This blog is part of a new little series on Carry On Blogging, looking back at the changing face of the Carry On films during their original twenty year run. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the way the films were advertised to the cinema-going public of Great Britain over the years. These days when I do go to the cinema, I try to avoid the trailers as they tend to go on for rather too long, but of course, with Carry On it's a different story!
Thankfully most of the original trailers are now available to peruse on the internet and they provide a unique time capsule of British film history. The changing tastes of mores of the film-going public can easily be traced through these adverts as can the changing face of the British film industry and the social attitudes of the time. It's also fascinating to see how first Anglo Amalgamated and then later on, the Rank Organisation, chose to market and sell these low budget, knockabout comedies.
Today I'm featuring one of my favourites from the series and a film which I think remains completely under appreciated. Carry On Spying, released in 1964, was the last in the run to be made in black and white. However this really suits the film, a tribute to The Third Man and a parody of the early Bond films. The film is perhaps overlooked as it doesn't feature the likes of Joan Sims, Hattie Jacques or Sidney James. Despite this it does give us a barnstorming starring role from Kenneth Williams and the first (and I think best) appearance from Barbara Windsor. With a cast including Eric Barker, Jim Dale, Bernard Cribbins, Charles Hawtrey, Victor Maddern, Richard Wattis and the delectable Dilys Laye as a double crossing, night club singing spy, what's not to love?
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