British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
comedy horror
Comedy horror (also called horror comedy) is a literary, television and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as having three types: "black comedy, parody and spoof." Comedy horror can a ...
The Rank Organisation
The Rank Organisation (founded as the J. Arthur Rank Organisation) is a British entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1937 by industrialist J. Arthur Rank. It quickly became the largest and most vertical integration, ve ...
. Of the regular cast, it features
Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was a British actor and comedian. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 ''Carry ...
Peter Butterworth
Peter William Shorrocks Butterworth (4 February 1915Harry H. Corbett in his only series appearance and
Fenella Fielding
Fenella Fielding (born Fenella Marion Feldman; 17 November 1927 – 11 September 2018) was an English stage, film and television actress who rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s, and was often referred to as "England's first lady of t ...
making her second and final appearance.
Angela Douglas
Angela Douglas (born Angela McDonagh) is an English actress.
Early life
Douglas was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire circa 1940.
Career
Douglas started acting as a teenager, joining the Worthing, West Sussex repertory theatre, repert ...
makes the second of her four Carry On appearances. ''Carry On Screaming'' is a parody of the
Hammer
A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nail (fastener), nails into wood, to sh ...
horror films, which were also popular at the time. The film was followed by Carry On '' Don't Lose Your Head'' (1967).
Plot
In the
Edwardian era
In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...
, in Hocombe Woods, Doris Mann and Albert Potter are courting. When Albert searches the woods for a
peeping Tom
Lady Godiva (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English , was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries.
She is mainly remembere ...
, Doris is abducted by a monster named Oddbod, who leaves a finger behind. Albert finds the finger and rushes to the police station to report the matter to Detective Constable Slobotham, who in turn tells his superior, the henpecked Detective Sergeant Sidney Bung, who has been investigating similar disappearances in the same woods.
After searching the woods for further clues, the group stumble across the eerie Bide-A-Wee Rest Home, and are shown to the sitting-room by the butler, Sockett. Sockett informs the mistress of the house, the seductive Valeria, of the men's presence, and she in turn awakens her electrically charged brother, Dr. Orlando Watt. Dr. Watt speaks to the three, who are frightened from the house when Dr. Watt vanishes when his electrical charge runs down and reappears when he is plugged in.
The next day, Bung, Slobotham and Potter interview Dan Dann, a lavatory attendant who once worked at Bide-A-Wee as a gardener, but Dann is silenced by Oddbod before he can reveal anything. Meanwhile, the police scientist accidentally creates a second creature—Oddbod Junior —when subjecting Oddbod's finger to an electrical charge. After killing the scientist, Oddbod Junior makes his way to the mansion, where Valeria and Watt are turning people into mannequins to sell. Bung arrives at the house to investigate Dann's death, but becomes infatuated with Valeria instead.
The next day, Potter discovers Doris—in mannequin form—in a milliner's shop but no proof can be found that it really is Doris. Bung returns to the house and discovers evidence that links Valeria and Watt to the mannequin but remains oblivious. Believing him to be on their scent, Valeria and Watt use a potion to turn Bung into a hairy monster man and order him to steal the mannequin for them. After recovering the next day, Bung and Slobotham decide to set a trap in Hocombe Woods, with Slobotham disguised as a woman for bait. Bung's sharp-tongued wife Emily follows, thinking that Bung is having an affair, and is captured by Oddbod Junior while Slobotham is captured by Oddbod. Bung, now teamed up with Potter, makes his way to the house whilst following their footprints.
After failing to dispose of Bung and Potter with a snake, the Oddbods are dispatched to deal with them. Bung and Potter are reunited with Slobotham and manage to return Doris to human form, but discover that Emily has been turned into a mannequin. A battle follows, in which Albert (in monster form) defeats the Oddbods. Dr. Watt menaces them with petrifying liquid but is threatened by the re-animated mummy of Rubbatiti, who has come alive following a lightning strike. Rubbatiti and Watt fall into a boiling vat in the cellar, killing them both. Albert and Doris marry some time later, and discover that Bung, whose home lacks electricity, is unable to return his wife to human form, and is now living with Valeria.
Production
Production of the film ran from 10 January 1966 to 25 February 1966; it was filmed at
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London.
The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to t ...
and on location in
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...
and
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...
.
