Carry On Spying
Cloak And Dagger Operations Exposed!
Carry On Spying is a wonderful spoof comedy. The film introduces us to the wonderful charms of Barbara Windsor as it follows a group of trainee spies, including Daphne Honeybutt, (Windsor), Charlie Bind, (Charles Hawtrey) and Harold Crump, (Bernard Cribbins). This hapless bunch are given the task of regaining a secret formula from an evil group called STENCH. The mission could have been in safe hands if it wasn’t being led by a clueless nincompoop Desmond Simpkins, (Kenneth Williams), who literally breaks everything he touches and seems incapable of tying his own shoelaces, let alone running a top-secret mission to save the world.
The film mercilessly ribs the mega-blockbusters of their day, especially the Third Man from the manner in which some street scenes are filmed to several references to the Café Mozart, manhole covers and even an appearance from the waiter in the film, onto the early James Bonds and Our Man in Havana. The only thing which stopped this film getting top marks as far as I am concerned, was the miscasting of Harold Crump. I think Kenneth Connor would have been a far better choice, considering he’s not even in the film. I think this was a missed opportunity. Nevertheless this is a laugh out loud comedy and to this day is still one of my favourite spoof films.
9/10 – Calum Roberts