'Carry On Emmannuelle' ( 1978 ) is thankfully nowhere near as excrementally awful as its predecessor 'Carry On England' ( 1976 ). Sadly, this is not much of a recommendation. The Rank Organisation had cut the funding to the series ( a decision which led to producer Peter Rogers allegedly describing his former backers as 'toffee-nosed b#####ds' ), and meaning finance had to come from elsewhere. Because of this, it became a 'lost' movie for many years, not being issued on video nor shown on television until the 1990's ( it crept out late one night on I.T.V. to no-one's great pleasure ).
By 1978, British audiences had not only experienced the 'Confessions' series, but also the 'Adventures' pictures, so one way or another they had had a surfeit of red-faced British actors being chased by nubile girls in varying states of undress. The new kids on the block were Mel Brooks and the Monty Python team, both of whom offered fresher and more daring comedy styles. The 'Carry On' series just could not compete.
'Carry On Emmannuelle', as the title implies, is a spoof of the infamous 1974 Just Jaeckin soft porn picture starring Sylvia Kristel. The problem with the subject matter is immediately apparent - just how do you go about spoofing a picture which appears at times to be a spoof of itself? The script originated with Australian writer Lance Peters, though uncredited rewrites were done by Willie Rushton and Vince Powell. Suzanne Danielle is 'Emmannuelle Prevert', sex-starved wife of 'Emile', ( Kenneth Williams ), the French Ambassador to Britain. He lost his sex drive following a sky-diving accident, so she beds every man she encounters. One of her conquests is nerd 'Theodore Valentine' ( Larry Dann ). He becomes infatuated with her, and sets about trying to track her down. The plot, such as it is, has Emmannuelle drifting from one bloke to another, many of whom seem to be old and tired instead of young and virile. There is a lengthy scene where the Ambassador's domestic staff - butler 'Lyons' ( or 'Loins' as his mistress keeps referring to him, played by Jack Douglas ), cook 'Mrs.Dangle' ( Joan Sims ), chauffeur 'Leyland' ( Kenneth Connor ), and decrepit gardener 'Richmond' ( Peter Butterworth, in one of his last roles ) reminisce about past amorous exploits, but these are never as funny as they should have been.
'Emmannuelle' does not feel like a 'Carry On' picture, more like Stanley Long's 'Adventures Of A Diplomat's Wife'. Yes, some of the old gang are around, but don't get much to do. Williams gets most of his laughs by baring his bum and speaking in a silly French accent. The script is pretty threadbare in terms of comedy. Sexy Danielle is on screen 99% of the time ( she went on to play 'Princess Diana' in Mike Yarwood's shows ). Nice to see Douglas in a role which does not require him to lapse into his usual twitching and fumbling, and Larry Dann is good as the lovesick 'Theo', ditto Beryl Reid as his domineering mother. Also around is Henry McGee as a David Frost-style television interviewer called ( wait for it ) 'Harold Hump'. Eric Barker has a wordless cameo as a decrepit General. Another Eric - Rogers - is back too; the picture opens with a disco song called 'Love Crazy', written by Kenny Lynch. Disco and 'Carry On' did not mix. The overall impression is one of desperation.
Funniest moment - Emmannuelle's seduction of the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, which causes the New Scotland Yard sign to sway back and forth in time to their lovemaking!
Barbara Windsor gave the film some much-needed publicity when she complained about the level of pornography in the script. But it was not enough to save it from bombing at the box office. In a way, I'm sorry that it happened as we then lost out on 'Carry On Again Nurse' ( which would have brought Norman Hudis back to the series ) and 'Carry On Dallas' ( a spoof of the dire U.S. soap which would have starred Williams as the wonderfully named 'R.U. Screwing'! ). The 'Carry On' movies became firm television favourites, along with compilation series such as 'Carry On Laughing' and 'Laugh With The Carry On's'. Then, in 1992, 'Carry On Columbus' sailed the ocean blue - but the less said about that, the better.
By 1978, British audiences had not only experienced the 'Confessions' series, but also the 'Adventures' pictures, so one way or another they had had a surfeit of red-faced British actors being chased by nubile girls in varying states of undress. The new kids on the block were Mel Brooks and the Monty Python team, both of whom offered fresher and more daring comedy styles. The 'Carry On' series just could not compete.
'Carry On Emmannuelle', as the title implies, is a spoof of the infamous 1974 Just Jaeckin soft porn picture starring Sylvia Kristel. The problem with the subject matter is immediately apparent - just how do you go about spoofing a picture which appears at times to be a spoof of itself? The script originated with Australian writer Lance Peters, though uncredited rewrites were done by Willie Rushton and Vince Powell. Suzanne Danielle is 'Emmannuelle Prevert', sex-starved wife of 'Emile', ( Kenneth Williams ), the French Ambassador to Britain. He lost his sex drive following a sky-diving accident, so she beds every man she encounters. One of her conquests is nerd 'Theodore Valentine' ( Larry Dann ). He becomes infatuated with her, and sets about trying to track her down. The plot, such as it is, has Emmannuelle drifting from one bloke to another, many of whom seem to be old and tired instead of young and virile. There is a lengthy scene where the Ambassador's domestic staff - butler 'Lyons' ( or 'Loins' as his mistress keeps referring to him, played by Jack Douglas ), cook 'Mrs.Dangle' ( Joan Sims ), chauffeur 'Leyland' ( Kenneth Connor ), and decrepit gardener 'Richmond' ( Peter Butterworth, in one of his last roles ) reminisce about past amorous exploits, but these are never as funny as they should have been.
'Emmannuelle' does not feel like a 'Carry On' picture, more like Stanley Long's 'Adventures Of A Diplomat's Wife'. Yes, some of the old gang are around, but don't get much to do. Williams gets most of his laughs by baring his bum and speaking in a silly French accent. The script is pretty threadbare in terms of comedy. Sexy Danielle is on screen 99% of the time ( she went on to play 'Princess Diana' in Mike Yarwood's shows ). Nice to see Douglas in a role which does not require him to lapse into his usual twitching and fumbling, and Larry Dann is good as the lovesick 'Theo', ditto Beryl Reid as his domineering mother. Also around is Henry McGee as a David Frost-style television interviewer called ( wait for it ) 'Harold Hump'. Eric Barker has a wordless cameo as a decrepit General. Another Eric - Rogers - is back too; the picture opens with a disco song called 'Love Crazy', written by Kenny Lynch. Disco and 'Carry On' did not mix. The overall impression is one of desperation.
Funniest moment - Emmannuelle's seduction of the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, which causes the New Scotland Yard sign to sway back and forth in time to their lovemaking!
Barbara Windsor gave the film some much-needed publicity when she complained about the level of pornography in the script. But it was not enough to save it from bombing at the box office. In a way, I'm sorry that it happened as we then lost out on 'Carry On Again Nurse' ( which would have brought Norman Hudis back to the series ) and 'Carry On Dallas' ( a spoof of the dire U.S. soap which would have starred Williams as the wonderfully named 'R.U. Screwing'! ). The 'Carry On' movies became firm television favourites, along with compilation series such as 'Carry On Laughing' and 'Laugh With The Carry On's'. Then, in 1992, 'Carry On Columbus' sailed the ocean blue - but the less said about that, the better.