A group of imminent archaelogists, led by the stuffy Professor Roland Crump (Kenneth Williams) and the more fun and liberated Professor Anna Vooshka (Elke Sommer), are in search of an old Roman town that is thought to be lying underneath a holiday caravan park.
Scriptwriter Dave Freeman was drafted into the fold (replacing Talbot Rothewell) having already worked with producer Peter Rogers and director Gerald Thomas on the 1972 film version of the hit ITV sitcom, Bless This House. Dave Freeman's windy, sparky and far bluer dialogue was more risqué, a trend that had started to emerge in the 1970s Carry On's. The jokes and endless gags all overflow on smutty innuendo and double entendres, even though Freeman was in fact attempting to vaguely recapture the spirit and flavour of 1969's classic (and more innocent) Carry On Camping.
Times had certainly changed since then with all sorts of ludicrous sex comedies scoring high at the Box Office, like the dreadful Confessions Of A... films and the even worse Adventures Of A... series, all of which seemed pretty lame stuff when compared to the sparkling, feel-good factor of the Carry On's. However, by 1975 the Carry On's were suddenly seeming a little out of place and somewhat dated in comparison to the more explicit sex comedies that were roaming around.
Yet, thankfully, 1975's Carry On Behind still comes out a winner, even if it did fare disappointingly at the Box Office. It's missing several of the regular stars, but an injection of new faces keep things fairly fresh, with the likes of Carol Hawkins (who had previously starred in 1972's Carry On Abroad) and Sherrie Hewson providing the eye candy for the men, while Adrienne Posta and Ian Lavender (star of the BBC sitcom, Dads Army) star as a married couple on their annual holidays.
Surprisingly, it's international film star Elke Sommer who receives top billing, pipping Carry On lifer Kenneth Williams to the post. Her wonderful performance is always impeccably timed and tossing in delightfully fractured English comments that becomes the foil of each scene she shares with Kenneth Williams. Both stars seemingly spark off one another.
Kenneth Williams is the typically snide, arrogant and campy Professor Roland Crump. If you were to delve into Kenneth Williams famous Diaries that were published shortly after he allegedly commit suicide in 1988, you would be a little startled to learn (I certainly was) that Williams had grown very unhappy with the Carry On series over the years, feeling they had hindered his acting career in finding more serious, challenging roles. You really can't detect that animosity when you view Williams performance in Carry On Behind (even though he declared this to be the worst in the series at the point of filming) as he goes through the motions with seemingly effortless energy, delivering on the whole, a fine comic turn.
Bernard Bresslaw stars as Arthur Upmore who is on his annual holiday with his wife, Linda (Patsy Rolands), and whom bares the burden of having to bring his interfering, dragon-like mother-in-law (Joan Sims) along. Bresslaw's performance seems to be on auto-pilot a little, although he does have his moments, while Patsy Rolands bubbles along nicely in the background in a fairly minor supporting turn.
Joan Sims also seems to be on auto-pilot (at least for the duration of the first half of the film), though manages a few witty lines to deliver. As the film draws on, however, her character reveals a far softer side when she is unexpectedly reunited with her long-lost husband, Henry (Peter Butterworth) whom had been working at the caravan park as an "odd job" man for the past twenty years. The scenes in which Sims and Butterworth are re-acquainting themselves in the caravan are actually quite touching, delivered beautifully by these two stalwarts of the series and containing a real, poignant edge.
Peter Butterworth as Henry Barnes practically turns in a re-creation of his stingy, scavanging character Mr. Fiddler in the more famous Carry On Camping for this film, and his performance is top notch as always. Another stalwart of the series, Kenneth Connor gets the occasional chance to shine as the sexually repressed and ever-randy caravan site owner, Major Leep.
The pairing of Windsor Davies as Fred and Jack Douglas as Ernie is a slightly pale reflection of the dynamic teaming of Sid James and Bernard Bresslaw in Carry On Camping with just a few variations. Again they are the stereotypical middle-aged married men looking for extra marital activity whilst their wives (Liz Frazer and Patrica Franklin) are blissfully ignorant of their husbands intent, believing they are going on a "fishing" trip.
The pace and energy of the Carry On films was slowing down considerably now, though Carry On Behind stays afloat with some fine performances and hilarious (even if predictable) situations that makes this one of the classics in the series and indeed the last watchable of the series (subsequent entries Carry On England (1976) and Carry On Emamanuelle (1978) are probably best forgotten).
There does seem a lack of real interaction with the cast until the ending when Jenny Cox turns up (typically through a comic misunderstanding) at the caravans club/bar on the final night of the holiday performing a raunchy strip tease. It is at this climax that the film really scores best. And the film ends firmly retaining that feel-good factor that the Carry On's were always renowned for; sadly a last hurrah for the series.
