Along with Carry On Again Doctor, Cleo and Screaming, this is probably one of, if not the very best of the saucy comedies. Set in the time of the British against the Khyber, the story sees the British being dragged down because their enemy think of them as wimps, or something like that, just because most of the officers wear pants under their kilts. Thinking them as weak "skirted-devils", The Khasi of Kalabar (a great Kenneth Williams) wants them dead, and Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond (Sid James) leading the British is determined to show the enemy their balls (in both senses), especially in front of his kidnapped wife Lady Ruff-Diamond (Joan Sims), who seems to be enticed by the Khasi. Helping Sir Sidney are his small gang of "heroes" including Pte. James Widdle (Charles Hawtrey), the first soldier to be caught wearing pants, Capt. Keene (Roy Castle) and Sgt. Major Macnutt (Terry Scott), the opposite side are just as good, including the "attractive sidekick" to the Khasi, Bungdit Din (Bernard Bresslaw). Also starring Peter Butterworth as Brother Belcher, Angela Douglas as Princess Jelhi, Cardew Robinson as The Fakir, Julian Holloway as Major Shorthouse, Peter Gilmore as Private Ginger Hale, Leon Thau as Stinghi and Wanda Ventham as Khasi's First Wife, but where's Barbara Windsor when you want her? The most memorable scenes are those with the two meaning saucy jokes, the chemistry between characters, and of course the great dinner party scene where they seem not to notice the battle going on outside and causing damage inside. Carry On films were number 39 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons, and the film was number 39 on The 50 Greatest British Films. Very good!
Review of Carry on Up the Khyber
