As with glass, you can see straight through this movie, for what it is. Hilarious and witty, as is the talent of this huge Classic British Comedy Team.
Come on, you know deep down, they couldn't resist making a movie that rhymed with "Khyber Pass".
What a wonderful awry of comical satire and self-ridicule that Khyber Pass is. This, 1968, typical nostalgia trip from the Great Carry On team has bought us the usual Cast. We see Sidney James, as Sir Sidney-Rough Diamond and the beautiful Joan Sims as his torturous wife, Lady Joan Rough-Diamond, the very intelligent Kenneth Williams as the Rhandi Lal, the Khasi of Kalabar. Here, personally, I think that this is Bernard Bresslaw's, as Bungdit Din, best performance, his last Carry On was 1975's Carry On Behind, he passed away in June 1993, aged 59.
Without wanting to give too much away here, for you have to see Up the Khyber to appreciate the delivery of the script, ad libbing and comic simplicity that is Up the Khyber, which, excuse the pun here, carries itself off very well. Too much forewarning will only dilute the movies hilarious gags.
Not seeing Up the Khyber for many years, it was really a pleasant surprise, forgetting just how funny it is, and the combination, and their delivery, of the names of the characters. Lets face it; the absurd and totally ridiculous names of these characters are what truly make this movie.
This movie contains one of the most obvious (non) location doubles that I have ever seen. Since when has the real Khyber Pass in India looked like the green rolling hills of Wales, I mean, it's a five bar gate along a rocky green path running up Mount Snowdonia, they even put a tiny wooden sign on top, saying, "Please shut the gate". The Extras, seen at the Khyber Pass, who are dressed as local "natives" look like locals that have been paid to wear Turbans for the day, and the make up department haven't even applied make up. If it were not so funny, then it just would not be the Carry On it is. You just know too, that they must have had a great laugh trying to pull this one off. Pure admiration.
This movie shouldn't be passed over; it really is one of the best, where as Carry On Screaming was the better Produced, this is better scripted.
There is Glass and there are Diamonds, this is a Diamond of a movie.
Priceless.
