"Carry on Sergeant" was the first of the "Carry On" movies which turned into one of Britain's most popular movie franchises, spanning 2 decades if you ignore the less than impressive "Carry on Columbus" from the 90s. Unlike those "Carry On" movies from the 70s which people tend to remember thanks to their sexual innuendo filled dialogue "Carry on Sergeant" is a much gentler movie relying on innocent humour rather than double entendres as it goes down the route of having a laugh at a bunch of incompetent recruits going through National Service training. It is simplistic and watching "Carry on Sergeant" now you can't but help think of later movies such as "Private Benjamin" and "Stripes" which did the army training thing with sharper wit but it is still good fun and like so many of the earlier "Carry On" movies is more than just a collection of gags.

With his retirement not far off Sergeant Grimshawe (William Hartnell) takes a bet that he can't whip his last bunch of National Service trainees into shape and make them the top squad in the barracks. What Grimshawe didn't bank on was getting such a useless bunch which includes a hypochondriac, a snob and the recently married Charlie Sage (Bob Monkhouse) who was enlisted before he even got to his honeymoon.

Whilst the later "Carry On" movies were often short on storyline "Carry on Sergeant" actually does have a storyline which the humour is built around. It is simplistic as Sergeant Grimshawe tries to coax a bunch of useless troops through National Service training in the hope he manages to deliver the top squad but it is enough. Yes it is all very obvious as these mismatched men are basically useless at everything from marching through to doing the assault course but it is enough. And to add to this central storyline you have the subplots for each of the troops from Horace Strong who is a hypochondriac through to Charlie Sage who finds himself enlisted on the day of his marriage. It means that whilst everything about "Carry on Sergeant" is obvious it never becomes dull.

Of course the reason why it doesn't become dull is because every single scene has at least one moment of comedy. But where as the "Carry On" movies became known for their sexual innuendo and risque nature there is nothing of the sort when it comes to the comedy in "Carry on Sergeant". It is basically all clean fun from Horace Strong failing on the rope swing, through to Charlie Sage desperate to get compassionate leave so that he can see his wife. For some this innocence will feel weird but the simplistic slapstick and clever dialogue is wonderfully delivered especially with Charles Hawtrey who lives up to his character's name of Peter Golightly.

What is also nice about this first "Carry On" movie is that whilst there are those actors such as Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor and Hattie Jacques who would become synonymous with the franchise it is never about just one of them. So whilst we have the comedy of Hawtrey being a little airy fairy and Williams being a bit stuck up there is also the comedy of Bob Monkhouse as Charlie Sage who is desperate to get leave. Plus you have to love the comedy of Dora Bryan as Nora who falls for hypochondriac Horace Strong. And yes for those "Doctor Who" fans that is William Hartnell as Sergeant Grimshawe.

What this all boils down to is that "Carry on Sergeant" is simply good old fashioned innocent fun as we watch a bunch of incompetent troops try to get through their National Service training. It is vastly different to the "Carry On" movies of the early 70s but there is something enjoyable about the obvious humour and innocence on show in what was the first of a long run of "Carry On" movies.