Or, Carry On Where You Left Off. This Rogers/Thomas British comedy used to be on UK TV regularly up to 30 odd years ago, along with other films such as Two Way Stretch. While that and many others still get shown this has got forgotten, it's not hard to see why: it's sub-Carry On humour in dreary black and white surroundings with only some of the usual cast.Bumbling gang of crooks steal £50,000 in 1950, get caught, hide the loot in a tree, go to jail, get out 15 years later to find the tree now in the backyard of a new police station. And so it goes on – how to get that money out with various ultimately slapstick ideas conjured up by George The Brain (the inimitable Sid James). His over-loyal gang of Sylvia Syms, Dick Emery and Lance Percival back him up through thick and thin, mainly thin – it might have been an interesting plot move for Percival to have to get married as well…What a shame Deryck Guyler didn't get some more lines. There's some good mundane and comedic ideas buried in here, I thought the film was pretty cool when I was 11 but that world has long gone. The only 3 women in this were all sex-mad superficial stereotypes. Favourite bits: Sid continually demanding tanners for the telescope; hiding the earth from the digging a la Great Escape, some typically coarse – but side-splitting – solutions to that particular problem! Flat humour for most of the film, just when it seemed to be getting going it was gone – obviously abiding by the maxim to always leave 'em asking for more.Especially for any Brit over 40 it's easy viewing, an enjoyable familiar farce featuring familiar faces.

Haven't seen this film for years as its rarely shown on TV now days,and very hard to pick up on DVD.I was lucky i found a copy,and it is as funny as i remember it being. Sid James ,Dick Emery and Lance Percival rob a bank and while making their very short getaway Sid James who is known as the Big Brain hides the money in a tree.The hapless three get sent down for fifteen years,when they come out they go to the sight where the tree was hoping to retrieve the money only to find that a big housing estate has been built in the area,and worse still the tree they are after is directly opposite a newly built police station. They move into a lodging house opposite the police station along with Sids girlfriend played by Sylvia Syms,the four of them come up with plot after plot of attempts of getting back the money,unsurprisingly every plot fails. The Big Job is a very good British comedy,my twelve year old son loved it so it hasn't really dated apart from being black and white{but who cares}its funny. Sid James and Dick Emery acted really well together and you wonder why they didn't pair up again.Sylvia Syms is very good in a comedy role and gives a very likable performance its a shame she didn't do more roles like this.Jim Dale as the annoying policeman and Joan Sims as the landlady are both very good. Its a shame we don't make comedies like this anymore.

Based around the old chestnut of having crooks rob a bank, bury the loot but later find that that the area has been built upon, this is a fun mid-sixties comedy. Not quite a 'Carry On' (it's not as funny, for a start), it does share much of that series style (as well as sharing the production team, writer and three of its stars).Sid James is, well, Sid James in this. A bit muted perhaps, but it's always nice to see him. He is backed expertly by the likes of Dick Emery and Lance Percival, a fine pair of comedians who seldom were seen on the big screen. The big revelation (for me at least) is Sylvia Syms splendid comic performance. Syms is best known for her serious dramatic roles in the likes of 'Victim' or 'Ice Cold In Alex' and it is a pleasant surprise to see her in a comedy.'The Big Job' has its problems, the plot as mentioned above, was hardly original and plans for this movie began in the late fifties. Quite a few writers had a bash at the script (including Spike Milligan) and the final script, by Talbot Rothwell, while fair, was far from the comic masterpieces he was coming up with for the 'Carry On' series proper.If 'The Big Job' isn't a comedy classic, it is an entertaining little movie, well worth catching on one of its many television re-runs.

A group of criminals led by George Brain (known to himself as `The Great Brain') plan to rob a bank. Although the job doesn't go totally to plan, they do get away with £15K. However the police catch them as they make their get away and George is forced to stash the money in a hollow tree. For refusing to say where the money is the group get 15 years each in prison but vow to escape. 15 years later they are released and immediately go to find the tree – but find that a new town has sprung up where once there was fields. Happily the tree is still standing – unfortunately it is now standing in the back yard of a police station. The gang take up rooms in a B&B across the street to plan their next move.Although I doubt I will ever prove it, I maintain that this film must have been a source of inspiration for the film Blue Streak. The set up is identical although the follow through is different. Regardless of this, The Big Job is an enjoyable film with plenty of Carry On style humour (although not part of the series proper). The plot is good and has a few nice touches towards the end. Although the comedy stays away from the bawdy antics of later Carry On features, it does have a gentle line in innuendo. My favourite lines involve one of the characters talking about animals that odd names – such as a lengthy discussion on the rarity of the bird the `Little Bustard' – had me laughing! The slap stick of the piece is also done well and there are some nice set pieces – although some are a little obvious.The cast are good and work well together with so many Carry On faces. Sid James is good value and uses his facial expressions well (albeit without the trademark laugh). A young Emery is funny and Percival is quite enjoyable. The best members of the cast are those who have smaller inputs which are usually funny. Dale is amusing as the cop but Guyler (who has but 3 scenes) is good value for money. Joan Sims is funny playing a slightly amorous widow! Edina Ronay plays her daughter and, at only 20 at the time, is very, very sexy – and made even more so by the fact that she really plays that side of her character up!Overall this is an enjoyable film that will appeal to anyone who watches the Carry On films there were made around the same period. It has a good plot, some nice sequences and plenty of good lines or characterisations. You won't be roaring with laughter but it is amusing and funny enough to justify watching.