Carry On Up the Khyber
Carry On Up the Khyber | |
---|---|
Directed by | Gerald Thomas |
Written by | Talbot Rothwell |
Produced by | Peter Rogers |
Starring | Sid James Kenneth Williams Charles Hawtrey Roy Castle Joan Sims Angela Douglas Terry Scott Bernard Bresslaw Peter Butterworth |
Cinematography | Ernest Steward |
Edited by | Alfred Roome |
Music by | Eric Rogers |
Distributed by | The Rank Organisation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 88 minutes[1][2] |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Budget | £235,637[3] |
Carry On Up the Khyber is a 1968
Angela Douglas makes her fourth and final appearance in the series. Terry Scott returned to the series after his minor role in the first film of the series, Carry On Sergeant a decade earlier. The film is, in part, a spoof of Kiplingesque movies and television series about life in the British Raj, both contemporary and from earlier, Hollywood, periods. The title is a play on words in the risqué Carry On tradition, with "Khyber" (short for "Khyber Pass") being rhyming slang for "arse".[6] The film was followed by Carry On Camping 1969.
Plot
Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond is
A diplomatic operation ensues on the part of the British, who fail to publicly prove that the incident was an aberration. The Governor's wife, in the hope of luring the Khasi into bed with her, takes a photograph of an inspection in which many of the soldiers present are found wearing underpants, and takes it to him. With this hard evidence in hand, the Khasi would be able to muster a ferocious Afghan invasion force, storm the Khyber Pass and capture India from the British; but Lady Ruff-Diamond insists that he sleep with her before she parts with the photograph. He delays on account of her unattractiveness, eventually taking her away with him to Bungdit Din's palace. Meanwhile, the Khasi's daughter, Princess Jelhi, reveals to the British Captain Keene, with whom she has fallen in love, that the Governor's wife has eloped, and a team is dispatched to ensure the return of both her and the photograph.
Disguised as Afghan generals, the interlopers are brought into the palace and, at the Khasi's suggestion, are introduced to Bungdit Din's sultry
All attempts to hold off the advancing Afghan invaders fail miserably, and a hasty retreat is beaten to the Residency. The Governor, meanwhile, has been entertaining, in numerical order, the Khasi's fifty-one wives, each one of them wishing to "right the wrong" that his own wife and the Khasi himself have supposedly committed against him. After a browbeating from his wife, Sir Sidney calls a crisis meeting regarding the invasion, in which he resolves to "do nothing". A black tie dinner is arranged for that evening. Dinner takes place during a prolonged penultimate scene, with contrapuntal snippets of the Khasi's army demolishing the Residency's exterior, and the officers and ladies ignoring the devastation as they dine amongst themselves. Shells shaking the building and plaster falling into the soup do not interrupt dinner, even when the fakir's severed - but still talking - head is served, courtesy of the Khasi.
Only Brother Belcher fails to display a stiff upper lip, and breaks his calm by panicking. Finally, at Captain Keene's suggestion, the gentlemen walk outside to be greeted by a bloody battle being waged in the courtyard. Still dressed in black tie, Sir Sidney orders the Regiment to form a line and lift their kilts, this time exposing their (implied) lack of underwear. The invading Afghan army is terrified, and retreats at once. The gentlemen walk back inside to resume dinner, whilst Brother Belcher notices the Union flag flown by the governor bearing the slogan I'm Backing Britain and calls them "raving mad".
