User reviews

And subtle this is, making Sergeant an extremely strange Carry On experience.

As the first of the original five films these form, along with Cabby, (not counting the intentional noir of Spying), the only examples of the series in black and white. Far away from the whistles and bells, boobs and bums of the accepted format, the largely all-male cast plays out a light character comedy. The few female roles are better developed than in the 70s; something you might suspect would be the other way around.

There's the odd sight of players who never made a repeat appearance, such as stars William Hartnell and smug Bob Monkhouse, here quite good in his dashing leading man role. Of what were to become the regulars, Charles Hawtrey is his usual self in one of his funniest performances, though it's weird to see Kenneth Williams actually acting. Here he plays it straight as Jim, the spoilt rich kid with a degree. His bolshie character – "don't you think this is a trifle out of date in a world bristling with H-bombs, Sergeant?" – is quite refreshing, and Williams plays him with admirable conviction. Later he would opt for camping up his roles in more and more over the top performances, which were nevertheless much funnier. This is what marks the fundamental difference between Sergeant and the majority of the franchise; it has a greater mark of quality, but it isn't that amusing.

Occasional lines show what was to come ("Your rank?" "Well that's a matter of opinion") and there's also the "raise your back sight" line and the scene with the fire extinguishers. Some of the jokes are a little obvious, such as Kenneth Connor's vaguely irritating hypochondriac being called Strong. Though the relative cleanness of his ultimate medical check up shows how much broader and coarser the series was to become. This is more in the traditional mould, where the comedy arises out of the situation, rather than the situation being contrived around non-stop jokes and innuendo. While the next year's follow-up, Nurse would see quite racy shaving and daffodil scenes, it was still tied in to the same sort of (relative) naturalistic performances. It wasn't until around 1962's Cruising that the Carry Ons as they're most remembered started to emerge. This is strange, because while the first seven films with their sub-Ealing sensibilities now seem out of place in the franchise, they ARE the Carry On franchise. The Talbot Rothwell scripts which are so well remembered are actually subversions of the series into broader comedy. Certainly dated, Sergeant's humour is unusually underdefined, particularly in a modern context. This is the film all over, then: commendable, if not actually all that funny.

The first "Carry On" is not among the best: it's an all-too-typical army comedy, albeit an agreeable one. William Hartnell stars as a Sergeant about to retire but who has yet to win a contest for leading his barracks' finest platoon, so he determines to achieve just this with his last batch of recruits – unfortunately for him, these include Kenneth Connor, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Bob Monkhouse, Terence Longdon and Norman Rossington (actually, such a dumb subject that he's been rejected by several previous outfits and has been stranded in the camp ever since)! As can be seen, this same plot would eventually be worked into two later series outings – CARRY ON TEACHER (1959), down to the sentimental ending, and CARRY ON, CONSTABLE (1960), with Eric Barker once again as the disciplinarian but flustered Captain.

Shirley Eaton provides the eye-candy as Monkhouse's fresh bride, who contrives to get a job in the barracks' kitchen in order to be near him; her companion, ugly-duckling Dora Bryan, has set her eyes on hypochondriac Connor (who is forever appearing before medical officer Hattie Jacques with some mysterious ailment or other, until she decides to have him undertake a thorough test by several specialists so as to declare him physically fit once and for all!). Hawtrey is typically bumbling; Williams scores best as a smug, know-it-all recruit (he plays it quite straight and, again, variations of this were seen in CARRY ON NURSE [1959] and CARRY ON, CONSTABLE). Needless to say, once the boys realize what the outcome of their training would mean for the long-suffering Hartnell, they put their best foot forward to send him home with his well-deserved prize in tow.

The first in the hugely-successful "Carry On..." series of films, "Sergeant" certainly doesn't stand out as anything particularly remarkable.

Many of the familiar faces are there right from the start (Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor) playing much the same characters as they would later make their own.

