Carry On Dick *** (1974, Kenneth Williams, Sidney James, Joan Sims, Barbara Windsor, Hattie Jacques) – Classic Movie Review 1906

‘Dick Turpin carries on with his flintlock cocked!’

Madame Desirée: ‘That doesn’t scare me. I’ve seen bigger ones in my time.’ 
Dick Turpin: ‘That doesn’t surprise me.’ 

Director Gerald Thomas’s 1974 historical fiction Carry On comedy is packed with ripe innuendos and strained puns, such as ‘Pistol? I haven’t had a drop!’, even more than usual.

Based on a story by George Edward Evans and with a screenplay by him and the usual writer Talbot Rothwell, this is one of the Carry On team’s more lewd excursions into history, and tells the tale of notorious highwayman Big Dick Turpin, alias the Reverend Flasher (Sidney James).

Joan Sims enjoys herself especially as Madame Desirée, head Bird of Paradise entertainer at the Old Cock Inn, an establishment robbed by highwayman Big Dick, who is terrorising the countryside around Upper Dencher. Captain Desmond Fancey (Kenneth Williams) and Sergeant Jock Strapp (Jack Douglas) plan to put an end to Big Dick’s reign of terror but, unfortunately, it’s the Reverend Flasher they unwittingly go to try to get help.

Colourful costumes and the traditional cast of regulars, as well as the smutty title, helped make this one of the most financially successful films in the series. But the movie marks a departure from innocent naughtiness to rather more blatant sexual references and nudity, which in turn led to the decline in taste and popularity of the Carry Ons.

Barbara Windsor plays Harriet, Hattie Jacques plays Martha Hoggett, Bernard Bresslaw is Sir Roger Daley, Kenneth Connor is the constable and Peter Butterworth plays Tom. It also co-stars Patsy Rowlands (Mrs Giles), Bill Maynard (Bodkin), Margaret Nolan (Lady Daley), John Clive (Isaac the Tailor), David Lodge (Bullock) and Marianne Stone (Maggie).

Alas, this is the last Carry On (and last film) for both James and Hattie Jacques, who died in 1976 and 1981 respectively.

Comedy treasure Sam Kelly appears as Sir Roger’s Coachman. He died 0n June 14 2014 of cancer, aged 70. He was the illiterate crook ‘Bunny’ Warren in Porridge and Captain Hans Geering in ‘Allo ‘Allo! Recently he was Derrick in Common People (2013) and Theatre Actor in Mr Turner (2014).

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1906

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com/

Kenneth Connor is the constable.