Although some may beg to differ, I find Carry On Again Doctor to be the funniest of the medical-based in the series. There is more structure to the plot than there was in the earlier Carry On Doctor. The film being divided into three sections works very well as this actually makes it feel as though there is a beginning, middle and end of a story.Most of the same actors that were used in Doctor (1967) crop up in this entry, some playing almost identical characters, others completely different. Jim Dale, for instance, virtually resurrects his accident-prone but well-meaning character from 'Doctor', although here he is named Dr. Jim Nookey. Kenneth Williams is as supercilious as always, although his character displays more of a sense of humour than usual. Even so, he is typically snide and as self-serving as his part in 'Doctor'. Joan Sims proves that, when called for, she can be sexy and glamorous, and it's nice to see her in a role where she isn't pigeon-holed in the battle-axe character she would often play. Charles Hawtrey is hilarious in drag, Sid James (who is not introduced until at least half way through the film) is in one of his most unusual roles, and Hattie Jacques, yet again reprises her familiar role of the Matron,though is more gentle in here, conveying a warmth in her character that was absent from her part in 'Doctor'. Then of course we have the bubbly Babara Windsor, whose character Goldie Locks quickly catches Jim Dale's roving eye. Their romance provides a nice sub-plot.Carry On Again Doctor, on the whole, plays very well. Whilst seemingly settling down as a hospital based comedy, the first 15 minutes or so seeming like 'Carry On Doctor 2', the film then wildly steers direction when Dr. Nookey (Jim Dale) is sent out to the Beatific Islands on a medical mission and discovers a special weight-reducing potion. Once back in England, he opens a new clinic for women who wish to lose weight. Then the film settles down and sees its last half hour almost encapsulate the feel of a regular TV sitcom with the weight reducing clinic scenes, with the likes of Joan Sims and Charles Hawtrey (hilariously in drag) staying for full treatment.Following on from 'Up The Khyber' and 'Camping', both of which were landmarks in the series, this ranks as one of my own favourite Carry On's. The dialogue sparkles along with fast, witty dialogue, and there are some impeccably timed performances from virtually all of the regular cast - Jim Dale, Joan Sims, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Sid James, Babara Windsor, Hattie Jaques and Patsy Rolands. It generally captures the true spirit of the Carry On's, yet somehow stands out as quite a unique entry in the series. Certainly many laughs to endure and is a must-see for fans. Generally a recommended comedy all round. A classic!Ian Phillips

'Again Doctor' ( 1969 ) proved to be Jim Dale's last film in the 'Carry On series for twenty-three years ( he foolishly signed on for 'Columbus' in 1992 ). It cast him as the accident-prone but likable 'Dr.Jim Nookey' of Little Hampton hospital, a man who cannot so much as use an X-ray machine without causing chaos. After losing his girlfriend - the sexy model 'Goldie Locks' ( Barbara Windsor ), and scaring to death a woman patient afraid of men - he is sent in disgrace to a medical mission in the Beatific Islands, run by the seedy Gladstone Screwer ( who else but Sid James? ). Gladstone has developed a weight reduction formula. Sensing a chance to make money, Nookey flies home with some of the stuff. In no time at all he is running a posh clinic in partnership with the rich widow 'Ellen Moore' ( Joan Sims ). Disgusted by his upswing in fortunes is 'Frederick Carver' ( Kenneth Williams ), and his sneaky side-kick 'Dr.Walter Stoppage' ( Charles Hawtrey ). They conspire to bring Nookey down...Talbot Rothwell's script for this movie originated for the rival 'Doctor' series; in fact it was to have been 'Doctor In Clover', until Jack Davies came along with another version. Its not as good as 'Nurse' or 'Doctor', but better than 'Matron'. There were some concerns that 'Nookey' was too similar to Leslie Phillips' 'Dr.Tony Burke/Gaston Grimsdyke' and that 'Frederick Carver' might strike audiences as James Robertson Justice's 'Sir Lancelot Spratt' by another name. Dale is his usual chirpy self. Yes, that really is him in its most famous scene - hurtling down stairs on a trolley while Carver and the Matron ( Hattie Jacques ) look on in disbelief. This scene was later used as the title sequence to I.T.V.'s 'Carry On Laughing' compilation series. All the regulars - barring Bernard Bresslaw and Kenneth Connor - are present and correct, although there's surprisingly little of Peter Butterworth. He's confined to a short scene in which Nookey and a fellow doctor ( Peter Gilmore ) debate which illness he is suffering from.Things To Look Out For - no, its not Babs Windsor's arse ( nice though it is! ) but a cameo by Wilfrid 'Steptoe' Brambell as a dirty old man called 'Mr.Pullen' who is receiving hormone injections on the N.H.S. and as a result keeps making improper suggestions to nurses. The 'Steptoe & Son' series ended in 1965, but Eric Rogers included a few bars of Ron Grainer's theme ( the show would be revived in colour the following year ). The party scene features Rogers himself as bandleader. Some of the music was first heard in 'Carry On Spying' and 'Nurse On Wheels' ( a Peter Rogers comedy starring Juliet Mills as a district nurse ).Funniest moment - Nookey jumps into a hammock in the medical mission, only to go crashing through the floor boards! ( it was not so funny for Dale though, and gave him a back injury he still has to this day! )

Another part of the Carry On series, the third that I've seen so far, and a quite amusing entertainment from a time long ago... Babs Windsor slimmer than ever can't be missed.However. The version I have is from the German AmCo "Classic Movies" series, which in general deserves praise for providing dozens of (mostly British) films from the 1930..80s inexpensively, typically 3 Euro in department stores, and with the original soundtrack as well as the German dub. Watching "Carry On Again Doctor" gave me a shock roughly in the middle, though - speech suddenly disappeared, while music and sound effects still could be heard. What could I do but switch to the German dub, which happily lasted until the very end, but of course isn't the real thing...Update, 2008-08-31: the problem is not of the DVD, but my player (Funai PLF-76) - depending on how deep I put the earphone plug into its jack, I hear either English mono on both sides, or English on one and sounds only on the other. In this weekend's 15 hrs Carry On marathon, I could listen to this one in English until the end :)

Loaded with funny jokes, and featuring Kenneth Williams at his very finest, this is one of the strongest entries in the Carry On series. Sure, it is rather silly in a number of different ways, and the music and sound effects choices are quite poor, plus there is some fast motion used very ineffectively - but otherwise there is little not to like in it. The characters are simply great, the plot is rather interesting, and there are some good, though briefly shown, tropical locations. It is all rather well shot and definitely well written. Overall, it is surprising that this entry does not have a better reputation.