Carry On Behind (1975)
 This is a modern reworking of Carry On Camping (1969),
with all the usual stereotypes in place and a more
near-the-knuckle treatment of sex and nudity. Carry On Behind
boasts a fine cast of regulars - less than usual certainly, but
still enough to keep it firmly in the familiar pattern.
Kenneth Williams, grabbing centre stage, minces and whines
throughout the piece as Professor Crump, giving a performance full
of outrageous comments with touches of his youthful 'snide'
vocals.
Bernard Bresslaw crops up as the ultimate hen-pecked,
put-upon husband who falls foul of several comic situations and
displeases his wife, Patsy Rowlands, while his mother-in-law, a
menacing supporting turn from Joan Sims, joins them on holiday and
disrupts the fun.
Kenneth Connor, popping up throughout the film as the randy old
major who owns the caravan site and Peter Butterworth as the
shuffling odd job man give stunning performances - maintaining the
continuity of the series with two memorable and battling lead
roles. Jack Douglas gives an excellent star performance as his
usual jittering self but has a lot more screen time, while
newcomer Windsor Davies takes on the impossible task of being the
film’s chief sexist.
Meanwhile the real revelation of Behind is a fascinating
leading performance from Hollywood star Elke Sommer, who
brilliantly wanders into the film as visiting archaeologist
Professor Vushka, tossing fractured English comments into the
usual concoction of farce and innuendo.
Unfortunately, the caravan site is riddled with old mining
tunnels, and the weather is persisting down - and when the campers
start to get that sinking feeling, they know they’re in the
pits!
Meanwhile a saucy Mynah bird causes chaos and confusion, the
cabaret act turns out to be a stripper and the odd-job man turns
out to be one of the campers long-lost husband who just won close
to £20,000 on the football pools.
In the end, of course, everybody goes home happy - the split
asunder married couples get back together again, the bickering
married couples find renewed happiness, Kenneth Connor makes a
successful play for the hired stripper (Jenny Cox) and Kenneth
Williams finds himself in the enviable position of camping about
in a pit with Elke Sommer.
The dialogue is corny, it's true, and the essence of
simpleminded, no-nonsense fun and games is beginning to pale, but
Behind, following a film that saw the farewell of so many
important contributors, does stand up very well.
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