However, "Sergeant" is a reasonably gentle affair with none of the smut and sauce that would later be the series hallmark. William Hartnell puts in a great pre-Dr. Who turn as a bluff old Army sergeant given the task of turning his platoon of mis-matched incompetents into winning material.

Of course, in true "Carry On" style there is a series of fairly amusing set-pieces before the, not entirely unexpected, happy ending.

In all, "Sergeant" is mild mannered, harmless British comedy with some nice turns from Dora Bryan, Kenneth Connor and a young Bob Monkhouse. Surprising that this, probably the least offensive in the series, eventually launched a string of cheap, saucy slapstick.

The first ever Carry On sees the worst ever freshment platoon on National Service training, as their Commander attempts to retire with his first ever star platoon.

Kenneth Connors, as he was in all the early Carry Ons, is superb as the hypochondriac recruit, while Kenneth Williams does a beautiful send up of himself as the intellectually superior member of the platoon. Charles Hawtry does his usual role. This film also includes Bob Monkhouse and the late, great Bill Owen, though Owen's role is simply not big enough for him to shine.

This film lacks the chaos of the later films, and the presence of a Barbara Windsor or Hattie Jacques who can give as good as they get against the men but still, a very enjoyable comedy and the one we must thank, or blame, for the success and continued popularity of the Carry Ons.

In 1960 Britain was the first European country to scrap conscription . This is not to be confused by the American style draft system because with very few exceptions all able bodied men who turned 18 had to serve two years in the forces regardless of social and educational background . The scrapping of conscription was a good thing because there's nothing more dangerously useless to an army than a soldier who doesn't want to be a soldier

I'm pointing this out because that's the concept behind CARRY ON SERGEANT - A professional NCO who receives the worst possible raw recruits into his platoon and you find yourself questioning who you're supposed to feel sorry for the most , the recruits who don't want to be there or the sergeant who doesn't want them there but that wouldn't have been the case when this film was made , a 1958 audience would have related more to the recruits than to the sergeant . This sort of idea will go above the heads of a modern day audience and the film has dated very badly not least because it's the very first in CARRY ON franchise . Anyone expecting sexual innuendos will be very upset to see they're more or less conspicuous by their absence . In fact with the exception of a few cast members like Kenneth Connor , Charles Hawthrey and Terry Scott a lot of people would with hindsight have trouble believing that this was in fact part of the CARRY ON franchise

I've got to be honest and say the lack of the CARRY ON trademarks is no bad thing because if double entredes is the selling point of a comedy then 1958 censorship rules would have meant the innuendo would have been curtailed and that would have meant no humour full stop . Instead this is a gentle but ultimately heart warming English comedy featuring a typecast but impressive enough William Hartnell training a platoon he thinks is destined for failure

Before it all got crude Carry On films were much lighter. This one being the first of all of them. It still as moments that are funny today, but I doubt it will be as seen as say, Carry on Cleo.

The performances here are quite good as well. Especially William (Doctor Who) Hartnell as the drilling sergeant.

A modern audience may find it all a bit slow. Which, of course it is. But unlike later Carry On films there's a continued plot. Which even though its still only there to bounce jokes off. At least it feels like a plot.

Not as funny as some of the later ones, but still better made and acted.

The first of the Carry On films, it is a little slow to get started and the characters are rather run-of-the-mill, but once it gets up and going it is quite amusing stuff, with a number of good laughs. The story is a bit fragmented and rather sketchy, but in it there are some rather good sketches. It is also quite well photographed at times, even if there is not much else to admire on a technical scope. Overall it is not the greatest of films, and it is a bit overdone in parts, but it is certainly an entertaining film, and noteworthy as the first film of one of Britain's most popular film comedy series. Followed by 'Carry on Nurse'.

Sergeant Grimshaw is close to retirement, his one wish before he leaves the service is to win the coveted Star Squad award for the best drilled platoon in National Service. However, as his final band of men come trundling in it is obvious that he has been saddled with a bunch of misfits, idiots and general wasters.

