Allen	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Ronnie Brody	...	Little Man (uncredited)
June Cooper	...	Girl (uncredited)
Billy Cornelius	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Monika Dietrich	...	Girl (uncredited)
Hugh Futcher	...	Guard (uncredited)
Joan Ingram	...	Bald-headed Dowager (uncredited)
Penny Keen	...	Girl (uncredited)
Diana MacNamara	...	Princess Stephanie (uncredited)
Elspeth March	...	Lady Binder (uncredited)
Michael Nightingale	...	'What locket?' Man (uncredited)
Julian Orchard	...	Rake (uncredited)
Christine Pryor	...	Girl (uncredited)
Nikki Van der Zyl	...	Messenger (uncredited)
Anna Willoughby	...	Girl (uncredited)
Karen Young	...	Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Gerald Thomas

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Talbot Rothwell		screenplay

Produced by
Peter Rogers	....	producer

Original Music by
Eric Rogers

Cinematography by
Alan Hume		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Rod Nelson-Keys		(as Rod Keys)

Casting by
Weston Drury Jr.		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Lionel Couch

Makeup Department
Stella Rivers	....	hair stylist
Geoffrey Rodway	....	makeup artist
John Wilcox	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Jack Swinburne	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Causey	....	assistant director

Art Department
John Chisholm	....	props (uncredited)
Arthur Taksen	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Gilbert Wood	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ken Barker	....	sound recordist
Dudley Messenger	....	sound recordist
Wally Nelson	....	sound editor (as W. Nelson)
Danny Daniel	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Graham V. Hartstone	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Peter Diamond	....	stunts (uncredited)
Diana MacNamara	....	stunt double: Duc De Pommfrit (uncredited)
Nikki Van der Zyl	....	stunt performer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James Devis	....	camera operator
Bert Bosher	....	chief electrician (uncredited)
Steve Claydon	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Harry Gillard	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Emma Selby-Walker	....	costumes

Music Department
Eric Rogers	....	musical director

Other crew
Rita Davison	....	continuity
Terry Gilbert	....	choreographer
Jeremy Taylor	....	horse master
Bob Anderson	....	fight arranger (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Adder

Distributors

• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1966) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1967) (Canada) (theatrical)
• AmCo Movie (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Carlton Visual Entertainment (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• VCI Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Collection International (1987) (UK) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"Don't Lose Your Head" - UK (original title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | Iceland:L | Australia:M | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Germany:12 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Adder

Trivia:

Jim Dale spoke out about the poor working conditions on the set, producer Peter Rogers was furious.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The modern road leading to the Chateau.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator:Paris, 1789. The Great Revolution has begun. The hands of the masses are smeared with the blood of the poor bleeding aristocracy. Every day the tumbrels run a regular half-hour service between the Bastille and the many guillotines around the city. The growing mounds of noble heads are only matched by the growing mounds of unused return tickets...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "QI: Cheating (#3.4)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Don't Lose Your Head

A Black Fingernail determined not to become a hanging fingernail.

This time around the Carry On team put their comedic spin on the French Revolution, of all things, and the result is a movie that's up there with the very best of the franchise.

Sid James is The Black Fingernail when he rescues those about to meet le guillotine and Sir Rodney Ffing when he is mixing in polite society. He's aided and abetted by Lord Darcy Pue (Jim Dale) and, together, the daring duo always manage to upset the French authorities while also staying one step ahead of the game. Citizen Camambert (Kenneth Williams) and Citizen Bidet (Peter Butterworth) are the men tasked to bring The Black Fingernail's antics to an end but that's no easy feat.

Gerald Thomas is in the director's chair, as usual, and Talbot Rothwell is on scripting duties so there's nothing radically different here. As well as the regulars mentioned above we get Charles Hawtrey as the effete Duc De Pommfrit and Joan Sims playing Desiree Dubarry. Despite some of the other regulars being missing this time around you never really notice anything lacking because this film is so packed with great wit, farcical moments and a mix of swashbuckling nonsense and energy that puts the later, and slightly similar, Carry On Dick to absolute shame.

One of the very best Carry Ons from, arguably, their peak period. Even if you dislike some of the other entries in the series you should have some fun with this one.