Film Review: Follow That Camel (Carry On In the Legion, 1967)

The notion that “quantity becomes a quality of its own,” a phrase often misattributed to Karl Marx, finds ironic resonance in the Carry On film series—a juggernaut of British comedy that churned out 31 entries between 1958 and 1992. Produced by Peter Rogers and directed by Gerald Thomas, these films carved a niche through their ribald humour, recurring ensemble cast, and unabashedly working-class sensibilities. Follow That Camel (1967), the 14th instalment and the first distributed by the Rank Organisation, stands as one of the series’ more ambitious efforts. Repackaged internationally as Carry On In the Legion, the film parodies P.C. Wren’s Beau Geste and its cinematic adaptations, most notably the 1939 Gary Cooper vehicle. Yet, while the film aimed to broaden the franchise’s transatlantic appeal with American star Phil Silvers, it remains a divisive entry—a curious blend of slapstick, satire, and strained cultural stereotypes that encapsulates both the charms and limitations of the Carry On formula.

Follow That Camel transplants the melodramatic heroism of Beau Geste into a farcical romp across the Sahara. Set in 1906, the film follows Bertram “Bo” West (Jim Dale), a disgraced aristocrat falsely accused of cricket-match impropriety, who flees to the French Foreign Legion with his bumbling manservant Simpson (Peter Butterworth). Their misadventures lead them to a dilapidated Algerian garrison overseen by the priggish Commandant Burger (Kenneth Williams) and his sycophantic aide Captain Le Pice (Charles Hawtrey). The duo’s path crosses with Sergeant Ernie Nocker (Phil Silvers), a Bilko-esque schemer shirking duty in favour of romancing café owner Zig-Zig (Joan Sims). Meanwhile, Bo’s love interest, Lady Jane (Angela Douglas), tracks him to Algeria, only to court the attentions of Sheikh Abdul Abulbul (Bernard Bresslaw), a parody of Lawrence of Arabia’s Auda Abu Tayi, and his seductive accomplice Corktip (Anita Harris).

The plot, a threadbare scaffold for gags, revels in lampooning the stoic masculinity of Foreign Legion epics. Bo’s quest for redemption is undercut by pratfalls and puns, while the desert outpost—more seaside postcard than Saharan fortress—becomes a stage for innuendo-laden chaos. The film’s commitment to parody is admirable, yet its scattergun approach often sacrifices coherence for cheap laughs.

Rogers’ decision to cast Phil Silvers—then a household name in America for The Phil Silvers Show—reflected a deliberate pivot toward international markets. Silvers’ Sergeant Nocker, essentially a carbon copy of Sergeant Bilko in a kepi, was meant to lure audiences unfamiliar with the Carry On regulars. However, this casting coup proved double-edged. Silvers, reportedly struggling with the rapid-fire British shooting schedule and script adjustments, clashed with the ensemble. Tensions simmered over his higher salary and perceived diva behaviour, with cast members like Kenneth Williams privately deriding his presence as a “Yankee intrusion.”

For diehard Carry On aficionados, Silvers’ inclusion remains a sticking point. His broad, vaudevillian style clashes with the series’ trademark ensemble chemistry, rendering Follow That Camel an outlier in the franchise. Yet, for newcomers, Silvers’ antics offer a accessible entry point—a bridge between British farce and American sitcom sensibilities.

True to form, Follow That Camel trades in the series’ staples: double entendres, physical comedy, and bawdy sight gags. Yet time has not been kind to much of the humour. Scenes hinging on racial stereotypes—Sheikh Abdul’s harem of “exotic” concubines, Corktip’s belly-dancing seduction—jar modern sensibilities. Similarly, the film’s treatment of gender oscillates between cheeky and chauvinistic: Lady Jane’s pluck is undermined by her reduction to a damsel in distress, while Anita Harris’ dance routine, though undeniably charismatic, serves primarily as fan service for male viewers.

The Carry On regulars deliver reliably camp turns. Kenneth Williams, all pursed lips and nasal disdain, steals scenes as the officious Burger, while Bernard Bresslaw leans gleefully into his Lawrence of Arabia spoof. Joan Sims, as the world-weary Zig-Zig, injects pathos into her role, transcending the script’s limitations. Jim Dale, the series’ perennial everyman, anchors the chaos with his physical agility and affable charm. Silvers, however, feels miscast. His shtick—fast-talking, fourth-wall-breaking grifts—clashes with the ensemble’s tighter rhythm. The film’s pacing sags in his solo scenes, exposing the strain of grafting an American star onto a resolutely British template.

Follow That Camel is neither the zenith nor the nadir of the Carry On canon. Its ambitions—to marry transatlantic appeal with the series’ homegrown humour—result in a tonal mishmash, yet its energy and absurdity remain infectious. The film’s flaws—dated gags, structural sloppiness—are offset by moments of sheer silliness.

For viewers steeped in 1960s British comedy, the film offers nostalgic charm. For modern audiences, it serves as a cultural time capsule—a reminder of an era when innuendo ruled and political correctness was but a glint in the censor’s eye.

Follow That Camel epitomises the Carry On ethos: unpretentious, anarchic, and unapologetically lowbrow. While its transatlantic gambit falters, the film’s commitment to laughter—however uneven—secures its place in the franchise’s sprawling tapestry. To dismiss it as a lesser entry is to overlook its peculiar joys: Bresslaw’s bombastic Sheikh and the sheer audacity of a plot that pivots on a rigged cricket match. In the end, the film’s greatest strength is its refusal to take itself seriously—a quality that, demands a certain suspension of disbelief. .

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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