Carry On Regardless

Sid James - Bert Handy
Kenneth Williams - Francis Courtenay
Bill Owen - Mike Weston
Kenneth Connor - Sam Twist
Charles Hawtrey - Gabriel Dimple
Liz Fraser - Delia King
Terence Longdon - Montgomery Infield-Hopping
Esma Cannon - Miss Cooling
Hattie Jacques - Frost-faced sister
Fenella Fielding - Penny Panting

This is a mixed-up collection of Carry On delights with a totally meaningless title for a totally plotless array of brief comic situations and familiar character players. As the title suggests, this film is devoid of any real thematic focus, and wanders aimlessly but memorably through a myriad scenarios in which anything can happen. Sid James and his 'Helping Hands' agency is the worthy peg on which the various sketches hang. Kenneth Connor bumbles around nervously as women make advances (a particularly lush Fenella Fielding), Kenneth Williams stomps through the working-class masses with his nose in the air, Joan Sims has the frumpy female gags thrown at her as her sexy figure and Charles Hawtrey minces about in the background with a constant smile and a wickedly sparkling glint in his eye.

The element of stability in the film is in the office sequences where boss Sid James and flustered assistant Esma Cannon dish out the various odd-ball assignments and try and tie the whole into a seamless comedy of community and innuendo. Hugely welcome performers wander through the proceedings as the seven 'Helping Hands' eagerly try and complete their assignments. All is fine and dandy as the problems are resolved and the job of cleaning (read, demolishing) one of Stanley Unwin's properties creates a whiz bang, dust covered, gloriously messy climax which ends the only way it can - Kenneth W translating Unwin's last words as 'carry on regardless'.
Review© Robert Ross: Carry On Companion.