Review of Carry on Cleo

"Carry on Cleo" has the reputation of being the super de luxe Executive Limited Edition model of the series due to the fact that the producers made use of props,scenery and costumes from a recent epic made at the same studios.This attempt to lift the movie from its deliciously low and skanky roots was an act of cultural vandalism akin to touching up the "Mona Lisa" with "Day - Glo" because the paint is a bit faded.To connoisseurs of the cheap and tacky,the creaky scenery,indifferent lighting and hand - me - down clothes are,together with the eccentric and dodgy acting, part of the whole cheerily seaside postcard - ish wonderfully British "Spirit of the Amateur" ambiance that make the "Carry on"s huge fun. I don't care if Sid and Kenny got their schmutter from "Bermans",I much prefer their "Man at Help the Aged" look. Mind you,they both look rather fetching in their full metal jackets. Charles Hawtrey,fortunately,is incorrigibly scruffy in a robe that looks as if it was fashioned from a Salvation Army blanket.As Seneca,he yelps away happily,an unregenerate refugee from The Benny Hill Show". Jim Dale,well,here we have a pop singer so tame he makes Cliff Richard look like Curt Cobain.His carefully enunciated lines disrupt the flow and rhythm established by his fellow performers,his talent for comedy is meagre.What he is doing with these seasoned pros is a mystery. But not all is doom and gloom.Mr Williams is nothing short of wonderful as Caesar,gratefully seizing some of best lines ever written for him,and Mr James,more like Gene Hackman than ever,grumbling good - naturedly before letting loose the most famous laugh in the movies. Not the best of the "Carry on"s - that honour goes,in my opinion,to "Camping",with the scene in the tent with Terry Scott,Janet Brown and Charles Hawtrey being a contender for the funniest in British movies. Some may find - like an unexpected upgrade to Business Class by B.A.- "Carry on Cleo" a distinct improvement.Being made of sterner stuff,I beg to differ.