| Carry on Spying (1964) | |
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Rating: 6.2/10 (3,111 votes) Director: Gerald Thomas Writer: Talbot Rothwell, Sid Colin Stars: Kenneth Williams, Barbara Windsor, Bernard Cribbins Runtime: 87 min Rated: N/A Genre: Comedy Released: 12 Sep 1964 |
| Plot: Agent Simpkins and trainees chase STENCH (the Society for the Total Extinction of Non-Conforming Humans) for a stolen chemical formula, using gadgets and disguises to defeat villains The Fat Man, Dr Milchman, and Dr Crow. | |
The last of the black & white films in the series, and also the first to see Barbara Windsor join the crew. Carry On Spying is a parody of the spy genre, lampooning films about secret agents, but especially the James Bond films which were early into their run. Cribbins returns for his second foray into the series, and regulars Willaims and Hawtrey are present once more. Jim Dale, now becoming a firm addition to the gang, also crops up as Agent Carstairs.
The story sees STENCH (the Society for the Total Extinction of Non-Conforming Humans) steal a top secret chemical formulae, and the Secret Service assigning their only remaining agent, Desmond Simkins (Williams), and a group of trainee agents – Crump (Cribbins), Honeybutt (Windsor), and Bind (Hawtrey) – to get it back. The team are supposed to work with Agent Carstairs, but due to a series of events caused by their ineptitude actually appear to be working against him.
The four agents are ably played by Williams, Cribbins, Windsor and Hawtrey, and the lively banter between the gang certainly helps carry the film along, even when the contrivances that make up the story get a little too ridiculous. Williams is playing his role with more of the sneer that he has used previously, taking inspiration from his Mr Snide character on Hancock’s Half Hour, whilst Windsor makes a strong first impression, with her bubbly charm with an underlying fierce determination style of character out in full force. Cribbins, who was good but seemed a little underused in the previous film, has a lot more to do here, and is given plenty of opportunity to play to his own comedic strengths, and Hawtrey is on fine form as usual playing the hapless ‘Double-O…ohh’. Jim Dale, in a support role here, shows off some comedic farce at times, but also a roguishly charming aspect, clearly taking the James Bond theme to heart.
The humour edges closer to the innuendo laden approach that the latter series entries would be well known for, but doesn’t feel over-done – after all, the Bond franchise itself is well known for the use of innuendo – and in the end the film stands as a solid spy-spoof which sits comfortably alongside films such as Austin Powers and other films that lovingly parody the genre.
