8mm Forum: Carry on up the Khyber.600ft colour sound PM Films

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Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on May 28, 2017, 04:07 AM:

This title was ,(as far as i know), only ever released as a 600ft edition by PM Films. I have to say this one was bought knowing it had a couple of light scratches to the right and was priced accordingly at 19.99. For that price it was a giveaway. Colour, (early signs of fade) has held up very well and will be good for many years especially as all my movies are kept in a cool dark room all the year round. Sound is excellent and the editing is very well done with original titles and end title.
Here with the help of wiki,(as if you need it) is the plot edited to this 600ft version.
Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond (Sid James) is Queen Victoria's Governor in the British India province of Khalabar near the Khyber Pass. The province is defended by the feared 3rd Foot and Mouth Regiment (The Devils in Skirts), who are said to not wear anything under their kilts. When Private Widdle (Charles Hawtrey) is found wearing underpants after an encounter with the warlord Bungdit Din (Bernard Bresslaw), chief of the warlike Burpa tribe, the Khasi of Khalabar (Kenneth Williams) plans to use this information to incite an anti-British rebellion. He aims to dispel the "tough" image of the Devils in Skirts by revealing that contrary to popular belief, they do indeed wear underpants under their kilts.
A diplomatic operation ensues on the part of the British, who fail spectacularly to prove that the incident was an aberration. The Governor's wife (Joan Sims), in the hope of luring the Khasi into bed with her, takes a photograph of an inspection in which many of the soldiers present are found wearing underpants, and takes it to him. With this hard evidence in hand, the Khasi would be able to muster a ferocious Afghan invasion force, storm the Khyber Pass and reclaim India from British rule; but Lady Ruff-Diamond insists that he sleep with her before she parts with the photograph.
Meanwhile, the Khasi's daughter, Princess Jelhi (Angela Douglas), reveals to the British Captain Keene (Roy Castle), with whom she has fallen in love, that the Governor's wife has eloped, and a team is dispatched to return her and the photo to British hands. Disguised as Afghan generals, the interlopers are brought into the palace and, at the Khasi's suggestion, are introduced to Bungdit Din's sultry concubines. Whilst enjoying the women in the harem, they are unmasked amid a farcical orgy scene, imprisoned, and scheduled to be executed at sunset along with the Governor's wife. The Khasi's daughter aids their escape in disguise as dancing girls, but during the entertaining of the Afghan generals, the Khasi, contemptuous of an annoying fakir's performance, demands that he see the dancing girls instead. After their disguises are seen through, the British and the Princess flee, but Lady Ruff-Diamond drops the photograph on leaving the palace through the gardens. The group returns to the Khyber Pass to find its guards massacred and their weapons comically mutilated, in a rare moment of (albeit tainted) poignancy. All attempts to hold off the advancing hordes fail miserably, and a hasty retreat is beaten to the Residency.
The Governor, meanwhile, has been entertaining, in numerical order, the Khasi's fifty-one wives, each one of them wishing to "right the wrong" that his own wife and the Khasi himself have supposedly committed against him (though no such wrong took place). After a browbeating from his wife, Sir Sidney calls a crisis meeting regarding the invasion, in which he resolves to "do nothing". A black tie dinner is arranged for that evening.
Dinner takes place during a prolonged penultimate scene, with contrapuntal snippets of the Khasi's army demolishing the Residency's exterior, and the officers and ladies ignoring the devastation as they dine. Shells shaking the building and plaster falling into the soup do not interrupt dinner, even when the fakir's severed - but still talking - head is served, courtesy of the Khasi. Only Brother Belcher fails to display a stiff upper lip, and panics like a normal person. Finally, at Captain Keene's suggestion, the gentlemen walk outside to be greeted by a bloody battle being waged in the courtyard. Still dressed in black tie, Sir Sidney orders the Regiment to form a line and lift their kilts, this time exposing their (implied) lack of underwear. The invading army is terrified, and retreats at once.
Great stuff and all the favourite carry on actors are in this one with some great extra names including Roy Castle.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 28, 2017, 04:42 AM:

The dining scene in particular,always makes me laugh!
Total devastation and the building collapsing around them, yet the dinner and its diners continue oblivious to the fact somehow! [Big Grin]

Pinewood Studios comedy at its very very best!

Posted by Mark Todd (Member # 96) on May 28, 2017, 06:08 AM:

I think Terry Scott was superb in this one.

Love his goings on with Widdle etc.

A real classic of the series overall.

Peter Butterworth made the dinning scene for me, another of my regular favourites.

Best Mark.

