Carry on Up the Khyber

[Postmaster]

One of the things I found most interesting when in America was that the British were stereotyped as a bunch of uptight cold hearted intellectuals with a cute accent and homosexual tendancies. Amusing as this is it makes me wonder if any of the later Carry on films play on US TV.



If ever there was a series of films that showed the true nature of the British and the way we are it is these maligned quickly made classics. As corny as the scripts were and as politically incorrect they might seem to those who care about political correctness each regular performer in these films emphasises the characteristics I love about the British.



Kenneth Williams varying between terribly serious and completely hysterical. Sid James never considering his lechery as he laughs at every crude thought that pops into his head. Charles Hawtrey behaving like a whingeing old woman one minute and jumping about like an excited schoolboy the next (never quite shaking off the character he established as WIll Hay's sidekick).



Joan Sims drifting from battle axe to passionate attractive woman to caring wife to laughing raucous barmaid type all in the course of one scene. Carry on Up the Khyber, the story of the devils in skirts and their mishaps over a polaroid of them wearing something under their kilts because this Khyber Pass is disturbingly like a chilly Welsh hillside, may be one of the most glorious in this series. The scene towards the end of the film as the colonials refuse to let a little bombardment + massacre interrupt their dinner. As they refuse to acknowledge that anything is the matter while bits of plaster from bomb blasts fall into their soup and the orchestra are killed capitalises o every cliche in every British war movie made before a certain age. Top notch stuff.



Jago.

[carryonline]

I lived in the US for a few years and was continually surprised by just how available the Carry Ons are over there. Many of the video stores local to me (Dallas) carried much of the range, including the TV series and they cropped up on TV while not frequently, certainly every few months.



Ironically, the US DVD releases of the Carry Ons are far superior to their UK counterparts. That's Carry On, which has been available in the US since September last year, has yet to be released in Blighty.

[julian_craster]

A BBC news story.......truth is somtimes funnier than fiction....



BBC News:

MoD denies regiment kilt shortage



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/6190269.stm



The Ministry of Defence has denied that there is a shortage of kilts in

Scotland's new super regiment.

The Royal Regiment of Scotland's 5,000 soldiers currently have just 320

kilts between them.



The SNP's Angus Robertson said the MoD was mistreating the infantry while

former senior officers have accused it of bad planning.



Borders firm Robert Noble made the Army's kilts at its Peebles factory for

more than 150 years.



It was claimed that Scots troops were having to share kilts because no

kilt-maker has so far been awarded the new supply contract, which was put

out to tender earlier this year.



An MoD spokeswoman said: "There are no problems whatsoever.

"We have plenty of kilts for ceremonial duties, and the Scottish battalions

are happy with the situation.



"At the request of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, these kilts are being

trialled to ensure soldiers get the most comfortable material for a variety

of weather, with the best clarity of colour and pattern."



'There are currently far more important issues and activities that Scottish

soldiers, the Army and MoD are focused on' a MoD spokeswoman said.



The 320 kilts have been made by Argyll Bagpipes and Kilts.



The MoD has yet to confirm who will get the £1m contract to produce more.



It said a planned deployment would be agreed with the Royal Regiment of

Scotland, with two battalions having their kilts by next May and the whole

unit being kitted out by early 2008.



The MoD spokeswoman added: "Whilst ceremonial duties and uniforms are an

essential and integral part of the British Army, there are currently far

more important issues and activities that Scottish soldiers, the Army and

MoD are focused on, such as operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, training,

and looking after our servicemen and women."

[Ascoyne D'Ascoyne]

Looks like it will be even chillier than usual round the Trossachs this Winter.

[Crimson]

Didn't I read somewhere in a interview with Cher that she was brought up on Ealing Comedies and Carry on films ?

[AndrewLA]

One of the things I found most interesting when in America was that the British were stereotyped as a bunch of uptight cold hearted intellectuals with a cute accent and homosexual tendancies. Amusing as this is it makes me wonder if any of the later Carry on films play on US TV.

I wouldn't go that far. In my experience, Americans have considerable respect and affection for the British, though we are often considered stoic and repressed with our emotions. Not necessarily a bad thing in a society that adores Oprah and psychotherapy. As for Homosexual tendencies, there does seem to be a general belief here that they're upfront in British schools and universities. At the moment, THE HISTORY BOYS is certainly conveying that image -- I can't imagine any of my teachers in London being crazy enough to fondle a boy on a motor bike in public!

[Jim]

I wouldn't go that far. In my experience, Americans have considerable respect and affection for the British, though we are often considered stoic and repressed with our emotions. Not necessarily a bad thing in a society that adores Oprah and psychotherapy. As for Homosexual tendencies, there does seem to be a general belief here that they're upfront in British schools and universities. At the moment, THE HISTORY BOYS is certainly conveying that image -- I can't imagine any of my teachers in London being crazy enough to fondle a boy on a motor bike in public!

I think I read somewhere that John Wayne believed that ALL Englishmen were Homosexuals - and with the amount of those 'coming-out' these days, I'm beginning to believe it myself. It seems to be the 'norm' rather than the exception!!

[Cuffy]

I think I read somewhere that John Wayne believed that ALL Englishmen were Homosexuals - and with the amount of those 'coming-out' these days, I'm beginning to believe it myself. It seems to be the 'norm' rather than the exception!!

It often amuses me when channel surfing and picking up the American attitude to the English and the less than subtle hints to the homosexual angle. Most recently I happened upon an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard in which the basic premice of the storyline seemed to be that the Dukes had an English cousin who was in town for a visit.



The English cousin - named, funnily enough, Gaylord Duke - was a somewhat camp fellow sporting a big bushy moustache, tweed suit and a Federal spec Series 3 Jaguar E-Type.



Oh those Dukes, those Dukes!!

[clitheroekid]

"He's my friend Ginger - Ginger Hale...."

[Steve Crook]

"He's my friend Ginger - Ginger Hale...."

I still laugh at Joan Sims' line about getting a little plastered as bits of the ceiling fall on her during the attack on the residency. In fact the whole of that dinner scene is brilliantly done.



Steve