This Beau Geste parody concerns ‘a young English aristocrat who, unjustly disgraced by accusations of cheating, joins the Foreign Legion and comes across a Bilko-like sergeant with a fort full of nervous legionnaires. With trouble brewing, the new recruit is forced to show his mettle and, hopefully, win back the heart of his lover.’

This is another Carry On movie that didn’t have the prefix to it’s title but was part of the series (In other territories it was called Carry On In The Legion and Carry On…Follow That Camel). This was also their attempt to crack the American market. What secret weapon would they utilise to try and accomplish this? Phil Silvers!

Does the film work? Yes, but it’s not one of the best entries in the series that I’ve seen.

Silvers doesn’t outshine the rest of the cast but compliments them nicely. There’s also no awkward Brit/Yank humour divide either.

The character names are brilliant as ever (Ernie Nocker, Maximilian Burger, Lady Jane Ponsonby) and the laughs are still there.

We also get Anita Harris! (I’m showing my age) even if Sid James is missing.

Follow That Camel is also one of the most cineliterate series entries with references to Lawrence of Arabia and The Seventh Seal.

Watch Kenneth Williams’ masterful An Audience With for tales that Phil Silvers told him during the making of this film. The story regarding Frank Sinatra and The Pope is hilarious.

3 out of 5 stars