Like the great Mr Ted Ray in the earlier "Carry on Teacher",Mr Sid James gives a performance that appears to be borrowed from some higher plane. His "Johnny Finger" sits uneasily amongst the usual good - natured buffoonery one has come to expect from the series.Yes he has the one - liners,the awful puns and double entendres(see above),but there is a genuine air of menace about him that is quite chilling and he never reverts to his comforting "Sid James" persona to take the edge off his portrait of a smiling gun - for - hire killer.He is the glue that keeps the disparate parts - from the inadequacies of Mr Jim Dale to the wonders of the splendid Miss Joan Sims - of "Carry on Cowboy together. There is the added bonus of a perky turn from Miss Angela Douglas as an Annie Oakley who is as pretty and sexy as she is unlikely. Reading Mr Kenneth Williams' diaries it is clear he never had much time for the "Carry On" series he graced for so long and that he hated Mr James,but you would never guess it as he tackles his role as Mayor Burke with evident relish. I would be very surprised if Mr Mel Brooks hadn't sneaked a look at "Carry on Cowboy" as he prepared for his masterpiece "Blazing Saddles",the scene in the Governor's office is a dead giveaway.That this fine comedy was made almost back - to - back with the appalling "Cary on Screaming" is further proof that you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and that even great comics are sometimes defeated by their material.

I know the credit for the definitive comedy western mostly goes to Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles I think this is a pretty good contender. Weserns are often pretty funny to watch these days any way because apart from notable exceptions the genre seems a little camp these days. Its a very classy carry on and the budget seems much more generous than other offers in the series. The sets are very impressive and the costumes look wonderful. The outdoor locations are much more convincing than other efforts. I must check to see where it was filmed as it certainly looks like the west in USA. The English team handle the American accents very well and the ever reliables are all in fine form. If at times the accents sound a little like the south of London it actually adds to the fun of the proceedings.Having been to USA several times let me assure you the accents are accurate. Williams is very good as always and Joan Sims looks lovely and proves yet again what a great star she was. Jim Dale in many ways gives the stand out performance. This remarkably gifted actor gave so much to this series and his energy and comic timing is brilliant. Sid is there at the top of his game. Jon Pertwee gives a really funny performance as the sheriff, blind and deaf and it is a comedy masterpiece. Charles Hawtrey is camper than ever and plays the Indian chief with his famous glasses and unlike the others remains Hawtrey as we all want him. Of course its a stroke of comedy genius that all the actors have American accents except for the Indian chief who speaks with a perfect English Oxford English.There is no American accent from the loved performer. The early part is hilarious but once the great Hawtrey starts playing a drunk with a love of fire water it strangely gets a little sad when you are reminded of the great performers sad decline. Its a fun film and the only reason I give it a six is because despite the merit the gag gets a bit thin. Its a sketch idea dragged out into a movie length. Still its a a funny movie.

Cowboy is an excellent film everyone is top notch. It is a classic there could not be a better western carry on than this. This is the one to start with. Dale is excellent as Marshall P Knutt, as is Angela Douglas as Annie Oakley. Joan Sims is excellent as Belle Armitage the sizzling western women.Charles is great as Big heap as is Bresslaw as little heap.the film is brilliant, this shows that the producers really put the effort in to it and it does show. Sid of course plays the Rumpo kid the outlaw of the area and makes a brilliant job of it.This is one of the finest carry ons the series ever made. The plot of the story is as follows. Stodge City is a rough town out in the middle of the wild west. It is being terrorised by the Rumpo Kid Sid James Marshall P Knutt is being sent to clear up the town and he is a sanitation engineer i will not spoil too much of the film so carry on watching!!

Perhaps I have overly fond childhood memories of Carry On movies and now that I'm starting to rediscover them, I'm a bit more critical. That said, many do stand the test of time, but Carry On Cowboy is not one of them.Carry On Cowboy is a film in that category of movie in which: (1) you can't wait for it to end, but (2) it's so unbelievably bad that you assume it has just got to get better at some point, so you continue to watch. Torture!I didn't laugh once. The biggest attempt at a gag in the film seemed to revolve around Jim Dale being clumsy. The occasional example of Dale doing a poor impersonation of Norman Wisdom is bad enough (eg Carry On Doctor), but to repeat it again and again is agony. Towards the end of the movie, when Dale practices shooting a gun, was so painful to watch I half-hoped he would shoot me instead. The only selling points are the great sets and the half-decent American accents of the Carry On gang.