Carry On Loving (1970)

Watch this after "CO Up The Jungle" and you will see what I mean. That film came just before this one, and was replete with those tiresome tit-ogling genre sequences that saw the COs decline in quality. The popularity of "CO Camping" probably pushed things in the wrong direction, re. BW's popular scene...well it is about making a buck, which inevitably trumps quality. The double entendres in this one work a bit better, thanks largely to the presence of Hattie Jacques, whose chemistry with Sid James also worked well in "Carry On Cabby". Joan Sims is good in her usual put-upon woman role. KW and CH are as funny as always. The newer faces actually provide some variety to the proceedings, as opposed to those in "Convenience". The two couples are cute. Everything seems to skirt the edge of bad taste and tiredness here, which cannot not be said for later entries. Just relax and enjoy, what's so horrible about cute? It's better than stale...

As the 1970s arrived the era of fairly innocent Carry On films has gone. Sex isn't just hinted at it is the driving force of the story. Sid James and Hattie Jacques run the 'Wedded Bliss' dating agency where prospective couples are matched using the latest in computer technology… at least that is what the customers are led to believe; in reality Sid puts the completed forms in the slot and it goes through to the back room where Hattie puts a form for the opposite sex in another slot. Unsurprisingly the agency doesn't have the best result; at least not the way they intend. One innocent young man goes out with the wrong woman after she mistakes him for the photographer who is due to take racy pictures of her and another finds himself at the house of a girl whose family are about as much fun as a funeral… of course when he bumps into her again when she has become a glamorous model things are different! Other jokes include Joan Sims wrestler boy friend who gets very jealous of any man who gets near her and a marriage guidance councillor who is told he must get married himself if he is to keep his job. There was also a nice running gag where characters kept bumping into an amorous couple; they had nothing to do with the plot but provided a chuckle.I didn't expect this to all that good as most later Carry On films are comparatively weak; thankfully it wasn't that bad; indeed it had far more laughs than I'd expected. Sid James did a good job as Sidney Bliss, manager of the agency and Hattie Jacques was fine as his partner Sophie. Kenneth Williams was somewhat underused as the marriage guidance councillor although his character did have a very funny scene alongside Joan Sims, who was also rather good in this. The rest of the team did good enough jobs as did those who aren't regular Carry On actors; in particular Richard O'Callaghan, who plays the young man looking for his first girlfriend... although he is nowhere near as good as Jim Dale who'd typically be given this role before he left the series. Over all this was far from the worst in the series even though it isn't a contender for the best… not by quite a way; if you are a fan of the series it is worth watching although some parents might find it far less suitable for children than the earlier films.

This is a good film.It is taking a storyline about love and sex but its not bad.Sid is as magical as ever as Sidney Bliss the owner of the wedded Bliss agency with his partner Sophie Plummet( Hattie Jacques).Imogen Hassle makes her only Carry on appearance as Jenny Grub a charming girl under the thumb of old fashioned parents.Terry Scott has his eyes on her and they soon hit it off. Joan Sims is good as Esme Crowfoot one of Sids clients who he has a eye for.Bernie is Gripper a wrestler Esme Crowfoots partner.This is funny but not really Bernie in my opinion.Richard O Callaghan makes his second appearance as Bertram Muffet.Jackie Piper stars as Sally Martin.Kenneth Williams is Percival Snooper an eccentric marriage guidance counsellor. Charles Hawtrey is James Bedsop a spy who Hattie is paying to spy in Sid. This is one of the gangs finest performances its not hard to see why the food fight at the end is classic.Everyone is enjoying themselves. 10/10

"Carry On Loving" was repeated on television on the most appropriate day - St. Valentine's Day. I had never seen this addition to the series before and was looking forward to seeing it as it was on very late on a Friday night. It was standard "Carry On" fare, but a little disappointing.A group of "lonely hearts" try their luck at the Wedded Bliss Computer Dating Agency - run by the ever-enterprising Sid James and his battleaxe wife Hattie Jacques. The film suffers from loss of the usual humour and the stalwarts lose their importance due to the woefully inadequate screen time spent on the "happy couples" - Terry Scott and Imogen Hassall and Richard O' Callaghan and Jacki Piper.There are fine performances from everyone including Charles Hawtrey as an inept private detective with very limited importance, Joan Sims as Sid's bit-on-the-side, Kenneth Williams as an UNMARRIED marriage guidance councillor and Bernard Bresslaw as the manic pro-wrestler Gripper Burke, not forgetting some delightful cameos from Peter Butterworth, Patsy Rowlands, Bill Maynard, Julian Holloway, Joan Hickson and Bill Pertwee.Overall, a good "Carry On" film, but not a great one. If you have never seen a "Carry On" film before, try watching something earlier such as "Carry On Cowboy" or "Carry On Up the Khyber" etc, then watch this, but be warned, Charles Hawtrey, Bernard Bresslaw and Peter Butterworth are sadly under-used.7 out of 10.