Carry On Admiral [The Ship Was Loaded] ** (1957, David Tomlinson, Peggy Cummins, Brian Reece, Eunice Gayson, A E Matthews, Ronald Shiner, Joan Sims, Alfie Bass) – Classic Movie Review 8964

Director Val Guest’s frenetic 1957 British comedy Carry On Admiral [The Ship Was Loaded] is not a bona fide Carry On movie but something pretty similar, based on Ian Hay and Stephen King-Hall’s stage farce Off the Record, in which Parliamentary civil servant Tom Baker (David Tomlinson) and navy lieutenant Peter Fraser (Brian Reece) decide to swap clothes and jobs when they have too much to drink. The Parliamentary Secretary’s lack of sea knowledge as a ship’s captain causes various catastrophes.

Guest directs a notable crew of funny people, including the 87-year-old A E Matthews (hilarious as the befuddled First Lord of The Admiralty, Admiral Sir Maximillian Godfrey K C B), Ronald Shiner as Salty Simpson and the real Carry-On-er Joan Sims, as Mary.

Carry On Admiral is a soppy but happy farce, also known in America under the wittier title The Ship Was Loaded. The expert direction and reasonably smooth writing keep the simple, easy-going fun flowing along at a smart pace.

Also in the sweet old cast are Peggy Cummins, Eunice Gayson, Alfie Bass, Lionel Murton, Reginald Beckwith, Joan Hickson, Tom Gill, Desmond Walter-Ellis, Peter Coke, Derek Blomfield, Sam Kydd, Ronald Adam, Harold Goodwin, Everley Gregg, Donald Pickering, George Moon, James Hayter and Howard Williams.

Carry On Admiral [The Ship Was Loaded] is directed by Val Guest, runs 83 minutes, is made by George Minter Productions, is released by Renown Pictures Corporation (1957) (UK) and Go Pictures (1958) (US), is written by Val Guest, based on the stage play Off the Record by Ian Hay and Stephen King-Hall, is shot by Arthur Grant, is produced by George Minter and Denis O’Dell, and scored by Philip Green, with Art Direction by Elven Webb.

It was produced at National Studios, Elstree, England, and on location in Portsmouth, Hampshire (Naval Dockyard, Portsmouth Harbour, and The Spice Island pub).

It starts: ‘If any characters in this film bear any resemblance to any characters living or dead, then those characters have no character.’

The producer expressed his grateful appreciation to The Admiralty for their co-operation during the making of this film.

Gayson became the first Bond girl as Sylvia Trench, appearing in the first two James Bond films, Dr No and From Russia with Love.

Shiner got a guest star credit.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8964

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