Posted by David Skillern (Member # 607) on May 28, 2017, 07:16 AM:

Ive got the full length print of this classic and it is worth it - just for Peter Butterworths closing remark that ends the film - he really is brilliant in this picture and an excellent character actor.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on May 28, 2017, 07:41 AM:

David i never knew there was a full feature of this title.that would be a great find now. Do you know who released it?

Posted by David Skillern (Member # 607) on May 28, 2017, 09:03 AM:

Tom,
As far as I know and according to the box - our old friends Derann

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on May 28, 2017, 09:14 AM:

well, i never knew that. Good to know. Another one to look out for, i do like the carry on's but this one and cleo and dont lose your head are among my favourites. Unfortunatly dont lose your head is fading now. [Wink]

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on May 28, 2017, 10:36 AM:

From other PM Films releases at that time I would think the 600ft is a print on Fuji by Buck Labs so not prone to the SP fades that Derann prints from then have now suffered.

Posted by David Skillern (Member # 607) on May 28, 2017, 11:00 AM:

Tom,

ive got the walton release of Carry on Cleo and its a cracker a beautiful print - i have many of the Derann 4x400ft Carry on's and a beautiful complete print of Carry on Screaming

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on May 28, 2017, 11:46 AM:

we do have Cleo, on our part 3 there is a sound dropout our for around 10 seconds but we did only pay £40 in the Exeter market many years a ago for it, it is a stunning print to as you say, also have Carry on Abroad, dont lose your head & the walton 3 x 200 footers thats carry on but also part one of the feature of thats carry on, together they make a very good 40 minute version as there is very little duplicated so you get the benefit of the full opening titles.
Was Screaming in scope? [Wink]

Posted by Tim Hartnell (Member # 4274) on May 28, 2017, 11:49 AM:

Peter Butterworth was so funny i love him as Mr fiddler in Carry on Camping where everything is a "pound".I also and have a few in my super 8 collection such Carry on Abroad,Carry on Up the Jungle,Carry on Cleo,Carry on Doctor,Carry on Sergeant,Carry on Camping,Carry on Girls,Carry on Behind.

Posted by David Skillern (Member # 607) on May 28, 2017, 11:59 AM:

Hi Tom,

as far as I am aware Screaming was and is flat

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on May 28, 2017, 01:13 PM:

Tim, thats a good selection you have there. We did have Jungle last year but although the quality was A1 there was a lot more scratching on it that i could watch so it had to be moved on.

Posted by Tim Hartnell (Member # 4274) on May 28, 2017, 03:36 PM:

Thanks Tom my favourite of them is Carry on Abroad and it has sadly faded like they all have i think,but i could never part with it.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on May 28, 2017, 04:29 PM:

now you have said that, next Thursday i will check our carry on abroad. Hope its not too bad. Must admit i wish we had bought more. I know they are on TV practically every day on one channel or another but it aint the same as that big screen. Will keep an eye on the 16mm lists as well [Wink]

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on May 28, 2017, 09:59 PM:

I'm pretty sure that Derann re-released the 600ft as well releasing the full length version, so there are probably some LPP print around. They certainly had a few PM masters and (e.g.) produced superb prints of 'The Wicked Lady' 600'.

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on May 29, 2017, 03:55 AM:

Tom that's a shame about the film fade again.

Carry On Up The Khyber was released as a feature by Derann
around 1985 on 5 x 400' spools.

I bought a lovely colour print of Carry On Screaming from
CHC years ago. Unfortunately I had to return it for a refund.
It was damaged with heavy green emulsion scratches.

Phil was not happy as the guy he bought it from in good faith
ripped him off.
I have not been able to replace this one yet.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on May 29, 2017, 04:02 AM:

It is a shame David, i was a bit disappointing but it doesn't,(yet) appear to have got any worse since i bought it. I think being in a permanently dark cool room helps our collection on this matter. Even on the hottest summer day it is very cool.
I must pop a temp gauge in there one day just to see what it actually is.
Carry on Screaming was one we often tried to get but oddly enough the two times we managed to secure it there was either a sound fault somewhere or scratching so we didn't bother looking for another one.
I keep hoping to find a good one on 16. Preferably carry on Doctor of Khyber. [Wink]

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on May 29, 2017, 04:54 AM:

Tom I often wonder if collectors are holding on to the really
good copies of these and if those of "Screaming" we got were
ex film hire prints.

Like you I would like these on 16mm low fade stocks.
[Wink]

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on May 29, 2017, 05:17 PM:

There were a few "White Box Special" copies of Screaming - I have one, it's just labeled "sub standard".

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