Affection for the Carry On series still burns brightly, even though the last two or three have been crass disasters and replacing iconic figures with latter-day telly stars has not worked. No, what’s wanted is the original low camp that the team concocted from Rothwell’s delightfully dreadful puns and double entendres. Here – in the second of four hospital-set films (Nurse, Matron, Again Doctor) – they are joined by Howerd as Francis Bigger, who fears his death is imminent.
The ostensible hero is Dr Kilmore (Dale), sacked for dalliance with nurses, but as always Williams as Dr Tinkle steals the show alongside Jacques as the matron, in an alliance that borders on the surreal. The plot is irrelevant, the subplots still more so. The jokes are appalling, the direction flat. But high spirits and familiar old friends confirm it as part of a British institution.
cast
Jim Dale as Doctor Jim Kilmore
Kenneth Williams as Doctor Kenneth Tinkle
Sid James as Charlie Roper
Barbara Windsor as Nurse Sandra May
Joan Sims as Chloë Gibson
Charles Hawtrey as Mr. Barron
Frankie Howerd as Francis Bigger
Bernard Bresslaw as Ken Biddle
Hattie Jacques as Matron
Peter Butterworth as Mr. Smith
June Jago as Sister Hoggett
Derek Francis as Sir Edmund Burke
Dandy Nichols as Mrs. Roper
Peter Jones as Chaplain
Marianne Stone as Mother
Anita Harris as Nurse Clarke
Deryck Guyler as Mr. Hardcastle
Gwendolyn Watts as Mrs. Barron
Dilys Laye as Mavis Winkle
Peter Gilmore as Henry
Harry Locke as Sam
Jean St. Clair as Mrs. Smith
Valerie Van Ost as Nurse Parkin
Julian Orchard as Fred
Brian Wilde as Man from Cox & Carter
Lucy Griffiths as Miss Morris – Elderly Patient
Gertan Klauber as Wash Orderly
Julian Holloway as Simmons
Jennifer White as Nurse in Bath
Helen Ford as Nurse
Gordon Rollings as Night Porter
Patrick Allen as Narrator
crew
Director: Gerald Thomas
UK | 94 minutes | 1967