Cast
- Sid James as Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond
- Kenneth Williams as The Khasi of Kalabar
- Charles Hawtrey as Private James Widdle
- Roy Castle as Captain Keene
- Joan Sims as Lady Joan Ruff-Diamond
- Bernard Bresslaw as Bungdit Din
- Peter Butterworth as Brother Belcher
- Terry Scott as Sergeant Major MacNutt
- Angela Douglas as Princess Jelhi
- Cardew Robinson as The Fakir
- Peter Gilmore as Private Ginger Hale
- Julian Holloway as Major Shorthouse
- Leon Thau as Stinghi
- Michael Mellinger as Chindi
- Wanda Ventham as The Khasi's First Wife
- Alexandra Dane as Busti
Production
Writing
The screenplay was written by Talbot Rothwell. Peter Rogers had liked Rothwell's writing so much after he had submitted the script for Carry On Jack that he asked him to become the Carry On staff writer; Rothwell wrote a further nineteen Carry On films.[7]
The film's fictional
Filming
The movie was shot between 8 April and 31 May 1968. Interiors were filmed at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire. Heatherden Hall, the administrative offices of Pinewood Studios, was used as the governor's residence.
The scenes on the
Release
The film was the second most popular movie at the UK box office in 1969.[13]
Reception
Carry On... Up the Khyber is frequently cited as the best entry in the series.[5][14][15][16][17] Colin MacCabe, Professor of English at the University of Exeter, labelled this film (together with Carry On Cleo) as one of the best films of all time.[18]
In 1999, it was placed 99th on the BFI's list of greatest British films ever made.
In a 2018 retrospective on the series, the
References
- Citations
- ^ Ross 1998, p. 77
- ^ Rigelsford 1996, p. 163
- ^ Chapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of British Film Finance, 1945-1985. Edinburgh University Press p 205.
- ^ "Carry On... Up the Khyber (1968)". BFI. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012.
- ^ a b Angelini, Sergio. "Carry On... Up the Khyber (1968)". BFI Screenonline.
- ^ "The meaning and origin of the expression: Khyber pass". The Phrase Finder. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-84854-195-5.
- ^ "Tartans Made for the Movies". Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- ^ "When Snowdon became Khyber Pass for Carry On film". Daily Post. 13 March 2016.
- ^ "Wales hosts Hollywood blockbusters". Visit Wales. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014.
- ^ "Where was 'Carry On Up The Khyber' filmed?". British Film Locations.
- ^ "Carry On Khyber plaque unveiled". BBC News. 30 September 2005. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
- ^ "The World's Top Twenty Films". Sunday Times. 27 September 1970. p. 27.
- ISBN 9780810880269.
- ISBN 9781476635446.
- ISBN 9781904048428.
- ISBN 9780786418039.
- ^ MacCabe, Colin (29 January 1999). "Why Carry On Cleo and Carry On Up the Khyber are two of the best films ever". The Guardian.
- ^ Mitchell, Neil (23 November 2018). "The 5 best Carry Ons… and the 5 worst". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- Bibliography
- Davidson, Andy (2012). Carry On Confidential. London: Miwk. ISBN 978-1908630018.
- Sheridan, Simon (2011). Keeping the British End Up – Four Decades of Saucy Cinema. London: Titan Books. ISBN 978-0857682796.
- Webber, Richard (2009). 50 Years of Carry On. London: Arrow. ISBN 978-0099490074.
- Hudis, Norman (2008). No Laughing Matter. London: Apex. ISBN 978-1906358150.
- Ross, Robert (1998) [1996]. The Carry On Companion. London: Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-8439-X.
- Bright, Morris; Ross, Robert (2000). Mr Carry On – The Life & Work of Peter Rogers. London: BBC Books. ISBN 978-0563551836.
- ISBN 1-85227-554-5.
- Hibbin, Sally & Nina (1988). What a Carry On. London: Hamlyn. ISBN 978-0600558194.
- Eastaugh, Kenneth (1978). The Carry On Book. London: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0715374030.
External links
- Carry On Up the Khyber at IMDb
- Carry On Up the Khyber at Rotten Tomatoes
- Carry on Up the Khyber at BFI Screenonline
- Filming Carry On Up The Khyber, Snowdonia, 1968 – TV feature, including on-location interviews with Gerald Thomas and Kenneth Williams
- Carry On Up the Khyber at The Whippit Inn at the Wayback Machine (archived 15 February 2021)
- 3rd Foot & Mouth Recreation Group