So this be the first of what was to become a British institution with the Carry On film franchise. A franchise that veered of into the realms of saucy postcard humour to get the majority of its laughs. And oh how many of us lapped it up, not all were worthy films, but when on form the franchise entertained royally to those in the right frame of mind.

This picture however is very much a solid picture to be judged on its own merits, in fact there are no real signs of the smut filled comedy that would be the franchise's trade marks. This is based on a novel called "The Bull Boys" written by R.F. Delderfield, the plot is one that continues to be used in cinema at periodical intervals, basically it's the hopeless bunch of recruits thrust together creating many laughs and then heading towards a warm and fuzzy ending. William Hartnell, Shirley Eaton and Bob Monkhouse lead the cast, with Carry On stalwarts Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Williams, Keneth Connor and Hatttie Jaques laying down markers that would grace many more guffaws in the following films.

It's simple and safe and very watchable, but really it's a Carry On film in name only. 6/10

I'm not sure that anyone had the idea of a series when Carry On Sergeant was made. Carry On regulars like Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, Charles Hawtrey and Hattie Jacques are here, but are down the cast list. With the title of Carry On Sergeant the title role could only be played by William Hartnell who made a career on the big screen playing tough British army sergeants, most prominently in The Way Ahead.

Hartnell is getting out of the army and would like to have an honor platoon with the lot that's been assigned to him for basic training. British people had to do National Service mostly in their armed forces although certain jobs were accepted in lieu of. In his memoirs for instance Tommy Steele said that his in lieu of service was as a steward on an ocean liner.

Hartnell looks like he's to have his hopes shattered, but strange things do happen with proper motivation. Of the regulars Kenneth Connor has the best role as the lovesick serviceman taken from wedding night bliss to basic training. That would upset any red blooded British boy when its Shirley Eaton he's taken from.

There's also Norman Rossington who was a great British comic actor who plays a permanent private. He can't pass out of basic training and just has permanent residence. He has the best part in the film.

A lot of this reminded me of those wonderful weeks in Fort Polk where we had a platoon of misfits similar to this bunch. We wore it as a badge of honor.

A good, but modest beginning to the Carry On series.

I have liked this movie since I was at least eight and that's been twelve years and still I like it. As a kid I liked most of the Carry On films but now have become browned off by the majority except for Sergeant. Sergeant is a heart-warming tale featuring William Hartnell -the first Doctor Who and with excellent bit roles such as in The Yangste Incident and his last platoon. It features some of the well known Carry On faces such as Terry Scott and Kenneth Connor who is my favourite in this one as Private Strong. Excellent lines that still make me laugh and scenes that do likewise. Also starring the late great legend that was Bob Monkhouse. This is in my opinion the greatest of the Carry On movies and right up there with comedies of the time such as Doctor in the House, Wrong Arm of the Law and The League of Gentlemen.

The Carry on films have three main categories: The early releases, the period pieces, and the contemporary films.

The early Carry On releases were much more reminiscent of the classic Ealing style of British film. Grounded more in reality and drama rather than gags and smut, and this first instalment of the series fits that bill.

There is comedy here but t's far more subtle and has to do with certain eccentricities of the characters in situations rather than lines about tits and bums. A good chunk of what would become the regular Carry On cast are here and they all do a great job with what they have. Series regular screenwriter Talbot Rothwell had still to join the team, so the dialogue here is much more reserved, but ultimately workable.

As a film it's a charming little watch, but ultimately unspectacular. The follow up, Carry on Nurse, felt far more like the sort of Carry On film that we have come to know and love. Carry On Sergent feels more like a warm up, with 'Nurse ' being the true start to the series.

Definitely worth a watch, even just to see Bob Monkhouse (who was better known as a presenter in his later years here in the UK) have a stab at acting.

