Carry on Spying (1964)

A top secret chemical formula has been stolen by STENCH (the Society for the Total Extinction of Non-Conforming Humans), and so Agent Simpkins and his three trainees are hot on the trail, ... See full summary »

Director:

Gerald Thomas

Writers:

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

Stars:

Kenneth Williams, Barbara Windsor, Bernard Cribbins

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

A top secret chemical formula has been stolen by STENCH (the Society for the Total Extinction of Non-Conforming Humans), and so Agent Simpkins and his three trainees are hot on the trail, chasing the villains across the world. There are gadgets galore, and disguises are compulsory if the heroes are to win the day from The Fat Man, Dr Milchman and Dr Crow!

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Plot Keywords:

carry on | spy comedy | woman with a gun | cigarette smoking | woman wears underwear | 

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Taglines:

It's No Secret - Carry On Spying Takes The Lid Off Laughter! [UK Window Sheet]

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Official Sites:

Carry On Line

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1964 (Austria)

Also Known As:

Agent Oooh!

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Peter Rogers Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie spoofed the Ian Fleming spy and criminal organization acronym, such as SMERSH and SPECTRE from the James Bond films, and UNCLE from the movies and TV series. These acronym spoofs in this picture were BOSH, SNOG, SMUT and STENCH. Their meanings are as follows: BOSH: The British Operational Security Headquarters; SNOG: The Society for the Neutralisation of Germs; SMUT: The Society for the Monopoly of Universal Technology and STENCH: The Society for Total Extinction of Non-Conforming Humans.

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Goofs

When trying to escape from the STENCH HQ, the agents go through some large circular saws and Charles Hawtrey's suit trousers and jacket are both ripped. Yet in the next part of the sequence, just before they go through the jets of water, he turns around and his suit is undamaged.

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Quotes

[Harold Crump approaches Carstairs, in disguise as the filter tip bootlace salesman]
Harold Crump: I cannot smoke those, they make me deaf!

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Alternate Versions

A scene - apparently now lost - shows Agent Bind stopping to feed money into a fruit machine as the other recruits are escaping the fun house. It would seem that all existing prints of "Spying" now fade out just before this occurs but there is anecdotal evidence suggesting that this full version had been shown on British TV at least once during the 70s.

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Connections

Featured in The Paul O'Grady Show: Episode #8.10 (2008)

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Soundtracks

TOO LATE
by Alex Alstone and Geoffrey Parsons
Sung by Dilys Laye (uncredited)

User Reviews

CARRY ON SPYING (Gerald Thomas, 1964) ***

This is yet another popular (and good) entry in the "Carry On" series. Like JACK, CLEO and SCREAMING, it's a parody of a current film or fad – in its case the box-office sensation that were the James Bond extravaganzas (in fact, it was the first of innumerable spoofs/imitations of that long-running franchise). Kenneth Williams (complete with funny accent) is more or less at his best here; accompanying him are Barbara Windsor (this proved to be her series debut), Bernard Cribbins, Charles Hawtrey, Dilys Laye (as a femme fatale), Jim Dale (playing the gang's long-suffering contact man) and Eric Barker (as, what else, their superior).

While it cleverly features an androgynous villain (played by Judith Furse and voiced by John Bluthal), the film also lampoons earlier classic British thrillers – such as Hitchcock's 1930s efforts and THE THIRD MAN (1949). The action takes place in a variety of locales from a Viennese café to an Algerian harem; typical espionage elements are the gang's donning of various disguises to follow or elude enemy agents and the perilous train journey. By the way, the villains' headquarters are amusingly accessed via a public convenience – which also pays off with an inspired surreal ending. In a direct nod to the Bond model, we get silly acronyms for the various organizations involved (such as S.T.E.N.C.H., S.M.U.T., S.N.O.G., etc).