Carry On Abroad (1972)

It is a performances centric movie

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Widely considered to be one of the last truly great CARRY ON movies, this all-star ensemble production takes a simple, contemporary storyline and runs away with it. Notable for featuring the most regular Carry On actors out of any of the films, this is very much a follow-up to CARRY ON CAMPING in spirit. It tackles the subject of the then-booming market for package holidays, sending off the usual faces to a cut-price hotel in Spain for some madcap adventures.Really, the plot here is slim enough to write itself, but watching the various stars interacting is always a lot of fun. And it's one of the few times where I actually liked Barbara Windsor, whose relationship with Sid James is at its lecherous best. Kenneth Williams is the buffoonish group leader, Charles Hawtrey appears for the final time playing a version of himself, and Kenneth Connor and June Whitfield make for a delightfully repressed double act.The jokes are usually puerile and ever low brow, but there's something to be said for the quick-fire rate of the gags which never let up from start to end. We get a delightful Peter Butterworth as the increasingly frazzled hotel owner, a destructive climax that brings to mind the delights of CARRY ON UP THE KHYBER, and more familiar faces than you can shake a stick at. Watch it for the nostalgic days of yesteryear where silly slapstick routines ruled the day, guys played idiots or lechers, the girls were either totty or repressed, and audiences were happily entertained by it all...

This film was the one where the Carry On team go on a package holiday to the Elsbels resort. Needless to say, things don't go as planned...This has always been one of the weaker Carry On films, in my opinion. The cast look bored, they don't have enough to do and it just isn't very funny. Barbara Windsor plays her usual slutty character and she is starting to look her age here. Peter Butterworth has a larger role than usual, though and I found him to be quite funny in this. The film was also the last Carry On appearance of Charles Hawtrey, who is frequently seen in the film with a bottle or a drink in his hand, which was perhaps a reference to his personal life. June Whitfield and Kenneth Connor both returned to the series in this film, after an absence of many years. Carol Hawkins and Sally Geeson (sister of Judy Geeson) provide the glamour. They also both appeared in the Bless This House film, released the same year and also starring Sid James. Carol would also later appear in Carry on Behind and Sally had a cameo in Carry On Girls. Scottish actor/comedian Jimmy Logan also provides the "comic relief" and plays the typical randy holidaymaker, who later forms a romantic relationship with Barbara Windsor's character. I had never heard of him before and, quite frankly, I found his character very overbearing and irritating and out of place. Most of the other series regulars appear, though Hattie Jacques has a smaller part as the hotel cook. TV actor Ray Brooks, who later starred in the 1980s TV series Big Deal, also appears as a randy waiter.The film has a noticeable lack of jokes, relying too much on innuendo to carry the film. This would become more prevalent in the 1970s Carry On films. To sum up, this is not one of the funniest of the Carry On films and I would only recommend it to Carry On completists or fans of cheesy 1970s comedy. Definitely one of the less funnier entries in the series and I would only recommend this to Carry On completists.

Sorry I couldn't disagree more ,with the last comments . frankly I thought this was worse than Carry on Columbus , enough said . Last film for THE usually brilliant Charles Hartrey who looked out of place as the humour had move on to the Highly witty level of on the buses, films of which were being made at the same time ,were frankly funnier .Barbara Windsor was embarrassing,a character like one of your mums flirty friends who still thinks she's eighteen , on holiday with some non entity of a Scotsman , Rab c Nesbit he ain't. The series miraculously trundled on with duffers like Carry on Behind ,and Carry on England . Carry on Dick wasn't bad , but really with this film the end of the series was nigh , a pity because up to this film I cant think of bad film before this?

After 'Carry On At Your Convenience' this is the funniest of the 70's Carry On movies. Featuring the fullest rota of team members since 'Carry On Doctor' this is an absolute delight that bears up on continued viewings just because it's so 'in-your-face-stupid'. Taking the pee out of foreigners for any one British is always funny-Peter Butterworth is fantastic as the hotel owner who thinks he's running the best place going despite the fact it's still being built and clearly has less stars than an x-factor knockout round and Hattie Jacques finally gets to cast off her matron persona as his constantly cussing bad tempered missus, she is brilliant in this. The dialogue in this is amongst the best in the series... Peter Butterworth continually calling Stuart Farquar (Kenneth Williams) MISTER FARKY-ARSE just sums up the feel good humour on display- indeed the best bit is the interchange between these two characters when they first meet:Williams... I'm Stuart FarquarButterworth (Immediately)... Stupid What?Williams... STUART FARQUARJames... I think he was right the first time.Classic Carry On. Another great exchange is when Sid James is Talking to June Whitfield:James...Drink?Whitfield... I Tried It Once And Didn't Like ItJames... Smoke?Whitfield...I Tried It Once And Didn't Like ItJames... That's UnusualWhitfield... My Daughter's The SameJames... Your Only Child I Presume...!!Talbot Rothwell at his best.This was Charles Hawtrey's last 'Carry On' and subsequent entries in the series declined in quality. This is the last 'modern day' film in the classic run (Emmannuelle and Behind excluded- Talbot Rothwell and Sid were gone) and as such along with 'Dick' can be seen as one of the last of the True Carry on's. Just enjoy it for what it is, unpretentious and a bloody good laugh.After 'Screaming' And 'At Your Convenience' my 3rd favourite 'Carry On' movie.Brilliant. 10/10ps, a previous reviewer of this film commented on a 'Missing Scene' that had Sid in a monk's robe.... The scene actually appears in 'Carry On Camping' and belongs to that film.