Humor doesn't need to be slapstick, sexual, or degrading to be funny. It's the juxtaposition of elements that creates tension and laughs in this gentle comedy about a newly-wed husband who finds out on his wedding day that he's been drafted. Add to this an Army instructor who's about to retire, and who makes an extravagant bet that in his last platoon he will finally have a Champion Platoon, only to find that he's been saddled with a bunch of misfits. Sgt. Grimshawe is played in low-key style by William Hartnell in a gentle send-up of his many 'tough sergeant' roles. Bob Monkhouse, Hattie Jacques, Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Connor, et. al. turn in equally understated performances that actually enhance the humor.

This film is the obvious inspiration for Bill Murray's 'Stripes', which, while funny, doesn't have anywhere *near* the charm of 'Carry On, Sergeant'. It holds up very well, indeed.

The very first Carry-on in the series, there was a Carry On Admiral made the previous year and this was named in reflection of that but it was not made by the same people.

This film is not made in the same bawdy style as the later films, it is more of a comedy drama, and the Carry on actors were not the same clique as the later ones. Charles Hawtrey & Kenneth Williams are in it, but not as leading roles, Hattie Jacques is a lesser role with Terry Scott just having a cameo, the only one of the later team to have a leading role is Kenneth Connor, the other leading roles were William Hartnell, Shirley Eaton, Eric Barker, Dora Bryan, Bill Owen and Bob Monkhouse. Others that also did a few were Terence Longden, Norman Rossington and Michael Medwin, these formed the early Carry On actors, not Sid James, Bernard Bresslaw, Joan Sims, Barbara Windsor or Jim Dale, because they were not in it..

All the acting is good, very good, in situation of army call-up and training, it is well directed, good photography and well paced, the B&W film is not great but better than most. The story is a bit ponderous though, but it works out ok.

Not the best Carry-on, but not too bad, more like a 50's British Comedy and since it was made in 1958, so it is.

About to retire from the service, Sergeant Grimshaw (William Hartnell) bets 50 quid that his last team of recruits will win the best platoon award on graduation day, only to discover that he has been saddled with a disparate group of insubordinates, incompetents, hypochondriacs, and layabouts. The film is the first of the 'Carry On' series of comedies and features a number of the players associated with the long running series (including Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques, Charles Hawtrey, and Kenneth Connor). Most of the humour comes from Grimshaw's exasperation at his men's inability to do anything soldierly, Private Strong's increasingly farcical attempts to convince the unit's doctor (Hattie Jacques) that he is too sick to serve, and canteen operator Nora's (Dora Bryan) pining after the hypochondriacal recruit. Anyone expecting the leering barrage of sexually suggestive puns, double entendres, and 'bras'n'knickers' sight gags usually associated with the sniggering series will be disappointed. The principal reason I watched the film was to see William Hartnell, who famously played the 'First Doctor' on the BBC's long running Dr. Who series. He is excellent as the usually irascible Grimshaw who decides to try a softer, more 'caring' approach to basic training in the hopes that he might finally take home the cup for best platoon. More interesting as the precursor for the increasingly raunchy sex-com series than as entertainment in its own right, but still watchable.

The legendary 'Carry On' Brit comedy franchise (spanning ~30 films) would get funnier, naughtier, raunchier, better than tame 1958 opener "Carry On Sergeant". That one did tho show flashes of flair from future regular stars Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey & Kenneth Connor - who're all National Service conscripts with Bob Monkhouse in a rag-tag platoon training under Sgt William Hartnell & Cpl Bill Owen. Other future regulars like Hattie Jacques & Terry Scott also feature in support, and while it's certainly no "Stripes" (with many of its slapstick jokes aimed it now seems at pre-teens) it DOES have its golden place in history as the very first 'Carry On'.

