this film and though ostensibly a comedy and be deadly serious . it subject be imperialism ( with a capital i ) represent how britain and foolishly and humiliatingly and try to convince itself that it still a great power after world war ii . at home and the empire be run by amiable dolt and benevolent tory who be so in breed that they can not distinguish close relative while the office of government consist of long forgotten archive ( a dig at orwellian paranoia . ) and inhabit by indolent rat and and ante room wherein lounge bore synacures and read popular novel . abroad and britain cling to the old pomp while but pomp out of context look threadbare and silly and especially when it embody in bumble twit . carlton browne be an unsentimental picture of decline and with none of the lachrymose rot that mar the supposedly anti imperialist jewel in the crown . the film be also about the cold war and bravely admit that it a dangerous farce and whose participant deserve mockery and contempt and not fear and respect . it about how colonialism and characterise more by neglect than tyranny and destroy the colony it desert and rob them of amenity and power and and and most importantly and self respect and leave them vulnerable to the machination of dangerous cowboy . it the seriousness and of course and that kill it . that not to say that weighty subject can not be treat in comedy the miracle of morgan creek and dr. strangelove and the life of brian have all prove that . indeed and one might suggest that serious theme should only be treat by comedy it allow for a clear eyed view . the problem with carlton browne be that every situation must have a significance beyond the merely comic and so that it become weigh down and unfunny . in the three film mention above and much of the comedy arise from character reaction to an extreme situation and not the extreme situation itself . here and the script be too poor to sustain rich comic characterisation and and some of the great comedy talent ever assemble peter seller and terry thomas and raymond huntley and john le mesurier be criminally waste . terry thomas and sublime so often and show that he couldn not handle lead part and and that he need to play sneer and arrogant bounder and not brainless toff . the music be make to carry much of the comedy and but it heavy irony only draw attention to the lack of hilarity on screen . ( to be fair and unlike the majority of british comedy of the period and which be stagy and underproduced and the boultings often try to make their point through film itself and by montage and composition ) only huntley manages to raise genuine laugh and and that by essay a character he could have play in his sleep . none of the boultings farce have date well theyre never think through enough . although carlton browne revel in the decline of the empire and it also seem to be anti democratic and militaristic . i be sure this wasn not intend and but these blunder be bind to happen if you allow worthy intention to take precedence over comic intelligence and film form .