Timmy Lea ( Robin Askwith ) swaps his window cleaner's bucket for a microphone in this, the second of the money-spinning romps based on the novels of Christopher Wood.
Sid Noggett ( Tony Booth ) signs a pop group called 'Bloater' ( whom he renames 'Kipper' ), with a view to making a fortune as their manager. There's one problem - he has not heard them play. When he does, his worst fears are confirmed. They are terrible.
Nevertheless, by seducing the wife of a local theatre manager ( Bob Todd ) he is able to get them a booking. Mrs.Lea ( Doris Hare ) helps out by sending along an enthusiastic crowd composed of elderly women. One of the band is accidentally injured back stage, so Timmy goes on in his place. 'Kipper' go down a storm. Soon they are in the record studio, and appearing on the top-rated talent show 'Star Knockers'. Fame and fortune cannot be far away surely?
With Val Guest having declined the chance to direct the follow-up, the job went to Norman Cohen, whose other credits include the movie versions of 'Till Death Us Do Part' and 'Dad's Army', and 'Adolf Hitler My Part In His Downfall', based on Spike Milligan's war memoirs. He stayed on board for the next two pictures.
Doris Hare replaced Dandy Nichols as Timmy's mum. The use of sitcom actors was a major part of the 'Confessions' success story. It amused audiences to see 'Mrs.Butler' from 'On The Buses' and 'Pike' from 'Dad's Army' surrounded by bare bottoms and boobs. Three of the cast had previously appeared in 'Please Sir!/The Fenn Street Gang' - Peter Cleall, Carol Hawkins, and Richard Warwick. Two went on to sitcoms - Diane Langton in 'The Rag Trade' and Linda Regan in 'Hi-De-Hi'. Both were cast here as the nymphomaniac 'Climax Sisters'. Another - Jill Gascoigne - was to be found chasing criminals a few years later in the L.W.T. series 'The Gentle Touch'. I'm sure she is not proud of her role in this film. Peter Jones' 'Maxie Naus' looks suspiciously like Hughie Green of 'Opportunity Knocks!'.
A recent television documentary appeared to suggest that the main audience for the 'Confessions' films were old men in grubby macs. Not so. Do you know who were? Teenagers. When 'Pop Performer' came out, I was one of many youths loitering nervously outside the theatres where it played, fag in hand, trying to pluck up enough courage to go in and buy a ticket. The films might not have been well written or acted - no-one gave a stuff about that then - but if you were under eighteen and you'd seen a 'Confessions' film, you were a hero to your mates. They were also great 'date' movies. If you had been going out for a while and had not progressed beyond kissing, you took your girlfriend to a 'Confessions' film in the hope it would act as some kind of aphrodisiac. Of course you dare not let on it was a sex farce. "Its a comedy.", I remember telling my girl: "Bob Todd's in it. You know, him off 'Benny Hill'". She wasn't impressed. We saw 'Herbie Rides Again' for the second time instead. The relationship ended soon after.
Funniest moment? Timmy making love to a girl in a record shop while Spike Milligan can be heard reciting 'In The Ning Nang Nong' to music.
Sid Noggett ( Tony Booth ) signs a pop group called 'Bloater' ( whom he renames 'Kipper' ), with a view to making a fortune as their manager. There's one problem - he has not heard them play. When he does, his worst fears are confirmed. They are terrible.
Nevertheless, by seducing the wife of a local theatre manager ( Bob Todd ) he is able to get them a booking. Mrs.Lea ( Doris Hare ) helps out by sending along an enthusiastic crowd composed of elderly women. One of the band is accidentally injured back stage, so Timmy goes on in his place. 'Kipper' go down a storm. Soon they are in the record studio, and appearing on the top-rated talent show 'Star Knockers'. Fame and fortune cannot be far away surely?
With Val Guest having declined the chance to direct the follow-up, the job went to Norman Cohen, whose other credits include the movie versions of 'Till Death Us Do Part' and 'Dad's Army', and 'Adolf Hitler My Part In His Downfall', based on Spike Milligan's war memoirs. He stayed on board for the next two pictures.
Doris Hare replaced Dandy Nichols as Timmy's mum. The use of sitcom actors was a major part of the 'Confessions' success story. It amused audiences to see 'Mrs.Butler' from 'On The Buses' and 'Pike' from 'Dad's Army' surrounded by bare bottoms and boobs. Three of the cast had previously appeared in 'Please Sir!/The Fenn Street Gang' - Peter Cleall, Carol Hawkins, and Richard Warwick. Two went on to sitcoms - Diane Langton in 'The Rag Trade' and Linda Regan in 'Hi-De-Hi'. Both were cast here as the nymphomaniac 'Climax Sisters'. Another - Jill Gascoigne - was to be found chasing criminals a few years later in the L.W.T. series 'The Gentle Touch'. I'm sure she is not proud of her role in this film. Peter Jones' 'Maxie Naus' looks suspiciously like Hughie Green of 'Opportunity Knocks!'.
A recent television documentary appeared to suggest that the main audience for the 'Confessions' films were old men in grubby macs. Not so. Do you know who were? Teenagers. When 'Pop Performer' came out, I was one of many youths loitering nervously outside the theatres where it played, fag in hand, trying to pluck up enough courage to go in and buy a ticket. The films might not have been well written or acted - no-one gave a stuff about that then - but if you were under eighteen and you'd seen a 'Confessions' film, you were a hero to your mates. They were also great 'date' movies. If you had been going out for a while and had not progressed beyond kissing, you took your girlfriend to a 'Confessions' film in the hope it would act as some kind of aphrodisiac. Of course you dare not let on it was a sex farce. "Its a comedy.", I remember telling my girl: "Bob Todd's in it. You know, him off 'Benny Hill'". She wasn't impressed. We saw 'Herbie Rides Again' for the second time instead. The relationship ended soon after.
Funniest moment? Timmy making love to a girl in a record shop while Spike Milligan can be heard reciting 'In The Ning Nang Nong' to music.