Carry On Screaming! (1966)

Most fans of the CARRY ON films choose either CLEO or UP THE KHYBER as their favourite. I'm not really a fan of either of those entries, tending to prefer mostly the later films such as ABROAD, BEHIND and AT YOUR CONVENIENCE. But CARRY ON SCREAMING is the best one by far in my opinion.No one expects much of a plot when watching a CARRY ON film but here goes - a number of young girls who frequent a park with their boyfriends disappear and nearby a mad scientist and his sister are making mannequins and selling them to clothing shops as models for the shop window. Could there be a connection? You bet there is. But watch the film as I don't want to spoil what happens, suffice to say that on this flimsy plot, a great many funny scenes and set-pieces emerge and the result is simply hilarious.The film is regarded as a spoof of Hammer horror films but at times feels more like it's poking fun at old dark house films, with its inclusion of the creepy butler for example, played to perfection by the late, great Bernard Bresslaw.Harry H Corbett is the star of the film and let's be honest and say this is his CARRY ON film. For the producers, it was just an excuse to get him playing his famous character, Harold Steptoe, on the big screen. But Corbett really relishes every minute of every scene he's in, his character going through quite a few hilarious escapades.Corbett's comic timing, as is that of his co-stars, is quite simply spot on, and it's delightful - truly delightful in fact - to watch these great actors do their craft. Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Peter Butterworth and many others, are all at the top of their game here as the innuendos and witty puns are rolled off their tongues in this well-paced laugh riot. There's something very beautiful about it all, but I can't really find the right words to describe it. It's all very British that's for sure.The song that plays over the opening credits is delightfully catchy and part of the charm of this wonderful film.SCREAMING was the first CARRY ON film I saw around 1995 and it remains the best by far in my opinion. The series has a whole is immensely enjoyable and re-runs of the many films will continue for a long time to come I'm sure since these films may age but their fun factor is timeless.

Carry on Screaming was regular viewing as I was growing up and I have long remembered it with fondness as one of the films instrumental in kick-starting my lifelong obsessions with Gothic horror and camp comedy. Unfortunately, a recent re-watch has left me feeling a little let down: while the film certainly features some memorable moments and characters (best of all being Fenella Fielding's Elvira-style vamp Valeria), the film isn't anywhere near as funny or as creepy as I seemed to recall.Admittedly, I was much easier to frighten as a kid, and I was no longer expecting to be scared by the film's monsters (the delightfully daft Oddbod and Oddbod Junior), but I was hoping for a good laugh. Sadly, the comedy here isn't up to scratch, the jokes either too stale or not suggestive enough to be genuinely hilarious, and with the notable absence of series stalwarts Sid James and Babs Windsor also detracting from the fun, this one just doesn't possess that special Carry On magic.

With its corny gags and ridiculously funny one-liners, Carry On Screaming has to be one of the best films i saw as a child. It started my love affair with the Carry On series, which to this day remain as funny as when they were made. The casting was superb, with Harry H. Corbett hamming it up wonderfully as the bumbling Bung, Fenella Fielding bringing camp glamour to the proceedings as Valeria Watt and, of course, Kenneth Williams in his most memorable Carry On role as the ghoulish Dr. Orlando Watt. The whole cast seem to be enjoying themselves immensely, especially during the last part of the film. Even now, when i watch it, i have a grin on my face that stretches from ear to ear. This is the perfect film for first-time viewers of the carry on films, young or old.

One of the better films of the Carry On series, the film spoofs the typical horror films of the 1960s quite well, and there is a great feel of the Gothic to it, thanks to apt costumes and sets. It is still overly silly as is usual for an entry in the series, and there are silly sound effects and some lame jokes that bring it down. However, there are quite a few good gags to make up for those that do not work, and the team receives great assistance from Fenella Fielding this time, who is perfectly cast as a vampire like seductress. The film also has some good makeup work, and the title song, sung by Jim Dale, fits in well.