Ian Phillips
Scriptwriter Dave Freeman was drafted into the fold (replacing Talbot Rothewell) having already worked with producer Peter Rogers and director Gerald Thomas on the 1972 film version of the hit ITV sitcom, Bless This House. Dave Freeman's windy, sparky and far bluer dialogue was more risqué, a trend that had started to emerge in the 1970s Carry On's. The jokes and endless gags all overflow on smutty innuendo and double entendres, even though Freeman was in fact attempting to vaguely recapture the spirit and flavour of 1969's classic (and more innocent) Carry On Camping.
Times had certainly changed since then with all sorts of ludicrous sex comedies scoring high at the Box Office, like the dreadful Confessions Of A... films and the even worse Adventures Of A... series, all of which seemed pretty lame stuff when compared to the sparkling, feel-good factor of the Carry On's. However, by 1975 the Carry On's were suddenly seeming a little out of place and somewhat dated in comparison to the more explicit sex comedies that were roaming around.
Yet, thankfully, 1975's Carry On Behind still comes out a winner, even if it did fare disappointingly at the Box Office. It's missing several of the regular stars, but an injection of new faces keep things fairly fresh, with the likes of Carol Hawkins (who had previously starred in 1972's Carry On Abroad) and Sherrie Hewson providing the eye candy for the men, while Adrienne Posta and Ian Lavender (star of the BBC sitcom, Dads Army) star as a married couple on their annual holidays.
Surprisingly, it's international film star Elke Sommer who receives top billing, pipping Carry On lifer Kenneth Williams to the post. Her wonderful performance is always impeccably timed and tossing in delightfully fractured English comments that becomes the foil of each scene she shares with Kenneth Williams. Both stars seemingly spark off one another.
Kenneth Williams is the typically snide, arrogant and campy Professor Roland Crump. If you were to delve into Kenneth Williams famous Diaries that were published shortly after he allegedly commit suicide in 1988, you would be a little startled to learn (I certainly was) that Williams had grown very unhappy with the Carry On series over the years, feeling they had hindered his acting career in finding more serious, challenging roles. You really can't detect that animosity when you view Williams performance in Carry On Behind (even though he declared this to be the worst in the series at the point of filming) as he goes through the motions with seemingly effortless energy, delivering on the whole, a fine comic turn.
Bernard Bresslaw stars as Arthur Upmore who is on his annual holiday with his wife, Linda (Patsy Rolands), and whom bares the burden of having to bring his interfering, dragon-like mother-in-law (Joan Sims) along. Bresslaw's performance seems to be on auto-pilot a little, although he does have his moments, while Patsy Rolands bubbles along nicely in the background in a fairly minor supporting turn.
Joan Sims also seems to be on auto-pilot (at least for the duration of the first half of the film), though manages a few witty lines to deliver. As the film draws on, however, her character reveals a far softer side when she is unexpectedly reunited with her long-lost husband, Henry (Peter Butterworth) whom had been working at the caravan park as an "odd job" man for the past twenty years. The scenes in which Sims and Butterworth are re-acquainting themselves in the caravan are actually quite touching, delivered beautifully by these two stalwarts of the series and containing a real, poignant edge.
Peter Butterworth as Henry Barnes practically turns in a re-creation of his stingy, scavanging character Mr. Fiddler in the more famous Carry On Camping for this film, and his performance is top notch as always. Another stalwart of the series, Kenneth Connor gets the occasional chance to shine as the sexually repressed and ever-randy caravan site owner, Major Leep.
The pairing of Windsor Davies as Fred and Jack Douglas as Ernie is a slightly pale reflection of the dynamic teaming of Sid James and Bernard Bresslaw in Carry On Camping with just a few variations. Again they are the stereotypical middle-aged married men looking for extra marital activity whilst their wives (Liz Frazer and Patrica Franklin) are blissfully ignorant of their husbands intent, believing they are going on a "fishing" trip.
The pace and energy of the Carry On films was slowing down considerably now, though Carry On Behind stays afloat with some fine performances and hilarious (even if predictable) situations that makes this one of the classics in the series and indeed the last watchable of the series (subsequent entries Carry On England (1976) and Carry On Emamanuelle (1978) are probably best forgotten).
There does seem a lack of real interaction with the cast until the ending when Jenny Cox turns up (typically through a comic misunderstanding) at the caravans club/bar on the final night of the holiday performing a raunchy strip tease. It is at this climax that the film really scores best. And the film ends firmly retaining that feel-good factor that the Carry On's were always renowned for; sadly a last hurrah for the series.
Ian Phillips