Don't Lose Your Head
Amidst the French revolution, Citizen Robespierre is beheading the aristocracy! When word gets to England, noblemen Sir Rodney Ffing and Lord Darcy Pue take it upon themselves to aid their French counterparts. Sir Rodney is a master of disguise, and becomes 'The Black Fingernail' scourge of Camembert and Bidet, leaders of the French secret police.
Director(s)
Gerald Thomas
Jack Causey
Cast & crew
Nikki Van der Zyl
Messenger (uncredited)
Fred Haggerty
Soldier (uncredited)
Alf Mangan
Executioner's Assistant (uncredited)
Dido Plumb
Citizen (uncredited)
Jim Brady
Citizen (uncredited)
Terence Conoley
Servant (uncredited)
Lew Hooper
Solider / Citizen (uncredited)
Martin Lyder
Soldier (uncredited)
Gerald Paris
Soldier (uncredited)
Marianne Stone
Landlady
Lewis Alexander
Citizen (uncredited)
Aileen Lewis
Citizen (uncredited)
Ronnie Brody
Little Man (uncredited)
Jimmy Charters
Citizen (uncredited)
Michael Ward
Henri
Pauline Chamberlain
Woman at Execution (uncredited)
John More
Citizen (uncredited)
Leon Greene
Malabonce
George Spence
Citizen (uncredited)
Joan Sims
Désirée Dubarry
Kenneth Williams
Citizen Camembert
Richard Shaw
Captain of Soldiers
Otto Friese
Aristocrat (uncredited)
Peter Gilmore
Citizen Robespierre
Peter Butterworth
Citizen Bidet
Harry Phipps
Citizen (uncredited)
Jim Dale
Lord Darcy Pue
Gerald Thomas
-
Sidney James
Sir Rodney Ffing, the Black Fingernail
Charles Hawtrey
Duc de Pommfrit
Billy Cornelius
Soldier (uncredited)
David Davenport
Sergeant
Michael Nightingale
"What locket?" Man (uncredited)
Hugh Futcher
Guard (uncredited)
Peter Avella
Citizen (uncredited)
Alan Meacham
Ball Guest (uncredited)
Tina Simmons
French Girl (uncredited)
Jack Causey
-
George Holdcroft
Aristocrat (uncredited)
Rita Tobin-Weske
Citizen (uncredited)
Gerry Wain
Soldier (uncredited)
Cyril Kent
Citizen (uncredited)
Fred Machon
Soldier (uncredited)
Valerie Van Ost
Second Lady / Girl at Execution
Johnny Rossi
Citizen (uncredited)
Dany Robin
Jacqueline
Jennifer Clulow
First Lady
Jacqueline Pearce
Third Lady
Patrick Allen
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Julian Orchard
Rake (uncredited)
Alan Bennett
Soldier (uncredited)
Peter Brace
Soldier (uncredited)
Margaret Bracken
Citizen (uncredited)
June Cooper
Girl (uncredited)
Peter Bruce
Soldier (uncredited)
Fanny Carby
Rake's Wife (uncredited)
Susan Lane
Girl (uncredited)
Monika Dietrich
Girl (uncredited)
Elspeth March
Lady Binder (uncredited)
Eddie Dillon
Citizen (uncredited)
Pat Enright
Soldier (uncredited)
Lee Fenton
Ball Guest (uncredited)
Jacquie Harbord
Ball Guest (uncredited)
Joan Ingram
Bald-Headed Dowager (uncredited)
Penny Keen
Girl (uncredited)
Maurice Lane
Soldier (uncredited)
John Morris
Soldier (uncredited)
Dickey Luck
Citizen (uncredited)
Karen Young
Girl (uncredited)
Emile Stemmler
Servant (uncredited)
Diana MacNamara
Princess Stephanie (uncredited)
Norman Morris
Soldier (uncredited)
Louise Nolan
Citizen (uncredited)
Henry Phipps
Citizen (uncredited)
Christine Pryor
Girl (uncredited)
Elaine Rickard
Citizen (uncredited)
Douglas Roe
Soldier (uncredited)
Anna Willoughby
Girl (uncredited)
Details
Reviews
CinemaSerf
I found this to be one of the cleverer "Carry On" films with Kenneth Williams on good form as the revolutionary "Citizen Camembert" aided by his sidekick "Bidet" (Peter Butterworth) making sure that all the nasty aristos turn up for their appointment with madame guillotine. The fly in their ointment soon becomes the enigmatic and chivalrous Brit "Sir Rodney Ffing" (Sid James) and his aide-de-camp "Pue" (Jim Dale) who are bent on frustrating their French nemeses and rescuing the "Duc de Pommfrit" (Charles Hawtrey) before trying their best to ensure that the famous vertical chopper gets two, more appropriate, victims. Instead of the "Scarlet Pimpernel" we have the "Black Fingernail" but otherwise, it's a fairly enjoyable parody of the Orczy story with some good one-liners, a nice dynamic between James and Butterworth and, mercifully, little of the annoying Dale to clutter up the proceedings. It looks good, the jokes are frequently quite pithy and for my money this is James at his best. Good fun.
