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poster of Carry On Loving
Rating: 5.6/10 by 44 users

Carry On Loving (1970)

The Wedded Bliss computer dating agency aims to bring together the lonely hearts of Much-Snoggin-in-the-Green. Its owner, Sidney Bliss, has enough complications in his own love life, but still produces a pamphlet called 'The Wit to Woo'. The strange collection of hopefuls lead to some outlandish matches—and jealousies are bound to lead to trouble.

Directing:
  • Gerald Thomas
  • David Bracknell
  • Garth Thomas
Writing:
  • Talbot Rothwell
Stars:
Release Date: Sun, Sep 20, 1970

Rating: 5.6/10 by 44 users

Alternative Title:
Ist ja irre - Liebe, Liebe usw. - DE

Country:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 28 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0

Plot Keyword: virgin, bachelor, wrestler, sexual humor, love, scam, carry on, couple, private detective, double entendre, modeling, marriage counselor, eccentric family, married, computer dating, innuendo

Sid James
Sidney Bliss
Kenneth Williams
Percival Snooper
Charles Hawtrey
James Bedsop
Joan Sims
Esme Crowfoot
Hattie Jacques
Sophie Plummett
Terry Scott
Terence Philpot
Bernard Bresslaw
Gripper Burke
Jacki Piper
Sally Martin
Mike Grady
Boy Lover
Patsy Rowlands
Miss Dempsey
Bart Allison
Grandpa Grub
Dorothea Phillips
Aunt Beatrice Grubb
Colin Vancao
Wilberforce Grubb
Joe Cornelius
Boxing Second
Harry Shacklock
Lavatory Attendant
Hilda Barry
Grandma Grub
Ann Way
Aunt Victoria Grubb
Gordon Richardson
Uncle Ernest Grubb
Anthony Sagar
Man in Hospital
Gavin Reed
Window Dresser
Len Lowe
Maitre d'
Kenny Lynch
Bus Conductor
Chris Adcock
Workman (uncredited)
Paul Barton
Party Guest (uncredited)
Peter Butterworth
Sinister Client (uncredited)
Rodney Cardiff
Party Guest (uncredited)
Vic Chapman
Party Guest (uncredited)
Maurice Connor
Party Guest (uncredited)
Tina Hart
Party Guest (uncredited)
Renee Heimer
Pub Customer (uncredited)
Fran Hunter
Party Guest (uncredited)
Betty Huntley-Wright
Grubb Family Member (uncredited)
Fred Machon
Pub Customer (uncredited)
Gerald Paris
Train Passenger (uncredited)
Robert Russell
Policeman (uncredited)
Arnold Schulkes
Party Guest (uncredited)
Tony Selby
Wrestler (uncredited)
Reg Thomason
Party Guest (uncredited)

John Chard

Ignorance actually is, in this case, Bliss! As the 1970s began, the Carry On team would continue undaunted by a new decade and a changing of the times, they instead embraced it with innuendo laden open arms - for better and worse as would prove to be the case. "Loving" finds Sid James and Hattie Jaques as a boyfriend and girlfriend couple operating under false pretences as a wedded bliss couple running a computer dating agency. The central theme is that of a number of hapless and lovelorn singletons who hope to get fixed up by the "Bliss Agency", only to find disaster after disaster, mismatch after mismatch, befalling those hoping for Cupid/Eros' arrows to strike. It's all very plot less, a sort of rerun of Carry On Regardless but with the amiable vignettes of that film replaced here with more knowingly bawdy and sexy scenarios. Terry Scott and James have fun as randy old devils, each thrust into a number of awkward situations via angry girlfriends & boyfriends, Kenny Williams gets the best part of the screenplay as a marriage guidance counsellor - and confirmed bachelor - hopelessly out of his depth when push comes to shove (ooh-err), while Jacki Piper and Imogen Hassall positively steam up the screen with underwear and push-up-bra revelations. The 70s would prove to be a troublesome decade for the series, and this does feel like the start of the slide, which is annoying since the rather cheeky and funny Carry On Up the Jungle was also released this same year. There is some value in "Loving", it has Sid and Hattie as a warring couple, which is always fun to be part of, while Williams and Scott throw themselves into their roles - just as Bernard Bresslaw steals scenes as a hulking wrestler miffed at Joan Sims' being the apple of Sid James' eye! But it feels forced and although it has some moments for fans to enjoy, the high points of Carry On Up the Kyber and the box office gold of Carry On Camping would ultimately prove to be nostalgic glances back to the series' better days. 6/10

CinemaSerf

"Sid" (Sidney James) and "Sophie" (Hattie Jacques) run the "Wedded Bliss" dating agency that supposedly uses complex computer algorithms to match couples. Their cleverly entitled "to wit to woo" brochure is supposed to help make true love blossom but it's a "Carry On" so of course you're going to get the mismatches of the century playing out for the next ninety minutes. This is one of the more memorable of the franchise for me. The comedy bond between James and Jacques was always a strong one and here there is just enough humour - as opposed to tacky innuendo - to keep the thing entertaining enough with Joan Sims and a rather unlikely Lothario in Terry Scott, adding well too. It's not one of the better roles for Kenneth Williams ("Snooper"), Charles Hawtrey's "Bedsop" was actually quite annoying and it definitely recycles a few earlier ideas just once too often, but as these films go this is a slightly better effort that maybe raises a titter rather than a laugh and passes the time in a predictably smutty fashion.


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