Search - Carry on Cowboy/Carry on Screaming on DVD

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ianphillips@uk.dreamcast.com | BOLTON, LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND | 10/30/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Carry On Cowboy was one of directors' Gerald Thomas' favourite Carry On film. Unlike most other Carry On films there is a more gritty, hard-edged realism to it and is certainly the darkest and most violent Carry On film. The story is set in Stodge City which lies in the heart of the Wild West. Its there where Rumpo Kid (played brilliantly by Sid James) and his gang terrorise the local community. Desperate to bring his violent reign to an end, Judge Burke (a fine performance from Kenneth Williams) sends for a sheriff but through a misunderstanding ends up with a useless, accident-prone sanitary engineer. The appropriatley named Marshall P.Knutt (a fine comic turn from Jim Dale) has been told to clean up Stodge City only when he arrives little does he realise its not to clean out blocked up drains. Help is at hand though with a characteur of Annie Oakley (Angela douglas) who is out to avenge her fathers murderer who just happens to be the Rumpo kid. Joan Sims (who also said that this was her favourite Carry On) has an excellent role in this one, playing a brassy, Mae West type character who succumbs easily to Sid James cocky charm, whilst Charles hawtrey and Bernard Bresslaw also give essential and effective supporting roles. The film is fast paced, packed with a roller-coaster dialogue, elaborate sets that captures the mood and era effectivley and surprisingly beleavable American accents from the cast. A classic!The series was in its prime here as the next entry proved! Carry On Screaming is a hilarious take on the horror genre that remains consistently amusing throughout. Whilst in the woods enjoying an amorous evening with his girlfriend, Albert (Jim Dale) is suddenly forced to go the police after his beloved Doris (Angela Douglas) goes missing. All thats left in her place is a severed hairy finger. Detective Sergeant Bung (Harry H. Corbett) and his bumbling assistant Slobotham (Peter Butterworth) are on the case and are soon knocking on the door of the mysterious Dr. Watt (Kenneth Williams) and his ravishing sister Valerie (Fenella Fielding). It all becomes obvious that Dr. Watt is kidnapping young women, immersing them in wax and turning them into shop window dummies - but thats not before Bung is lured under Valeries spell. The film is fun from the word go and still stands well today. Joan Sims also makes a starring apperance in the film as Bungs, vase-throwing, hen-pecking wife. One of the funniest scenes in the film is where Bung returns home as a werewolf, following a potion Valerie had tricked him into drinking. Joan Sims character is too busy nagging and shouting to actually even notice that her husband had been turned into a werewolf. Amusing stuff. Another classic in the series and certainly amongst the best!"