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Amazon.co.uk Review
Carry On Don't Lose Your Head parodies the adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel, with crinkly cackling Sid James as master of disguise the Black Fingernail and Jim Dale as his assistant Lord Darcy. He must rescue preposterously effete aristocrat Charles Hawtrey from the clutches of Kenneth Williams' fiendish Citizen Camembert and his sidekick Citizen Bidet (Peter Butterworth). The Black Fingernail is assisted in his efforts to thwart the birth of the burgeoning republic by the almost supernatural stupidity of his opponents, who fail to recognise the frankly undisguisable Sid James even when dressed as a flirty young woman.
What with an executioner who is tricked into beheading himself in order to prove the efficacy of his own guillotine, it's all a little too easy. As usual, no groan-worthy pun is left unturned, or unheralded by the soundtrack strains of a long whistle or wah-wah trumpet. This is pretty silly stuff even by Carry On standards, with most of the cast barely required to come out of first gear and an overlong climactic swordfight sequence hardly raising the dramatic stakes. Most of the humour here resides neither in the script nor the characterisation but in the endlessly watchable Williams' whooping, nasal delivery (occasionally lapsing into broad Cockney) and the jowl movements of the always-underrated Butterworth. --David Stubbs
Synopsis
Carry On Don't Lose Your Head is one of the best films in the "Carry On" series. In this 1967 installment a foppish Englishman, Sir Rodney Ffing (Sid James), goes undercover as "The Black Fingernail" with his partner, Lord Darcy (Jim Dale), to rescue French aristocrats. Hot on their heels are Citizen Bidet and and Citizen Camembert in this very funny Scarlet Pimpernel parody.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD
(UK - 1967)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Theatrical soundtrack: Mono
During the French Revolution, the villainous Citizen Camembert (a perpetually outraged Kenneth Williams) goes in search of the notorious 'Black Fingernail' (Sid James), an unidentified British aristocrat who's been crossing the English Channel to rescue his French counterparts from the guillotine.
The second and final entry in the long-running series not to feature 'Carry On' in its title due to political fall-out from a change of UK distributor (the first was FOLLOW THAT CAMEL in 1966), DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD demonstrates yet again that screenwriter Talbot Rothwell was at his best when indulging his fondness for historical burlesque. Sumptuously mounted on various high-blown locations (including Clandon Park and Waddesdon Manor, with interiors filmed at Pinewood studios), the film's ribald parody of the French Revolution encompasses everything from silly character names (Camembert is the local 'big cheese', aided and abetted by the gormless Citizen Bidet, while the Black Fingernail conceals his true identity under the foppish pseudonym of Sir Rodney Ffing - "with two F's!") to puns, sight gags and lowbrow slapstick. In other words, the formula as before. But like so many of the better Carry On's, the comedy is rooted in a well-developed storyline, augmented by the usual array of flamboyant characters and eccentric supporting players.
Highlights include Charles Hawtrey as a jolly French aristocrat, and Joan Sims as Williams' Cockney-spouting sister (Sims and Hawtrey share an unlikely seduction sequence midway through the film which culminates in a terrific 'please yourself' gag). Sid James and Jim Dale are the nominal heroes of the piece, camping it up with affectionate glee, while Peter Butterworth excels as Williams' dimwitted lackey, forever lusting after Sims and shouting: "Equality! Fraternity! Liberty!" (to which Sims retorts: "I don't care about the equalities and the fraternities, but I'm NOT having the liberties!"). But as usual, Kenneth Williams walks away with the picture, overplaying every gesture, emphasizing every double entendre, and milking every gag for all its considerable worth. An absolute comic gem!
Director Gerald Thomas keeps the pot boiling throughout, and production values are solid. Watch out for a couple of mistakes which made it into the final print (Williams' hat being knocked by Butterworth in a cramped carriage, and Sims almost falling over whilst admiring a lovely new dress), betraying a rushed production schedule. Favourite gag: Hawtrey brags to a group of young women that he escaped the guillotine by slaying half a dozen of his captors, and one gushing admirer declares: "What a bloody sight it must have been." Hawtrey, quick as a flash, retorts: "M'dear, if me sword hadn't broken, it'd have been a bloody sight more!" Genius.
(UK - 1967)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Theatrical soundtrack: Mono
During the French Revolution, the villainous Citizen Camembert (a perpetually outraged Kenneth Williams) goes in search of the notorious 'Black Fingernail' (Sid James), an unidentified British aristocrat who's been crossing the English Channel to rescue his French counterparts from the guillotine.
