Carry On Cabby was not origanally intended to be part of the series.
Orgianally scheduled to be called Call Me a Cab it was then re-named
Carry On Taxi and then finally went under the name Carry On Cabby. This
could hardly be anything but a Carry On film even though theres no
Kenneth Williams or Joan Sims. Still the regulars that are present
manage to lift this gentle comedy and there are some wonderful
performances here with Hattie Jaques claiming that this was her
favourite Carry On. Hattie Jaques certainly puts in a spirited
performance as do the rest of the cast which includes Sid James, Kenneth
Connor, Charles Hawtrey, Liz Frazer and Amanda Barrie. The owner of
Speedee Taxis (Sid James) is something of a workaholic much to the
dismay of his neglected wife, Peggy (Hattie Jaques). So Peggy decides to
stand up and make her husband take notice and hastily forms the exotic
Glamcabs and in doing so, practically steals al of her husbands regular
clients. So he sends in one of his own drivers "undercover" to find out
what its all about. Predicatable yes but is consistently amusing and
stands as one of the better films in this era.
Carry On Spying marked
the debut appearance in a Carry On Film of the bubbly Barbara Windsor
who would become a sex symbol in the series. This amusing paraody of the
James Bond films is another classic in the series. Desmond Simpkins
(Kenneth Williams) along with his three extra-special agents by his side
(Barbara Windsor, Bernard Cribbins, Charles Hawtrey) all plot to take
on the malevolent powers of STENCH, namely Dr. Crow, Milchmann and The
Fat Man, members of the Society for the Extinction of non-conforming
Humans. Clues to the exact location of STENCH HQ lead the quartret of
spies into the heart of Harry Lime country in Vienna, the Casbah and
finally the corridors of the Orient Express.
Fun and adventures all
the way with the gangs reaching new heights of invention and parody in
this one. The cast are all excellent, especially Barbara Windsor who
sparkles in every scene. A comic gem!