Truly Dreadful Film

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

This Carry On takes place during the French Revolution and has most of the regulars in it. Kenneth Williams plays and evil Frenchman Citizen Camembert and Peter Butterworth plays his aide Citizen Bidet. They see to it that people they don't like get beheaded. Sid James and Jim Dale plays the heroes who save the people from being killed. They save Charles Hawtrey and Kenneth decides to look all over for them. Joan Sims plays Kenneth's wife. Sid and Jim hear of another escape they did not help with. They invite them to a party to check them out. It turns out to be Kenneth and Joan in disguise. They all find out who each other are. Sid finds out a woman who helped him escape earlier is to be put to death. They go to find her and they rescue her. Sid gets help from Joan and they rescue her. They overthrow Kenneth and Peter. Sid acts as executioner at their beheading. He marries the girl and Joan reluctantly marries Charles. This was a good movie, but there could have been more to it.

Carry on don't lose your head is based on great scarlet pimpernel story from 19th century France. It is performed by the carry on team and is one of the carry on historical setting films of the 1960s like carry on cleo and up the Khyber. It is regarded as one of the strong carry ons of series. One half of the carry on team is on one side, the other half is on other. Sid james stars as scarlet pimpernel pitted against kenneth williams as french authorities pursuing citizen bidet. There are big sets used for film such as mansion where fancy dress ball held with dancing, posh costumes and jokes between sid james, kenneth williams and joan sims as sid james pretends to be an aristocrat. Other memorable sets are sunrise big gardens duel between sid james and authority enemy charles hawtrey and the public guillotining of criminals in France which the scarlet pimpernel hoping to avoid

DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD Aspect ratio: 1.66:1Sound format: MonoDuring the French Revolution, the villainous Citizen Camembert (a perpetually outraged Kenneth Williams) goes in search of the notorious 'Black Fingernail' (Sid James), an unidentified British aristocrat who's been crossing the English Channel to rescue his French counterparts from the guillotine.The second and final entry in the long-running series not to feature 'Carry On' in its title due to political fall-out from a change of UK distributor (the first was FOLLOW THAT CAMEL, released earlier the same year), DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD demonstrates yet again that screenwriter Talbot Rothwell was at his best when indulging his fondness for historical burlesque. Sumptuously mounted on various high-blown locations (including Clandon Park and Waddesdon Manor, with interiors filmed at Pinewood Studios), the film's ribald parody of the French Revolution encompasses everything from silly character names (Camembert is the local 'big cheese', aided and abetted by the gormless Citizen Bidet, while the Black Fingernail conceals his true identity under the foppish pseudonym of Sir Rodney Ffing - "with two F's!") to puns, sight gags and lowbrow slapstick. In other words, the formula as before.But like so many of the better "Carry On"s, the comedy is rooted in a well-developed storyline, augmented by the usual array of flamboyant characters and eccentric supporting players. Highlights include Charles Hawtrey as a jolly French aristocrat, and Joan Sims as Williams' Cockney-spouting sister (Sims and Hawtrey share an unlikely seduction sequence midway through the film which culminates in a terrific 'please yourself' gag). Sid James and Jim Dale are the nominal heroes of the piece, camping it up with affectionate glee, while Peter Butterworth excels as Williams' dimwitted lackey, forever lusting after Sims and shouting: "Equality! Fraternity! Liberty!" (to which Sims retorts: "I don't care about the equalities and the fraternities, but I'm NOT having the liberties!"). But as usual, Kenneth Williams walks away with the picture, overplaying every gesture, emphasizing every double entendre, and milking every gag for all its considerable worth. An absolute comic gem! Director Gerald Thomas keeps the pot boiling throughout, and production values are solid. Watch out for a couple of mistakes which made it into the final print (Williams' hat being knocked by Butterworth in a cramped carriage, and Sims almost falling over whilst admiring a lovely new dress), betraying a rushed production schedule. Favorite gag: Hawtrey brags to a group of young women that he escaped the guillotine by slaying half a dozen of his captors, and one gushing admirer declares: "What a bloody sight it must have been." Hawtrey, quick as a flash, retorts: "M'dear, if me sword hadn't broken, it'd have been a bloody sight more!" Genius.

