Don't Lose Your Head
Carry On laughing until you have hysterics, but... Don't Lose Your Head!
Synopsis
Amidst the French revolution, Citizen Robespierre is beheading the aristocracy! When word gets to England, noblemen Sir Rodney Ffing and Lord Darcy Pue take it upon themselves to aid their French counterparts. Sir Rodney is a master of disguise, and becomes 'The Black Fingernail' scourge of Camembert and Bidet, leaders of the French secret police.
Main Cast
Sid James
Sir Rodney Ffing, the Black Fingernail
Kenneth Williams
Citizen Camembert
Jim Dale
Lord Darcy Pue
Charles Hawtrey
Duc de Pommfrit
Peter Butterworth
Citizen Bidet
Joan Sims
Désirée Dubarry
Dany Robin
Jacqueline
Peter Gilmore
Citizen Robespierre
Marianne Stone
Landlady
Michael Ward
Henri
User Reviews
CinemaSerf
I found this to be one of the cleverer "Carry On" films with Kenneth Williams on good form as the revolutionary "Citizen Camembert" aided by his sidekick "Bidet" (Peter Butterworth) making sure that all the nasty aristos turn up for their appointment with madame guillotine. The fly in their ointment soon becomes the enigmatic and chivalrous Brit "Sir Rodney Ffing" (Sid James) and his aide-de-camp "Pue" (Jim Dale) who are bent on frustrating their French nemeses and rescuing the "Duc de Pommfrit" (Charles Hawtrey) before trying their best to ensure that the famous vertical chopper gets two, more appropriate, victims. Instead of the "Scarlet Pimpernel" we have the "Black Fingernail" but otherwise, it's a fairly enjoyable parody of the Orczy story with some good one-liners, a nice dynamic between James and Butterworth and, mercifully, little of the annoying Dale to clutter up the proceedings. It looks good, the jokes are frequently quite pithy and for my money this is James at his best. Good fun.
