Carry on Cowboy (1966)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Gerald Thomas

Writer:

Talbot Rothwell (screenplay)

Release Date:

March 1966 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Tagline:

How the west was hilariously lost!! [Australia]

Plot:

Stodge City is in the grip of the Rumpo Kid and his gang. Mistaken identity again takes a hand as a "sanitary engineer" (plumber) by the name of Marshal P. Knutt is mistaken for a law marshal! Being the conscientious sort, Marshal tries to help the town get rid of Rumpo, and a showdown is inevitable. Marshal has two aids - revenge-seeking Annie Oakley and his sanitary expertise...

Plot Keywords:

Carry On | Sequel | Independent Film

Cast

Sid James	...	Johnny Finger, the Rumpo Kid (as Sidney James)
Kenneth Williams	...	Judge Burke
Jim Dale	...	Marshal P. Knutt
Charles Hawtrey	...	Chief Big Heap
Joan Sims	...	Belle Armitage
Angela Douglas	...	Annie Oakley
Bernard Bresslaw	...	Little Heap
Peter Butterworth	...	Doc
Percy Herbert	...	Charlie, the Bartender
Jon Pertwee	...	Sheriff Albert Earp
Sydney Bromley	...	Sam Houston
Edina Ronay	...	Dolores
Lionel Murton	...	Clerk
Peter Gilmore	...	Henchman Curly
Davy Kaye	...	Josh the Undertaker
Alan Gifford	...	Commissioner
Brian Rawlinson	...	Burt, Stagecoach Guard
Michael Nightingale	...	Bank Manager
Simon Cain	...	Short
Sally Douglas	...	Kitikata
Cal McCord	...	Young Ranchhand
Gary Colleano	...	Henchman Slim (as Garry Colleano)
Arthur Lovegrove	...	Old Ranchhand
Margaret Nolan	...	Miss Jones
Tom Clegg	...	Blacksmith
Larry Cross	...	Perkins
Brian Coburn	...	Trapper
Ballet Montparnasse	...	Townspeople (as The Ballet Montparnasse)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andrea Allan	...	Minnie (uncredited)
Tommy Atkins	...	Rider (uncredited)
Pat Baker	...	Rider (uncredited)
Gerald Barnes	...	Rider (uncredited)
Bernard Barnsley	...	Rider (uncredited)
Douglas Bates	...	Rider (uncredited)
Kid Berg	...	Rider (uncredited)
Gloria Best	...	Bridget (uncredited)
David Birks	...	Rider (uncredited)
Brian Bowes	...	Rider (uncredited)
Bill Brandon	...	1st Horseman (uncredited)
Tim Condren	...	Rider (uncredited)
Billy Cornelius	...	2nd Horseman (uncredited)
Bill Cummings	...	Rider (uncredited)
Jack Curran	...	Rider (uncredited)
Billy Dean	...	Rider (uncredited)
Barry De Boulay	...	Rider (uncredited)
Carmen Dene	...	Mexican Girl (uncredited)
Reg Dent	...	Rider (uncredited)
John Dick	...	Rider (uncredited)
Dennis Dillon	...	Rider (uncredited)
Mick Dillon	...	Rider (uncredited)
Patrick Durkin	...	Man (uncredited)
Brian Edwards	...	Rider (uncredited)
Steve Emerson	...	Rider (uncredited)
Ray Ford	...	Rider (uncredited)
Hal Galili	...	Cowhand (uncredited)
Reg Harding	...	Rider (uncredited)
Tony Jossa	...	Rider (uncredited)
Philip Joste	...	Rider (uncredited)
Anthony Leon	...	Rider (uncredited)
Jimmy Lodge	...	Rider (uncredited)
Eddie Long	...	Rider (uncredited)
Norman Mann	...	Rider (uncredited)
John McArdle	...	Rider (uncredited)
Vince Mooney	...	Rider (uncredited)
Bill Morgan	...	Rider (uncredited)
Richard Morgan	...	Rider (uncredited)
George Mossman	...	Stagecoach Driver (uncredited)
David Munt	...	Rider (uncredited)
Peter Munt	...	Rider (uncredited)
Dave Newman	...	Rider (uncredited)
Raymond Novak	...	Rider (uncredited)
Richard O'Brien	...	Rider (uncredited)
Derek Pitton	...	Rider (uncredited)
Peter Pocock	...	Rider (uncredited)
Charles Price	...	Rider (uncredited)
Michael Reeves	...	Rider (uncredited)
Tommy Reeves	...	Rider (uncredited)
Trevor Roberts	...	Rider (uncredited)
Tony Robinson	...	Rider (uncredited)
Eric Rogers	...	Saloon Pianist (uncredited)
Johnny Scripps	...	Rider (uncredited)
Richard Smith	...	Rider (uncredited)
Vicki Smith	...	Polly (uncredited)
Norman Stanley	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Mike Stevens	...	3rd Horseman (uncredited)
Roy Street	...	Rider (uncredited)
Chris Taylor	...	Rider (uncredited)
Jeremy Taylor	...	Master of Horse (uncredited)
Lisa Thomas	...	Sally (uncredited)
Donna White	...	Jenny (uncredited)
Les White	...	Rider (uncredited)
Dave Wilding	...	Rider (uncredited)
Audrey Wilson	...	Jane (uncredited)

