'Carry On' Quizzing

Answer: Carry On Sergeant

'Carry On Sergeant' may have been the first 'Carry On' film, but it was virtually a film version of the already successful tv show 'The Army Game' which had starred, among others, William Hartnell (the sergeant in 'Carry On Sergeant'), and 'Carry On' stalwart Charles Hawtrey.
'Carry on Nurse' was number two in the series; 'Carry On Cruising' the first in colour; and 'Carry On Columbus' the last.

Answer: Carry on Loving

In 'Carry On Loving', the fantastic Sid James played Sidney Bliss, one of six times he played a character called Sid in the series of films. 'Carry on Nurse' was before Sid's time with the 'rogue' character played by the rakish Leslie Phillips (the voice of the sorting hat in 'Harry Potter').

In 'Carry On Abroad' Sid played the character Vic Flange, and in 'Carry on Dick' he played the eponymous highwayman and village priest.

Answer: Frankie Howerd

It was the fantastic Frankie Howerd (watch out for my next quiz on 'Up Pompeii') who appeared in these two films. Eric Sykes had a renowned comedy double act with 'Carry On' regular Hattie Jacques but never appeared in the films. Nor did Tony Hancock, whose famous show 'Hancock's Half Hour' regularly featured Sid James and Kenneth Williams. 'Rambling' Syd Rumpo was a comedy yokel character played by Kenneth Williams on the radio comedy 'Round the Horne'.

Answer: Carry On Cleo

A truly spectacular film, 'Carry On Cleo' was partially filmed on the set of the Elizabeth Taylor spectacular 'Cleopatra' giving the normally slightly cheap looking 'Carry On' formula a Hollywood polish. The plot centred around the capture of two British tribesmen (Jim Dale and Kenneth Connor) and their ensuing involvement in Roman high society, especially the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar (Kenneth Williams).

The role of Cleopatra was taken by a young Amanda Barrie who went on to famously star as Alma in the British soap 'Coronation Street'.

Answer: Barbara Windsor

Yes it's true, Babs only starred in eleven of the 'Carry Ons', compared to Hattie Jacques' fourteen appearances, and Joan Sims' huge twenty-four films. Patsy Rowlands also appeared in nine films, the same as Babs, but I hope I don't cause offence by saying that although a fine comic actress, she never embodied the films in quite the way that Babs did.

Answer: To make the 'Carry Ons' more relevant to a US audience

Phil Silvers played a very 'Bilko'ish character in 'Carry On Follow That Camel', and so it is possible that there was an element of cashing in, however the principal reason was an attempt to export this very British form of comedy to our cousins 'stateside'; fairly unsuccessfully in the end.

The plot of 'Carry on Follow that Camel' sees an upper class English gent (Jim Dale) and his batman (Peter Butterworth) joining the French Foreign Legion after committing a social gaffe during a game of cricket.

The fort is run by the incompetent Commandant Burger (Kenneth Williams) and an equally incompetent force of soldiers. After the fort is besieged by Sheikh Abdul Abulbul (Bernard Bresslaw) and his Bedouin warriors it falls to the arrival of the principal character's girlfriend (Angela Douglas) to save the day.

Answer: Carry On Up The Khyber

A personal favourite, I'd agree that 'Carry On Up The Khyber' deserves a place in the top ten of all time, containing a beautiful lampoon of British colonialism, while always keeping the tone comical enough to avoid saying anything political, especially as the end of the Raj was still a living memory for some at the time.

Answer: On stage in Sunderland

Yes, fittingly for someone so loved by the public, Sid bowed out on stage at the Empire Theatre in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear in northern England; he was declared dead in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Some years later veteran English comedian Les Dawson used the same dressing room as Sid had on that fateful night, and when he took to the stage he was visibly shaken and pale.

He refused to tell anyone what he'd seen and never went back to perform in Sunderland.

Answer: Frankie Howerd

Sadly, Frankie was cast to play the King Ferdinand of Spain alongside June Whitfield's Queen Isabella but passed away shortly before the film was made, his role falling to Leslie Phillips. Jack Douglas, a very underrated comedy character actor, along with 'Carry On' favourite Jim Dale, were the two saving graces of this bad mistake of a film.
The decision to revive the 'Carry On' formula with modern comedians resulted in an unfunny and in places offensive hour and a half that has none of the cheeky charm of the heyday 'Carry Ons'.

Answer: Carry On London

Yes it's true (if you weren't aware) the 'Carry Ons' did not die as a franchise with 'Carry On Columbus'. Among die hard 'Carry On' fans the feeling seems to be that there was no need to do another as the magic of the early films cannot be recaptured, but only time will tell.
I hope you enjoyed my first quiz and thanks for playing.