Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The fourth film in the long running British comedy series, Constable sees Sid James making his Carry On debut as Sergeant Frank Wilkins, whose police station has been hit by a flu epidemic leaving him relying on rookie officers to make up the numbers. Fresh from training college, PC Charlie Constable (Kenneth Connor), PC Timothy Gorse (Charles Hawtrey), PC Stanley Benson (Kenneth Williams) and PC Tom Potter (Leslie Phillips) make a series of blunders that look likely to result in Sgt Wilkins' transfer to another station. In order to make up for their mistakes, the four newbies attempt to track down and arrest a tough gang of thieves they believe to be holed up somewhere nearby.Constable sees little bit of cheeky innuendo ('You stupid constable!, 'I've lost my pussy') and gratuitous bare flesh (four bare male backsides and Shirley Eaton in her underwear) creeping into the Carry On formula, making this one a stepping stone between the more gentle comedy of the earlier films and the more ribald humour of latter entries. For much of the running time, though, the film is simply good-natured knockabout fun, consisting of a series of amusing episodic scenes, with a little romance thrown in for good measure, the whole thing coming together for a predictable feel-good ending designed to leave the viewer with a warm glow. As always, the likable cast put in winning performances, and as silly as it all undeniably gets, it's hard not to have a reasonably good time.

If Carry On Constable seems to remind you of America's Police Academy movies it should. A generation before that American troupe of players took on law enforcement as a satirical subject, the Carry On crew did the same to the London police force.It's an epidemic in the precinct and most of the good cops are down with the flu. Both Inspector Eric Barker and Sergeant Sid James are in need of personnel so four men and a woman recruits from their Police Academy are assigned. Law enforcement in this district is now in the capable hands of Leslie Phillips, Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, and Charles Hawtrey. Let's not forget Joan Sims who is clearly the best one sent from the Academy.Sid James made is Carry On debut in Carry On Constable and really gets into the spirit of things. But I would have to say that Kenneth Williams really polishes up the twit character he would use so often and so well in these films. He believes that British law enforcement is waiting for him and the new ideas he brings to the job and can't understand why no one sees his potential. Check the situations he's involved in and you'll have no doubt why.One of the better Carry On films, not to be missed and this one will make you a fan of the series.

This early outing for the Carry On team includes many of the regulars including Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, and Joan Sims. This time they are police officers. When many of the officers at a small police station go down with the 'flu four some recruits are drafted in; their first day does not go well when they accidentally help a group of thieves before they have even arrived at the police station! The three new coppers are the superstitious PC Constable, womanising PC Potter and PC Benson who believes that criminals can be detected by their facial appearance. The fourth new recruit is WPC Passworthy; the only one who is competent. The first hour of the film just follows the recruits and their sergeant as they get to know their beats and have amusing dealings with the public and the last half hour gives them the chance to prove their worth when a wages robbery takes place on their patch.While there weren't too many laugh out load moments there were a decent number of chuckles to be had and the cast did a good job; it was nice to see Sid James playing a character that wasn't devious or lecherous. The jokes do seem very innocent by today's standards; even when Leslie Phillips' character bursts in on a woman taking a shower nothing even slightly naughty is shown. This innocence means the film is suitable for people of all ages; in fact I suspect children might enjoy it even more than adults due to the slapstick elements.

This one was AS funny as Teacher, actually maybe a bit better with all the exterior shots.We see nudity in this one as the men race out of the shower after the water was too cold. We also hear 'bitch' bantered about in reference to a dog. Interesting to see this fellow, Kenneth Conner and Joan Sims now in the romance, as in the past three Carry On films, they were with someone else.Jacques now gets a romance as well, actually looking a little pushed, but nice for the end. But it seems Hawtrey and Williams are starting to emerge more and more with each film as the scene stealers.That drag moment was a bit of a riot with Agatha and Edith. "Your grandmother would be so proud if she could see you now."I can't help but think of what was popular or funny in America while these things were being viewed in the UK and whereever else.Jerry Lewis movies? Or maybe an Elvis film?I can't help but think these Carry On movies would be even more enjoyable if they had singing in them at one time or another. Ah, to just speculate.