Customer Reviews

Carry On... Up the Khyber [Region 2]

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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Carry On Up The Kyber is undoubtedly one of the very best of the series, if not THE best. Whilst most Carry on films suffered an onslaught of criticism from critics, they actually joined in praise for this entry, and rightly so.

The Khaszi of Kalabar finds information that proves that the men of The Third Foot And Mouth regiment are not "the devil in skirts" as they claim to be, so he decides to bring their presence in India to an end. With Sir Sidney Ruff Diamond's (head of "the devil in skirts") cushy job threatened to come to an end, he decides to take action against it.

The irreplacable Hattie Jaques and Barbara Windsor are missing from this entry but most of the other regulars are here such as Sid James, Joan Sims, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Terry Scott and Bernard Bresslaw as well as featuring the talents of Roy Castle, in his only Carry On role and Angela Douglas who previously had appeared in Carry On Cowboy (1965), Screaming (1966) and Follow That Camel (1967). The best players in this historical romp are Sid James and Joan Sims as the hilarious Ruff Diamonds. Joan Sims delivery is priceless as her delicatley, well spoken voice occasionally slides into a broad cockney accent - amusing stuff!

Carry On Up The Kyber is consistently funny throughout with Talbot Rothwell's script bubbling with inventive repartee and sparkling razor sharp wit. The film boasts the best ending in a Carry On film, where the gang are all keeping a stiff British upper lip and deciding to ignore the attack that's taking place outside the building, proceed to continue with their supper whilst the building is collapsing around their ears.

Classic British comedy at its very best and fans of the series will be delighted.

The Carry On films were never going to win awards for sophistication, and, in my humble opinion, there were only a handful of really worthy ones in the whole series of some thirty or so pics. This is one of those that stands out, however. All the regulars are there and at their best, delivering some of the better comic lines from the series: Sid James as Sir Sidney Ruffdiamond; Kenneth Williams as the Khazi of Kalibar; Charles Hawtrey as Private Widdle.

Americans perhaps find the films hard to appreciate because many of the gags are reliant on knowledge of British slang and experience of British life (the Carry Ons were always at their best when sending up British institutions - the NHS, trade unions, the caravanning holiday etc.). Still, there are enough universally understandable laughs in there to entertain anyone.

Carry On offerings to avoid like the plague: Matron, England, Abroad, Emmanuelle, Columbus. Better fare: Teacher, Spying, Camping, At Your Convenience, Behind (the last really decent one).

Having been born and raised in the UK, I was bought up on the Carry On Films. Unfortunately, there are not many Americans I have come across since I moved to the US who have ever heard of them. Carry On Up The Khyber is without a doubt the best of the series, It lampoons the British Empire in a way that Queen Vick would have been proud of her self - from the Karzi Of Kaliba calling Queen Vicrtoria every other London Rail Station (Queen Waterloo, Queen Euston) - to Private Widdles boxer shorts which disgrace the Third Foot and Mouth Regiment who never wear anything under their kilts and who are 'Always Ready For Action'.

This film features the whole of the regular cast (say for Hattie Jaques) and also has the Late Terry Scott as Sgt Major McNutt and Roy Castle as Captain Keen!

If you enjoy Austin Powers, then you will love this film, as Mike Myers has repeatedly said that a lot of his ideas are based on the British Comedy he was raised on, and by watching these films you can seen where he gets such names as Alotta Fagina from.

I emplore anyone who is thinking of wathcing any one of these films to make it their first - but definately not their last.

Filmed in Wales in 1968 but set in British India in 1895, Carry On Up the Khyber is one of the most hysterically funny Carry on Films ever made.

The late but great Sidney James plays Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond the common as muck British Governor who is trying keep the locals from rebelling but can he control his lusty wife, Lady Ruff-Diamond played by the delectable Joan Simms who's going to have her Tiffin even if brings down the British Raj in the process!

Enter the Khasi of Khalabar, played by the outrageously camp Kenneth Williams who's determined to get the better of English even if it kills him and when the opportunity arises in the guise of a compromising photo, he's ready willing and able!

A major crisis erupts when it is discovered that the "devils in skirts" as the soldiers of the 3rd Foot and Mouth regiment are known as are photographed wearing underpants under their kilts.

Another late, great is Charles Hawtrey who is plays the unfortunate Private James Widdle who lets the side down in the most hilarious way possible, he starts the trend of underpants wearing!

Revolt is on the cards, with the ever gifted actor Bernard Bresslaw once again playing a seething native warrior hell bent on revenge.

Roy Castle is in turn the love sick Captain Keene who falls for the Khasi of Khalabar's beautiful daughter Princess Jelhi played by the unknown actress Angela Douglas.

Peter Butterworth is the splendidly compromised Christian Evangelist who is trying to "save" nubile young native girls from a life of sin, and Terry Scott is the mouthy Sergeant at arms who screams out orders all day long.

The best part of the movie, however, is the final dinner party sequence in which the British contingent, with the Burpas at the gates of the compound, and plaster falling all about them, demonstrate the typical stiff up lip in the face of imminent peril and danger and continue with their meal even though the building is falling around their ears.

For me this film is about taking the Mickey out of Empire which it does totally tongue in cheek. It's politically incorrect, some would even say it was racist, but I think it epitomises what many people actually thought of the Colonial system but were too afraid to say.

Carry on up the Khyber dared to go where no other film would go or has gone since and I can still watch it even now and laugh until my sides hurt.

British comedy at it ludicrous yet surprisingly spot on best.