Directed by
Gerald Thomas

Writing credits
Talbot Rothwell		(screenplay)

Produced by
Frank Bevis	....	associate producer
Peter Rogers	....	producer

Original Music by
Eric Rogers

Cinematography by
Alan Hume		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Rod Nelson-Keys		(as Rod Keys)

Casting by
Weston Drury Jr.		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Bert Davey

Costume Design by
Cynthia Tingey

Makeup Department
Stella Rivers	....	hairdressing
Geoffrey Rodway	....	makeup artist (as Geoff Rodway)

Production Management
Ron Jackson	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Bolton	....	assistant director

Art Department
William Alexander	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
John Chisholm	....	props (uncredited)
Alan Roderick-Jones	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ken Barker	....	sound recordist
Jim Groom	....	sound editor
Robert T. MacPhee	....	sound recordist
Otto Snel	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Otto Snel	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Vivian Temple-Smith	....	sound assistant (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Roy Field	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Kid Berg	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Godfrey A. Godar	....	camera operator (as Godfrey Godar)
Malcolm Vinson	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Jack Gardner	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Selwyn Petterson	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Eric Rogers	....	conductor

Other crew
Gladys Goldsmith	....	continuity
Jeremy Taylor	....	master of horse
Joy Bayley	....	production secretary (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Peter Rogers Productions

Distributors

• Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (1965) (UK) (theatrical) (presents) (as Anglo Amalgamated)
• Warner-Pathé Distributors (1966) (UK) (theatrical) (released throughout the United Kingdom by) (as Warner - Pathe Distribution Ltd.)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Portman Consultancy, The (2006) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (UK) (video)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (UK) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Rumpo Kid
The Rumpo Kid

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Black Park Country Park, Wexham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Peter Rogers Productions

Trivia:

Kenneth Williams based his vocal delivery on old-time comedy producer Hal Roach

Quotes:

Johnny Finger: [the opening scene after he shoots the three men] I wonder what they wanted?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa! (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

This is the Night for Love

CARRY ON COWBOY (Gerald Thomas, 1965) ***

This is not only one of the best sustained efforts from the “Carry On” crew but a classic film in its own right. I had mentioned it as a rare example of a British Western spoof when I recently watched THE FROZEN LIMITS (1939) with The Crazy Gang; incidentally, the film’s style is pretty close to that of BLAZING SADDLES (1974) – but it actually anticipates Mel Brooks by almost a decade!

There are so many inspired gags in this outing (right from the opening sequence with the black-clad Rumpo Kid arriving in town and immediately gunning down three men, only to then ask himself “I wonder what they wanted?”) that it’s hard to remember them all – even a mere couple of hours later. Notable, however, is the merciless lampoon of the Wyatt Earp legend by making its namesake here (played by soon-to-be Dr. Who Jon Pertwee) – and whom the Mayor even addresses as Twerp – completely useless, being both short-sighted and hard of hearing!

The “Carry On” stalwarts are in top form, foremost among them Sidney James (as the afore-mentioned Rumpo Kid, amiable outlaw leader – in urgent need of cash at the saloon, he excuses himself to casually hold-up the bank situated just opposite!), Kenneth Williams (as the Mayor of Stodge City – reportedly, he lifted his American accent from legendary comedy producer Hal Roach), Jim Dale (as Marshall P. Knutt, a sanitary engineer mistaken for the new sheriff because of his name!), Charles Hawtrey (as the unlikeliest Indian Chief ever – he’s actually introduced emerging from a tepee-cum-lavatory!) and Joan Sims (as the traditionally sultry saloon hostess); besides, Angela Douglas (who subsequently appeared in three more “Carry Ons” and would later become Mrs. Kenneth More!) – playing the real-life Annie Oakley – makes for an extremely charming gun-toting heroine.

The last third of the film turns into a spoof on the seminal HIGH NOON (1952) – with Dale left to face James and his gang alone in a delightful, and most original, climax. Incidentally, the sheriff’s heroic resistance of a stagecoach raid by Hawtrey’s Indian warriors (ending with James – who engineered it – disappointingly quipping, “I’ve met braver cowards than you braves!”) was actually the work of Douglas i.e. in the vein of THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (1962); Dale’s subsequent awkward coaching in the handling of firearms, then, is hilarious. Another influence from classic Westerns is in the catfight between Sims and Douglas – in this case drawing on DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1939).

While CARRY ON COWBOY’s send-up of a popular genre easily makes it one of the gang’s best-known entries, I was surprised to learn that it’s not held in highest regard by even staunch fans of the series – such as the people behind the official “Carry On” website, citing its (deliberate) lack of authenticity as a major drawback; I couldn’t disagree more since, to my mind, the level of humor and ingenuity displayed throughout is soaring indeed for this erratic (and idiosyncratically crude) brand-name...