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It's Sergeant Grimshaw's (William Hartnell) last time he's to send new
recruits through basic training with the National Service before he
retires, and he's determined to turn them into his first champion platoon,
the one thing he has failed in so far. He's so convinced he can do it, too
that he accepts a 50 Pound wager from a fellow sergeant (Terry Scott)
even. And he has decided to change his strategy with the recruits this
time around, using psychology and (relative) kindness rather than shouting
and punishment. But when he sees his new recruits, his hopes start to
vanish into thin air: There's newly married Charlie (Bob Monkhouse), who's
more interested in his sweetheart Mary (Shirley Eaton), who has cheated
herself into working at the kitchen, than anything the army can teach him,
there's hypochondriac Horace Strong (Kenneth Connor), overly intellectual
Bailey (Kenneth Williams), upper class Heywood (Terence Londgon), and
totally incompetent Golightly (Charles Hawtrey), to name just a few, and
naturally they all make a mess out of whatever's thrown at them (and quite
a few things that aren't even thrown at them. It's only the night before
appraisal that they learn about the Sergeant's desire to end service on a
high note that they figure Grimshaw has actually been a very ok guy, and
they owe him to become his first champion platoon that they pull together
and - well, become his first champion platoon. Being the first
in the immensely successful and iconic British Carry On-series,
this was never intended to be the launch of anything, just an irreverent
army comedy based on a well-respected play. And the film as such - now I'm
not saying it's bad, but at the same time it's nothing special, just your
typical tale of new recruits messing things up and getting in all kinds or
funny situations. And as such, the film has little on the Laurel
and Hardy gem Bonnie
Scotland. At the same time though, Carry On, Sergeant is
funny in its own rigth, and while not all the jokes are terribly new, they
come across with enthusiasm and carried by a very able ensemble cast. Now
it wasn't for the series it spaned, this movie would hardly be considered
a milestone, yet a likeable comedy still.
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