An interesting book, crammed full of anecdotes and information, this nevertheless isn't really what it claims to be about.
Assuming we choose to ignore the misjudged Carry On Columbus (1992) which unwisely attempted to relaunch the long-running British comedy franchise, the Carry Ons, as we know them, came to an end with the equally misjudged Carry On Emmannuelle in 1978. But, despite the title, this book does not cover this at all. The action of the book begins in 1966, when the series was still close to its peak with the release of the Hammer horror spoof, Carry On Screaming! We never really get up to the end of the Carry Ons. The later films (bad, as they were) are barely mentioned while Emmannuelle isn't referred to at all.
Instead, we get some stuff about the middle period Carry On films: Phil Silver's difficulties filming Follow That Camel, for example. We get a lot about the rivalry between Sid James and Kenneth Williams. We get a fair bit about the general stinginess of the Carry On producers, about Joan Sims's personal unhappiness and Charles Hawtrey's alcoholism. We also get a lot of stuff about what the actors were up to at the time, such as Barbara Windsor and Bernard Bresslaw's involvement in the disastrous Lionel Bart musical, Twang!! There's also a fair amount which travels fairly wide of the subject in hand, including a surprising amount about horseracing.
As I say, it's not uninteresting. But it's also completely all over the place.
The title really is very misleading. If you actually want to learn about when the Carry Ons stopped, then I suggest you look elsewhere.

I was given a copy of Dave Ainsworth's When the Carry On Stopped from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Carry Ons are fast becoming part of the historical past. Although one or two stars remain, they fundamentally were of their time. This book, lovingly written by the witty Ainsworth, explores the lives of the ensemble cast in quite some detail. It's nostalgic and historic and about the tears of the clown mentality that so many of the Carry On cast suffered; only his love for them makes this a fitting tribute to one and all.

The first two chapters are excellent; they have great info and a wonderful zeitgeist of the Carry On stars in their daily lives. The following chapters focus a little too much on the receipts for the Carry On producers and why Carry On Screaming was a big moment for the series (the following films - Don't Lose Your Head and Follow That Camel were Carry On-less, sort of like being semi-naked really).

The writing is very zesty and showcases how Ainsworth is evidently a true fan of the series. He uses ! excessively to indicate to the reader that the Carry On universe, with its eccentric actors, petty squabbles, and trivia, is one of mirth and, at times, biting British wit. There could have been some slight edits along the way. It is UNFORGIVEABLE that he fails to mention Carry On Abroad, my absolute favourite, as he decides that in the mid-sixties, the series, as intelligent in its own absurd way, was dead forever after Carry on Doctor.

Still, there's a lot of joy to this book and I do recommend it for those intrigued by the Carry On world.

As a casual enjoyer of the Carry On films, I found When the Carry On Stopped to be a fascinating deep dive into a turning point for the series. It covers the transition from Anglo-Amalgamated to the Rank Organisation and the struggles that came with it, but what really stood out to me were the insights into the personal lives of the cast. Barbara Windsor's ill-fated stage venture, Sid James' health issues, and Joan Sims' struggles with fat shaming all add a human element to the behind-the-scenes drama. It's well-researched and engaging, offering a fresh perspective on a much-loved British institution. A must-read for Carry On fans and anyone interested in the realities of show business in the 1960s.

I grew up watching the Carry On films - they were a staple of my childhood and really capture British humour and the changing British landscape of the late 1950s-80s. They're very much a product of the time and no way would half the films have been allowed to be made these days.

Dave Ainsworth does a really well researched job at examining why the Carry On films were so successful and also what les to their decline. A lot of it was to do with the abysmal pay given to the actors who helped properly the franchise to such great heights but also the deaths of some of the most integral core group of actors and producers who really were the heart and soul of Carry On. I will say that I found the writing of this very dry at times with big chunks of secondary references that interrupted the flow of the storytelling. However, overall I could put up with this in order to get to the really interesting bulk of the story.

A very niche topic, but if you loved the Carry On Films this will definitely be of interest.

