The fifth movie in the popular Carry On series, Regardless opens in an employment office where many of the Carry On regulars are seeking work. When someone spots an advertisement in the local newspaper for a vacancy at The Helping Hands agency, there is a stampede to the office, where boss Bert Handy (Sid James) gives all of the hopefuls jobs, sending each member of staff on an assignment with disastrous results.
With a virtually non-existent plot, the film being little more than an episodic series of comedy sketches tenuously linked by the Helping Hands agency, this is one of the least engaging of the Carry On capers. As wonderful as the performers all are, there is little they can do with the lacklustre material, and there are precious few genuine laughs to be had as each character goes about their appointed task. The not-so-hilarious escapades include snobbish Francis Courtenay (Kenneth Williams) taking a chimp for a walk, neurotic chain-smoker Sam Twist (Kenneth Connor) believing that he is involved in espionage, and lovable Lily Duveen (Joan Sims) getting tipsy at a wine tasting event.
On the plus side, there's no shortage of crumpet on show to elicit a few 'Phwoar's from male viewers: voluptuous blonde Delia King (Liz Fraser) models lingerie for a husband who is trying to buy a present for his wife, busty brunette housewife Penny Panting (Fenella Fielding) tries to make her husband jealous by dressing sexily and canoodling with Sam, lucky boss Bert gets to examine a line-up of young nurses stripped to their underwear (which, this being the 1960s, involves sexy stockings and suspenders), and Sims' fans get to see Lily in the bath (although copious bubbles preserve her dignity).
I rate Carry On Regardless a disappointing 5/10, but deduct one point for Stanley Unwin, whose dreadful gobbledygook routine soon becomes extremely tiresome (he appears in the film numerous times as a potential client who cannot explain his requirements because no one can understand him).
