notably only in the form of innuendo) was on seaside postcards and in the music hall, which had enforced the idea of sex as a sordid activity with no erotic connotations. It is perhaps important to point out, as Andrew Higson does in his essay 'Renewing British cine!
             ma in the 1970's' that the 'pleasure of innuendo depends on an underlying current of sexual repression'. This is, therefore, probably one of the main causes for the success in Britain, of such sex comedies as the Carry On series. The audience was able to delight in the suggestion of saucy goings on through the dialogue of the characters, without being subjected to the actual sight of naked bodies. That was until Carry On Camping when Barbara Windsor's breasts got the better of her bra and the series passed what Leon Hunt describes as 'a point-of-no-return' (Hunt, p.37, 1998) – 'After Barbara Windsor's brassiere had at last burst... where was the humour in teasing about the possibility of such an occurrence?' (Medhurst, p.183, 1986) By becoming more direct in their references to sex, the elements of innuendo were lost.
             Many critics are reluctant to sing the praises of the British sex comedy in its own right. Medhurst says of the Carry On films: 'They lack any warmth or evocation of community, and rely on ensemble playing rather than the driving force of individual comic talents'. David McGillivray describes their 'inane writing, hack direction, amateurish performances, technical inadequacy and a consequent deficiency of entertainment value.' This was not reflective in the box office - Come Play With Me (1977) had a run of four years in London alone and grossed some £500 000 in this period. These critics do not deny the massive success, which these films gained commercially, but also are not forthcoming in their praise of the films as 'quality' productions. H...