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<blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 80315" data-attributes="member: 23"><p>The past few days have seen me watching a double-bill of sub Carry Ons.</p><p></p><p>Having recently watched them all, it occurred to me that <em>Raising The Wind </em>felt more like a <em>Doctor</em> film than a Carry On. James Robertson Justice's presence is the clincher, of course. He's his usual irascible self here. While produced by Peter Rogers and directed by Gerald Thomas there's no sign of Norman Hudis. This one was actually written by Carry On music man Bruce Montgomery based on his real-life experiences.</p><p></p><p>For the first time, Kenneth Williams plays a villainous role in a Rogers/Thomas film and seems to relish doing so. Naturally his behaviour results in his comeuppance in the last act where his rudeness to the orchestra results in their playing him rather than their instruments - a scene that introduces Jim Dale to the arena, leading directly to his becoming a Carry On regular. Other Carry On regulars include Sid James, Liz Fraser, Eric Barker, Esma Cannon, Victor Maddern, Joan Hickson and David Lodge. Past Carry On-er Leslie Phillips is here. <em>Nurse's</em> Jill Ireland has a role. <em>Cruising's</em> future cook Lance Percival is also here.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Tuberculosis, loss of income, suicide ideation and infidelity all seem about as far removed from the Quality Street wrapper world of the Carry Ons as it's possible to get. Yet they're all ingredients in<em> Twice Round The Daffodils</em> from the team. Like <em>Carry On Nurse</em>, it's based on the play <em>Ring For Catty. </em>It seems a little odd on paper for the same producer/director/screenwriter team and many of the same actors to return to the same source material three years on, but it's actually a very different feeling film. I suspect <em>Daffodils</em> is a more faithful adaption of the source material as it just feels a bit more play like.</p><p></p><p>Things do get a bit dark at times and Juliet Mills as the almost-titular nurse Catty seems to bear the brunt of it. The TB treatment involves many months in isolation, away from loved ones. Children grow; wives have to take jobs to make end meets; lovers give in to outside temptations and move on to another man. One such lover is Nanette Newman, who tries to shirk the responsibility of dumping Bob by asking Catty to pass on the message. In the end, she is persuaded to visit Bob who has worked everything out anyway and lets her go in one of the film's more touching scenes (and there are a number).</p><p></p><p>Donald Houston's character, in denial of his condition, is whisked away for a bronchioscopy after some description of the procedure from patients who've had them (and it doesn't sound pleasant). Later in the film, weakened by both the condition and the treatment, he asks dewy eyed Catty to end his suffering and she gently but firmly refuses (slightly unprofessionally, too, since she tells him she won't speak of his suicidal thoughts to anyone. Though perhaps it also speaks to a more innocent, less litigious society). Houston and Mills, of course, would both make it to the<em> Carry On</em> series proper with the following year's <em>Jack</em>.</p><p></p><p>Donald Sinden is present here, which is timely considering I'm in the middle of watching <em>Two's Company</em>. Here he's playing the lecherous moustachioed lothario in the Leslie Phillips mould. Joan Sims gives her middle aged spinster type (a gentler version of <em>Carry On Doctor</em>'s Chloe Gibson) an outing as Kenneth Williams's sister. Lance Percival has a more prominent role here than in <em>Raising The Wind</em>, and seeing him here it's easy to see why he was a natural choice to replace Charles Hawtrey in <em>Cruising</em>. Matron is far less of a presence here than in <em>Nurse</em>, but is very formidable in her brief appearance thanks to a pre-Carry On Renee Houston.</p><p></p><p>Catty and Bob end up falling for each other, as do another nurse and patient (Andrew Ray, whose naivety and innocent delivery reminded me very much of Richard O'Callaghan in a couple of early Seventies <em>Carry Ons</em>).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mel O'Drama, post: 80315, member: 23"] The past few days have seen me watching a double-bill of sub Carry Ons. Having recently watched them all, it occurred to me that [I]Raising The Wind [/I]felt more like a [I]Doctor[/I] film than a Carry On. James Robertson Justice's presence is the clincher, of course. He's his usual irascible self here. While produced by Peter Rogers and directed by Gerald Thomas there's no sign of Norman Hudis. This one was actually written by Carry On music man Bruce Montgomery based on his real-life experiences. For the first time, Kenneth Williams plays a villainous role in a Rogers/Thomas film and seems to relish doing so. Naturally his behaviour results in his comeuppance in the last act where his rudeness to the orchestra results in their playing him rather than their instruments - a scene that introduces Jim Dale to the arena, leading directly to his becoming a Carry On regular. Other Carry On regulars include Sid James, Liz Fraser, Eric Barker, Esma Cannon, Victor Maddern, Joan Hickson and David Lodge. Past Carry On-er Leslie Phillips is here. [I]Nurse's[/I] Jill Ireland has a role. [I]Cruising's[/I] future cook Lance Percival is also here. Tuberculosis, loss of income, suicide ideation and infidelity all seem about as far removed from the Quality Street wrapper world of the Carry Ons as it's possible to get. Yet they're all ingredients in[I] Twice Round The Daffodils[/I] from the team. Like [I]Carry On Nurse[/I], it's based on the play [I]Ring For Catty. [/I]It seems a little odd on paper for the same producer/director/screenwriter team and many of the same actors to return to the same source material three years on, but it's actually a very different feeling film. I suspect [I]Daffodils[/I] is a more faithful adaption of the source material as it just feels a bit more play like. Things do get a bit dark at times and Juliet Mills as the almost-titular nurse Catty seems to bear the brunt of it. The TB treatment involves many months in isolation, away from loved ones. Children grow; wives have to take jobs to make end meets; lovers give in to outside temptations and move on to another man. One such lover is Nanette Newman, who tries to shirk the responsibility of dumping Bob by asking Catty to pass on the message. In the end, she is persuaded to visit Bob who has worked everything out anyway and lets her go in one of the film's more touching scenes (and there are a number). Donald Houston's character, in denial of his condition, is whisked away for a bronchioscopy after some description of the procedure from patients who've had them (and it doesn't sound pleasant). Later in the film, weakened by both the condition and the treatment, he asks dewy eyed Catty to end his suffering and she gently but firmly refuses (slightly unprofessionally, too, since she tells him she won't speak of his suicidal thoughts to anyone. Though perhaps it also speaks to a more innocent, less litigious society). Houston and Mills, of course, would both make it to the[I] Carry On[/I] series proper with the following year's [I]Jack[/I]. Donald Sinden is present here, which is timely considering I'm in the middle of watching [I]Two's Company[/I]. Here he's playing the lecherous moustachioed lothario in the Leslie Phillips mould. Joan Sims gives her middle aged spinster type (a gentler version of [I]Carry On Doctor[/I]'s Chloe Gibson) an outing as Kenneth Williams's sister. Lance Percival has a more prominent role here than in [I]Raising The Wind[/I], and seeing him here it's easy to see why he was a natural choice to replace Charles Hawtrey in [I]Cruising[/I]. Matron is far less of a presence here than in [I]Nurse[/I], but is very formidable in her brief appearance thanks to a pre-Carry On Renee Houston. Catty and Bob end up falling for each other, as do another nurse and patient (Andrew Ray, whose naivety and innocent delivery reminded me very much of Richard O'Callaghan in a couple of early Seventies [I]Carry Ons[/I]). [/QUOTE]
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