Review of Carry On Follow That Camel (Special Edition)

Introduction

When it comes to institutions of British Cinema, two franchises stand out from the rest of the crowd. The first is of course the perennial James Bond saga, but rivalling that in terms of cinema audiences and even more prolific were the Carry On films. When I was a child, the ribald postcard humour and cheeky innuendo of the Carry Ons was waning in favour of alternative comedy, but I could still appreciate the slapstick. Of course my parents were laughing at something else completely, and by the time I got those particular jokes, the Carry On series were a part of history, not including a disastrous attempt to resurrect the franchise with Carry On Columbus. Today, the Carry On movies still occupy a warm place in the hearts of many movie fans, and while the initial VCI release on DVD of the movies was less than well received, with incorrect aspect ratios and lacking extras, Carlton have dusted of the films once more and given them the proper care and attention to produce these Special Edition DVDs.

Bertram Oliphant West, Bo for short is the quintessential English gentleman. He is one of two suitors who court the attention of the fair Lady Jane Ponsonby. However his honour is called into question during a cricket match, and after suffering disgrace and indignity in front of his peers, he and his butler Simpson can do nothing else but join the Foreign Legion. Upon arriving in the desert they fall in with the unscrupulous Sergeant Nocker, who thanks to a little judiciously applied blackmail sees to West and Simpson`s welfare. Meanwhile, Lady Jane Ponsonby has learnt of the lies that have led to Bo`s disgrace and the innocent debutante sets off after him to bring him back home. She arrives no longer the innocent, but while looking for Bo she is drugged and kidnapped by the Riff leader, Abdul aBulBul who sees her as wife #13. Bo and Nocker are in similar straits when lured into a honey trap by the delectable belly dancer Corktip. When it becomes apparent that Fort Zuassentneuf is ripe for an attack by the Riffs, Commandant Burger and Captain Le Pice rally the troops and lead them into a gruelling march through the desert.

Video

While Carlton have done a commendable job on restoring the picture of many of the Carry Ons, the treatment given to Carry On Follow That Camel is unfortunately lacking. The transfer is ostensibly a 1.78:1 letterbox one, but it looks more like a 1.70:1 ratio, as when the picture is zoomed in you lose the top few lines of image. However the left hand side of the picture is cropped implying that a proper 1.78:1 ratio should be possible. The picture itself, once you get past the reduced resolution of the letterbox image is in splendid condition. The picture is sharp and well defined, with lush vibrant colours. There is quite a bit of print damage, the occasional bloom or scratch, but it`s never enough to detract from your enjoyment of the film. The beach at Camber Sands makes for a magnificent and effective stand in for the Sahara desert. Note that the subtitles are only legible in a 4:3 mode.

Audio

The sound is presented in a DD 2.0 mono English track and it is perfectly acceptable. The dialogue is clear and all the punch lines come through loud and clear. The music is the usual Carry On music as composed by Eric Rogers, this time with a hint of Eastern mystery.

Features

This time out the Carry On films get some decent extras, and Carry On Follow That Camel is no exception. The disc is packaged with some nice Carry On themed animated menus.

The trailer is quite a curiosity. It`s obvious the film was aimed for the US market, and titled Follow That Camel (dropping the Carry On moniker), the voiceover is in the American style and Phil Silvers is packaged as the star of the movie.

There is a stills gallery, which is in the form of a 2½-minute slideshow set to the films theme tune.

The Carry On Trivia is essentially the production notes regarding the making of Carry On Follow That Camel.

There is a 6½-minute interview with Phil Silvers, which is actually two monologues spliced together filmed at Camber Sands. The sound quality is a little off and Phil Silvers` delivery is a little dry and curiously repetitive.

It`s when you listen to the audio commentary that you learn that Phil Silvers at the time was suffering from short-term memory loss. In the form of an interview between Carry On Companion author Robert Ross and the star of the film Jim Dale, the audio commentary is quite interesting. Jim Dale isn`t the most voluble of commentators (ironic considering his contribution to the Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone disc) and he doesn`t say much leaving much of the technical commentary to Ross, but what he says is always worth listening to and he provides some interesting anecdotes. He is also very candid about the production.

Conclusion

Bilko joins the Foreign Legion and makes an entertaining movie along the way. Made in 1967, we haven`t quite reached the era of Carry On Smut, and there is some thought gone into the story and the production values. The period Carry Ons set in historical eras or based loosely on literary classics were always my favourites. Bearing a passing resemblance to Beau Geste, Follow That Camel has Bo West joining the Foreign Legion in an attempt to salve his honour. To me this film has a lot more in common with the classic Laurel and Hardy short, Beau Chumps with a very similar storyline.

The two fish out of water in this film are West and his butler Simpson, played by Jim Dale and Peter Butterworth. The classic joke of the quintessential stiff upper-lipped gent and his manservant in hostile climes is brilliantly enacted here with the phrase "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" never so appropriate. The fact that the two characters stubbornly keep their little piece of England alive even in the desert provides much of the humour. While Charles Hawtrey recycles his familiar character once again as Captain Le Pice (toilet jokes aplenty), Kenneth Williams gives a brilliant performance as the Germanic Commandant Burger. He truly adopts the manner of an arrogant martinet and it is a welcome change from the "Ooooh Matron!" that we know him best for. Another excellent performance comes from Bernard Bresslaw as the Arab leader, Abdul aBulbul. He really takes on the mannerisms and persona of a sheikh well and it`s easy to forget the brown makeup in his portrayal. The Carry On cast were seasoned performers capable of a wide range of parts, however the Carry On movies stereotyped them and we associate them with the caricatures they most often portrayed. New to the Carry On team and a futile attempt to reach an American market was Phil Silvers as Sergeant Nocker. It really is Bilko in the desert, complete with the trademark spectacles, but it`s no bad thing as he provides laughs aplenty as the unscrupulous sergeant. Joan Sims has a brief but expressive role as ZigZig (and inspired a Spice girls tune) and Angela Douglas is good as the love interest Lady Jane.

The Carry On movies aren`t ever going to be classics of modern cinema, and they may not be to everyone`s taste, but when they are done well, they are great entertainment. Carry On Follow That Camel is done very well indeed and is one of the best. The humour is general and the script is witty and sharp, I love Peter Butterworth`s unique way of incapacitating an unsuspecting Riff and the invocation of the prophet Mustafa Leak is always worthy of a chuckle. For die-hard Carry On fans there is the required saucy humour, but it isn`t just limited to that. It`s just a shame about the letterbox transfer.