Now who does Just love these carry on films................When the Carry On Stopped by Dave Ainsworth was a brilliant book and a great book for new or old fans Plus a great book to have sitting on your coffee table, out on display out on show. This is a book that will bring back so many memories and will have you Laugh out loud when you look at the photo's/illustrations and read about the famous actors who were brilliant characters in every film. These films are my to go films when I feel Blue! It does not matter how many times you sit down and watch them they will always make you laugh.

The author Dave Ainsworth did all the characters within the Carry on films Proud!!!!
It was a joy to read .

I highly recommend this book. Superb!

Big Thank you to NetGalley, Pen and Sword and Dave Ainsworth for my ARC.

**4.5**

I had such a good time reading this as a big carry on film fan this brought back lots of memories from my childhood watching carry on movies with my Dad. I really enjoyed learning more about the films and actors and there were lots of facts I didn't know. My only complaint was the chapter Anglo is a Winner I found this one boring focusing too much on the other stuff they did rather than the carry ons themselves. I do get this was necessary to tell their journey but I didn't enjoy that part and found that chapter wanting to put the book down which took off a half star for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Pen and Sword and Dave Ainsworth for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When the Carry on Stopped is a peculiar book and, for me, a disappointing one. It is full of stories and anecdotes, mainly taken from the autobiographies of the protagonists, but it's repetitively written and poorly edited. The main problem is the title - When The Carry On Stopped - which derives from the fact that after Carry On Screaming in 1966, the series moved to The Rank Organisation. Rank produce 3 Carry on films in 1967 (we won't argue about the titles), which doesn't seem like any kind of stopping. In fact, there were 15 more Carry On films before the original series ended with (the best forgotten) Carry On Emmanuelle in 1978. So the title makes no sense. And Carry On.. Up the Khyber, which seemed to on TV permanently in the 1980s and which Ainsworth calls "the last truly great Carry On film" (we might argue about the "great") was made in 1968. Strange. There's so much left unexplored in the book - the unfulfilled lives and early deaths of so many of the central figures (from Sid James and Joan Sims onwards), the fact that Carry on Doctor was one of four British films in the top ten releases of 1968 along with Up the Junction, Poor Cow, and Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush. Is that not worthy of comment? Instead, we are told that the models of car that the Carry on Team drove in 1967 was "more than a little illuminating", but not what that illuminates. Strange again. The tone of the writing is also uneven. Does it help to be told that four (non-Carry On) Rank films in the early 1970s "died on their collective arses"? And shouldn't that be "collective arse" anyway?

I’ll make no apology for saying, as a starter, that I like the Carry On films. As a child in the late 1950s, I went to the cinema every week. and Carry Ons and Norman Wisdom were the films I enjoyed most. Obviously it was the silliness that appealed, I was too young to understand the innuendos, but even now, I find them entertaining and have boxed sets of both. Carry Ons were of their time. I don’t agree with revisionist history that changes content or excludes material because it’s no longer deemed correct. I would far prefer the innocence of that era to the dark waters of material available online at the touch of a button.

Dave Ainsworth’s insight into the franchise is fascinating. It’s a great slice of social and film history and I enjoyed the detail he provides about each of the cast. Most made their name through these films but were poorly recompensed and this caused anger and resentment. I thought the ‘ tight as a camel’s arse in a sandstorm’ reference to Rogers meanness was unnecessary. It brings down the tone of the text and does the author no favours. The narrative is easy to read and absolutely packed with trivia. There’s a great collection of promo posters and film stills at the end, along with a comprehensive index and each chapter has notes with reference to source material. I really enjoyed this dip into the story behind pad the franchise. It’s a niche area but Mr Ainsworth has served it well with this well researched and comprehensive overview. My thanks to Pen and Sword and the author fir a review copy, close to publication date it went to the top of my tbr and I read in a single sitting.

The author's obvious affection for the Carry On performers enthuses every single page with vibrant humour and charm. His knowledge of their lives and careers is encyclopedic and he offers a poignant commentary on triumphs and tragedies and the inevitable clashes of personality amongst such talented but fragile egos. He also clearly understands the nuts and bolts of getting films into production in England at a time when cinema admissions were plummeting and financing ever more difficult to attract.
I have worked in the film industry for most of my life and met many of the artistes, producers and distributors mentioned in this book. It's nostalgic, honest, and warmly embraces those talented performers whose stars shone so brightly in the Carry On films.