365 Films A Year!

Carry on Nurse is the first entry in the “Carry On” series that really establishes what the future installment would be like. Although Carry On Sergeant laid done several of the ground rules (group of disparate characters thrown together, etc.), the cheekiness and generally bawdy air that permeates the series begins here.

The story is typical Carry On silliness, revolving around the troubles of life in the British National Health Service. Even more than the previous film, this one establishes the anti-establishment tone of the series (the previous one being more about towing the line). This allows us to sypanthize with the patients’ problems, cheer their wacky shenanigans, yet still see them get their commupance.

To my mind, though, the most significant development is the inclusion in the cast of Joan Sims as Student Nurse Stella Dawson. Not to say anything against Carry on Sergeant’s lovely Shirley Eaton (who returns in a similar role here) and very funny Dora Bryan, but Joan Sims was made for the Carry On films. Unlike the previous pair, she seamlessly fits in with the guys, rather than being something for them to react to or with. For the “reacting to” type, that is left, again, to Hattie Jacques, who establishes the stern persona of the Matron to strong effect.

Among the men, Kenneth Connor gets the best material, as usual. His tough, but injured, boxer couldn’t be further removed from his timid hypochondriac from Sergeant. Again, Kenneth Williams also stands out, his bookworm who finds love gets plenty of solid laughs. But there’s still plenty for other series stalwarts Charles Hawtrey, Terence Longdon and Leslie Phillips.

And special note should be made of Wilfrid Hyde-White (making his only Carry On appearance). His Colonel, a needy and troublesome patient in a private room, keeps things lively and his personal commupance is one of the sassiest in the series (and the origin of a long-standing gag).

Carry On Nurse is where the Carry On series really begins. Although it would get saucier and the regular cast would change, all the pieces are in place. And there are few entries that do it as well, either.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 4th, 2008 at 1:58 pm and is filed under 1959, Comedy, Romance, Sequel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.