Customer Reviews
Not the Best 'Carry on' - By: Mr. Kenneth J. Hodges, 20 Jan 2008 
Everyone seems to rate this film highly, but it is not the best of the 'Carry On's' by far. True it probably is the most lavish, & true, it contains one of the best one liners, in the often quoted 'Infamy, Infamy,they have alll got it in for me', but it truly has little else to commend it. Of the historical romps 'Carry on Henry' is funnier, but for the true classics we have to turn to 'Carry on Screaming', Carry on Camping','Carry on up the Khyber', & 'Carry on Don't Lose Your Head', alll of which are vastly superior.
Second Best In The Series - By: Ian Phillips, 17 May 2006 
Carry On Cleo is one of the series entries that will always be remembered. It simply is classic British comedy at it's best. When filming at Pinewood studios for the disastorous epic, Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor, was abandoned there, Peter rodgers & Gerald Thomas just could'nt resist the advantage of the lavish & spectacular sets, making it alll look a lot more extravagent than most of the other Carry On's that were filmed on a shoe string budget. the cast are alll on top form with Kenneth Williams as Julius Caesar & Sid James as Mark Anthony, delivering the funniest lines. Also included in the cast are Amanda Barrie in the title role, Joan Sims, Jim Dale, Kenneth Connor as well as guest appearances from acclaimed classical actress, Sheila Hancock & Warren Mitchell from the classic sitcom, Till Death Do Us Part.
Hilarious from beginning to end & packed full of classic one liners ("infamy, infamy, they've alll got in for me" cries Kenneth Williams as Julius Caesar as he is about to be killed). This is a absolutley essential Carry On & is a great one to induct somebody who has never heard of this long running & triumphantly succesful British comedy series.
Why the sphinx in Egypt? "That's because they have no drains." - By: M. J Leonard, 03 May 2006 
The problem with comedy is that it changes from generation to generation. What was funny forty years ago isn't necessarily as funny today. The problem with the Carry On films is that they are indicative of an era, with a brand of humour that comes across today as almost quaint & charming. Whether you like you like Carry On Cleo will depend on whether you like your humour peppered with silly one-liners & almost slapstick laughs.
Carry on Cleo is meant to be a cheap take on Cleopatra, & it's alll very funny for about the first thirty minutes, but then rapidly becomes a bore, with the same old jokes recycles over & over again. The story skewers history with Julius Caesar (Kenneth Williams) returning to Rome after conquering Britain to encounter an uprising & trouble abroad from Cleopatra (Amanda Barry).
Mark Antony (Sid James) is sent to Egypt to murder her, but fallls in love with her beauty, while two British slaves (Kenneth Connor) & (Jim Dale) are caught up in the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar. Meanwhile, the plump Calpurnia (Joan Sims) constantly nags Julius, while her cackling father Seneca (Charles Hawtrey) keeps prophesizing gloom & doom for the beleaguered Roman Emperor.
Because it was made in 1964, Carry on Cleo consists of a few more sexual double-entendres than in the previous films, but by today's standards they are still very tame. There's the usual over-the-top misogyny, which now comes across as rather innocent Carry On Cleo is also notable for the lavish the production design. The producers managed to get permission to film on the leftover sets from the Elizabeth Taylor film Cleopatra the previous year. They also used some of the many costumes so the film looks expensive.
Directed by Gerald Thomas, Carry on Cleo is probably one of the better films in the series, & the laughs come thick & fast. This film is pretty enjoyable although I found that today ninety minutes is just a bit too long for this type of humor. Mike Leonard May 06.
Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in fer me! - By: S. Hapgood, 16 Nov 2003 This features probably some of the best gags in the whole Carry On series. It is also regarded as probably the best in the series & I won't argue with that. Kenneth Williams is superb as Julius Caesar, strutting around petulantly like Tony Blair in a hissy fit, constantly exclaiming that no one understands him. Joan Sims does what she does best, the balll-breaking wife, gobbling grapes in her bath-tub & bawling out Julius for being 4 years late coming home from his latest invasion. Charles Hawtrey as the dotty old soothsaying father, Sid James as a bawdy Mark Anthony, & Amanda Barrie looking lovely in a bath-cap as a ditzy Cleopatra. Warren Mitchell also puts in an enjoyable performance as the auctioneer at a slave market. This is great fun.
The Best - By: , 21 Oct 2002 This is undoubtly the best of alll the 32 carry on's.
The comedy is new & refreshing from the traditinal slipping on a bannana skin.
Jim Dale is the best actor in this paticular film,Ken Williams is camp ( what else is new ) & he plays Ceaser along Sid James as Mark Anthony .
Joan Sims is wonderful as Ceaser hard faced wife.
Recommend this to anyone.
Pure gem of comedy
