| Carry on Constable (1960) | |
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Rating: 6.2/10 (2,802 votes) Director: Gerald Thomas Writer: Norman Hudis, Brock Williams Stars: Sidney James, Kenneth Williams, Eric Barker Runtime: 86 min Rated: N/A Genre: Comedy Released: 25 Aug 1961 |
| Plot: With a flu epidemic running rife, three new bumbling recruits are assigned to Inspector Mills police station. They manage to totally wreck the operations of the police force and let plenty of criminals get away. | |
If Police Academy owed a debt of favour to Carry on Sergeant for the depiction of an inept bunch of recruits in basic training, then Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment certainly owes one to Carry On Sergeant. With a flu epidemic causing a station to be short manned, the arrival of a few fresh officers couldn’t have come at a better time. However, even before they arrive the trio unwittingly assist some bank robbers, and their antics once joined up don’t fare much better.
The team are once more playing to type, with the new recruits being played by Williams as the intellectual and aloof PC Benson, Phillips as the debonair cad PC Potter, and Connor as the lovestruck and superstitious PC Constable. Other series regulars include Hawtrey as the effeminate Special Constable Gorse, Sims as WPC Passworthy (the love interest for Connor), and Jacques as Sergeant Laura Moon who watches over the officers with a stern but caring nature. Ted Ray was initially planned to join the crew once more, after his turn in Teacher, but contractual issues got in the way and he was replaced by newcomer Sid James, who took the role of Sergeant Wilkins. The alteration to the casting proved to be a hit, and James became a series regular, and a favourite amongst fans of the series.
With James on board, the final elements of the core detail of the Carry On team were coming together. We had previously seen how Jacques and Sims worked strongly together, but with James alongside her, Jacques had an equal to share authority figure roles with, albeit with slightly different approaches. Sid’s cheeky charm is already present in the film, even if his womanising mannerisms which come into latter films are not entirely present – although a few sneaky double-takes at saucy moments hint at what he would bring to the table as a regular.
The film follows the typical formula, after the introduction the run-time plays out as a series of sketch-like misadventures play out involving one or two of the team at a time, before a final resolution proves that they are a strong force to be reckoned with. Sadly some of the misadventures feel a little weak, and the basic approach is starting to wear thin a little, with only the charm of the series regulars, and the occasional appearance of a guest star, offering some delight. As usual, Williams shines on screen and offers the most amusement, with Phillips taking second place in the charm stakes (and what a charmer he was). But had it not been for the inclusion of Sid James to the team at this point, it would otherwise have just been a bit of a re-tread of antics from before. As it stands, Constable is one of the more average of the series – not a bad film, but not one that demands a repeated watch.
