Review of Carry on Matron

Although it's visiting mostly familiar territory,"Carry on Matron" manages to bring a certain degree of freshness to what might have been a weary rake - over of old hospital gags already well mined by the Carry On team. Somehow Mr Williams and Miss Jacques manage to imbue their expertly played dialogues with all the enthusiasm of an ingenue in her first West End role on a night when the producer is in.Even the most dire pun is polished with evident relish and delivered with aplomb and every appearance of spontaneity - their art skilfully hidden behind a facade of silliness. These two fine actors provide virtually all the enjoyment to be had from the movie.Mr Sid James is relatively subdued as the leader of the gang aiming to steal a consignment of contraceptive pills from the Finisham Maternity Hospital.Only whilst posing as "Dr Zhivago" does he have the opportunity to unleash his rather strange talents.Mr Kenneth Cope as his son makes a rather winsome nurse but is not bold enough to be comfortable in this style of comedy.Mr Bernard Bresslaw,on the other hand,has boldness enough for both of them - which is not necessarily a good thing. The received wisdom is that "Carry On" movies did not travel well into the era of Fiona Richmond,Robin Askwith and Mary Millington,and generally I agree with it.But "Carry on Matron" has a defiant innocence that appeals far more than the knowing soft porn that was soon to evolve as BBFC began to lose its grip - an event not universally welcomed.