In spite of the absence of Kenneth Williams (for the first of only four times out of the 30 films made during his lifetime), this is my favourite "Carry On" films. It has a stronger plot than any of the six previous films and comes close to being a comedy-drama at times. It's more realistic than the other films and even has a little bit of social commentary in it, which is the last thing that I would expect in a "Carry On" film.Sid James and Hattie Jacques make great leads, playing their roles relatively straight. I liked the fact that Jacques was afford such a big role, her first that amounted to more than a cameo since "Carry On Constable". Kenneth Connor, one of only two actors to appear in all of the first seven films, is also very good in an unusually straight role. Returning from his temporary sabbatical, Charles Hawtrey is effortlessly hilarious as Pintpot and gets the lion's share of the best lines. He provides much of the film's humour. The funniest sequence in the film is probably Charlie and Pintpot driving a heavily pregnant woman and her husband to a hospital and back several times due to multiple false alarms. It has a great supporting cast including Esma Cannon (though she isn't as funny as in "Carry On Cruising"), Milo O'Shea (in his only "Carry On" appearance) and Amanda Barrie. Like Williams, however, Joan Sims is very noticeable by her absence.

Sid James plays Charlie Hawkins, workaholic owner of Speedee Taxis, the only cab firm in town. After repeatedly ignoring his long-suffering wife Peg (Hattie Jacques) in favour of picking up fares, Charlie finds himself unexpectedly facing competition from his miffed spouse, who secretly sets up rival taxi company GlamCabs, featuring all female drivers.From the above synopsis, one might think that this film intends to strike a blow or two for feminism, but this being a Carry On film from the early sixties, it quickly becomes apparent that fighting for sexual equality isn't the film's primary motive. With GlamCabs only employing women with an hour-glass figure and a cracking sets of pins, the film's 'battle of the sexes' plot is actually a thinly veiled excuse to fill the screen with cracking crumpet.Not that I'm complaining: the leggy lovelies, whose number include the fabulous Amanda Barrie (who would go on to star as Queen Cleopatra in Carry On Cleo), not only provide viewers with quality eye-candy (especially in the scene where Kenneth Connor, disguised as a woman, is ushered into the ladies changing room), but also plenty of laughs as they use their impressive womanly attributes to steal Hawkin's business.6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.

Fun movie, as rapid-fire setups keep "Carry on Cabby" moving along at a fast clip. Just keep watching- a lot is thrown at you fast, so you can't help but get caught up in it. It is sometimes boorish but never crude and is funny in spots. Sidney James and Hattie Jacques were excellent comic actors (as opposed to "comedians") and are very watchable as Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins. Ms. Jacques was an abundantly proportioned, graceful woman with abundant talent to match. Sidney James never gave a bad performance in drama or comedy- he was seemingly adept at everything acting-wise.Many of the Carry-on movie regulars are here and manage to keep the action going, enjoyably for the most part as they are well-directed in this outing.While filmed in black-and-white and maybe a bit dated-looking, the overall Carry-on concept is timeless. And I am ready for a ride in a Glamcab ("just flash your headlamps at them!")

Despite the matrimonial strife that makes up the majority of the plot, CARRY ON CABBY has to be one of the warmest of the long-running series - and it also contains some of the funniest jokes. The story, about Sid James's taxi business coming under threat from his wife's all-female cabbie firm, is the perfect back story for all manner of the usual hijinks.With the absence of Kenneth Williams and Joan Sims (and Kenneth Connor in a more minor role than usual), the whole film pivots on the presence of Sid James himself, and he's at the top of his game. Half the film allows him the kind of round-the-kitchen-table angsty argument that he did so well in BLESS THIS HOUSE, while the other half sees him involved in some cracking gags as he drives his cab.The opening sequence - the best in a CARRY ON, accompanied by a wonderfully jaunty score - sets things off admirably, with the kind of verbal humour that these films did so well ("She's got out of the box!"). It soon follows with one of the funniest ever scenes in which James contends with his wife on the radio, a miserable passenger in the back seat, and all manner of road hogs outside. Forget such overused lines from this series like "Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me", the "Move over and give us a bit of room, mate!" joke is THE best of the whole canon.After some notable absences earlier in the series, Hattie Jacques bags a meatier role than usual and runs away with it. Charles Hawtrey is also in the frame for much longer than expected and is involved in some great slapstick moments, while Jim Dale pops up in his first appearance in this series and Milo O'Shea proves a strong addiction to the regular cast. The presence of the pretty actresses is another plus, and Gerald Thomas does well to never let his camera leer as in later instalments. Altogether, CARRY ON CABBY is a delight.