- Actors: Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, William Hartnell, Shirley Eaton, Eric Barker
- Directors: Gerald Thomas
- Writers: John Antrobus, Norman Hudis, R.F. Delderfield
- Producers: Peter Rogers
- Classification: To be announced
- Studio: Warner
- VHS Release Date: 1 Oct 1999
- Run Time: 84 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004CIGA
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 7,598 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
The first of the Carry On movies, 1958's Sergeant is rather different from its successors, much more a film of its time (the latter days of National Service) and rather less a bawdy picture postcard. Sergeant Grimshaw (William Hartnell long before Doctor Who) is about to retire and hopes that he can get his last platoon into shape as Champion Platoon of its intake. Unfortunately, the new recruits include the clumsy Golightly (Charles Hawtrey), the barrack-room lawyer Bailey (Kenneth Williams) and the hypochondriac Horace Strong (Kenneth Connor). Love interest is provided by Bob Monkhouse and Shirley Eaton--newlyweds separated by the call-up and reunited by her taking a job in the canteen--and by the pursuit of Horace by Dora Bryan's Nora. The film relies heavily on a mixture of slapstick and paradoxical revelations of character complexity--the obnoxious Bailey nonetheless takes the trouble to coach the incorrigibly dense Herbert (Norman Rossington); the series' later obsession with low comedy only really emerges in the scenes between Horace and the medic Captain Clark (Hattie Jacques). The platoon's eventual coming together as other than total incompetents is predictable, but likable.
On the DVD: The DVD has no frills whatever except for a widescreen picture and chapter selections; it has been cleaned up however so that we get a remarkably crisp mono picture and mono sound, which brings out the quality of the military-band score by Bruce Montgomery, who was also the writer Edmund Crispin. --Roz Kaveney
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This was the first Carry on, they didn`t know at the time that they were going to make more. Any film that contains Kenneth Williams going Arghhhh!!! earns the first star. Ironically, the basic training scenes are closer to reality than many a war epic. Bob Monkhouse makes his first and last apearance in a Carry on, and he puts in a good and funny performance. Kenneth Connor is superb, as always he is always in bother. Charles Hawtrey is brilliant. Kenneth Williams plays it straight, and his snapping and snotty one liners are delivered like nobody else could. A Carry On film without Kenneth Williams is like a lamp without a bulb. This film is a must for Carry On fans, it is the first and one of the best, and all the jokes are fresh.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
As always a great film from the Carry On stable. Being the first of it's kind makes it special and in some ways it is the best of the bunch, not quite so silly as some of the later James/Windsor style, but still extremely funny.
A very enjoyable film.
A very enjoyable film.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Somehow I had managed to miss this over the last 50 years. So to see it in 2008, having seen many of the later Carry On films was something of a surprise. The nudge nudge element, I suppose best represented by Sid James, is mostly missing, and the film in black and white still mainly looks as though it was made just after the end of the second world war.
Its humour is more restrained than the later films. In many ways this is a good thing, because when Kenneth Connor and Kenneth Williams do appear the link to the later Carry On films falls into place. The fact that both Connor and Williams are both recruits in the Army tells you all you need to know.
The cast all give fine performances, and its well written and directed. I also wondered whether this was an influence on the writers of Dads Army. Kenneth Connor's character in particular had many of the traits that Corporal Jones would use ten years later. Whilst this may not be as good as Carry on up the Kyber its still a much better film than you might expect.
Its humour is more restrained than the later films. In many ways this is a good thing, because when Kenneth Connor and Kenneth Williams do appear the link to the later Carry On films falls into place. The fact that both Connor and Williams are both recruits in the Army tells you all you need to know.
The cast all give fine performances, and its well written and directed. I also wondered whether this was an influence on the writers of Dads Army. Kenneth Connor's character in particular had many of the traits that Corporal Jones would use ten years later. Whilst this may not be as good as Carry on up the Kyber its still a much better film than you might expect.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Bliss
A carry on film without Sid James and Barbara Windsor is something to be treasured.
What a shame the series got dumded down so much.
What a shame the series got dumded down so much.
Published 3 months ago by MrViewer
Carry on watching
CARRY ON SERGEANT is the first and in my opinion the best of
all the carry on films. It set the standard for all those that
followed on. Read more
all the carry on films. It set the standard for all those that
followed on. Read more
Published 7 months ago by roady244
First and one of the best
This is the first of the fantastic Carry On series and one of the best. Whilst many of the regular faces we came to love (Simms, James, Dale, Bresslaw, Butterworth and Windsor) are... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Lord Anon
Carry on Films.
This Film is one of the best carry on film's Iv ever seen. And It's full of the Laugh's and the Main Carry on Team. Love it.
Published 10 months ago by Ms. P. Porter
one of the best
this vhs tape was well worth buying its the only carry on to feature bob monkhouse in the title roll. Read more
Published 12 months ago by scorpio
Memories
A great film and one that brings back many happy memories for me. All the parade ground scenes were filmed at Stoughton Barracks, Guildford,the home of the Queens Royal Regiment. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Mr. Roy N. Hutson
Possibly the best "Carry On"
I have always loved this film which I personally consider to be the best of the "Carry On" series. It is the first one and although a slightly bawdy comedy it has a heart. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mr. Chistopher E. Powell
Carry on Sergeant
The Carry On title suggests slapstick comedy, but not so with this one. Although ligh-hearted it does have a
serious side and gives some idea what it was like for ordinary men... Read more
serious side and gives some idea what it was like for ordinary men... Read more
Published 24 months ago by James Arthur Wilson
Broad, cheery and un-p.c. fun
A group of misfits undergo Army basic training under the eye of an irascible but ultimately goodhearted sergeant. No, it isn't Stripes. Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2007 by C. O. DeRiemer
The Very First Carry On Film
When Carry On Sergeant hit cinemas in 1958 nobody could have predicted how long the series was actually going to run. Read more
Published on 22 May 2006 by Ian Phillips
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