Several years before Mel Brooks took his satirical talent and inflicted on the western genre in Blazing Saddles, the Carry On troupe blazed that trail ahead of him in Carry On Cowboy. It's interesting to me to hear British players doing American accents because I get an idea of what we sound like to them.
Every actor is on point here, Jim Dale, Sid James and Kenneth Williams all stand out as the best (especially as they're putting on American accents) and the accompanying cast is good fun too.The plot is especially ingenious with Marshal P Knutt (played by the wonderful Jim Dale) being mistaken for a Sheriff due to his name being sent to Stodge City to clean up the outlaw problem, when he thinks he's cleaning up a sewage problem.
Carry on Cowboy has to be considered one of the best of the Carry on films.It is incredibly funny, the gags and one liners are relentless.
I know the credit for the definitive comedy western mostly goes to Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles I think this is a pretty good contender. Weserns are often pretty funny to watch these days any way because apart from notable exceptions the genre seems a little camp these days.
When the Rumpo Kid rides into Stodge City it isn't long before the mayor sends a telegram to Washington asking for a marshal. Soon Marshal P.
Like the great Mr Ted Ray in the earlier "Carry on Teacher",Mr Sid James gives a performance that appears to be borrowed from some higher plane. His "Johnny Finger" sits uneasily amongst the usual good - natured buffoonery one has come to expect from the series.
Is it my imagination or do barkeeps in Westerns always seem to be named Charlie...? Anyway, it's not on the same level as the last two absolutely hilarious films but it's still a very funny parody of the Western genre.
One of the funniest and best of the Carry On series, as ever the team picking up on a popular genre of the day in this case, obviously Westerns, for a laugh-a-minute spoof. "The Magnificient Seven" had recently been a big success and no doubt Messrs Rogers and Thomas took some inspiration from it.
Perhaps I have overly fond childhood memories of Carry On movies and now that I'm starting to rediscover them, I'm a bit more critical. That said, many do stand the test of time, but Carry On Cowboy is not one of them.
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