w22nuschler I started my reviews of the Carry On's at the end of their run. Most of the ones at the end went to far and counted on dirty jokes and sex to sell the story. It is refreshing to go back to the first one and see how that stuff was not needed. I don't mind seeing a girl in a sexy outfit, but we don't need filthy humor.Carry on Sergeant takes place at a training camp for new soldiers. A lot of the men don't want to be there and don't try very hard. They are the worst of the camp. We have a lot of regulars here: Kenneth Conner, Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques & Terry Scott. Also William Hartnell plays the Sergeant and does a great job playing him. Shirley Eaton plays a newlywed who sneaks on the base to be close to her husband. There is a funny scene where they keep marking the progress of the group and it keeps going down each week. The guys find out the sergeant is retiring after the last day of training, so they decide to give him a great showing and they win the contest against all the other groups. This makes him very happy and they give him a lighter as a gift in the last scene. That was a really nice touch and it put a lump in my throat.This first film had a different tone than the later ones. I liked it and it really grew on me. That's not to say, I did not like the style as they went ahead. I love Sid James and he did not come in to be the main guy until the mid 60's.

Jackson Booth-Millard This was thee first film to be released as part of the sexy comedy series of films, it's not a bad one. There is no real plot to the story, it is mainly just army training for World War II (I think) with the many different male characters, this is where the comedy comes from, the men. One thing to note about this film, it is one of the only ones where someone actually says "Carry On". Starring William Hartnell as Sergeant Grimshawe, Goldfinger's Shirley Eaton as Mary Sage, Eric Barker as Captain Potts, Bill Owen as Corporal Bill Copping, Charles Hawtrey as Peter Golightly, Kenneth Connor as Horace Strong, Kenneth Williams as James Bailey, Terence Longdon as Miles Heywood, Norman Rossington as Herbert Brown, Gerald Campion as Andy Calloway, Hattie Jacques as Captain Clark, Terry Scott as Sergeant Paddy O'Brien and TV game show host Bob Monkhouse as Charlie Sage. As the second of the Carry On films, you can probably understand why Sid James, Joan Sims and Barbara Windsor aren't in it. Carry On films were number 39 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons. Worth watching!

Markmainwaring Before it all got crude Carry On films were much lighter. This one being the first of all of them. It still as moments that are funny today, but I doubt it will be as seen as say, Carry on Cleo.The performances here are quite good as well. Especially William (Doctor Who) Hartnell as the drilling sergeant.A modern audience may find it all a bit slow. Which, of course it is. But unlike later Carry On films there's a continued plot. Which even though its still only there to bounce jokes off. At least it feels like a plot.Not as funny as some of the later ones, but still better made and acted.

Theo Robertson In 1960 Britain was the first European country to scrap conscription . This is not to be confused by the American style draft system because with very few exceptions all able bodied men who turned 18 had to serve two years in the forces regardless of social and educational background . The scrapping of conscription was a good thing because there's nothing more dangerously useless to an army than a soldier who doesn't want to be a soldier I'm pointing this out because that's the concept behind CARRY ON SERGEANT - A professional NCO who receives the worst possible raw recruits into his platoon and you find yourself questioning who you're supposed to feel sorry for the most , the recruits who don't want to be there or the sergeant who doesn't want them there but that wouldn't have been the case when this film was made , a 1958 audience would have related more to the recruits than to the sergeant . This sort of idea will go above the heads of a modern day audience and the film has dated very badly not least because it's the very first in CARRY ON franchise . Anyone expecting sexual innuendos will be very upset to see they're more or less conspicuous by their absence . In fact with the exception of a few cast members like Kenneth Connor , Charles Hawthrey and Terry Scott a lot of people would with hindsight have trouble believing that this was in fact part of the CARRY ON franchise I've got to be honest and say the lack of the CARRY ON trademarks is no bad thing because if double entredes is the selling point of a comedy then 1958 censorship rules would have meant the innuendo would have been curtailed and that would have meant no humour full stop . Instead this is a gentle but ultimately heart warming English comedy featuring a typecast but impressive enough William Hartnell training a platoon he thinks is destined for failure