Carry on Matron (1972)

A gang of thieves plan to make their fortune by stealing a shipment of contraceptive pills from Finisham maternity hospital. They assume disguises and infiltrate the hospital, but everything doesn't go according to plan.

Director:

Gerald Thomas

Writer:

Talbot Rothwell (screenplay)

Stars:

Sidney James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sidney James	...	Sid Carter
Kenneth Williams	...	Sir Bernard Cutting
Charles Hawtrey	...	Dr. Francis A. Goode
Joan Sims	...	Mrs. Tidey
Hattie Jacques	...	Matron
Bernard Bresslaw	...	Ernie Bragg
Kenneth Cope	...	Cyril Carter
Terry Scott	...	Dr. Prodd
Barbara Windsor	...	Nurse Susan Ball
Kenneth Connor	...	Mr. Tidey
Jacki Piper	...	Sister
Bill Maynard	...	Freddy
Patsy Rowlands	...	Evelyn Banks
Derek Francis	...	Arthur
Amelia Bayntun	...	Mrs. Jenkins

Storyline

A gang of thieves plan to make their fortune by stealing a shipment of contraceptive pills from Finisham maternity hospital. They assume disguises and infiltrate the hospital, but everything doesn't go according to plan. The hypochondriac consultant Sir Bernard Cutting, Matron and the doctors and nurses at Finisham have a habit of getting in the way.

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Plot Keywords:

nurse | carry on | robbery | gang | father | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

In a 2016 interview with the Carry On Blogging site, Madeleine Smith talked about how she got her role in this film. "When I got the part in Matron I was about to give up acting. I had a place to train to become a nurse at St Bartholomew's Hospital. However my father was very proud of the bits of acting work I had been getting and when he found out about Carry On Matron, he insisted I did it. It was a joy to make the Carry On, I was only there for half a day and gone before lunchtime which was a shame. The atmosphere on set was delightful and that was mainly down to the genius of director Gerald Thomas. He was such a nice man, genial with a sunny personality and loved making films and everyone he was with. Hattie and Barbara were really kind and easy to work with and the lovely Joan Sims was there too doing reaction shots to what the three of us were filming. Jacki Piper was also on set although I didn't do anything with her there. She is an adorable person, really lovely and a great friend."

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Goofs

When Cyril is at home having just put on the nurses uniform there is a sign behind him about using the telephone next to what appears to be a slot machine, the long shot has the sign totally uncovered but in close up part of the sign is obscured by the slot machine.

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Quotes

Matron: I'm a simple woman with simple tastes, and I want to be wooed!
Sir Bernard Cutting: Ooh, you can be as 'wude' as you like with me!

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Crazy Credits

Alternative Titles: "Womb at the Top" and "The Preggers Opera"

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Alternate Versions

Some prints have completely different music over the title sequence, particularly as the 'alternative titles' appear on the screen.

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Connections

Followed by Carry on Abroad (1972)

User Reviews

The Bun and Oven Wards are open at Finisham Maternity Hospital.

The 23rd film in the Carry On series and the fourth (and last) of the medical themed adventures. Sid Carter (Sid James) leads a gang of thieves who plan to break into Finisham Hospital and steal a load of contraceptive pills to sell abroad. But where are they kept? Sid decides to send his son Cyril (Kenneth Cope) in undercover disguised as a nurse...

They probably seem like cheap gags now, but much mirth is mined from the scenarios set up by a man undercover as a female nurse. Cue him having to share a room with a foxy babe (Babs Windsor), having to fight off the attentions of the randy Doctor Prodd (a brilliant film stealing Terry Scott) and him getting involved with medical issues he has no idea about (yikes this is a maternity hospital!). Elsewhere Joan Simms portrays a human eating machine that is three weeks over due, while her poor railway worker husband (Kenneth Connor great as always) goes insane in the waiting room. Kenneth Williams is the hypochondriac hospital manager and the wonderful Hattie Jacques gets great scenes in a film thats title and script acknowledges her work in the medical Carry On films.

Briskly paced by the ever reliable Gerald Thomas, "Matron" is one of the more likable and funny Carry On entries of the 70s. 7.5/10

Details

Official Sites:

Carry On Line

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 May 1972 (UK)

Also Known As:

Carry on Matron

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Rank Organisation, Peter Rogers Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1