Carry on Behind (1975) starring Elke Sommer, Kenneth Williams, Bernard Bresslaw, Kenneth Connor, Jack Douglas, Joan Sims, Windsor Davies, Peter Butterworth, Liz Fraser, Patsy Rowlands, Ian Lavender directed by Gerald Thomas Movie Review

Carry on Behind (1975)   2/52/52/52/52/5


Elke Sommer and Kenneth Williams in Carry on Behind (1975)

Behind the Scene

Professor Crump (Kenneth Williams - Carry on Abroad) and Russian Professor Vrooshka (Elke Sommer) are visiting an archaeological dig but it is right next to a busy caravan park. With their attempted dig getting constantly disrupted and all manner of things going on in the caravan park it seems like nothing will go right for them.

Whilst "Carry on Dick", released the year before, was almost a return to form for the "Carry On" movies, "Carry on Behind" was a big nail in the franchises coffin. It is for me one of the worst "Carry On" movies and with the title having particularly no relation to the actual movie it is one best avoided. I am serious as with just a few of the "Carry On" regulars and a storyline which feels like it's been made up from the jokes which had previously been discarded it really struggles to be funny, plodding it's way through one set piece gag after another with no real storyline to string them together.

Windsor Davies and Liz Fraser in Carry on Behind (1975)

I will be the first to admit that you don't expect the most amazing of storylines when it comes to the "Carry On" movies, I have said that many times, but usually there is something which strings the gags together. Sadly the storyline to "Carry on Behind" really is non existent despite there being what you could call several little storylines such as the best friends heading to the caravan park with the aim of finding women or the archaeologists who are there for a dig. But none of these little storylines, these little situations build to a central storyline which acts as the glue. In fact all these situations, the married couple with the annoying mother-in-law, the couple with a huge dog feel like they are ideas from "Carry On Camping" which were discarded.

And that is the thing with "Carry on Behind" being set in the same field that "Carry On Camping" was set in and with so many situations feeling like leftovers it ends up a very weak imitation. And it's not just the situations which feel like leftovers as so do many of the jokes with barely a handful really ending up being funny. You have to give Kenneth Connor some credit as whilst he did the same sort of thing in many of the "Carry On" movies, his Chaplinesque slapstick, and those little mannerisms are amusing. And whilst seriously obvious watching Elke Sommer as a Russian archaeologist getting her words mixed up is also amusing, or at least more amusing compared to many of the movies other jokes.

One thing which doesn't help "Carry on Behind" is that only a handful of the regulars return with Kenneth Williams, Joan Simms, Peter Butterworth and Kenneth Connor trying to keep things going. Unfortunately they don't and with the likes of Windsor Davies cast in a role which was made for Sid James it ends up feeling like a knockoff. As such "Carry on Behind" ends up not really feeling like a "Carry On" movie although spotting Sherrie Hewson as a bikini clad camper ends up being quite amusing.

What this all boils down to is that "Carry on Behind" is really one of the worst movies in the "Carry On" franchise. It feels like it's been put together from the bits which never made it into "Carry on Camping" and feels weak in comparison. Plus with barely a handful of the "Carry On" stalwarts it ends up feeling almost not a "Carry On" movie and as such it is simply disappointing.

Tags: Carry On Movies


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