SPOILERS AFOOT AND APLENTYThis was the first quote in the film, quoted by Citizen Camemberet, the Chief of Secret Police during the French Revolution of 1789. Kenneth Williams is in a rather over-the-top persona for his character as he watches the Lords and Ladies of France lose their heads [literally!] by the dreaded blade of Madame La Guliotine. Tallying up the total of beheaded aristos for the day is his idiotic little runt of an accomplice, Citizen Bidet [Peter Butterworth].Meanwhile, in England, the "toast of society", Sir Rodney Ffing [Two F's!] and Lord Darcy Pue [Jim Dale] are living the life of luxury, provided by horse riding, hunting, fishing ... and women! However, they are both bored stiff with living life of Riley ["same girls, same chaps, same balls!]. Their servant [Michael Ward] informs them of the crisis in France, so the Lords decide to "lend a hand". Sid James, in his usual character type, changes his voice tones from a nasal "posh" accent to his normal voice and dirty laugh and goes to Paris risk-willingly, with Jim Dale only too happy to follow and assist.Citizen Robspierre [Peter Gilmore] is far from happy with "The Big Cheese" Camemberet. He is disgusted with "The Black Fingernail's" [a.k.a "That Ffing!"] success in helping the aristocracy escape. Camemberet is facing his biggest challenge yet, the Duc de Pommfrit [Charles Hawtrey] in his usual character self ["Oh hello!"], who's head is due to roll the next day: "Don't worry, by this time tomorrow, the Duc de Pommfrit will definitley have had his chips!".The time comes for Pommfrit's execution, but he will not go up to the guliotine because he is too engrosed in a particular book. Bidet is sent to fetch him, at which stage Peter Butterworth is given probably his best "Carry On" retort, directed at him of course [!]when he and Charles indulge in some Cockney criticism: Duc: "Everyone knows your father was a basket maker!", Bidet: "That's where your wrong, nobody knows who my father was, not even my mother!".The Black Fingernail, in the guise of an insurance salesman, manages to delibaratley break the behaeding apparatus, behead the executioner and free the Duc. When the guillotine breaks, the next great quote comes: Camemberet: "Sorry to keep you waiting your Grace", Duc: "This would never have happened under a ROYALIST government!", Camemberet: "There's no need to be personal!". Camemberet is then threatened with the loss of his own head, if the Fingernail's doesn't come off first.From the only clues that was left, a piece of paper portaying two fingers in the contemptive way and a false-teeth contained locket, it must be assumed that the Fingernail is an English aristo. Camemberet, Bidet and the aforementioned's "bit-of-fluff" Desiree [Joan Sims] decide to head off to England to get clues. Hence the chance for another priceless quote when Bidet is eyeing-up the busty Desiree [Desiree: "Cammy, will you please tell this underling to take his eyes off me"/ Bidet: "Underling! We'll have no more of that talk, vie equality, vie fraternity, vie liberty/ Desiree: "I'm all for the eqaulity and the fraternity, but I'm not having the liberties!"], that being Joan's best ever "Carry On" retort.Meanwhile, en route back to England, Sid enters a tavern, and the room of a busty French waif [the late Dany Robin]. A chance for a bit of verbal love-making is produced before the police break in after the Fingernail has jumped out the window and away into the night. They suspect Jacqueline [the girl] of being a collabrator and arrest her. There is also a delightful cameo by Marianne Stone as the inn-keeper who is interrogated physically by Bidet: "And let that be a lesson to you woman!".Kenneth, Joan and Peter sail across the channel and to the palace of Sir Rodney, not wanting to miss one of his balls [!]. Sid and Jim know Kenneth's game, that he is the "Big Cheese" himself and want to expose him. Joan Sims, after being attacked by the sex-mad Duc, places the distinguishing locket on her cleavage as she dances with all the men to try and "suss" the owner of the piece out. She then admits to fancying Sid and he promises to make her a lady if she gives him information about his captured love intrest. She throws herself at the unwilling Sid and is caught by Kenneth, who challenges him to a duel, which ends up a shambles.Kenneth, Joan and Peter go back to France, Kenneth and Peter still at risk of being headless and Joan not a lady. Sid, Jim and Charles follow to get Jacqueline back. They discover that Kenneth is chopping heads off the rich while living the life of luxury himself! The indulge in a grand finale, with the Brits launching an attack on Kenneth's mansion, and the defated figure has to stand and watch as all his antiques are destroyed. Sid finally rescues the girl, with the help of Joan. The house ends up collapsing with Kenneth and Peter inside and Sid, Jim, Charles, Joan and Dany Robin running for safety.We are then taken back to Madame La Gulliotine, where Kenneth and Peter are about to disobey the title's advice. Kenneth: "Thank goodness the Fingernail isn't here to see this". Then Sid lift's the executioner's mask, brings down the blade and gives his trademark dirty laugh. Sid and Dany are lord and lady at Sid' mansion with Joan being Lady de Pommfrit: Joan: "Well this is a fine way to keep aa bargain, I must say!"/ Sid: "What's the matter with you, you wanted a title and he's got one"/ Joan: "I hate to think what it is!". Sid gives his dirty laugh and the film draws to a close.Overall, "Carry On ... Don't Lose Your Head" is a masterpiece at describing English-French unrest history in a comedy sense. The film was called "Don't Lose Your Head" at first, but then re-released with "Carry On" added to it, which gave it bigger profit. A ten out of ten for this film and a must see for any "Carry On" fan. Laugh if you must, but take my advice, don't lose your head!