Carry On Camping

Famous for their unique brand of seaside postcard humour, the saucy British comedy franchise of Carry On films rumbled on for 34 years. Between 1958 and 1992, 31 films were released, the majority by the Rank Organisation.

The scripts were filled with innuendo and double entendres as the all-star cast, including series stalwarts Sid James and Barbara Windsor, found themselves in every possible comic situation, from hospitals and police stations to cheap package holidays abroad.

Nudist camp

Released in 1969, Carry on Camping was the 17th Carry On film. The joke begins when pushy plumber Sid Boggle (Sid James) convinces his dull-witted business partner Bernie Lugg (Bernard Bresslaw) that they should take their girlfriends to the Paradise nudist camp to release their inhibitions.

However, their respective girlfriends Joan (Joan Sims) and Anthea (Dilys Laye) are shocked when they see a documentary about Paradise at the cinema and have no intention of ever going there. Sid decides to book a break at Paradise regardless, but lies to Joan and Anthea that they're going to a regular campsite.

It turns out the joke is on him, as the Paradise campsite he has booked isn't the nudist camp from the documentary after all. Instead, it's a rather basic family campsite, run by greedy landowner Josh Fiddler (Peter Butterworth).



Saucy aerobics

Sid soon realises it's far from paradise in his opinion, but he stays because Joan and Anthea are happy there - plus he can't get a refund! The place suddenly seems more appealing when a group of young ladies from Chayste Place finishing school arrive, chaperoned by their head teacher Dr Soaper (Kenneth Williams) and matron Miss Haggard (Hattie Jacques).

This leads to one of the most famous scenes in Carry On history, when Dr Soaper instructs the girls in a morning workout, telling them enthusiastically, "Let's see those chests come out!"

Although he didn't mean it literally, Babs (Barbara Windsor) exercises in such a lively fashion, flinging her arms back, that her bikini top flies off, hitting a stunned Dr Soaper in the face!

Camping disaster

Apart from sneaky Sid's pursuit of Babs behind long-suffering Joan's back, other Carry On regulars create their own hilarious moments. Peter Potter (Terry Scott) is possibly the most reluctant camper ever, dragged to Paradise by his loud and domineering wife Harriet (Betty Marsden).

When novice camper Charlie Muggins (Charles Hawtrey) suffers a series of disasters that lead to his tent being destroyed, Harriet says he can share with them. Peter is fuming - and already pushed to breaking point by his wife, he ends up tipping a pan of soup over Charlie's head!

Carry On Camping is generally regarded as one of the best Carry On films of all time. From the late 1970s, the saucy seaside postcard humour was gradually replaced by jokes that some fans thought were too tacky.

The Carry On franchise also became an occasional television series, popping up with specials such as Carry On Christmas and Carry On Laughing. It was screened at intervals from 1969 to 1983, featuring collections of themed clips from the famous films.

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