Carry On Admiral | |
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Directed by | Val Guest |
Based on | Off the Record |
Starring |
David Tomlinson Ronald Shiner Joan Sims |
Release date
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Country | Great Britain |
Language | English |
Carry on Admiral (released in the United States as The Ship Was Loaded) is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Val Guest and featuring David Tomlinson and Ronald Shiner; Joan Sims, who later became prominent in the Carry On series, has a small part. It predates and was not part of the Carry On series, and does not share any cast members beyond Sims, though it is similar in tone and style to the earliest films in the series. It was based on the 1947 stage play Off the Record, written by Ian Hay.
In the course of a drunken reunion, two old friends (one a junior Government minister, the other a Royal Navy officer in uniform about to take command for the first time) switch clothes before passing out. Next morning, their changed clothes result in a series of cases of mistaken identity. The film follows the efforts of each to reunite himself with his own destiny.
The fictional ship HMS Sherwood in the film is played by a Daring-class destroyer. Other ships shown include the battleship HMS Vanguard and the frigate HMS Paladin during the title sequence, two Dido-class cruisers in early background scenes, and a Loch-class frigate during the closing credits. Several scenes were filmed in Admiralty House, in Portsmouth Naval Base.