
VIDEO
Carry on Matron [VHS]
$94.08
About this product:
After the failure of Carry On At Your Convenience (1971), Gerald Thomas (Director) and Peter Rodgers (Producer) decided to return to familiar terrority - the hospital. Previous medical titles Nurse (1958), Doctor (1967) and Again Doctor (1969) had proved immensly succesful at the Box Office and were regarded by some as some of the best entries in the long running series.
In my own opinion I have to say that I found Again Doctor (1969) to be the best of the medical carry on's, although this later entry is of good value. All of the familiar faces are here including Hattie Jaques in the title role, who plays the role marvelously, taking a calmer, more subtle approach to the role in comparison to the more ferocious stereotype as seen in Nurse and Doctor. Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Joan Sims, Barbara Windsor, Bernard Bresslaw, Charles Hawtrey, Terry Scott, Kenneth Connor, Jaki Piper and Patsy Rolands are all present as well as being joined by Kenneth Cope, Jack Douglas, Bill Maynard, Gwendoline Watts and none other than Wendy Richard, more famously known as the downtrodden Pauline Fowler in the hit BBC T.V soap, EastEnders.
There is a little more structure to the plot with it centering around Sid and his petty gang of crooks that plan to rob the maternity ward of fertlity pills, which are worth millions abroad. They send in Kenneth Cope in drag, posing as a nurse. Its all predictable stuff of course but there are some wonderful performances here including a lovley cameo from Joan Sims as an over-expectant mother who spends most of her time eating in bed, Terry Scott as the ever randy doctor and Kenneth Williams who is permantley paranoid about being struck down with some illness. The film develops at a leisurley pace making way all the slap stick mayhem etc although that is actually toned down considerably a lot in comparsion to most other entries. Regardles of that, it stands as a very good comedy and one of the best of the 1970's carry On's which were beginning to be almost preoccupied by smut which led to the series abruptly ending in 1978 with the worst film in the series, Carry On Emmannuelle. As for carry On Matrion, it remain true to the spirit of classic Carry on's. A classic. Recommended.