Carry On Spying is a 1964 British comedy film, the ninth in the series of 31 Carry On films. It marks Barbara Windsor's first appearance in the series. Series regulars Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, and Jim Dale are present. Bernard Cribbins makes the second of his three Carry On appearances. Eric Barker appears for his third entry. Dilys Laye returns after her series debut in Carry On Cruising. This is the last film of the series to be shown in black and white.
Plot
A top-secret chemical formula has been stolen by STENCH. Fearful of the formula falling into the wrong hands, the chief of the Secret Service reluctantly sends the only agent he has left, the bumbling and silly Agent Desmond Simpkins, and his three trainees—Agent Harold Crump, Agent Daphne Honeybutt, and Agent Charlie Bind —to retrieve the formula. The agents travel separately to Vienna, where each makes contact with Carstairs, who assumes a different disguise each time. Next, they rendezvous at the Cafe Mozart and later travel on to Algiers. Upon the way, they encounter STENCH agents the Fat Man and Milchmann. Unfortunately, the agents' ineptitude results in Carstairs being floored in an encounter with the Fat Man. Daphne and Harold attempt to steal the formula back whilst disguised as dancing girls in Hakim's Fun House, where the Fat Man is relaxing. The agents also encounter the mysterious Lila, whom they are uncertain to trust. With the STENCH henchmen close on their heels, the agents have no other choice but to have Daphne memorise the formula with her photographic memory, before the four of them destroy the formula papers by eating them with soup and bread. The four agents end up captives of STENCH. Daphne is interrogated by the evil Dr Crow, head of STENCH, but she fails to succumb until she accidentally bumps her head, causing her to reveal the formula. Simpkins, Crump, and Bind manage to escape their cell and to collect Daphne and Dr. Crow's tape recording of Daphne's recitation, but are caught up in an underground automated factory process, from which they escape only when Lila pulls a gun on Dr Crow, forcing her to reverse the process. Simpkins sets the STENCH base to self-destruct before rushing into a lift with the other agents, as well as Lila and Dr Crow. As the lift ascends, Lila reveals to Simpkins that she is a double agent working for SNOG and that she has a crush on him. The lift reaches the surface, which is revealed to be the office of the chief of the Secret Service; the headquarters of STENCH is right below the streets of London. STENCH headquarters self-destructs, choking the chief's office in a thick cloud of smoke.
, the producer of the James Bond film series, objected to the character name "James Bind agent 006½" and threatened legal action. Hence, producer Peter Rogers changed the name to Charlie and the agent's code number to double 0 – ooh! Poster artist Tom Chantrell also had to modify the poster when similar complaints were voiced that the artwork was too similar to From Russia with Love. The film pokes fun at various spy movies, the James Bond series being the least of them. They include The Third Man. One or two of Crow's female assistants wear hairstyles similar to that of Modesty Blaise, whose adventures had started in the London Evening Standard the previous year.
Carry On Spying received critical acclaim, with critics praising its fast pace, satirical intent, and Kenneth Williams' performance which was largely based on his "Snide" persona from Hancock's Half Hour. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 83% based on 6 reviews. It is generally considered one of the finest films in the series, alongside Carry On Camping, Carry On... Up the Khyber, and Carry On Matron.
