Mutiny on the Buses (1972) User Reviews

Stan's happiness is scuppered once again.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 28 December 2022]

Stan gets engaged and is all set to move out, but his plans are scuppered when Arthur loses his job.

The second of the three movies, and it's a must for fans of the TV series, it translated well from sitcom to movie, not many shows managed to do it successfully, I can think of only this and Steptoe and son.

It is as you'd expect, bawdy, raucous, slapstick and a little bit cheeky, in there lies its charm, it's definitely not meant to be taken too seriously. Humour along the lines of the later Carry on films, and confessions movies.

Lots of amusing scenes, the misunderstanding about staff uniform is funny, Arthur and Olive on the out of control bike, the sabotaged radio, the foam, plenty of entertaining moments.

Cheeky postcards humour, it's enjoyable, 7/10.

"I'm getting a little tired of your crude remarks."

[The_Movie_Cat · 5/10 · 16 March 2002]

Mutiny on the Buses is a sophisticated, intertextual, self-reflexive discourse on the nature of the classic novel by Charles Nordhoff. It also takes in Kafkaesque leanings by exercising a circular narrative. That some could mistake it for a witless, charmless and crass 70s sex comedy is beyond me.

The film also exhibits a razor-sharp social conscience. After accidentally demolishing a stop, Jack (Bob Grant) suggests "We'll say some hooligans did it... lot of stupid louts doing things like that these days."

In all seriousness though it really is utter garbage. There's an increase in slapstick, the ineptness of which would be funny were it not for the jingly-jangy 70s soundtrack. Definitely not one of Ron Grainer's better days.

In its defence, this one probably has a better plot than the others (which isn't exactly difficult) as Blakey gets a new manager to assess his operation. Blakey's forced to clamp down with more stringent rules, cueing an inevitable worker rebellion. When Blakey orders his staff to wear "nothing but their uniforms", they come without shoes and shirts. This also includes the seven-strong female crew, who like nothing better than exposing their breasts to the entire staff. Even a company darts night can be rigged by showing a pair of red knickers.

The climactic pay-off is a shameless plug for Windsor Safari Park, with a lion and monkeys on the bus. However, this desperate pile of contrived cheese is again salvaged by the wonderful Stephen Lewis. Some of the situations are just gross - a baby defecates in a potty while Stan's at the dinnertable. Rather predictably, he later excretes in Arthur's cap. The baby, that is. Not Stan, though that would have probably been funnier.

As with my two other Buses reviews, I have to stress the humour division inherent in the set-up. When Blakey (A creation of comic genius in Lewis's hands) is on screen, it's hilarious. When he isn't, it's absolutely dire. Most of the "humour" is, as usual, shockingly un-PC. Stan strings girls along with the promise of marriage in order to get sex, and accuses Blakey of being a homosexual. Other unsettling scenes show Michael Robbins shaking his baby and screaming for it to "Shut up!" Letting off a foam extinguisher in someone's face is also shown to be within acceptable safety guidelines.

A clothes-ripping catfight threatens to engender interest, though is foiled by involving Anna Karen. This is particularly nauseous when Reg Varney accidentally gropes his screen sister's left breast.

Very occasionally a line might get a laugh in an unforeseen modern context. After seeing a female conductor emerging with Stan from the top deck, Blakey cries: "You know the regulations, you're not even supposed to eat your lunch upstairs." Yes, this film is truly terrible... yet in a funny sort of way I can't help but like it.

More On The Buses mayhem.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 14 March 2020]

This follow up to Hammer studios' comedy hit On The Buses (1971) sees bus driver Stan (Reg Varney) getting engaged to sexy clippie Susy (Janet Mahoney), but unable to afford the downpayment on a place of their own. With Susy refusing to live at Stan's mum's house, the pressure is on for the driver to get his hands on some extra cash.

