British Comedy Guide
Carry On Sergeant. Image shows from L to R: Charlie Sage (Bob Monkhouse), Sergeant Grimshawe (William Hartnell). Copyright: Peter Rogers Productions
Carry On Sergeant

Carry On Sergeant

  • 1958 film

The first Carry On film. Sergeant Grimshawe is desperate to win the award for best troop before he retires. Stars William Hartnell, Bob Monkhouse, Shirley Eaton, Eric Barker, Dora Bryan and more.

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Carry On Sergeant. Image shows from L to R: Peter Golightly (Charles Hawtrey), Andy Galloway (Gerald Campion), Miles Heywood (Terence Longdon), Charlie Sage (Bob Monkhouse), Horace Strong (Kenneth Connor). Copyright: Peter Rogers Productions

Key details

Genre
Film
Released
1958
Stars
William Hartnell, Bob Monkhouse, Shirley Eaton, Eric Barker, Dora Bryan, Bill Owen, Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Connor and more
Writers
Norman Hudis and John Antrobus
Director
Gerald Thomas
Producer
Peter Rogers
Company

Having spent the previous six years at Heathercrest National Service Depot and due for retirement in a mere 10 weeks, Sgt. Grimshawe is determined to achieve his life's goal and train the depot's best platoon at least once. Unfortunately, the body of men he's landed with could be little worse if they tried: hypochondriacs, lovelorn, lacking in agression, uncoordinated, and just plain inept.

Grimshawe soon regrets betting a full £50 on being able to turn out the camp's best platoon and takes his Corporal's suggestion to be a little more lenient than usual in an attempt to cajole rather than scare the motley crew into shape.

It's a tough 69 days training, particularly with Charlie Sage having been called up on his wedding day, the intellectual and evasive Bailey, and hypochondriac Horace Strong becoming the objection of NAAFI Norah's affections - but when the boys overhear Grimshawe's distress at his final failure, they've got one last chance to pull out all the stops.

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Additional details

Tagline
The biggest 'shower' that ever 'reigned' in the British army!
Part of

Carry On Films

UK certificate
U
Duration
83 minutes
UK release
Friday 19th September 1958
Distributors

Anglo Amalgamated

Production
Location
Camera set-up
Single camera
Picture
Black and white
Soundtrack
Music composed and directed by Bruce Montgomery and played by The Band of The Coldstream Guards.

Website links

Broadcast details

Most recent repeats
  • Friday 7th October 2022 at 4:45pm on Film4
  • Saturday 1st October 2022 at 12:55pm on Film4
  • Thursday 14th July 2022 at 4:30pm on Film4

Recording details

  • Pinewood Studios
  • Stoughton Barracks

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