8mm Forum: Carry on Cleo 2 x 800ft Colour Sound Walton

This is topic Carry on Cleo 2 x 800ft Colour Sound Walton in forum 8mm Print Reviews at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on July 16, 2017, 03:02 PM:

This is one of the best quality Walton films to hit the super 8 market. Most of Walton's movies were very good and we have have quite a few shorts and features, all are very good, this one stands out for the superb strong colours and pin sharp images. This was a copy we bought on 4 x 400ft spools and in there original boxes. We made the purchase from a stall we often visited in Exeter Market, i cannot remember the chaps name but he was such a good bloke to visit and like Roger Lily in Plymouth he always made us welcome and up for a good yarn. He sold us this copy for £40 as it has a sound drop out on reel 3 for around 8 seconds, maybe a little longer but it doesn't spoil the film one bit. One of our favourites in our collections.

THE PLOT, (in case you didn't know)
The film opens during Caesar's invasions of Britain, with Mark Antony (Sid James) struggling to lead his armies through miserable weather. At a nearby village, cavemen Horsa (Jim Dale) and Hengist Pod (Kenneth Connor) attempt to alert Boudica of the invasion, but are captured by the Romans.
Once in Rome, Horsa is sold by the slave-trading firm Marcus et Spencius, and Hengist is destined to be thrown to the lions when none agree to buy him. Horsa and Hengist escape and take refuge in the Temple of Vesta. Whilst hiding there, Julius Caesar (Kenneth Williams) arrives to consult the Vestal Virgins, but an attempt is made on his life by his bodyguard, Bilius (David Davenport). In the melee, Horsa kills Bilius and escapes, leaving Hengist to take the credit for saving Caesar's life and to be made Caesar's new bodyguard.
When a power struggle emerges in Egypt, Mark Antony is sent to force Cleopatra (Amanda Barrie) to abdicate in favour of Ptolemy. However, Mark Antony becomes besotted with her, and instead kills Ptolemy off-screen to win her favour. Cleopatra convinces Mark Antony to kill Caesar and become ruler of Rome himself so that they may rule a powerful Roman-Egyptian alliance together. After seducing one another, Mark Antony agrees, and plots to kill Caesar.
Caesar and Hengist travel to Egypt on a galley, along with Agrippa (Francis de Wolff), whom Mark Antony has convinced to kill Caesar. However, Horsa has been re-captured and is now a slave on Caesar's galley. After killing the galley-master (Peter Gilmore), Horsa and the galley slaves kill Agrippa and his fellow assassins and swim to Egypt. Hengist, who had been sent out to fight Agrippa and was unaware of Horsa's presence on board, again takes the credit.
Once at Cleopatra's palace, an Egyptian soothsayer (Jon Pertwee) warns Caesar of the plot to kill him, but Mark Anthony convinces Caesar from fleeing. Instead, Caesar convinces Hengist to change places with him, since Cleopatra and Caesar have never met. On meeting, Cleopatra lures Hengist, who accidentally exposes both Cleopatra and Mark Anthony as would-be assassins. He and Caesar then ally with Horsa, and after defeating Cleopatra's bodyguard Sosages (Tom Clegg) in combat, Hengist and the party flee Egypt. Caesar is returned to Rome, only to be assassinated on the Ides of March. Horsa and Hengist return to Britain, and Mark Antony is left in Egypt to live "one long Saturday night" with Cleopatra

If you could get hold of a copy i would highly recommend this one even if for its sheer quality, these images arnt bad but really dont do it any justice at all.

BTW, The costumes and sets used in the film were originally intended for Cleopatra (1963) before that production moved to Rome and rebuilt new sets there.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on July 18, 2017, 12:01 PM:

Great review and once again, great print, Tom!

That one fellow in the last screenshot looks a lot like Shemp from the Three Stooges, but he was dead by that time.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on July 18, 2017, 06:00 PM:

Thanks Osi. I see what you mean [Big Grin]

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on July 19, 2017, 03:35 AM:

I have the cut down 2 reeler of this (mostly the end of the film) and also part 2 of the long version with slightly faulty stripe. They seem to go together well.
Both are on Agfa stock so also have no noticeable fade and good colour.

Posted by Stuart Reid (Member # 1460) on July 19, 2017, 05:04 AM:

Tom, I'd forgotten about that bloke in Exeter market! Bought a few odds and ends from him over the years. Still remember the first time I saw him, I'd gone up to Exeter for a day out and just stumbled across him. Thought I was in paradise [Smile]

If only you could still find blokes like that dotted across the country. eh?

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on July 24, 2017, 04:00 PM:

i bet there around though Stu. [Wink]

Posted by David Skillern (Member # 607) on July 25, 2017, 03:04 AM:

I'll have to view this print again - as the last time I viewed it - it was excellent.

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