Carry on Up the Jungle [DVD] [1970]

Funniest scene though takes place in the first 20 minutes of the film where a snake winds its way up JOAN SIMS' dress whilst she looks on in delight thinking that somebody is actually making advances towards her. Priceless stuff. An overly good Carry On which is slightly patchy but still very much worth having. Recommended.

The Carry On films were always essentially British so it's actually quite surprising that they enjoyed such renowned success in the U.S (where Carry On Nurse (1958) topped the U.S Box Office Charts, running in some cinemas for nearly three years!!). Carry On Up The Jungle was really no exception and the film predicatbly runs through all of those familiar gags and double entendres that we've all seen and heard probably 1,000 times before in other Carry On films but it's the super-fine performances of the irreplacable Carry On players that ignite Carry On Up The Jungle into such a wonderful film (not to mention spot-on direction from Gerald Thomas aided by the always excellent production skills of Peter Rogers).

The Carry On gang (Frankie Howard, Sid James, Joan Sims, Terry Scott, Charles hawtrey, kenneth Connor, Bernard Bresslaw, Jaki Piper and Valerie Leon) find themselves on expidition circa 1900 through the darkest parts of Africa. facing the perils of jungle life they each find themselves in many comical misunderstandings that really could only have taken place in a Carry On film.

The ever-crazy Carry On troopers all have their own reasons for joining the expidition. Professor Ingio Tinkle (Frankie Howard) and Claude Chumley (Kenneth Connor) are both dedicated ornithologists in search of the rare oozlum bird. Bill Boozey (Sid James) is simply along for the fun and adventures whilst the glamorous Lady Evelyn Bagley (Joan Sims) is in desperate search of her long lost son that she lost over twenty years ago in the jungle where she and her husband had been (laughably) honeymooning. June (Jaki Piper) is along for the ride as Lady Bagley's faithful assistant where as Upsidasi (Bernard Bresslaw) leads the gang through the jungle (the entire film was infact filmed at Pinewood studios as the Carry On films were renowned for their cheap and cheerful shoestring budgets).

Along their adventures they encounter a Tarzan-type figure, Jungle Boy (Terry Scott) who, in a hilarious twist to the (rather thin) plot is revealed to be none other than Lady Bagley's long-lost son. Jungle Boy also quickly succumbs to the-not-as-innocent-as-she-seems June and rapidly become lovers. The romantic scenes between the delightful Jaki Piper and always hilarious Terry Scott are played out beautifully.

They are captured by a blood-thirsty tribe, The Noshers and as it seems as though they are about to be dropped barbaracally into a cauldron full of boiling hot water ready for the notorious tribe eat, they are hilariously rescued by an all-female tribe led by the formidable Leda (Valerie Leon) only to find themselves being held captive by them as the men of the group are forced to attend mating cermonies with some of the more unattractive women of the tribe.

Leader of the all-female tribe known as the Lubba Dubbi's is Tonka The Great (Charles Hawtrey) who in yet another laughably obvious twist to the plot, turns out to be Lady Bagley's (Joan Sims) long-lost husband whom she had presumed was dead years ago thinking he'd been eaten by a crocodile during their honeymoon (it turns out he'd been languashing in the company of the all-female tribe for all those years).

Eventually they escape from the Lubba-dubbis after Professor Ingio Tinkle (Frankie Howard) and Claude Chumley (Kenneth Connor) find their prized oozlum bird (only to have it stolen again) and return to civilisation.

Up Pompei star Frankie Howard as Professor Ingio Tinkle breezes into the whole Carry On phenomenon as though he'd always been part of the gang where as head of the Carry On family Sid James beefs up his usually likeable, roguish, womanising character to great effect as the appropriatley named Bill Boozey.

Joan Sims shines as Lady Eveleyn Bagley in one of her most lengthy roles in the series and also putting in one of her best characteristaions where as the effeminate and ever-eccentric Charles Hawtrey is just simply hilarious as the mincing Tonka The Great.

Terry Scott takes on the role as Jungle Boy (which had actually been written with Jim Dale in mind who decided to leave the series after Again Doctor (!969) to pursue other projects) which he makes his own whilst Kenneth Connor returns to the series after a lengthy absence (last seen in 1964's Carry On Cleo) playing the jittering Claude Chumley in his own inimitable style.

Completing the cast are Bernard Bresslaw who is hilarious as the blacked up Upsidasi, Jaki Piper in her first Carry On role playing June wonderfully and finally Valerie Leon as the formidable Leda of the Lubbi Dubbi's.

The film really scores best in its second half where they are kidnapped by the Noshers but one of the most hilarious scenes in the film takes place in one of the early sequences. One night the gang all sit down to tea in the heart of the jungle with Lady Evelyn Bagley being the only female present. Clearly relishing in the attentions of all the males a snake then slowly winds its way up her dress. She thinks in quiet delight that someone is making advances at her and after suspecting Bill Boozey and Professor Ingio Tinkle is rather miffed to think it is infact Claude Chumley making the discreet sexual advances towards her. After giving him a good, harsh slap round the face she suddenly realises it is infact a snake. The priceless look of shock and horror on her face on realisingthis is vintage Carry On!

Though Carry On Up The Jungle (1969) is missing Hattie Jaques, Barbara Windsor and Kenneth Williams the film manages to stay afloat and emerges as yet another classic in the series. Some scenes are a little slow and tedious but over-all Carry On Up The Jungle is an enjoyable comedy that's most defintley worth a look and will undoubtedly satisfy any lover of the genre. Recommended!

Ian Phillips