The second and final entry in the long-running series not to feature 'Carry On' in its title due to political fall-out from a change of UK distributor (the first was FOLLOW THAT CAMEL in 1966), DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD demonstrates yet again that screenwriter Talbot Rothwell was at his best when indulging his fondness for historical burlesque. Sumptuously mounted on various high-blown locations (including Clandon Park and Waddesdon Manor, with interiors filmed at Pinewood studios), the film's ribald parody of the French Revolution encompasses everything from silly character names (Camembert is the local 'big cheese', aided and abetted by the gormless Citizen Bidet, while the Black Fingernail conceals his true identity under the foppish pseudonym of Sir Rodney Ffing - "with two F's!") to puns, sight gags and lowbrow slapstick. In other words, the formula as before. But like so many of the better Carry On's, the comedy is rooted in a well-developed storyline, augmented by the usual array of flamboyant characters and eccentric supporting players.
Highlights include Charles Hawtrey as a jolly French aristocrat, and Joan Sims as Williams' Cockney-spouting sister (Sims and Hawtrey share an unlikely seduction sequence midway through the film which culminates in a terrific 'please yourself' gag). Sid James and Jim Dale are the nominal heroes of the piece, camping it up with affectionate glee, while Peter Butterworth excels as Williams' dimwitted lackey, forever lusting after Sims and shouting: "Equality! Fraternity! Liberty!" (to which Sims retorts: "I don't care about the equalities and the fraternities, but I'm NOT having the liberties!"). But as usual, Kenneth Williams walks away with the picture, overplaying every gesture, emphasizing every double entendre, and milking every gag for all its considerable worth. An absolute comic gem!
Director Gerald Thomas keeps the pot boiling throughout, and production values are solid. Watch out for a couple of mistakes which made it into the final print (Williams' hat being knocked by Butterworth in a cramped carriage, and Sims almost falling over whilst admiring a lovely new dress), betraying a rushed production schedule. Favourite gag: Hawtrey brags to a group of young women that he escaped the guillotine by slaying half a dozen of his captors, and one gushing admirer declares: "What a bloody sight it must have been." Hawtrey, quick as a flash, retorts: "M'dear, if me sword hadn't broken, it'd have been a bloody sight more!" Genius.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This must be one of the funniest of the Carry On series. Set during the French Revolution, a rebel known as the black fingernail begins to cause havoc by setting free the imprisoned peers, lords, ladies and royalty.
With inuendos in every sentence and a great script, this film is one of my personal all-time favourites.
Even if you're not too keen on Carry On films, you will like this one!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This carry on has a marvellous story, great acting and hilarious jokes in this carry on about the French revolution. Kenneth Williams plays the hilarious evil Citizen Camembert, who is chopping off all the heads of the french aristocracy, along with his stupid little assistant, Citizen Bidet. Meanwhile back in England Sid James and Jim Dale here about this and come over to france to save all the poor aristocracy, using many different tricks and disguises, and always leaving behind him a picture of two fingers stuck up and one of the fingernails is black, so they are notoriously know in France as The Black Fingernail!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
carry on don"t lose your head dvd
for some reason this one is hard to find on region 1 format in the us at a decent price, so I found a multi-region dvd player, and now I am able to purchace all of the titles I... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Thomas Kibbee Sanders
Scarlet Pimpernel, ooh I say madame
Dandy fop Sir Rodney Effing has an alter ego, The Black Fingernail. A man, who along with his partner, Lord Darcy Pue, rescue French aristocrats from the clutches of the... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Spike Owen
don't lose your head
I received the product within a few days and condition was as described. No problem and would definately approve and order again from this source.
Published 15 months ago by creuser
Ooh la la! A little (Citizen) Camembert, anyone?
Carry on watching this really good "version" of The Scarlet Pimpernel. The Black Fingernail aka Sid James. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Jan L.
A daft historical parody likely to cheer you up !
This is a barrel of laughs and no mistake ! It still makes me chortle even now.Charles Hawtrey is full on in his camp,oh hello !, butter wouldn't melt in my mouth persona. Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2010 by Mr. Mg Reynolds
C'est un plaisir...
The team romped through several costume dramas in the mid-sixties after their exhausting more contemporary themes, and this certainly holds its head high (boo-boom). Read more
Published on 21 Nov 2009 by Shmorganzola
Carry On Don't Lose Your Head
Carry On Don't Lose Your Head . is a great funny movie this make up the full set of Carry On movies i now have i have every Carry On movie on dvd from 1958 Carry On Sergeant... Read more
Published on 24 April 2009 by Norman Pitkin
historical madness at its best!
Wow! If you love the historical carry ons but havent seen this little gem then get it now. Kenneth Williams is at his best in this one. Read more
Published on 20 Sep 2008 by Keith Lard
Very funny, it will have your head rolling.
Based around the French revelution, this comedy has the usual type of jokes,and is very funny,see Lord Darcy and Lord Effing, rescue the Aristo's and give the Head chopper the... Read more
Published on 1 Jan 2001
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