“You roared at Carry On Sergeant, howled at Carry on Nurse, you’ll be convulsed by Carry On Teacher!” Or so the posters exaggerated. But actually this third film in the series was the most gentle of the comedies, although the storyline and characters were stronger.
Ted Ray played the central character here, a popular headmaster beloved by pupils and teachers alike. So much so that they’d do anything to keep him. Cue much schoolboy and girl pranks and staff room shenanigans, as well as love among the classrooms.
The likeable Ray was originally intended to be a central player in the Carry On films. As the successful star of the radio show Ray’s A Laugh he had a strong UK following, but he balked at returning for the fourth Carry On outing and later forged a career as a television host, writer and storyteller.
It’s easy to see why director Thomas and producer Peter Rogers favoured him. He provides an ideal prescence for the rest of the cast to bounce their eccentrities off – a voice of sanity in a slightly insane world.
But if you’re looking for the bawdy humour that became synomous with the series, there’s little to be found here – for that you have to await the arrival of screenwriter Talbot Rothwell, although future Man From U.N.C.L.E. scribe Hudis does manage the odd bit of innendo – School Inspector: “Are you satisfied with your equipment, Miss Allcock?” Allcock: “Well, I’ve had no complaints so far!”