After Khyber and Cleo this is probably the most famous Carry On of them all. Camping contains one of the strongest line-ups of the entire series; they are all to be found in prominent roles. The star of the Cary On’s as Peter Rogers never tires of saying is the title and not the line up, although for me England and Columbus put that theory to the wall. If Columbus had been done in the sixties and had been written by Talbot Rothwell then it would have been a damn site better than that mess! Anyway back to Camping, the plot revolves around the idea that three separate groups (and Charles Hawtrey) decide to go camping and end up at the same resort the famous Paradise Campsite.
The film starts with Sid Boggle (Sidney James) and Bernie Lug (Bernard Breslaw) watching a “Camping” film with their girlfriends Joan Fussey (Joan Sims) and Anthea. The film is actually about a naturist campsite, as Sid explains
“I’m making a note of all the equipment they’ve got”
“Yes, especially hers” replies Joan.
This sets up the idea to take the girls to the very same campsite to loosen them up a bit, only problem is that they have no idea where the campsite is located. They end up going to a camp shop in the hope of acquiring directions. It here we meet up with Charlie Muggins (Charles Hawtrey), well we meet up with his legs at first poking out of a tent alongside the far better legs of Valerie Leon (Please Sir, Don’t touch). When he confronts the manager he produces one of the best lines in the film:
“Such a splendid girl, you know she was showing me how to stick the pole up!”
I still laugh at that line every time!
The second group is that of poor old Peter Potter (Terry Scott) who is married to one of the most awful women on the planet in the shape of Harriet Potter (Betty Marsden) The opening dialogue between the two of them in the front room is used to indicate that camping is a regular experience, and not the one off as in the case of the others. It is clear that poor Peter has no wish to go on yet another dismal holiday with his drab and awful wife (how did he manage to put up with that laugh? I understand that love is blind but in his case it was most certainly deaf as well!). The best line is most definitely the final one;
Harriet: “we must remember to take a good supply of toilet paper this year. Remember what happened last time?”
Peter: “Yeah, we had nothing to write to your mother on”
The one scene that involves Terry Scott that is also worth mentioning for posterity is the scene with Elizabeth Knight, where he offers her a drink of whiskey, a cigarette which she refuses but says you can come back to my tent. I mention this as the ‘Sequel’, Cary on Abroad, features a revamped version of that sketch this time between Sid James and June Whitfield. In fact the whole Peter and Harriett Potter marriage can be transplanted over to Abroad with June and Kenneth taking over the roles with only minor character changes. In fact quite a few of the characters can be transplanted straight into abroad, Sid, Babs (although obviously know grown up!) and Charles Hawtrey (still a loner).
The third group is the one consisting of Dr Kenneth Soaper (Kenneth Williams) and the Matron Miss Haggard (Hattie Jaques, as this was the same character as the one found in doctor was her first name Lavinia? We are never told in the film?) In charge of Babs (Barbara Windsor) and co. the best scenes occur between Kenny Williams and Hattie in the film although this probably the weakest of the all the Doctor/Matron roles that they did together. Yet again poor Hattie is found suffering from unrequited love for the Doctor in her life. It seemed her lot in the majority of these films to suffer at the hands of the self-loving Kenny Williams. Only in Matron does she get the happy ending she truly deserves!
Well that’s introduced the groups, what about the film? This is just about the best in the Carry On series. From the beginning the strong cast are on top form with the best performance going to Terry Scott just heading out that wonderful team of Hattie and Ken. The only ‘A’ list Carry On star missing is Kenneth Conner, but even he isn’t missed. The jokes come thick and fast (oooer) and even if one gag fails the follow up seems to hit the spot. This makes for a truly great nostalgic piece of British comedy, the type of comedy that was really only made in Britain in the sixties. That is a wonderfully heady mix of nostalgia and pathos for the main characters. Each viewing brings with a renewed love for the film, this is in stark contrast to many of the more modern comedies.
The DVD version brings with it the bonus of a far superior sound, a very poor set of biographies (about twenty lines each) and the documentary ‘What’s a Carry On’. The DVD is certainly worth buying for any discerning Carry On fan, not only do you get an improved version of the original that wont wear out like the conventional VHS version but that improved soundtrack does make for a more pleasurable viewing experience.
Overall 10/10 - The best just got a whole lot better!!!
Written by Lee Price.