Carry On Teacher (1959)

What a waste of my time!!!

Absolutely amazing

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The acting in this movie is really good.

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.

This is not among the best of the Carry Ons, the story is rather basic, Ted Ray is on the dull side for my liking and there is a sense of sentimentality that gets cloying after a while. However, it does look great, has a quirky score, is well directed and with the script, pranks and staff-room infighting as snappy and as good as they are there is very rare a dull moment. Likewise with the cast, Kenneth Connor and Kenneth Williams are both delightful, Leslie Phillips gives one of his better Carry On performances while Joan Sims is superb. Overall, a gentle and entertaining entry, without being one of the best. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The simple story has been well told by others but its enough to say that this movie remembers kids and schools as places quite different from what they are now. I would hate to be a teacher today but way back then it was a different, kinder and nicer world. This is not an hilarious movie but its a charming one. The great Brirtish actors are all there. The stylish Leslie Philips was always the most unlikely actor to be considered a sex symbol but he was always fun to watch. The great Hawtry of course continues to steal every scene he is in. THe others are all there. An extra bonus is Ted Ray who plays the head. This actor was well known to British audiences but quite unknown outside the UK. He gives a beautifully restrained performance and his final scene is very moving. One fine performance in this movie comes from Rosaling Knight as Miss Wheeler. This lovely actress enchanted many a movie. One of those great reliable actresses, we never knew her name but the minute she appeared the screen lit up. The only real jarring note in most Carry on movies was Kenneth Connor. I find his characters annoying and his mumbling was simply irritating back then but now its just woeful. Carry on teaching is not the funniest of films but its full of charm. The itchy powder scene however is great fun and that Romeo and Juliet production is not unlike some school plays we have all endured.This is a sweet innocent movie anda delightful piece of nostagia.

The third Carry On film and arguably the best of the first three, this one is amusing from start and always full of laughs. The jokes are funnier than in the two previous entries, and Leslie Phillips is in particularly good form this time. It is still very silly, and in terms of the plot it is not all that much better than 'Carry On Sergeant' and 'Carry On Nurse', with the practical jokes becoming a bit tiresome towards the end and a story that is very simplistic. Still, the film comes highly recommended from me, as everything seems to fit together rather well, including appropriately used music. It is not a perfect film, but definitely a bit of a delight to watch.