Carry on Teacher

Carry On Teacher
Original UK quad poster
Directed by	Gerald Thomas
Produced by	Peter Rogers
Written by	Norman Hudis
Starring	Ted Ray Kenneth Connor Charles Hawtrey Leslie Phillips Joan Sims Kenneth Williams Hattie Jacques Rosalind Knight Richard O'Sullivan
Music by	Bruce Montgomery
Cinematography	Reginald Wyer
Edited by	John Shirley
Distributed by	Anglo-Amalgamated
Release date	August 1959
Running time	86 min.
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£71,612 or £78,000

Carry On Teacher is the third in the series of Carry On films, with 31 entries. It was released in 1959. It features Ted Ray in his only Carry On role, alongside series regulars; Kenneth Connor, Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Williams and Hattie Jacques. Leslie Phillips and Joan Sims make their second appearances in the series here, having made their debuts in the previous entry, Carry On Nurse. A young Richard O'Sullivan and a young Larry Dann – making the first of his four Carry on appearances – turn up as pupils.

During the current term at Maudlin Street Secondary Modern School, William Wakefield (Ted Ray) – who has been at the school for 20 years – is acting headmaster. He spots an advertisement for a headmaster of a brand new school near where he was born and decides to apply for the post.

Because of a coinciding visit by a Ministry of Education Inspector (Miss Wheeler, played by Rosalind Knight) and the noted child psychiatrist Alistair Grigg (Leslie Phillips), he decides to enlist the help of his staff to ensure that the school routine runs smoothly during their visit.

While in conference with his teaching staff (including Gregory Adams (Kenneth Connor), science master; Edwin Milton (Kenneth Williams), English master; Michael Bean (Charles Hawtrey), music teacher; Sarah Allcock (Joan Sims), gym mistress and Grace Short (Hattie Jacques), maths teacher); a senior pupil (Robin Stevens, played by Richard O'Sullivan) overhears that Wakefield is planning to leave at the end of term. The pupils are fond of the venerable teacher and Stevens immediately rushes this information to his schoolmates. They plan to sabotage every endeavour that might earn Wakefield praise, which would set him on the road to his new post.

On arrival, Grigg and Miss Wheeler are escorted by Wakefield on a tour of inspection and the pupils go out of their way to misbehave in each class they visit. However Griggs' tour has not been in vain: he has taken a shine to Sarah Allcock, the gym mistress and it is obvious the feeling is mutual.