I say, ding dong! What a Carry On, but all in the best possible taste
The retro feature in The News last weekend focussed on 1976, the year when Sid James sadly perished.
I imagine most will remember Sid for his role in the Carry On pictures. Cast alongside such luminaries as Kenneth Williams and Bernard Bresslaw, Sid raised (or lowered) the standard of toilet humour at the time, with his own brand of innuendo-driven comedy.
I was never a fan of the Carry On franchise, I found the humour not to my taste, though I remember my parents having a chuckle when they were shown on our black and white television.
Thirty-one films were made between 1958-1978, another in 1992, a TV series, four Christmas specials and three stage plays. The humour was in the tradition of music hall and saucy seaside postcards, with puerile gags on subjects ranging from unpleasant hospital procedures to people locked overnight in lavatories. The dimensions of Barbara Windsor's mammary glands were touched upon frequently.
Other characters were played by comic stalwarts Leslie Phillips (I say, ding dong), Kenneth Connor (Do you mind?) and Charles Hawtrey with his plea of 'How's yer mother off for dripping?'
It was Sid's bawdy cackle,cheeky yet unsavoury phizog and catchphrase ‘Cor blimey!’ that brought the clever scripts to life The numerous euphemisms were delivered with masterful timing.
It does not matter whether one likes or dislikes the Carry On pictures, they are part of Britain's vaudeville heritage and likely to be around for quite some time.
Bursledon way Waterlooville