Movie: Carry on Teacher

 

We are quite used to seeing British movies about schools in the nineteen-fifties / early sixties featuring cane-swishing masters. We have already met Fun at St. Fannies and Bottoms Up, as well as the BBC Television series Whack-o!.

Carry on Teacher, from 1959, the third of the 31 “Carry-ons” (the series that people either seem to love or hate in equal measure) was not one of these. Indeed, the acting headmaster Mr Wakefield, played by Ted Ray (a top comedian of his day) doesn’t believe in corporal punishment, much to the dismay of some of his staff, which include Carry on stalwarts Kenneth Williams and Hattie Jacques.

Wakefield wants to get the headship at a brand (but, presumably, not “spanking”) new school, but before he can secure the appointment his present school has to face an inspection by the Ministry of Education.

That’s enough plot. Naturally (this being a Carry-on film) things do not go smoothly and the children band together to try to disrupt the visit.

I have put two short scenes together as one clip. The boy in the headmaster’s study is played by Richard O'Sullivan, (pictured below with a magazine stuffed down the back of his trousers) who went on to great comedy stardom in the United Kingdom in such shows as Man About The House.

Carry on Teacher is often rebroadcast on digital television in the UK and is available to buy on DVD.

Pictures and video credits: Studio Canal.

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