Carry On Cruising finds Sid James as captain of a cruise ship and as he sees it a right good captain too. The secret of his success is that he works with the same people all the time. But during muster he notices several new faces. As he hopes to get command of a transatlantic ship James knows that his chances for promotion ride with the success of the current voyage.If you had such people as first officer Kenneth Williams, doctor Kenneth Connor and most of all a seasick cook in Lance Percival you'd be concerned too. As for the newbies there all in fear and nervous of their captain.Adding to the fun are romance hungry ladies Liz Fraser, Dilys Laye and senior citizen Esma Cannon all target other passengers and some crew members. Cannon is really quite good, that old lady like Thelma Ritter in Pillow Talk can drink anyone under. Laye herself gets completely frazzled herself.Not quite as good as some of the Carry On series, but the troupe does carry on valiantly.

CARRY ON CRUISING is, so far, my favourite of the CARRY ON series. Watching it, this film feels like a natural progression from the earlier black and white entries, retaining the same successful set-piece/gag rate and level of innocent charm that made those first films so endearing.The cruise ship setting provides the perfect backdrop for the on-board antics of Sid James and co as they muddle their way through a series of increasingly hilarious hijinks. Much of the humour comes from Kenneth Connor's besotted ship's doctor and James's exasperated Captain, while Kenneth Williams lurks on the sidelines as the first officer.The presence of other notable regulars is missed - there's no Hawtrey, Sims or Jacques here - but the film makes up for it by some alternate engaging casting choices, not least Esma Cannon's delightfully dotty old bat and Lance Percival as the seasick cook.The success rate of the jokes is high with plenty of memorable moments, not least an impromptu table tennis match which marks the series highlight. Altogether this is a true gem of a comedy, with unforced laughs and a real wittiness to it.

An early member of the 'Carry On' franchise from a time when its humour hadn't surrendered completely to the comedy ethos of the seaside postcard.There are plenty of double-entendres both sexual and medical, but also plenty of sight gags and character plays. Although somewhat limited in the usual gang members, we have Sid James playing against type as a professional Captain actually trying to be professional, instead of the usual lecher that became his typecast. In this role he performs surprisingly well, reminding us that before the franchise became his regular paycheque he was a very capable character actor in his own right, with outings as varied as 'Quatermass' and 'Hell Drivers' to his credit, as well as the long-suffering foil for depressive Tony Hancock.Kenneth Connor features as a lovelorn ship's doctor, whilst that other mainstay Kenneth Williams takes the role of first officer. Other British B-movie regulars crop-up as and when.Frankly, I like this movie more than many of the more typical 'Carry Ons' that came later. It's precisely because it doesn't concentrate exclusively on contrived toilet humour that I find it rather endearing. It's more like an 'ordinary' comedy set aboard a cruise ship, with all of the little vignettes of human behaviour that one would expect to see. Humour, misunderstandings, romance, loneliness, pathos and even a little moral self-discovery are thrown in. Perhaps it is the paucity of Gang Members that helps to mark this movie apart from the usual formula.Whatever the case, it's a funny enough watch in its own right, and one of the few movies of the genre that could be considered family entertainment. As Comedians from Harry Worth to Harry Hill have repeatedly shown us; you don't have to be filthy to be funny.

There was always a whiff of the subversive about the "Carry On" series. Despite the overt sexism and the appallingly non - PC gags which pervade the canon,there is a seam of feminism running throughout that is often overlooked.Few men ever bested Hattie Jacques.The formidable Joan Sims was an opponent worthy of any man's steel.And Barbara Windsor?She seldom got her kit off except on her own terms and with a giggle that let the audience know exactly who was in charge.This seam is effortlessly mined by Miss Dilys Laye,Miss Liz Fraser and the great Miss Esma Cannon in "Carry on Cruising".These women triumph over the bluster of Mr Sid James,the whinnying of Mr Kenneth Williams and the "Phaw" - ing of Mr Kenneth Connor.Brave to be blonded up in competition with Miss Fraser,Miss Laye makes a big impression on her "Carry On" debut.She is not afraid to be aggressive in her pursuit of Mr James(well,it is only a movie..)and her stroppy drunk act is just fine. The more experienced Miss Fraser is nicely disdainful and Miss Cannon gives full vent to her eccentric skills in the finest big screen exposition of her demented spinster persona. With a touch of "The Caine Mutiny" thrown in,there is much enjoyment to be had from "Carry on Cruising",from Kenneth Williams' delusions of grandeur to Kenneth Connors' delusions of adequacy.And,once again,as so often,the girls end up on top.