The third film in the famous 'Carry On' series and the only one to star radio comic Ted Ray. He plays William 'Wakey' Wakefield, headmaster of Maudin School in London. The cane was still in use in British schools at this time, but Wakey does not believe in it. He has applied for a new job, his pupils don't want him to leave and begin a campaign of anarchy designed to make him ( and the other staff members ) look incompetent. Child psychologist Alistair Grigg ( Leslie Phillips ) and school inspector Felicity Wheeler ( Rosalind Knight ) visit about this time, and witness one disaster after another; the teachers getting drunk when alcohol from the science lab is put in the staff room kettle, music master Mr.Michael Bean ( Charles Hawtrey ) falling through a hole in a floor, gym mistress Miss Alcock's ( Joan Sims ) shorts splitting during strenuous exercise, the scenery collapses during the school play, and there's a surfeit of stunts involving itching powder, fake spiders and so on.
While at times this feels more like a 'St.Trinians' movie than a 'Carry On', it delivers the goods in the laughter stakes. Norman Hudis was better at constructing story lines than his successor Talbot Rothwell, and Ted Ray is very good as the put-upon headmaster ( a role planned originally for Eric Barker ). The old gang of Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor are fortunately still around. Strange to see Hawtrey as one of the masters when previously he'd been 'head naughty boy' in the Will Hay films. Two of the teachers find romance; Miss Wheeler with Connor's shy Gregory Adams, and Grigg with Miss Alcock. As soon as the old lecher claps eyes on the latter, he mutters her name thus: "All...cock!". Among the 'saboteurs' are a couple of future stars - Richard O'Sullivan ( whose character is called 'Robin', believe it or not! ) and Carol White ( of the groundbreaking B.B.C. play 'Cathy Come Home' ).
Funniest moment? The shorts ripping scene. Thanks to Sims its better than it should be. And made funnier by the fact Phillips is standing behind her.
I also love Williams' view on corporal punishment: "You bend a child double in order to give him an upright character?".
Ray made no further 'Carry On' appearances; his place in the next entry - 'Carry On Constable' - was taken by a newcomer to the series - Sidney James.
While at times this feels more like a 'St.Trinians' movie than a 'Carry On', it delivers the goods in the laughter stakes. Norman Hudis was better at constructing story lines than his successor Talbot Rothwell, and Ted Ray is very good as the put-upon headmaster ( a role planned originally for Eric Barker ). The old gang of Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor are fortunately still around. Strange to see Hawtrey as one of the masters when previously he'd been 'head naughty boy' in the Will Hay films. Two of the teachers find romance; Miss Wheeler with Connor's shy Gregory Adams, and Grigg with Miss Alcock. As soon as the old lecher claps eyes on the latter, he mutters her name thus: "All...cock!". Among the 'saboteurs' are a couple of future stars - Richard O'Sullivan ( whose character is called 'Robin', believe it or not! ) and Carol White ( of the groundbreaking B.B.C. play 'Cathy Come Home' ).
Funniest moment? The shorts ripping scene. Thanks to Sims its better than it should be. And made funnier by the fact Phillips is standing behind her.
I also love Williams' view on corporal punishment: "You bend a child double in order to give him an upright character?".
Ray made no further 'Carry On' appearances; his place in the next entry - 'Carry On Constable' - was taken by a newcomer to the series - Sidney James.