RAISING THE WIND
UK, 1961, 91 minutes, Colour.
James Robertson Justice, Leslie Phillips, Paul Massie, Kenneth Williams, Liz Frazer, Eric Barker, Jennifer Jayne, Sid James, Esme Cannon, Geoffrey Keene, Jill Ireland, Victor Maddern, Lance Perceval.
Directed by Gerald Thomas.
Raising the Wind is virtually a Carry On Orchestra film. It was directed by Gerald Thomas who directed all the Carry On films plus a number of others which were merely variations on this kind of theme (although he did begin with a couple of serious films like Time Lock and The Vicious Circle).
Audiences familiar with the Carry On series will be at home with this comedy. It is an opportunity once again for James Robertson Justice to thunder away as the conductor of an orchestra. The focus is on five music students who are under the influence of James Robertson Justice, flat together with a deaf landlady (Esme Cannon) and experience all the difficulties of being students – although, in 1961, everybody is well dressed, the men in coats and ties.
Leslie Phillips was adept at this kind of comedy and Liz Frazer appeared in many of the Carry On films. Paul Massie is something of a stolid hero (Orders to Kill). However, Kenneth Williams appears as the thoroughly obnoxious villain of the piece. Lance Perceval and Sid James have guest roles. All in all, a chance to see this troupe of British actors in yet another variation on their familiar roles and themes.
1.Entertaining British comedy? The director and the Carry On films?
2.Expectations of Carry On: English life, exaggerated, satiric, buffoonery, pratfalls? How well done in this version?
3.The colour photography, London in 1961? Streets and buildings, flats? Orchestras? The range of music – and the longer musical interludes?
4.Audiences enjoying James Robertson Justice as Sir Benjamin Boyd, his leading the orchestra, rehearsals, his sharp tongue? The auditions – and the slight smiling and bending at the end?
5.The students: Leslie Phillips and his suave style, eyeing the girls? Paul Massie as the very serious hero, composer? Liz Frazer and her being a good student, Jennifer Jayne and her crashing into the cabbie, in love with Malcolm? Jimmy Thompson as the somewhat upper-crust Alex?
6.The rehearsals, the faux pas? Their practising? Their going to Alex’s aunt and being the quintet – and their nerves, all escaping?
7.The scholarship, the auditions, Harold Chesney and his being obnoxious, their all trying to one-up him? The build-up to the finale, the conducting of the orchestra, Mervyn and his success? Harold and his lecturing everybody – and the orchestra rebelling against him, asking the questions, Sir Benjamin and the others laughing? His failure?
8.The stock characters and situations, the cab man and the crash, the removalists and the pianos, Sid and Harry and their deals with the students, the deaf landlady, the authorities and the exams?
9.Slight – but illustrating Britain at a particular period and British styles of comedy?
