Plot
In Edwardian England, camp ornithologist Professor Inigo Tinkle (Frankie Howerd) tells a less-than-raptured audience about his most recent ornithology expedition to the darkest, most barren regions of the African wilds in search for the legendary Oozlum bird, which is said to fly in ever decreasing circles until it disappears up its own rear end. Financing the expedition is Lady Evelyn Bagley (Joan Sims) and the team are led by the fearless (and lecherous) Bill Boosey (Sid James) and his slow-witted African guide Upsidaisi (Bernard Bresslaw). Also on the expedition is Tinkle's idiotic assistant, Claude Chumley (Kenneth Connor) and June (Jacki Piper), Lady Bagley's beautiful but unappreciated maidservant. The journey does not get off to a good start, with a mad gorilla terrorizing the campsite and the travellers' realising they have ventured into the territory of the bloodthirsty "Noshas", a tribe of feared cannibals.
On the first night of the expedition, at dinner Lady Bagley reveals that she has embarked on the journey to find her long-lost husband and baby son who vanished twenty years ago on their delayed honeymoon, whilst out on a walk. Her husband is believed to have been eaten by a crocodile, but she hopes to find her baby son, Cecil's, nappy pin as something to remember him by. What the group do not know is watching them from the bushes is named Ug (Terry Scott), the bungling yet compassionate Tarzan-like jungle dweller that wears a loincloth and sandals. Ug has never before seen any other white people, especially a woman. The next day, June stumbles across a beautiful oasis where she saves Ug from drowning and the two begin to fall in love.
That night, Ug wanders into camp and encounters Lady Bagley in her tent (mistaking it to be June's tent) and she is astonished to see that Ug is wearing Cecil's nappy pin, and that Ug is in fact her lost son Cecil. But before they can be reunited, Ug flees in fear and Lady Bagley faints with shock. The next day, the travelers are kidnapped by the Noshas, but manage to bribe their way out of being cannibalized by giving the tribal witch doctor Tinkle's pocket watch. Tinkle however delays and promises the witch doctor that their gods will bestow a sign of thanks upon them. Intending rescue, Ug accidentally catapults himself into the Nosha camp and starts a fire. In the chaos, Ug, June and Upsidaisi manage to escape but the enraged Noshas apprehend the other travelers and prepare to kill them.
As they wait to be put to death, they are suddenly rescued by the all-female Lubby-Dubby tribe led by the stunning Leda (Valerie Leon) from the Lost World of Aphrodisia. They are taken to Aphrodisia and meet the king of the tribe Tonka who turns out to be Lady Bagley's missing husband Walter Bagley (Charles Hawtrey) who was taken by the Noshas years ago, but saved and brought to Aphrodisia by the tribal women. Evelyn Bagley is infuriated that he never bothered to search for their missing son and laments she has seen him but has once again lost him. June and Ug are revealed to be living happily together and June is teaching Ug to speak English.
Bill Boosey, Prof. Tinkle and Chumley enjoy the attention given to them by the tribal women, and Tinkle and Chumley are stunned to find that their elusive Oozlum Bird is in fact a sacred animal to the Lubby-Dubby females. It transpires that the Lubby-Dubbies need the menfolk to save themselves from extinction, as no males have been born in Aphrodisia for over a century. The men think their dreams have come true....until Leda makes it clear that the Lubby-Dubby women have no intention of letting them go. Tonka implies that the last man who tried to escape Aphrodisia was murdered by the tribe.
Three months pass and the men now hate the pressures forced on them by Leda, who in turn is outraged that none of the men's "mates" have gotten pregnant. She overthrows Tonka and assumes his place, threatening harm to the men. However Upsidaisi arrives disguised as a woman and says he has brought soldiers to save them. Ug and June also search for their friends and Ug summons a stampede of animals to create chaos and enable the men to get away. During the confusing, Tinkle snatches the Oozlum Bird and the team escape along with Tonka. After the chaos, Leda and her army chase after the men, but are more interested in the trampled soldiers. She says to let the others go not needing them now that they have "some real men." Lady Bagley is reunited with her beloved son and the group return to England. Tinkle unveils his Oozlum Bird to his audience....only to find it vanished up inside itself. June and Ug are happily married with a baby, and live in a treehouse in the suburb whilst Ug goes to work in only a bowler hat and suit.
Read more about this topic: Carry On Up The Jungle
Famous quotes containing the word plot:
“The plot was most interesting. It belonged to no particular age, people, or country, and was perhaps the more delightful on that account, as nobody’s previous information could afford the remotest glimmering of what would ever come of it.”
—Charles Dickens (1812–1870)
“Morality for the novelist is expressed not so much in the choice of subject matter as in the plot of the narrative, which is perhaps why in our morally bewildered time novelists have often been timid about plot.”
—Jane Rule (b. 1931)
“The plot was most interesting. It belonged to no particular age, people, or country, and was perhaps the more delightful on that account, as nobody’s previous information could afford the remotest glimmering of what would ever come of it.”
—Charles Dickens (1812–1870)