Carry On! (1927)

One of the few British silent films to be written and directed by a woman (Dinah Shurey), Carry On! is set during WWI. With a plotline similar to the like-vintage seafaring drama Second to None, the film follows the progress of would-be sailor Mick Trevorn from boyhood to manhood (young Mick is played by Mickey Brantford, while the older Mick is essayed by Moore Marriott -- the same actors who appeared in Second to None). Much of the story is offered in flashback, as the grown-up Mick is regaled with stories of the heroics of his father (also played by Marriott). Mickey Brantford's sister Aggie, another carryover from Second to None, appears as Mick's childhood sweetheart, who when reaching maturity is portrayed by Cynthia Murtaugh. It perhaps goes without saying that this silent actioner bears no relation to the later series of Carry On comedy films. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi