Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7640 in VHS
• Released on: 1997-08-18
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: HiFi Sound, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Made in the "classic" period of the series, 1966's Carry On Cowboy is a spoof Western set in Stodge City, about to suffer the arrival of black-hatted outlaw The Rumpo Kid, played by the less-than-youthful Sid James. Kenneth Williams is the aptly named Judge Burke, who appeals to Washington for help to combat this gunslinger and his henchmen. Assistance arrives in the form of Jim Dale's Marshall P Knutt, a drainage, sanitation and garbage expert from England, with a reference from Lady Pushing for doing a "good job on her main sludge channel", whose Christian name provokes a predictable misunderstanding. Fortunately, he's accompanied by Annie Oakley. As ever, much fun is to be had cheering/groaning along to double-entendres about "big ones", but never mind the script, feel the characters. Joan Sims does a good Mae West impression; Syd James "Ha hwa-ha-ha!"s his way through his part with his usual aplomb; the underrated Peter Butterworth is excellent as an inept Doctor; while Bernard Bresslaw adds to his impressively multi-ethnic CV, playing a Native American, with Charles Hawtrey as his incorrigible firewater-loving Chief.

On the DVD: No extras, sadly, other than scene selection but Alan Hume's splendidly authentic colour lensing is suitably refurbished here. --David Stubbs

Synopsis
The Carry On Gang travel to the Wild West to shoot it out in Stodge City in an attempt to maintain law and disorder, with wicked innuendo and rapid-fire puns.

Customer Reviews

One of the best
With a more serious subtext than most Carry Ons, "Cowboy" is a real triumph for the team. Sid James is not only his humourous self but actually manages some acting as The Rumpo Kid, and Kenneth Williams is as brilliant as ever as the corrupt and self-righteous Judge Burke.

Talbot Rothwell was at the peak of his writing powers, and the film has a real depth which enables it even to pass muster when compared to its US cousin, "Blazing Saddles".

As long as you don't mind a Carry On in which half the characters get killed off, this one should please any fan of the series.

One Of The Best
Following the International success of the hilarious classic, Carry On Cleo (1964), Gerald Thomas and Peter Rogers decided another parody was what was need to keep the series vital and alive. Written by Talbot Rothwell, the team came up with another one of their very best entries in the series with Carry On Cowboy (1965).

There was always a loose structure to the plot in most Carry On films but with this one, its far more concentrated, with a surprisingly gritty, hard-edged realism behind the laughs. The action is set in the heart of Stodge City which lies in the heart of the Wild West where the notorious Rumpo Kid (Sid James) and his gang are striking fear into all the residents of the local community. Desperate to bring his deadly and violent reign to an end, Judge Burke (Kenneth Williams) hastily sends for a sheriff but through a comic misunderstanding (this is a Carry On film after all) ends up being sent a sanitary engineer with the laughably named Marshall P. Knutt (Jim Dale) who is accident-prone from the word go! Luckily for him, help is at hand in the shape of the volatile Annie Oakley (Angela Douglas) who turns up at Stodge City seeking revenge on her fathers murderer who just so happens to be the Rumpo Kid!

The merry Carry On gang all take on surprisingly realistic American accents and carry it off remarkably well with some of the cast members even approaching their roles in a deadly serious manner. Sid James is excellent as the Rumpo Kid who doesn't quite shake off his own inimitable characterisation but is certainly the only role where he plays a genuine baddie, killing people seemingly by the minute.

Kenneth Williams laughably plays his usual pompous and incompetent figure in the shape of Judge Burke whilst Charles Hawtrey is in a highly effective comic role here playing the Indian, Big Heap, who camps it up right to the end. Jim Dale is his usual bundle of nerves as the hopeless, accident-prone Marshall P. Knutt and is featured in a wonderfully staged shoot-out scene at the exciting climax of the film.

Joan Sims turns up in one of her best Carry On roles here. Joan actually said that this was her favourite role in a Carry On film and indeed in all of the period Carry On's, Joan Sims always played an integral part in the film. In Cowboy, she plays the brassy, glamorous, Belle ("my intimate friends call me Ding Dong") in a blatant Mae West characteur which she carries off superbly and plays opposite mostly to Sid James where her character quickly succumbs to Sids cocky, brash charm.

Other members of the cast in this fun entry include Bernard Bresslaw in his first Carry On apperance, playing the manically evil Indian, Little Heap, Angela Douglas who sparkles in the voluptuous shape of Annie Oakley, Peter Butterworth as the useless doctor and a small cameo from Jon Pertwee as the sheriff.

The authentic sets and costumes capture the era impeccably well. The action is fast paced as is the rollercoaster dialogue and this certainly stands as the most dark, violent Carry On with the highest death count! Still it's essential viewing and fans of this genre of comedy will love it!

What A Carry On
This film is a hilarious romp through the bars and bedrooms of the wild west with the carry on gang. Sid James is on top form as the rumpo kid, an outlaw who shakes up the sleepy residents of Stodge city. Kenneth Williams is the puritanical judge, and Jim Dale plays Marshall P Knutt, a hapless plumber mistankenly sent to clean up the town. This is a classic carry on and I highly recommended it.