Rent Carry on Nurse (1959)

An Absolute Comedy Treat - Carry on Nurse review by GI

After the success of Carry On Sergeant (1958) this sequel of sorts was made and proved even more popular (surprisingly in the US too). Both dealt with British institutions the first being National Service and the Army, and this second film the National Health Service. Like all public sector bodies at the time the NHS was run on a basic military style set up with ranks, discipline and an authoritarian structure. Carry On Nurse is, for the most part, a subtle comedy of manners, it does move from satire into farce at one point but mostly this is a film that draws humour from the institution and it's a film that nostalgically shows what going into hospital was like in the 1950s. Set entirely on a male surgical ward the film gives snapshots of British society especially the issues of class and the lives of ordinary folk in the scenes of visiting hours. The various couples each being very sharply drawn characters. The staff are exemplified by the hard pressed nurses (including Joan Sims in her first 'Carry On' - she eventually appeared in more of them than anyone else) and by the fearsome Matron (Hattie Jacques), whose rounds cause utter panic amongst staff and patients alike. Many of the actors from the first film return including Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, Shirley Eaton and Terence Longdon (an actor often forgotten but one who appeared in many films and TV throughout the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s). This is a great comedy film that deserves a modern audience. From this the series was launched and viewed today it's a joy, with romance, fun and some, for the time, risqué stuff including a scene involving a daffodil!