Unsurprisingly, Mutiny follows virtually the same successful formula of its predecessor, with lots of bawdy gags involving busty/leggy beauties, and a fair amount of slapstick. Once again, Stan and his best pal, conductor Jack (Bob Grant), have no problems scoring with the ladies despite their (let's be generous here) average looks. And once again, inspector Blakey (Stephen Lewis) tries to ruin the lads' fun, but always comes off worse. Meanwhile, Stan's brother-in-law Arthur (Michael Robbins) also joins the bus company as a driver, attracting the attention of 'Nymphy Nora', much to the annoyance of his wife Olive (Anna Karen).

Comedy highlights include Olive in an out-of-control motorcycle side-car, Stan and Jack sabotaging Blakey's radio unit, a cat-fight between Olive and Nora, a fire-drill that gets out of control, and, best of all, a trip to Windsor Safari Park in which Stan unwittingly gives a ride to a lion and a pair of chimpanzees with hilarious results (apes always make me laugh). It's not exactly high-brow entertainment, but will appeal to fans of the series and those who love classic British comedy in general.

6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for the gratuitous changing room evacuation scene that features lots of scantily clad young women (Including Mahoney in her underwear), and for Stan's sneaky distraction technique during a darts game.

Pretty familiar stuff that will please fans of the series no end. But no one else.

[jamesraeburn2003 · 11 February 2016]

Bus driver Stan Butler (Reg Varney) gets engaged to Suzy (Janet Mahoney) at his depot much to the chagrin of his family. When his brother-in-law Arthur (Michael Robbins) loses his job, it seems that his plans to move in to a new flat with her are scuppered as he will now be the sole supporter of the family including his sister Olive's (Anna Karen) kid Little Arthur. So with the help of his conductor, Jack (Bob Grant), he teaches Arthur to drive a bus and blackmails the new depot manager, Mr Jenkins (Kevin Brennan), into giving him the job of driving the new tour bus to Windsor Safari Park. Predictably, whatever Stan and company touch turns to disaster.

Following the tremendous success of the first On The Buses feature film,Hammer put out this sequel that made it to No. 17 in the Box Office top 20 of 1972. Holiday On The Buses followed in 1973. The title was chosen via a competition in The Sun newspaper, which offered a cash prize to whoever came up with the best and it went to - guess who? - a bus driver!

It is all pretty familiar stuff with the cast going through the familiar gags and, on the whole, they are pretty poorly presented. For instance, Stan and Jack sabotaging Blakey's radio control and Stan towing his brother-in-law's motorcycle behind his bus. All of these were lifted from the TV series. The scenes at Windsor Safari Park include Stan and Blakey being trapped in their bus by a lion and being attacked by monkeys. But, it is funny in places especially Blakey's fire drill where he attempts to show his staff how to operate the new fire fighting equipment with absurd but, predictably, catastrophic consequences. Fans of the series - me included - will no doubt love it but people looking for something original will be sorely disappointed and, yes, like its predecessor and the TV sitcom series, the critics tore it apart.

You lecherous moron!

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 14 August 2015]

The second of three film spin-offs from the very popular British situation comedy, On the Buses, is actually the best of the three. Of course this will mean nothing to any Brit who wasn't a fan of the format, or anyone perturbed by the absence of political correctness in movies from a different era.

Falling in line with the wave of sex comedy based movies that surfaced in 1970s Britain, Mutiny on the Buses pitches our sex hungry bus depot workers against a new management regime determined to actually operate a bus company! Hence the mutiny when all and sundry do all they can to usurp the plans of Inspector Blakey (Stephen Lewis) and Mr. Jenkins (Kevin Brennan). What follows, in between the kissing and fondling - and the not so sly innuendo - are the usual pratfall scenarios played for energetic laughs, with the stand out being a fire drill training stint that descends into frothy chaos.

Somewhat forgotten is that the snapshot of the era carries considerable value for those that lived it. The cramped housing arrangements, the sexual attitudes and the unemployment issues brought about by redundancy, these are here making a mark regardless of being played for laughs. The change over of ramshackle buses to the new type as a new era is ushered in - with the engine at the rear no less! And delightful old wives tales to help you to stop snoring.

Yes, there's the harmless smut (this is hardly the "Confessions Of" or "Adventures Of" standard of sex comedy films), and a gentle smell of misogyny (though the girls are empowered to take control here), but time is a funny thing and so is nostalgia. Mutiny on the Buses, good fun with a wink and a nod to early 70s Britain. 7/10

Excellent example of 1970s sit-com TV shows movie spin-offs in the UK.

