ianlouisiana
Liverpool comedian Ted Ray was a big Music Hall and Variety star in the 1930s and 40s.He graduated to the wireless and was a Light Programme regular at the time "Carry on Teacher" was made.His vast experience brought real authority to his role as the Headmaster and his is one of the few believable performances in the whole "Carry On" canon. Because it actually touches real life courtesy of Mr Ray,there is a slight unease about the blend of broad humour and the more subtle style he deploys.I found his performance rather affecting. Not quite a franchise by that time,the "Carry On" series gradually took on a life of its own and drew from its ranks its future stars as its popularity grew.Their performances rarely varied - which was part of the attraction - and a pre - sold audience knew exactly what to expect. The longest running - gag in the history of the British cinema.
Chris Gaskin
Carry On Teacher is one of the earlier entries in the Carry On series and I found this quite funny.The Headmaster at Maudin Street School plans to apply for another job at another school. As the students like him, they don't want him to leave. They decide to play some practical jokes just as school inspectors are about. They put chewing gum and super glue on chairs, saw a piano leg and make it collapse and launch an experimental rocket. Through all of this, two of the teachers fall in love with each other.This sort of thing never happened when I was at school when the headmaster left! The cast includes some of the Carry On regulars including Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Kenneth Conner and Leslie Phillips. With Ted Ray as the Headmaster.Have a good laugh with Carry On Teacher. Excellent.Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
richard.fuller1
The third film in this Carry On series was funnier than the previous two, or I am now getting the hang of who "the core" cast members may be.The plot seemed simple enough, then took a very different twist just toward the end.Humor-wise, the staff getting drunk was pretty good and that class discussion with Williams did have me laughing and rewinding back ("the girl who lives just down the road from us!")With still no idea what to expect from the rest of these Carry Ons, it seems to me after three films that there is to be two romances in each films. I suspect that will change eventually.Best thing I have seen thus far of Carry On was when everyone was hugging at the end of "Teacher" because the headmaster wouldn't be leaving and Williams, Jacques and Hawtrey all hug, each man giving her a kiss in between them. They all stepped away and Jacques moved to the back.The two men then came forward again for a very passionate embrace and upon realizing Jacques wasn't with them, they separated and Hawtrey gave Williams such a slap. Nice fun and a nice perspective on school and education in film, especially this close to "Blackboard Jungle".
gnb
The third Carry On film in the series, Teacher still manages to maintain the gentle, clean fun of its predecessors.Many of the favourites are present here (Williams, Hawtrey, Sims, Jacques, Connor) and are well at ease in the roles they would make their own for the next 20 odd years.Kenneth Connor is a delight as the bumbling science teacher who finds himself falling for the prudish school's inspector while Leslie Phillips is as smooth as he ever was as the well-oiled child psychologist. Ding dong!It is interesting to note here that at this early stage, it is Joan Sims who plays the blonde bombshell in the series - a much different role to the screaming, bawdy characters she would play later.To sum up, Teacher is basically a series of set pieces in which the kids of Maudlin Street School, so desperate for their current headmaster not to leave, set about causing havoc so as to create a bad impression for the school inspectors.Of course it's all harmless, St. Trinians meets Greyfriars fun and there's a happy ending too. In all, a great addition to the series.
AD