I have seen several Carry ons such as "Carry on Camping" and I must say I found them rather under whelming. The comedy was very forced, "contrived" would be under stating it. "Carry on Camping" worked too hard for laughs and all of them vulgar. Now don't get me wrong I love vulgarity and earthy humour but the later films sometimes worked too hard. They often look rather tired and old. Now Carry on Sergeant was the first and this is a different story all together. I was really surprised and delighted. It was beautiful. The other writers have covered the plot really well but all I would add that the movie has a lovely sentimentality that surprised me. The ending is genuinely moving and I defy anyone not to shed a tear.While it is very funny, it is warm and understated. The characters are actually well developed and the situations are not as contrived. The female characters are more developed and less irritating and forced. Dora Bryan, the West End Dolly Levi, is brilliant.The film moves along at a gentle pace and I found it to be nostalgic and utterly charming. The acting is top notch. The first time I saw it I was very young but I can recall laughing every time I saw the great Charles Hawtrey. What a wonderfully gifted actor and no one can play camp as well as him. Theses were sad days. You could be camp but you could never be gay. Ay least some things are better.

The first of many, many CARRY ON films and one of the best in terms of production values, CARRY ON SERGEANT follows the pranks and pitfalls of a group of raw soldiers being put through their paces by a retiring officer. For anyone who knows this genre, the story writes itself from there.

Although this film has an excellent cast - one of the best of the entire series - and a sheen of quality that the later films were sadly lacking, it's fair to say that it isn't one of the funniest. Much of the character humour is subtle and there are few laugh-out-loud moments, although there are highlights as always. One of these is Kenneth Connor, who, although saddled with an irritating character, makes the best of things with his squeaky-voiced antics.

William Hartnell and Bob Monkhouse both make one-off appearances in this series and submit decent work, although you do feel that they're in another film entirely. Kenneth Williams gets a chance to show off his acting chops in a non-hammy turn while Charles Hawtrey bags more of the limelight than usual (and the film's better for it). With the fire extinguisher and training ground pratfalls this is often a gently amusing escapade, albeit one you won't remember much about afterwards.

I suppose that this first of the "Carry On" films suffered quite definitely from being all to easily compared with the far funnier and potent wartime efforts of the likes of Will Hay and Norman Wisdom. These latter efforts had a far more immediate sense of blackened humour given that bombs were frequently dropping around them all as the films were being made. This is more of a compendium of satire and smut that struggles to build on quite a weak story, some rather puerile dialogue and a remarkably lacklustre effort from a team who seemed just a little too tentative and out-of-sorts to string the flimsy plot out. That story centres around the desire of "Sgt. Grimshawe" (William Hartnell) to retire in a blaze of glory by taking his ramshackle squadron of half-baked boys and girls and turn them into the winner of the "Star Squad" award. What ensues is slapstick-lite, with punchlines you can see from space and some really quite bland stereotypical characterisations of the nice but dim, the clever but hapless and the sexually frustrated - none of which really worked for me. It's barely eighty minutes long buy it felt longer and I was a bit bored with it by mid-way through. Better to come - well you'd hope so.

Great film and a good start to the most successful and longest lived film comedy series in history. Unlike the later films this film and all Carry On's till about 1965/66 relied less on the trademark bawdy humour but on comedy scenario, which in someways makes the early Carry on's more endearing than their successors. Kenneth Connor as Hypocondriac Horace Strong is gut-wrenchingly funny. Other regulars also make their Carry On debuts in this first movie such as Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques, Charles Hawtrey and Terry Scott, (Although 10 years would elapse before Scott would make his next Carry On appearance). The early films had their own set of regulars, and Eric Barker, Bill Owen, (Yes THE Bill Owen), and Terence Longden, would make regular appearences thoughout these formative years. The Romantic Leads were played by The late, great Bob Monkhouse, (Yes! THE Bob Monkhouse), and Shirley Eaton, (Yes! Goldfinger's Shirley Eaton), and it's a shame that Bob Monkhouse never made another Carry on movie, but he decided to become a household name on British TV as Mr Gameshow himself. The Title role is wonderfully played by William Hartnell (Yes! Dr Who William Hartnell). Watch this movie it's funny as hell.