carry on abroad 1972

rating

plot

The package holiday has a definite look of disaster from the moment the group arrive at the Palace Hotel on the 'Paradise' Island of Elsbels.

The builder's haven't finished therefore the hotel is in a state of chaos. There's Pepe who does a non-stop quick-change routine as a manager / receptionist / doorman / porter / telephonist / valet and head waiter; his wife Floella cussing in her kitchen and son Giorgio, who does as little work as possible.

Stuart Farquhar, the nervy Wundatours courier, tries to maintain an air of clam, but a mammoth accommodation mix-up soon has the whole place in uproar.

Vic Flange catches shapely Sadie in the shower, far from pleasing his wife Cora who has come on the trip only to foil her husband's pursuit of Sadie. Evelyn Blunt, the ever nagging wife of Stanley Blunt storms alarmingly when she finds Eustace Tuttle soaking merrily in her bath.

Meanwhile Bert Conway, a randy bookie banking on Sadie being his holiday Nap, Brother Bernard of the Order of St. Cecilia, Lily and Marge - two dolly birds eager for romance and the rest of the party suffer a variety of disasters. Electrical points explode. The plumbing either works in reverse or pours sand from the taps. The restaurant is invaded by mosquitoes, the house wine is decidedly suspect, the food is definitely guilty. There's also no need to book an early morning call. A dawn chorus of cement mixing and pneumatic drilling jars everyone into the new day while workman ogle over the beds as they roll back the tarpaulin serving as a roof.

An excursion to Elsbels Marketplace proves equally disastrous. Tuttle totters, bottle in hand, into the local strip club. Bert and Vic go to his aid after he is ejected by the establishment madam and her girls, and soon the whole group are behind bars for brawling. Only feminine persuasion from Stuart Farquhar's beautiful assistant Moira finally charms the Police Chief to release them.

Back at the hotel Pepe has prepared a farewell party which, thanks to a punch laced with the local love elixir, has remarkable results, Vic and Cora's marriage blossoms anew, Stanley Blunt exerts his manhood with Evelyn to passionate effect, Brother Bernard forsakes St. Cecilia for Marge. Bert Conway captures Sadie's heart and there's romance for Stuart Farquhar and Moira. Lily lures Nicolas away from his fussing friend Robin, who doesn't mind as he's made a new friend in Tuttle.

Despite everything, it is a most happy group that returns to England.

review

Another good one, this sees the team taking a swipe at the cheap package holiday that had become extremely popular in the 70's. Although this film would mark the last appearance of Charles Hawtrey (his real-life drinking problem is mocked by Talbot Rothwell), there is much to amuse in what is probably the last classic in the series' cannon.

Alan Hume’s cinematography is especially worthy of a mention, managing to just about hide the fact that the filmmakers went no nearer to Spain than Slough High Street as technically, the film looks great. This is one of the hallmarks of the series and the reason that the Carry On films still look pretty good thirty years or more after their first release. The editing is efficient and sometimes excellent - a great montage of escalating jokes about the complaints going through the switchboard for example.

The film scores best at the end when the hotel is collapsing around their ears but everybody is too drunk to even notice, leaving it up to Peter Butterworth (who is perhaps the best player in this one) to get everyone to vacate the building. The film is consistently amusing throughout and will definitely satisfy both the casual observer and a Carry On fan.

other information

Elsbels Airport is in fact the security block at Pinewood Studios. The same location is used in the beginning of Carry On Spying when the Milchmann arrives at British HQ.

Look out for the Technical adviser credit in the film - Sun Tan Lo Tion.

bloopers

At the start of the film Joan Sims argues with Sid James over his trip with Barbara Windsor to Elsbels. When the scene changes she's actually standing at a different part of the bar.

When the Tourists are approaching the hotel , Peter Butterworth runs in after spotting them. When he emerges a table and chair have appeared by the doors.

When Sid is sitting enjoying a coffee outside the hotel, Joan Sims says "Don't bother to ask me if I'd like a chair". A microphone can be spotted in the bottom left hand corner.

contact     links     disclaimer     bookmark