Carry On Spying (1964)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

i must have seen a different film!!

Don't listen to the negative reviews

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

I cannot believe at the time of writing this review this film has an average of 6.2, this is a 9 surely. Over 50 years on this remains a hilarious James Bond spoof. Banned from using characters from the James Bond franchise, Gerald Thomas creates Agent Charlie bind, 00-0. Kenneth Williams leads a team of British spies who must take on the STENCH criminals and capture the stolen formula of Professor Stark, who was blown up by the Milk man at the start. Spying stands out from the other early Carry on films by being very camp, Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey are on fine form. Barbara Windsor has just finished playing Gloria in the Rag Trade, she makes a great start to her legendary Carry on career, by playing Daphne Honeybutt, although it would be 3 years before she'd return as Sandra May in Carry on Doctor. Dilys Laye is gorgeous in this film and is uncredited for singing The Magic of love, but it was actually her voice. A real feel good film, and one that will make all the family smile.

The 9th in the Carry On series, and the last to be filmed in black and white, is one of the best. It finds the gang kind of biting the hand that feeds them, Pinewood. The home of James Bond was also the home of the Carry On mob, so with Peter Rogers, Gerald Thomas and Talbot Rothwell spying an opportunity to spoof 007, they did so, whilst also revelling in the chance for some film noir dalliances, notably The Third Man.The cast is this time headed up by Kenneth Williams, Barbara Windsor (making her Carry On debut), Bernard Cribbins and Charles Hawtrey. They are four less than stellar operatives for British Intelligence tasked with retrieving a top secret formula that has been stolen by STENCH. During their mission they are helped by Carstairs (Jim Dale), and just who or what is the mysterious organisation known as SNOG? Are they friends or in league with the evil Dr. Crow?Though dotted throughout with some written innuendo, "Spying" is still in touch with the more genial comedy that was evident in the early years - particularly the black and whites. This is good honest comedy, with visual exuberance and witty repartee the order of the day. Watching it now you find it holds up very well, sure it's a bit fruity and nutty, but a freshness exists here and it lets some damn fine actors loose to show their respective skills. It also looks terrific, the noir photography by Alan Hume sparkling.A prime Carry On movie for those who prefer their Carry On's more knowingly jolly than the later bawdy entries. 9/10

The seventh and final black and white "Carry" On film, this is an absolute laugh riot from start to finish. It's a never less than hilarious parody of the spy film genre which was already becoming hugely popular after the success of the first two Bond films, though it also owes a great deal to earlier British spy films. It's one of the sauciest and wittiest films in the series with at least one belly laugh per minute!Instead of his usual supercilious persona, Kenneth Williams adopts a nasal voice as the more obviously stupid Desmond Simkins, which proves just as funny. As with "Carry On Jack", most of the series regulars are missing but Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Bernard Cribbins and, in her first "Carry On" film, Barbara Windsor are so good together that I didn't miss their presence nearly as much as I did in this film's lacklustre predecessor. It has a very strong supporting cast, particularly Eric Barker, Richard Wattis, Dilys Laye, Jim Dale and Eric Pohlmann, who provided the voice of Blofeld in "From Russia with Love" and would do so again in "Thunderball". Since he also appeared in the pre-Bond "Carry On Regardless", however, this may just be a coincidence.

This movie is not the best of the Carry on franchise but it works very well. Yes even with one or two moments of uneven pacing and an underused Dilys Lane, the film is very entertaining, with a nice simple story and some funny dialogue and gags. Carry On Spying is nicely filmed, has a quirky score and the acting is fine(even without Sidney James). Ever the old pros, Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey give it their all and are great fun, while Judith Furse stands out as well. But it is the wonderful Barbara Windsor who steals the show, she was delightful in this movie. Overall, this film is simple and thanks to the acting and dialogue especially is very entertaining as well. 8/10 Bethany Cox