Carry On Up the Khyber (1968)
Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond looks after the British outpost near the Khybar pass. Protected by the kilted Third Foot and Mouth regiment, you would think they were safe, but the Khazi of Kalabar has other ideas—he wants all the British dead. But his troops fear the 'skirted-devils, who are rumoured not to wear any underwear.
Watch Trailer
Cast
Similar titles
Reviews
One must wonder what Winston Churchill thought of Carry On...Up The Khyber as he took the possession that Great Britain had over India as a rather serious affair. No doubt he read a whole lot of pulp fiction about the British army in India and did serve their for a spell as a young man.For those in the British public who were enamored of British Imperialism this might not be their kind of film. But those who like a few chuckles and an occasional belly laugh will appreciate the satire of those pulp fiction stories that Carry On...Up The Khyber spoofs.Sid James is the territorial governor of that northwest most part of India that contains the Khyber Pass which for about a century was most critical for the British in India to hold whether the natives objected or not. The 33rd Foot and Mouth Highland regiment guards the pass, known to one and all as the 'devils in skirts'.Through the misadventures of Private Charles Hawtrey it is revealed that this regiment is not so tough after all because they do wear an undergarment under those kilts That's enough for the local rajah Kenneth Williams to rouse the locals to take up arms against the British and once again they fight with their backs to the wall.As you can see this is loaded with innuendo and a few very specific jokes that Hollywood wasn't as eager to deal with as the Carry On troupe was. Another good one from the Carry On folks.
The Carry On series had many ups and downs, but this offering is the best of the entire series and a fantastic comedy in its own right. The jokes come fast and often and the overall quality of the film is apparent. This is the perfect Carry On line up too, Sid James, Kenneth Williams lead the cast which includes Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Terry Scott, Bernard Bresslaw and Peter Butterworth, all of whom are at the peak of their craft. The addition of Roy Castle to the cast as the heroic lead is perfect and the sets and set pieces are great.The story, which is one of the most coherent, is set during the British occupation of India during the reign of Queen Victoria. Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond (Sid James) is thrust into the middle of a plot to reveal the feared 'Devils in Skirts' the British army who traditionally wear nothing under their kilts as underwear wearing oppressors by the Khasi of Kalabar (a deliciously sneering Kenneth Williams) who intends to start a revolution and end Sir Sidney's cushy job. Stiff upper lips, cross dressing, randy missionaries, stolen underwear and a final brilliant dinner scene in the midst of a full scale revolt showcase the reason that the Carry On Series and not Monty Python is the best representation of British comedy at its finest.Take a tea break and check out this comedy gem from the bosom of the British Empire.
This was one of the most successful Carry-on films. Although the setting (the late days of British rule in India) might have been thought provocative, the sheer unreality of events and deliberately self-deprecatory humour would be guaranteed to defuse any arguments over the subject.One of the secrets of success of the Carry-on films was their mixing of "straight" acting and quotes with absurd situations. The formal dinner scene at the Residency as it is reduced to rubble by the Khasi of Kalabar's artillery is perhaps the longest and most memorable of these sequences.The straight-acting "farcical" scenes are probably funnier than some of the more contrived comedy sequences, although the film has its share of memorably quotable one-liners.There were remarkable performances by British comedians Roy Castle in his only Carry-on appearance, and Terry Scott, who had previously had only a cameo appearance in "Carry on Sergeant".
This film appeals on a lot of levels and is best enjoyed by people who enjoy British humour without political correctness. The best of the carry on films it has slapstick, one liners and some superb acting. Sid James is truly inspired as is Joan Sims.Peter Butterworth is all that a cynic might want of a preacher and Kenneth Williams and Bernie Bresslaw make the two most unlikely Asians in Cinema history.As a pastiche on the Korda films etc it is peerless, and who would guess it was shot in Wales!If you only watch one Carry On film, this is the one to watch.