The Carry On movies!! Thirty one classic British films that are loved across the UK and played over and over again on television, perhaps more than any of films of the same era.
In this list, I’ll go over all of the films to rank them in the order from the worst to the best. This was a hard list to compile and even though I’m sure everyone will agree with what are the few lesser Carry Ons at the low end of the list, I’m sure fans of the rest could debate for days which is funniest.
Let us know what your favourites are in the comments section!
Carry On Emmannuelle
The Last of the original run of Carry On films. This featured the liked of Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, and Joan Sims, but the famous Carry On cast seemed older and whilst they did their best, the newer cast lacked their charisma. To be fair to them, the script was blatantly rude and tonally nothing like previous eras of Carry On movies.
Carry On England
Carry On England has a bit more oomph than Emmannuelle, but the humour is ruder and meaner and the new cast are wholly unlikeable. The thinking that more adult material was what audiences wanted was way off base.
Carry On Columbus
The revival Carry On movie just over a decade after Emmannuelle. It was an interesting attempt to recapture some of the past adventure based films such Jack, Follow that Camel and such like, but some poor choices for casting and lame jokes that you could see a mile off kept this from being great. Still, it feels more like a Carry On film than England or Emmannuelle.
That’s Carry On
It’s hard to think that this was actually a movie. A feature length clip show of all the previous Carry On films, with limited new material which featured Kenneth Williams and Barbara Windsor. These days this would never get made as it would be like Scarlett Johansen and Robert Downey Jr appearing in a feature length Avengers clip show.
Carry On Behind
Written in the post Talbot Rothwell era, this made a solid attempt to recapture the magic of Carry On Camping, and whilst it doesn’t come near to that film, it is funny in it’s own right. Kenneth Connor, and Bernard Bresslaw play funny characters and Windsor Davies and Jack Douglas do their best to recapture the dynamic of Bernie and Sid from Camping.
Carry On At Your Convenience
The vibe of this Carry On film feels somewhat off for a lot of it. Certainly, there is lots of fun, but maybe the antagonistic personalities of it’s younger leads didn’t help things. Both Kenneth Cope and Richard O’Callaghan had played loveable losers in Matron and Loving respectively, but here both are battling for which one you’re supposed to like least. The fun seaside antics are pure Carry On and a highlight.
Carry On Cabby
In a similar sense to my issue with Carry On At Your Convenience, I rank Cabby lower than others partly because it’s central premise is Hattie Jacques going out of her way to ruin her husband’s cab business. Conflict and goodies and baddies can work well as a central part of a Carry On, but it’s my observation that the conflict always needs to feel light hearted. A wife putting her husband out of business behind his back is hard to get behind in a comedy where you should like all the characters.
Despite this, the film is still filled with a lot of fun, but as the first Carry On written by Talbot Rothwell after Norman Hudis stopped writing the series, the tone isn’t quite in line with what the Carry On films were, or what they would become.
Carry On Girls
Fun and hijinks at a beauty pageant run by Sid…what could possibly go wrong? This one doesn’t land quite as well as it could, and it may be that some of the cast aren’t in their most likeable roles. Plus no Kenneth Williams in one of his rare missed movies.
Carry On Loving
From the era where the Carry On films felt inescapably 70s, Sid and Hattie run a dating agency complete with a room sized computer to make up hopeful lovers. It’s a fun film, but perhaps doesn’t have as many stand out jokes or moments as many on the list.
Carry On Regardless
The closest a Carry On film ever came to becoming a sketch show. The team work for Helping Hands and do all kinds of random jobs. It was the perfect idea to be able to throw the cast into lots of random scenarios.
Carry On Again Doctor
Having the film set primarily around a weight loss clinic was a fun idea, but for that reason it feels the least doctor based of any of the medical Carry Ons. Despite this, Jim Dale continued to show why he was a great lead for the Carry Ons, and Kenny, Sid and Babs were all on great form.
Carry On Teacher
An early Carry On that cast the regular team as the teaching staff, and let them share the show with a bunch of kids. If this had been the premise of a later film, it would have sounded like a recipe for disaster, but the young cast hold their own to be the perfect foil for the teachers. Kenneth Connor and Leslie Philips stand out as great in the movie.
Carry On Sergeant
The movie where it all began. This set the stage for the next several Carry On films which would all emulate the pattern set here in one way or another. A bunch of inexperienced new recruits struggle and fumble in front of an authority figure until they manage to get their act together just in time for the finale.
Carry On Nurse
The first of the medical Carry On films is a classic. Stand out performance is from Hattie Jaques who forever cemented her famous role as Matron after her brief medical officer role in Sergeant. The idea of patients getting up to mischief would be the template for future medical entries in the series.
Carry On Constable
Sid James joins the gang as the authority figure in charge of the new recruits who are almost as inept as he is. Decades before there would be Police Academy, Carry On Constable is a fun classic romp, with lots of scenarios for the likes of Leslie Philips, Kenneth Connor, and Kenneth Williams to find themselves in.
Continue to the next page to see what we rank as the best film!
