Search - Carry On Spying on DVD

Content Advisory: Suitable for Children Movie Release: 1964 Format: DVD SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 28 mins Studio: Blue Jackel Members Wishing: 2 Genres: Comedy, Parody/Spoof, Spy Comedy

Britain's long-running (some would say interminable) series of "Carry On" comedies managed to satirize virtually every film genre ever conceived over three decades. Since espionage dramas were hot in 1964, it was inevitable that the unwary world would be treated to Carry on Spying. The "maguffin" in this yarn is the top-secret Formula X, which has been pilfered by that insidious organization S.T.E.N.C.H. (Society for Total Extinction of Non-Existent Humans). Enter the heroes, the men and women of British Operational Security--better known as B.O.S.H. The good guys are understaffed, thus novice agent Kenneth Williams is put in charge of smashing the evil machinations of Dr. Crow (Judith Furse) and The Fat Man (Eric Pohlmann). The level of wit in Carry on Spying is sustained by the character name of leading lady Barbara Windsor, who plays the delectable Daphne Honeybutt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Kenny Williams - Desmond Simkins
Bernard Cribbins - Harold Crump
Charles Hawtrey - Charlie Bind
Barbara Windsor - Daphne Honeybutt
Eric Pohlmann - The Fat Man

Gerald Thomas' Carry on Spying (1964) arrives on home video courtesy of Studio Canal in a basic but nicely done edition, letterboxed to the standard European non-anamorphic aspect ratio of 1.66:1. The latter frames the action perfectly, keeping the focus tightly on the sight gags, which are so ubiquitous that they do occasionally run out of steam -- but not without showing off a lot of excruciatingly funny moments. The movie is a compendium of slapstick and music-hall humor tailored to the needs of the plot, which is a general send-up of spy movies and thrillers, including From Russia With Love and The Third Man. The transfer is very clean and a match for the sharpness of any other British black-and-white movie of the period, with good audio fidelity as well. That greatly adds to the impact of the funniest single scene in the movie, a brilliant play on The Third Man which comes up 15 minutes in, complete with zither music. The movie has been given 20 chapters, more than adequate for the 88-minute running time. The disc opens automatically on a simple two-selection menu with the "play" option in the default position. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide