Rent Carry on Sergeant (1958)

Classic British Comedy - Carry on Sergeant review by GI

The first in what later became the famous British comedy series although it was only after the box office popularity of this film and the following one, Carry On Nurse (1959), that the further films were planned using the 'Carry On' label. British film comedy has a rich history and this film is like the great Ealing comedies. It's set in the time of National Service, the dread of many young men in 1950s Britain, and follows a bunch of hapless new recruits through their basic training. Many of the actors who later appeared in the subsequent films are here including Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Connor and Hattie Jacques although this one stars Bob Monkhouse, who never made another of the films and is more remembered for his TV stand up work. These early Carry On films are situation comedies and are a real treat when watched today. There's the sheer nostalgia of seeing the Britain of the 1950s combined with a great laugh out loud comedy. It was only later as ideas began to wane that the films became pantomime farces often too silly but the first six films are well worth checking out. Here Drill Sergeant Grimshaw (William Hartnell - the first Dr Who - who often played strict NCOs) is due to retire and yearns to have the champion platoon for his last one. Unfortunately for him he gets a ragtag bunch of no hopers including Connor as a hypochondriac and Monkhouse as a lovelorn newly wedded husband pining for his beautiful wife (Shirley Eaton). You can spot a host of famous British actors who went onto later TV fame here but that aside this is a film that deserves to be seen not only because if its place in film history but also because it is a great British comedy film.