''Carry On Screaming'' was the second film in the series to have a sung main title theme. The theme song "Carry On Screaming" (film version only) was credited as "Anon" and was thought to have been sung by Jim Dale, who appears in the film. The singer is actually Ray Pilgrim, a session singer who sang for the
Embassy
A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a Sovereign state, state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase ...
label. A vinyl 45 rpm version of the song was also released in 1966 (Columbia DB 7972) by vocalist Boz Burrell, before he became bassist for the bands
King Crimson
King Crimson were an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald (musician), Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield. Guitarist Fripp remained the only constant member throughout the ...
and
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup formed in London in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke (both ex- Free), guitarist Mick Ralphs (ex- Mott the Hoople) and bassist Boz Burrell (ex-King Crimson). Kirke was the only m ...
Deborah Kerr
Deborah Jane Trimmer CBE (30 September 192116 October 2007), known professionally as Deborah Kerr (), was a Scottish actress. She was nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the first person from Scotland to be no ...
was initially offered the role of Valeria, but declined. The character is frequently referred to as a vampire, despite the film never stating her to be. Rather, she is more a parody of Morticia Addams.
The character of Orlando Watt was initially written as Valeria's father. This was changed at the request of actor Kenneth Williams, who wanted to play his own age (39), so that Orlando and Valeria are brother and sister in the finished version.
Charles Hawtrey was added to the cast at the eleventh hour, after American distributors specifically requested him, as he was such a hit and crowd-pleaser with audiences there. He replaced Sydney Bromley in the role of Dan Dann, in what would have been a minor role in the film. Hawtrey thereby has the unique distinction of being the only actor to have a leading credit in a Carry On for less than five minutes' screen time.
Harry H. Corbett replaced Sid James, who was committed to appearing as a robber in the pantomime ''Babes in the Wood'' at the London Palladium, which ran until June 1966.
Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was a British actor and comedian. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 ''Carry ...
as Dr Orlando Watt
*
Peter Butterworth
Peter William Shorrocks Butterworth (4 February 1915Jim Dale as Albert Potter
*
Fenella Fielding
Fenella Fielding (born Fenella Marion Feldman; 17 November 1927 – 11 September 2018) was an English stage, film and television actress who rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s, and was often referred to as "England's first lady of t ...
Angela Douglas
Angela Douglas (born Angela McDonagh) is an English actress.
Early life
Douglas was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire circa 1940.
Career
Douglas started acting as a teenager, joining the Worthing, West Sussex repertory theatre, repert ...
as Doris Mann
*
Jon Pertwee
John Devon Roland Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996), known professionally as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he became known as a comedy actor, playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee (and three other roles) in ...
Frank Thornton
Frank Thornton Ball (15 January 192116 March 2013), professionally known as Frank Thornton, was an English actor. He was best known for playing Captain Peacock in the TV sitcom ''Are You Being Served?'' and its sequel '' Grace & Favour'' (''A ...
Marianne Stone
Marianne Stone (23 August 1922 – 21 December 2009) was an English character actress. She performed in films from the early 1940s to the late 1980s, typically playing working class parts such as barmaids, secretaries and landladies. Stone app ...
as Mrs Parker
* Denis Blake as Rubbatiti
*
Gerald Thomas
Gerald Thomas (10 December 1920 – 9 November 1993) was an English film director best known for the long-running ''Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' series'' of British film comedies.
Early life
Born in Kingston upon Hull, Hull, East Riding ...
as Voice of Oddbod Junior (uncredited)
Filming and locations
* Filming dates: 10 January – 25 February 1966
Interiors:
*
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London.
The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to t ...
Fulmer
Fulmer is a village and civil parish in south Buckinghamshire, England. The village has, along most of its northern border, a narrow green buffer from Gerrards Cross and its heavily wooded adjoining neighbouring villages of Iver Heath and We ...
, Buckinghamshire
Critical reception
''
The Monthly Film Bulletin
The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...
'' wrote: "Apart from an engaging performance by Jim Dale (and some appealing squeaks from monster Odbodd Junior, alias Billy Cornelius), this is glum stuff even by Carry On standards. The regulars, Kenneth Williams in particular, seem too bored to care; Harry H. Corbett overdoes every line; and the horror clichés are rather less amusing than the straight routines in some of Hammer's early epics."
In a 2018 retrospective on the series, the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...