Carry On Cabby

Running Time - 91m	Black & White		Certificate - U
Budget - Ł150,000		UK Release - June 1963
Shot - 25 March 1963 - 7 May 1963

Foreign Titles
Germany - Carry On Tired Taxi Driver	South America - War of the Taxi Drivers

The Stars
	Sidney James Hattie Jacques Kenneth Connor Charles Hawtrey Esma Cannon Liz Fraser Bill Owen Milo O’Shea Judith Furse Jim Dale Amanda Barrie Cyril Chamberlain Peter Gilmore Noel Dyson Peter Byrne	Charlie Peggy Ted Pint-Pot Flo Sally Smiley Len Battleaxe Woman Expectant Father Anthea Sarge Dancy District Nurse Bridegroom

The Crew
Producer Director Screenplay ... ... Music Cinematographer Editor	Peter Rogers Gerald Thomas Talbot Rothwell, based on an idea by SC Green and RM Mills Eric Rogers Alan Hume BSc Archie Ludski

Synopsis

Charlie (Sid James), owner of Speedee Taxis, finds himself up against serious competition when a new firm, Glamcabs driven by glamorous women, is set up and starts stealing all his business. Unknown to Charlie, however, is the fact that Glamcabs is being run by his wife Peggy (Hattie Jacques) who is exacting her revenge on her workaholic husband for his neglect and for missing their anniversary.

Charlie’s team includes Pint Pot (Charles Hawtrey), Ted (Kenneth Connor), Smiley (Bill Owen) and Len (Milo O’Shea). Peggy’s team includes assistant Flo (Esma Cannon), driver Amanda Barrie, in her first Carry On role, and Sally (Liz Fraser), a mole, who works in the canteen at Speedee Taxis.

Another Carry On-er giving his first performance is Jim Dale who plays the part of an expectant father who waylays several cabs to take his wife to the hospital. After several unproductive journeys, the baby is finally born in the back of one of the cabs.

Once Glamcabs has been set up the Speedee drivers find that customers are disappearing fast as the Glamcab drivers are getting the fares first and charming the men into their cabs. The peak of the film is the assault on Glamcabs yard by the Speedee drivers, including Ted being sent ahead to penetrate the ladies’ defences disguised as a Glamcab driver. He loses his nerve, however, when faced with the women’s changing room.

The two teams pull together at the end for a climatic chase when Peggy’s cab is hijacked and Charlie mobilizes all the drivers to block off all possible getaway streets and they encircle the stolen cab in the middle of field.

This is the first Carry On that shows women’s self-assertion and although not originally intended to be a Carry On (it was planned as Call Me A Cab – which is the last line in the film), it turns out to have all the basic ingredients (except Kenneth Williams) and is full of “Blimmin wimmin” as Sid says at one point.