Carry On Girls
Original UK quad poster
Directed by	Gerald Thomas
Written by	Talbot Rothwell
Produced by	Peter Rogers
Starring	Sid James Barbara Windsor Joan Sims Kenneth Connor Bernard Bresslaw June Whitfield Peter Butterworth Jack Douglas Patsy Rowlands Jimmy Logan Margaret Nolan Valerie Leon
Cinematography	Alan Hume
Edited by	Alfred Roome
Music by	Eric Rogers
Distributed by	Rank Organisation
Release date	9 November 1973
Running time	84 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£205,962[1]

Carry On Girls is a 1973 British comedy film, the 25th release in the series of 31 Carry On films (1958–1992).^[2] The film features regulars Sid James, Barbara Windsor, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor, Bernard Bresslaw and Peter Butterworth.^[3] This Carry On featured neither Kenneth Williams nor Charles Hawtrey; Williams was unavailable and Hawtrey had been dropped from the series.

Patsy Rowlands makes her seventh appearance in the series. Robin Askwith makes his only appearance in the series. Jack Douglas makes his third appearance, this time upgraded to a main role. This is the final of six Carry On films for Valerie Leon and Jimmy Logan makes the second of his two Carry On appearances.^[4][5] The film was followed by Carry On Dick 1974.

Plot

The seaside town of Fircombe is facing a crisis – it is always raining and there is nothing for the tourists to do. Councillor Sidney Fiddler (Sid James) hits on the notion of holding a beauty contest. The mayor, Frederick Bumble (Kenneth Connor), is taken with the idea but feminist councillor Augusta Prodworthy (June Whitfield) is outraged and storms out of the meeting. The motion is carried in Augusta's absence, and Sidney contacts publicist Peter Potter (Bernard Bresslaw) to help with the organisation.

Sidney's girlfriend, Connie Philpotts (Joan Sims), runs a local hotel and soon her residents—including the eccentric Mrs Dukes (Joan Hickson) and the randy old Admiral (Peter Butterworth)—are outnumbered by putative models, including diminutive biker Hope Springs (Barbara Windsor) and tall, buxom Dawn Brakes (Margaret Nolan). A catfight orchestrated by Hope after thinking Dawn has stolen her bikini provides better newspaper copy than bringing a donkey off the beach which, despite the bucket and spade of hotel porter, William (Jack Douglas), ruins the plush carpets. Augusta's son, press photographer Larry (Robin Askwith), is hired to document the donkey stunt and snaps the catfight that has the Mayor losing his trousers, then gulps his way through a nude photo shoot with Dawn. The Mayor's wife, Mildred (Patsy Rowlands), joins Prodworthy's bra-burning movement and plots the downfall of the Miss Fircombe contest on the pier. Peter Potter reluctantly becomes a man in a frock for another publicity gimmick for the television show Women's Things, presented by Cecil Gaybody (Jimmy Logan) and produced by Debra (Sally Geeson). Prodworthy and butch feminist Rosemary (Patricia Franklin) call in the police (David Lodge and Billy Cornelius) to investigate the male pageant contestant but Peter's previously prim girlfriend, Paula (Valerie Leon), has a makeover and turns out to be very buxom and glamorous and steps into the breach as the mysterious girl.

Prodworthy's gang put "Operation Spoilsport" into action, sabotaging the final contest with water, mud and itching powder. With an angry mob after his blood, Sidney makes his escape on a go-kart, finds Connie has taken all the money and then speeds away with Hope on her motorcycle.

Certification

The film marked a slightly more risqué treatment of the topic with more nudity and openly sexual jokes than previous films. Discreet cuts by the BBFC (mainly to saucy dialogue and the hotel fight sequence between bikini-clad contestants played by Barbara Windsor and Margaret Nolan) enabled the film to gain the more commercially acceptable A certificate (open to families) than the more restrictive AA certificate, barring entry to the under-fourteens.

Cast

Crew

• Screenplay – Talbot Rothwell
• Music – Eric Rogers
• Production Manager – Roy Goddard
• Art Director – Robert Jones
• Director of Photography – Alan Hume
• Editor – Alfred Roome
• Camera Operator – Jimmy Devis
• Assistant Director – Jack Causey
• Sound Recordists – Paul Lemare & Ken Barker
• Continuity – Marjorie Lavelly
• Make-up – Geoffrey Rodway
• Hairdresser – Stella Rivers
• Costume Design – Courtenay Elliott
• Set Dresser – Kenneth MacCallum Tait
• Dubbing Editor – Patrick Foster
• Assistant Editor – Jack Gardner
• Title Sketches – Larry
• Titles – GSE Ltd
• Processor – Rank Film Laboratories
• Producer – Peter Rogers
• Director – Gerald Thomas

Filming and locations

• Filming dates – 16 April-25 May 1973

Interiors:

• Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire

Exteriors:

• Brighton's West Pier. (The Palace Pier had been used a couple of years earlier in Carry On at Your Convenience)
• Slough Town Hall, Slough, Berkshire
• Clarges Hotel, Brighton
• Brighton Beach, Brighton
• Marylebone Railway Station, London

Notes

An early version of the script featured Kenneth Williams in the role of Mayor Bumble which would ultimately be played by Kenneth Connor in the finished film. Williams was appearing in a West End play, My Fat Friend.^[6] The role of Cecil Gaybody was written for Charles Hawtrey, however he had been dropped due to his unreliability. It was then offered to Kenneth Williams, who turned it down because of stage commitments.

Valerie Leon's voice for the film was dubbed by co-star June Whitfield.^[7]

Clarges Hotel would later be owned by actress Dora Bryan who had appeared in the first Carry On, Carry On Sergeant. The hotel was previously used (exterior only) in the 1971 film Carry On at Your Convenience.^[8]

References

Bibliography

• Davidson, Andy (2012). Carry On Confidential. London: Miwk. ISBN 978-1908630018.
• Sheridan, Simon (2011). Keeping the British End Up – Four Decades of Saucy Cinema. London: Titan Books. ISBN 978-0857682796.
• Webber, Richard (2009). 50 Years of Carry On. London: Arrow. ISBN 978-0099490074.
• Hudis, Norman (2008). No Laughing Matter. London: Apex. ISBN 978-1906358150.
• Keeping the British End Up: Four Decades of Saucy Cinema by Simon Sheridan (third edition) (2007) (Reynolds & Hearn Books)
• Ross, Robert (2002). The Carry On Companion. London: Batsford. ISBN 978-0713487718.
• Bright, Morris; Ross, Robert (2000). Mr Carry On – The Life & Work of Peter Rogers. London: BBC Books. ISBN 978-0563551836.
• Rigelsford, Adrian (1996). Carry On Laughing – a celebration. London: Virgin. ISBN 1-85227-554-5.
• Hibbin, Sally & Nina (1988). What a Carry On. London: Hamlyn. ISBN 978-0600558194.
• Eastaugh, Kenneth (1978). The Carry On Book. London: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0715374030.

External links

• Carry On Girls at IMDb
• Carry On Girls at British Comedy Guide
• Carry On Girls at The Whippit Inn