I Watch FIlms: Carry On Cruising

 

Carry On Cruising

After 10 years on the SS Happy Wanderer Captain Crowthers (Sid James) is in line to get a transatlantic liner if his next cruise in the Mediterranean goes well. The secret to his success is a well-drilled crew. Obviously five members of the crew are replaced at the last minute; First Officer Marjoribanks (Kenneth Williams), Ships Doctor Binns (Kenneth Connor), Ships Cook Haines (Lance Percival), Barman Turner (Jimmy Thompson) and Steward Tree (Cyril Chamberlain). All five immediately cause problems and get into trouble, and worst of all the old barman left without revealing the recipe of Captain Crowthers' favourite cocktail, The Aberdeen Angus.

Into this come a variety of comic passengers, most notably Flo and Glad a pair of women looking for men, Miss Madderley an older woman who gets into odd scrapes, and a man who gets drunk every day due to being heartbroken. The film moves through various comic setpieces; set entirely onboard the ports they visit are represented by the souvenirs and the choice of drink at the bar. The main plot, such as it is, involves the five new crewmen initially trying and failing to impress the captain before finding their feet; and Flo and Dr Binns’ comic romance blossoming.

Less smutty and more good-natured than many of the Carry On films, it also hasn’t much satirical edge to it. People go on cruises, get drunk, fall in love, have comic mishaps. New crew members get into scrapes, learn to get on with things. The cruise industry doesn’t take many hits from this, there’s no critique. Both sadly, and fortunately, merely an often amusing sitcom.

Watch This: Amusing sitcom/romcom
Don’t Watch This: Tells us nothing that any other late 60s British comedy film can’t provide