Follow That Camel

Follow That Camel is the fourteenth Carry On film and was released in 1967. Like its predecessor Don't Lose Your Head, it does not have the words "Carry On" in its original title (although for screenings outside the United Kingdom it was known as Carry On In The Legion, and is alternatively titled Carry On ... Follow That Camel). It parodies the much-filmed 1924 book Beau Geste, by P. C. Wren, and other French Foreign Legion films. This film was producer Peter Rogers's attempt to break into the American market; Phil Silvers (in his only Carry On) is heavily featured in a Sergeant Bilko-esque role. He appears alongside Carry On regulars Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Peter Butterworth and Bernard Bresslaw. Angela Douglas makes the third of her four Carry On appearances. Anita Harris makes the first of her two Carry On appearances.

Plot
His reputation brought into disrepute by Captain Bagshaw, a competitor for the affections of Lady Jane Ponsonby, Bertram Oliphant West a.k.a "Bo" decides to leave England and join the French Foreign Legion, followed by his faithful manservant Simpson. Originally mistaken for enemy combatants at Sidi Bel Abbes, the pair eventually enlist and are helped in surviving Legion life by Sergeant Nocker, although only after they discover that when he is "on patrol" he is actually at the local cafe with the female owner, ZigZig.

Meanwhile Lady Ponsonby, having learnt that Bo was really innocent, heads out to the Sahara to bring him back to England. Along the way she meets Sheikh Abdul Abulbul and ends up becoming a part of his harem and planned 13th wife.

Nocker and Bo are kidnapped by Abulbul after being lured to the home of a belly dancer. Simpson follows them to the Oasis El Nooki but is also captured. After entering Abulbul’s harem and discovering Lady Ponsonby, Bo and Simpson give themselves up while Nocker escapes (or rather is allowed to by Abulbul) back to Sidi Bel Abbes to warn Commandant Burger of Abulbul’s plans to attack Fort Zuassantneuf (Soixante-neuf, Fort 69).

However during this time ZigZig has told the Commandant about Nocker's true destination when on patrol and therefore upon his return his story is not believed. It is only when Knocker mentions Lady Ponsonby (the Commandant was previously her fencing teacher and they met again while she was looking for Bo) that they realise he was telling the truth and the Commandant organises a force to head to the fort.

Along the way they discover Bo and Simpson staked to the ground at the now abandoned oasis. The force marches on towards the Fort but heat, lack of water and a sand castle building competition gone wrong decimates the force to a handful. The remaining members reach the Fort to find that they are too late; the attack has already occurred and the stationed garrison wiped out.

After learning that Abulbul's celebration of the successful attack includes marrying Lady Ponsonby, Bo, Burger, Nocker and Simpson rescue her from his tent, leaving Simpson behind dressed as a decoy. When Abulbul discovers the deception he chases Simpson back to the fort where, through the imaginative use of gum arabic, coconuts, gunpower and a cricket bat, the group holds off Abulbul’s army until a relief force arrives.

Back in England the group reunites for a game of cricket. Bo is batting but when he hits the ball it explodes. The bowler is then shown to be Abulbul who exclaims “Howzat!” to which Bo, with a broken bat and burnt clothes, responds “Not out!”

[edit] Filming
Location work was shot during the early months of 1967 when scenes set in the Saharan Desert were filmed at Camber Sands in East Sussex, England. Shooting had to be halted several times because there was snow on the sands.

The fort and town sets were built at Pinewood Studios. The final cricketing scenes at the stately home in England were shot on the lawn behind Pinewood House, the headquarters of Pinewood Studios. Some of the elaborate town sets were reused the year after in the production of Carry On Up The Khyber.

[edit] Cast

 * Phil Silvers as Sergeant Ernie Knocker
 * Jim Dale as Bertram Oliphant "Bo" West
 * Peter Butterworth as Simpson
 * Kenneth Williams as Commandant Burger
 * Charles Hawtrey as Captain Le Pice
 * Joan Sims as Zig-Zig
 * Angela Douglas as Lady Jane Ponsonby
 * Bernard Bresslaw as Sheikh Abdul Abulbul
 * Anita Harris as Corktip
 * John Bluthal as Corporal Clotski
 * Peter Gilmore as Captain Bagshaw
 * William Mervyn as Sir Cyril Ponsonby
 * Julian Holloway as Ticket collector
 * David Glover as Hotel manager
 * Larry Taylor as Riff
 * William Hurndell as Riff
 * Julian Orchard as Doctor
 * Vincent Ball as Ship's officer
 * Peter Jesson as Lawrence
 * Gertan Klauber as Spiv
 * Michael Nightingale as Nightingale
 * Richard Montez as Riff
 * Frank Singuineau as Riff
 * Simon Cain as Riff
 * Harold Kasket as Hotel gentleman
 * Edmund Pegge as Bowler
 * Carol Sloane as Harem girl
 * Gina Gianelli as Harem girl
 * Dominique Don as Harem girl
 * Anne Scott as Harem girl
 * Patsy Snell as Harem girl
 * Zorenah Osborne as Harem girl
 * Margot Maxine as Harem girl
 * Sally Douglas as Harem girl
 * Angie Grant as Harem girl
 * Gina Warwick as Harem girl
 * Karen Young[disambiguation needed] as Harem girl
 * Helga Jones as Harem girl

[edit] Crew

 * Screenplay - Talbot Rothwell
 * Music - Eric Rogers
 * Production Manager - Jack Swinburne
 * Director of Photography - Alan Hume
 * Editor - Alfred Roome
 * Art Director - Alex Vetchinsky
 * Camera Operator - Alan Hall
 * Assistant Director - David Bracknell
 * Continuity - Joy Mercer
 * Assistant Editor - Jack Gardner
 * Make-up - Geoffrey Rodway
 * Sound Recordists - Dudley Messenger & Ken Barker
 * Hairdresser - Stella Rivers
 * Costume Designer - Emma Selby-Walker
 * Dubbing Editor - Wally Nelson
 * Location Manager - Terry Clegg
 * Producer - Peter Rogers
 * Director - Gerald Thomas

[edit] Dates and locations
Interiors: Exteriors:
 * Filming dates – 1 May-23 June 1967
 * Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire
 * Rye and Camber Sands, Sussex

[edit] Production notes
The character named "Corktip" is a parody of "Cigarette" in the 1936 film Under Two Flags, a movie about the French Foreign Legion in the Sahara desert. The name refers to cigarettes, such as the Craven A brand, which had a cork tip.

Phil Silvers was paid a great deal more than any other cast member provoking a great deal of animosity among the regular Carry On team. Despite Talbot Rothwell writing in January 1967 that the part "simply yells for Phil Silvers all the way along. I just can't get this Bilko image out of my mind", the central role of the fast-talking Foreign Legion Sergeant had originally been earmarked for Sid James. However, with a commitment to the ITV series George and the Dragon Sid's part was recast. Sid suffered a heart attack on the 13th May 1967, less than two weeks into the filming schedule.

The song used by Bo and the others to trick Abdul into thinking there are reinforcements coming is "Durch die grüne Heide", a marching song used by the German Army during World War II.