Pretty Good

Absolutely Fantastic

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. It transcends the Carry On series effortlessly, yet stays true to its roots. Parodying the horror genre that had become so popular in the mid-60s was a pretty brave move, especially as the Carry On series was at its zenith, but the gamble certainly paid off. Sid James and Barbara Windsor are both missing - it could have been suicidal, but their replacements Harry H Corbett and Fenella Fielding are simply stunning, giving tour-de-force comedy performances from a sparkling script that makes even the most dyed-in-the-wool Carry On fanatic forget James &Windsor's absence. The plot is involving and suitably spooky, borrowing themes from a kaleidoscope of suspense and supernatural stories, seeming always to pick the best...... Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes, Edgar Allen Poe, even science fiction. The performances are unilaterally superb - Williams, Butterworth and Dale are effortlessly comedic, and Bernard Bresslaw is a gem as the undead butler. This isn't just the best Carry On film - it is, of course - it is NOT Camping, it is NOT Cleo, THIS is the best - it's almost certainly the best British comedy of the 1950s and 1960s. So funny, so lovable, so authentic. All I could wish for is that Charles Hawtrey was in it more.... Although he wouldn't have been in it at all if it weren't that the American distributors asked them to put him in. God Bless America!

My main complaint about this film is the casting. They cast Jim Dale and Angela Douglas who are wonderful together. She appears at the beginning, and at the end, with a short scene in the middle. Why? She is a good actress and very beautiful. Jim Dale is great as always. His girlfriend is kidnapped by Kenneth Williams and his clan. He is the Dracula type and Bernard Bresselaw, who is underused, plays the butler. The others in the castle are not Carry On regulars and I don't really care for them. Peter Butterworth and another guy plays bumbling coppers. There are some good scenes with them and Jim, but there are way too many scenes that don't feature the Carry On regulars. I really like a lot of the Carry On's, but this one misses the mark.

The chemistry between Fenella Fielding and Harry H Corbett is outstanding. They just sparkle on screen together. She was a remarkable performer and added class to every movie she did. I love her sexy sultry voice. Harry H Cobett is as he always was perfect. he looks as though he had been doing these movies for years. He was a brilliant performer. I had to good fortune of seeing him on stage when he came here to Australia to star in the JCW production of Neil Simons LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS. He was brilliant. Intentional or other wise it was a great idea to change the cast and introduce guests and new faces every now and then. I must say I prefer Harry to Sid James, even though Sid was a fine performer in his own right.The rest of the cast are great. I had not taken much notice of Amanda Douglas in previous movies but her performance in this is quite delightful. Jim Dale of course is as sexy as ever and a fine performer. His physical comedy is quite brilliant. Its the first one for Peter Butterworth. I really liked him in this and his drag is pretty good.Joan Sims is the wife from hell and gives a suitably nasty performance. Its rather funny to note that British people slept wit potties under their beds. I wonder if they still do? I guess so. The film looks great. I love the opening credits. We don't see much of Charles Hawtry in this but he gives a much straighter performance in this and its fun. It looks rather like a Hammer film. Kenneth Williams hams it up superbly as always. Its a bright clever film. I gave it an eight.

One of the better films of the Carry On series, the film spoofs the typical horror films of the 1960s quite well, and there is a great feel of the Gothic to it, thanks to apt costumes and sets. It is still overly silly as is usual for an entry in the series, and there are silly sound effects and some lame jokes that bring it down. However, there are quite a few good gags to make up for those that do not work, and the team receives great assistance from Fenella Fielding this time, who is perfectly cast as a vampire like seductress. The film also has some good makeup work, and the title song, sung by Jim Dale, fits in well.