Carry on at Your Convenience (1971)

What A Carry On!

Carry On At Your Convenience (1971) drew a mixed response from critics and fans. Some fans claim that this is one of the very finest of the series, displaying the true spirit of the Carry On phemenon. The film however served as a disappointment in Box Office terms with it not nearly enjoying as much success as either Henry (1970) or Loving (1970). However this stands as one of the best of the 1970's Carry On and the usual roster of regulars (apart from Barbara Windsor and Kenneth Connor) are all present and evidently in high spirit.

Long time toilet manufacturers W.C Boggs & Son seems set to crumble as their union representative, Vic Spanner (Kenneth Cope), jumps on every possible excuse that crops up to call a strike. The company chairman Sid Plummer (Sid James) suggests that an annual outing to Brighton might be whats needed to boost work morale.

Of course there is no plot as such and the work outing scenes in Brighton could be described as something of a time-filler but it doesn't matter as there are so many laughs to be endured along the way it really doesn't matter and the cast are all top form. Sid James is his usual, double-dealing, rogue-like self who spends half his cash down at the bookies. Hattie Jaques puts in one of her funniest and most concentrated characterisations as a dowdy housewife who spends most of her time talking to a budgie who Sid discovers (much to his delight) can predict the winners in horse racing. Highly amusing stuff! The Brighton scenes work well and there is some lovely dialogue between Sid James and Joan Sims at the end of the trip where they blatantly comtemplate spending the night together but relent knowing full well that they'd be in trouble with their spouses if one of the neighbours was to see them. Also included are Kenneth Williams as Mr. Boggs, Charles Hawtrey in a small but amusing supporting role, Bernard Bresslaw in one of his more familiar characterisations, Patsy Rolands as Miss. Withering, Jaki Piper as the Canteen girl and daughter of Sid Plummer, Richard O' Callaghan as the pompous Lewis Boggs, Bill Maynard as Joan Sims husband and Renee Houston in a fantastic cameo as Vic Spanners ferocious, domineering mother. Her characterisation is used to great comic effect and her timing is impeccable. All in all a classic entry in the series and one that is highly recommended. November 4, 2002

Carry on Carrying on

A few Carry Ons (like "Emmanuelle", "Spying", "England" or "Behind") are forgettable, many are hilarious, a couple (like "Loving" and "Camping") are indispensible, but Carry On At Your Convenience ranks with Carry On Up the Khyber as being amongst the funniest movies that have ever been filmed anywhere in the world.
The actual story of a labour dispute that nearly sends a "bathroom ware" factory "down the pan" to the despair of its owner WC Boggs and his son Lou (what, no American cousin John, I hear you say?) would be funny in itself if it weren't a too-true-to-life story about what happened to most of British industry in the early 1970s, but the added spice of a gambling budgerigar, a motorcycle striptease, various rounds of strip poker, the most famous continuity error ever made (watch the scene as Lou in his MG Midget chases his girlfriend on the bus), coupled with some whimsical directing and powerful acting (in a Carry On film?!?) give this film a power that has (except maybe in "Khyber" and I will argue this with anybody) never been equalled anywhere else.
Add to this two of the classic moments of British screen - the scene with Sid and Joan Sims outside her house after the office outing that ranks as the most poignant moment ever seen in a Carry On film - and the union meeting in the factory canteen that is without doubt the funniest scene ever to have been filmed in the entire history of motion pictures, and you have a film that stands head and shoulders above almost any other comedy film that had been made up to that date.
If you don't have this film in your collection - well - you just aren't a comedy fan at all. Sorry! January 16, 2002

Hillarious Blast From the Past

Anyone who loves the 1970's and British comedies like a do will love this.A nostalgic journey into the past with delightful characters and non stop fun and side splitting laughter.

This one centers around a toilet factory , its incompetent management and a bolshy trade union-as well as all the asides which the whole crowd get us caught up in. October 9, 2001

GREAT FILM, LOUSY TRANSFER

As I was born and bred in the UK I have fond memories of growing up to the various Carry-On films. Now I reside in the USA I decided to do a search to see if any Carry-On films were available in NTSC format, and to my joy I found this movie. Joy turned to disgust when I actually sat down and watched it - the conversion process from PAL to NTSC looks like it has been performed in somebody's garden shed on second hand video editing equipment. The picture is fuzzy and the soundtrack hisses like a ruptured high=pressure steam pipe. This is a great movie, but the quality of the tape means that it is nearly unwatchable. Until someone decides to remaster these films onto DVD I will not buy another one. July 16, 2001

The quintessential Carry on.

I've always adored this movie which ranks as being one of the best Carry ons - definitely a favourite of mine. It cleverly satirises union strikes, sex education films and adult movies. Sid James is in top form as a factory worker, Jaques plays his dopey wife and Kenneth Williams his boss - WC Boggs! Patsy Rowlands has the films best line when the toiletware factory is about to close down: "What will happen to me. I've given my life to Boggs!" Interesting to see the English customs parodied in 1971 that have now, very sadly, "passed on" with most of the stars making the film seem all the more valuable and rare. February 1, 2000

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