Carry On Cabby

Dir: Gerald Thomas

1963

***

Carry On Regardless, the previous Carry On film, was the first film of the franchise to find its way as it were, it had its main performers and found its level and the series continued in the same vein. The Seventh Carry On, Carry On Cabby, was missing the great Kennith Williams but was the first of the series to have a proper Carry On story as audiences would come to recognize. I liked the previous films but Carry On Cabby really was the blueprint for the other films to come, many had historical contexts but they all followed the same formula. It is misogynistic, sexist and discriminatory yes but it was also showing up those traits and the men who hide behind them. What matters is that in the end everyone has a good laugh about it all. It is incredibly dated but in the best possible way, everything is innocent and it is still quite funny today. It doesn't matter who you are or where you stand, there is something in all Brits that just can't resist the 'Hahaha' of Sid James, the 'Ooh noo' of Kennith Williams, the 'Oh, Hello' Of Charles Hawtry or the 'Corrr' of Kenneth Connor. Carry On Cabby is notable for having the first performances of Amanda 'Hello Darling' Barrie (who sadly only made two Carry Ons) and Jim Dale who would become a regular and a favourite of the series.