The first Carry On movie to be filmed in colour and the last written by Norman Hudis, Carry On Cruising is arguably the most charming in the series.
Set aboard the SS Happy Wanderer, it charts the course of Captain Crowther (Sid James) on his tenth-anniversary cruise of the Mediterranean, during which the members of his new crew – the doctor who has never sailed, the cook who can’t cook and the steward who doesn’t know how to mix a drink – seek to find their sea legs.
Initially, they perform their duties very badly, but when they discover their captain is due to be posted away, they pull out all the stops to persuade him to stay.
Kenneth Connor enjoys one of his best outings as the nervous ship’s doctor, Dr Arthur Binn, and Lance Percival has fun as the cook-it-and-see chef, Wilfred Haines.
Like the past Carry Ons, Cruising sees the smooth running of a national institution disrupted and destroyed by a mad collection of comic situations, misadventures and memorable characters – tirelessly cheerful Cyril Chamberlain; Jimmy Thompson’s sympathetic barman; Ronnie Stevens’ pathetic drunken traveller; Brian Rawlinson’s comic shyness; Liz Fraser, seductively resisting male temptation as Glad Trimble, and Esma Cannon as frenzied aged passenger Bridget Madderley who leaves the younger guests standing (her table tennis game with Kenneth Williams and her awesome drinking spree are the pick of some very funny moments).
Charles Hawtrey had no involvement this time around due to wanting a huge salary increase, whilst Joan Sims was resting after a long stage run.
Although set on a cruise liner sailing between Spain, Italy and North Africa, it was filmed at Pinewood Studios, so the cast didn’t get the chance to travel to any glamorous locations.
Captain Crowther
Sidney James Leonard Marjoribanks
Kenneth Williams Dr Arthur Binn
Kenneth Connor Gladys Trimble
Liz Fraser Flo Castle
Dilys Laye Bridget Madderley
Esma Cannon Wilfred Haines
Lance Percival Sam Turner
Jimmy Thompson Tom Tree
Cyril Chamberlain Jenkins
Vincent Ball
Director
Gerald Thomas
Video
You May Also Like
I Only Arsked (1958) This Hammer Films big-screen spin-off from the popular Granada TV series The Army Game found Private…
Days of Wine and Roses (1962) Joe Clay (Jack Lemmon) is a very successful San Francisco Public Relations man. Unfortunately, a big…
Carry On Nurse (1958) The immense success of the first Carry On film came as a huge surprise to most of the…
Carry On Behind (1975) This is a modern reworking of Carry On Camping (1968), with all the usual stereotypes in place and…
Clue of the Silver Key (1961) Superintendent Meredith (Bernard Lee) and Sergeant Anson (Stanley Morgan) of Scotland Yard investigate the murders of…
Carry On England (1976) A major departure from the slap and tickle style of Carry On comedy, this film met with a…
Gold (1974) Two miles below the earth's surface at the Sonderditch gold mine in South Africa, alarm bells…
Crossing The Mob (1988) This 1988 made-for-television movie was originally titled Philly Boy and featured former It's Your Move and…
Set aboard the SS Happy Wanderer, it charts the course of Captain Crowther (Sid James) on his tenth-anniversary cruise of the Mediterranean, during which the members of his new crew – the doctor who has never sailed, the cook who can’t cook and the steward who doesn’t know how to mix a drink – seek to find their sea legs.
Like the past Carry Ons, Cruising sees the smooth running of a national institution disrupted and destroyed by a mad collection of comic situations, misadventures and memorable characters – tirelessly cheerful Cyril Chamberlain; Jimmy Thompson’s sympathetic barman; Ronnie Stevens’ pathetic drunken traveller; Brian Rawlinson’s comic shyness; Liz Fraser, seductively resisting male temptation as Glad Trimble, and Esma Cannon as frenzied aged passenger Bridget Madderley who leaves the younger guests standing (her table tennis game with Kenneth Williams and her awesome drinking spree are the pick of some very funny moments).
Captain Crowther
