During the late 60s/early 70s, the Carry On team put out two movies a year, and a Christmas special. Given that all the stars also had other work on as well, it's remarkable that the standards remained as high as they did. 'Loving' is no exception.
Sid James and Hattie Jacques run the Wedded Bliss Marital Agency, where they use the most high-tech equipment to ensure their clients meet the partner of their dreams. Only it's not so simple. For starters, Sid and Hattie aren't actually married – whilst Sidney Bliss refers to her as his loving and devoted wife, Hattie is actually Miss Sophie Plummer. All they have is an 'understanding' - and one that lets Sid keep back all the best girls on the books for himself, including Joan Sims's Esme Crowfoot. Even the computer is a fake - the card input slot feeds straight through to the next room, where Sophie selects the best 'match' from a card index and shoves it through another slot back to Sid.
Their clients are no better – especially Terry Scott, who is obviously only looking to get his leg over, and Richard O'Callaghan, who is looking to impress his girl with his collection of model aircraft made from milk bottle tops. Hardly a crack outfit.
When Sophie gets fed up with Sid's behaviour, she goes to two places for help - Charles Hawtrey's detective agency, and Kenneth Williams's marriage guidance office - at just the time when Ken has been warned to find a wife or face the sack!
Meanwhile, Richard O'Callaghan gets a shock when he accidently mistakes Jacki Piper's glamour model for his date, and Terry Scott is delighted when his match, Imogen Hassall, turns out not to be so repressed and straight-laced as he thought!
Their tangled love lives all come to a head when Esme's wrestler boyfriend Gripper Burke (Bernard Bresslaw) comes home from the States, and determines to get the bloke that has been hassling Esme......
This movie has some great lines ("Why is the cat called Cooking Fat?" "Well that's what it SOUNDS like!"), some brilliant cameos from the minor actors (including Joan Hickson as the elderly Mrs Grubb) and once again polished performances from the stars, all backed by an excellent script by Talbot Rothwell. A worthy part of Britain's greatest comedy saga.
British director responsible for every film in the Carry On series. Started as an assistant editor before debuting with the childrens' film Circus Friends. Thriller Timelock followed, but the success of 1958’s bawdy Carry On Sergeant launched one of the most successful series in British cinema. Thomas directed 30 Carry On films up until 1978’s Carry On Emmannuelle, returning in 1992 to deliver his final film, Carry On Columbus. Other films include the Carry On-esque Nurse on Wheels and The Big Job, plus the big screen version of Bless this House.
