Carry on Spying

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.

Although not "Carry On" at it's best, this is a very entertaining addition to the series. Although touted as a Bond spoof this has much more in common with British spy movies of the 40's - "The Third Man" is often referenced. Only at the end do we get the Bond-esque action, and this is where it all goes wrong. The climatic sequence is not only very silly (even by Carry On standards) but also lazy. Barbara Windsor makes her series debut here and is a joy to watch. Williams does his "silly man" character from the Hancock shows rather than the usual "Snide" persona, and Bernard Cribbins is as loveable as always. If you want a James Bond spoof or a classic Carry On, don't come here. If you want a silly comedy in the Ealing Studios vein then this might well be your cup of tea.

I cannot believe at the time of writing this review this film has an average of 6.2, this is a 9 surely. Over 50 years on this remains a hilarious James Bond spoof. Banned from using characters from the James Bond franchise, Gerald Thomas creates Agent Charlie bind, 00-0. Kenneth Williams leads a team of British spies who must take on the STENCH criminals and capture the stolen formula of Professor Stark, who was blown up by the Milk man at the start. Spying stands out from the other early Carry on films by being very camp, Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey are on fine form. Barbara Windsor has just finished playing Gloria in the Rag Trade, she makes a great start to her legendary Carry on career, by playing Daphne Honeybutt, although it would be 3 years before she'd return as Sandra May in Carry on Doctor. Dilys Laye is gorgeous in this film and is uncredited for singing The Magic of love, but it was actually her voice. A real feel good film, and one that will make all the family smile.

A grown man shouldn't really be discussing a 'Carry On' film, but this has always been my personal favourite; and the series soon went into a precipitous decline after the franchise was taken over by Rank in 1966.

It actually rewards knowledge of classic adventure films of the forties like 'The Maltese Falcon' and 'The Third Man', both referenced by the presence of Eric Pohlmann - since he is referred to as 'The Fat Man' and was actually in 'The Third Man (not to mention having recently voiced Blofeld in 'From Russia with Love'); and has some genuinely witty dialogue (such as "Was it - THEM?" "Well it certainly wasn't - US!!" and "So you knew my father!!"). There's even a little mild satire, such as the Russian-accented cipher clerk played by Gerton (sic) Klauber squinting at an intercepted message as he reads it aloud to the head of MI5, and the sign on their table that greets our heroes in a Viennese restaurant reading 'Reserved for Party of British Agents'.

Cameraman Alan Hume actually graduated to the James Bond series. The opening sequence beginning with Victor Maddern driving up to the north entrance of Pinewood Studios anticipates that of 'Get Smart!', while the finale at STENCH headquarters is well worth the wait. Embellished with atmospheric music from Eric Rogers, presided over by the memorably strange Dr. Crow and staffed by stern henchwomen dressed like Modesty Blaise, (SPOILER COMING:) it obligingly has a prominently displayed panel for blowing the place up like the lever in Frankenstein's laboratory at the end of 'Bride of Frankenstein'.

Richard Wattis did three days work on this; his one and only 'Carry On'. Liz Fraser had sadly just left the series, and her replacement by Barbara Windsor (although playing a genius with a photographic memory) showed the series was coarsening. But Dilys Laye compensates by providing a memorable dragon lady.

RANKING: The only "old style" black and white one to be in the top ten. What makes this stand out is it's got an actual plot. Unlike the later ones which relyied on our familiarity with the characters so much so that they could be just a series of smutty jokes, this one has a proper story - albeit a very, very silly one. Although it is a black and white one, it is NOT from the early batch of Norman Hudis films (which are not funny). No, this is a proper Talbot Rothwell picture who wrote virtually all of them from 1963 onwards...and being one of his first, the jokes are fresh!

TYPICAL: Kenneth Williams plays the role Kenneth Williams always played in the early sixties whether in film, TV or radio, particularly in HANCOCK'S HALF HOUR - and he's never been better or funnier than in this.

But is it a typical Carry On Film? No, definitely not. This is more of a James Bond spoof than what people would consider to be a Carry On film. The humour isn't that bawdy seaside postcard style which developed later on but there are a few saucy double entendres to give us a taste of things to come. The humour in this is more akin to the type of silly schoolboy humour you would have heard in the radio comedies of the late fifties and early sixties so if you're a fan of Hancock, Round The Horn and all that sort of stuff, you will definitely love this.

Don't however expect a parody in the classy style of CASINO ROYALE (1967) or AUSTIN POWERS, this makes AUSTIN POWERS seem like Chekhov.

SEXY LADIES: This was made before that factor became an absolute essential ingredient. Nevertheless, Barbara Windsor is quite cute and it doesn't matter in something like this that she hadn't really learned how to act yet.