If only history was truly like this?
Well, out of the thirty-one films produced in the legendary CARRY ON series, several have stood out.
In this exclusive group of sub-favourites are CARRY ON SCREAMING (1966) and CARRY ON CLEO (1964). Normally, the films were made for low-budgets and in the case of CLEO, the reason why the film looks a lot more spectacular is that the sets they filmed on were in fact to be used for the big-budget version of CLEOPATRA, which then moved to Rome, leaving these sets unused, but to very effective results as a backdrop to the usual seaside postcard humour that defined the overall series.
CLEO focuses on all the elements of many a classic film based on the legends of Cleopatra and co with the love affair she has with Mark Antony, as well as Caesar’s own predicaments, although as played by Kenneth Williams, you sense he might not have survived as long as he did.
The film however does contain a line that was voted the funniest of all time, uttered by Williams – and still raises a chuckle today.
If you are not familiar with the CARRY ON saga and its’ place in British history, then do seek this out. However, the very last film in 1978, CARRY ON EMMANUELLE, is to be avoided at all costs.