[tonypeacock-1 · 5/10 · 11 April 2020]

The 1970s saw a plethora of cinematic releases of popular situation comedy (sit-com) television series in the UK.

On The Buses was one of the most popular shows attracting huge ratings in days before multi channels and streaming services let alone home video.

Mutiny On The Buses was the second of three film spin-offs from the show and an excellent example of the genre. On The Buses followed the escapades of a driver and his 'clippy.' Followed of course by a peculiar management strategy featuring a bus 'inspector'.

Sexual innuendos. Check. A kitchen sink example of working class family life in the UK. Check. Innocent yet effective comedy that still strings a laugh in today's troubled times. Check.

The TV shows were often made with small budgets using flimsy sets. These film adaptations allowed some location work and better standard studio set design although they are low budget by today's sophisticated standards. Take Mutiny. Partly shot on location at Windsor Safari Park.

Standard's. Yet another word when it comes to the politically incorrect humour of these films.

True they wouldn't pass today's snowflake society but in the seventies anything went it appears. Was that such a bad thing?

These films still enjoy a cult following today.

The cast seem to fully enjoy their roles. Sadly many have passed away in recent years.

Semi-successful movie sequel

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 9 January 2015]

A less successful sequel to the first ON THE BUSES movie, although not without its moments. MUTINY ON THE BUSES offers up more of the same for fans of the comedy show, with various dated, sexist and sometimes amusing antics taking place on and around a bus depot.

The gang's all here for this sequel outing, including enhanced roles for Stan's sister Oliver and her husband Arthur. Best of all is the presence of Stephen Lewis, shining once more as the chief antagonist Blakey. The jokes come thick and fast, many of them sexist and mildly offensive to modern audiences, but then that's part of the fun.

Once again, the spirit is very much in the CARRY ON vein, and there are certain set-pieces to enjoy; the sojourn at the Windsor Safari Park is a definite highlight here. The film trilogy concluded with the final outing, HOLIDAY ON THE BUSES.

Forgive me father, for I have laughed.

[oldskoolsi · 4/10 · 31 January 2006]

As a Hammer completist I was dreading the time when I would have to raise the courage to watch this film and the one following it, Holiday on the Buses. I had seen One the Buses the film and thought it one of the worst films I have ever seen. It was full of all the awful comedy that plagued British TV screens around the early 70's.

I am ashamed to say that there were actually parts of this film that I laughed at. I don't know if it was because I was now familiar with the characters and enjoyed some of the situations, knowing how they would react. I found Blakey particularly funny, although I could swear at no point in the trilogy does he say his catchphrase, "I'll get you Butler".

Having watched Holiday on the Buses the jokes were starting to wear thin and these three films could be compared to an early Hammer trilogy, Dick Barton, in that the second film made is the best (although this is probably the only way they could be compared).

The only people who would want to watch this film are probably fans of the TV series, who will no doubt enjoy this, and Hammer completists like myself. To the completists I would say that this film isn't that bad and I can certainly think of worse Hammer comedies.

Another Fun Outing for the lads

[mjw2305 · 8/10 · 25 January 2005]

The Second of the movies, and Stan's got himself engaged, and is struggling to make ends meet. The Bus company is under new management and the've got a chance to do some Safari Tours and they need a driver for the job. Stan needs the job of driving on this tour but after making a poor impression on the new boss, he has no chance. That is until hes caught being inappropriate with a clippy by Stan and Jack, who successfully blackmail Stans way onto the Tour to Blakeys dismay.

With some good laughs and still the original cast, this is a must see for On the Buses Fans.

7/10

Lewis again my personal standout

[r96sk · 7/10 · 28 December 2020]

Almost better than the first film, if not for that messy ending. Still good.

'Mutiny on the Buses' is the second of three spin-off films from the 'On the Buses' television series. I think I've watched bits of this one before, certainly the safari parts, but not in full as far as I'm aware.

Reg Varney, Bob Grant and Stephen Lewis are as good as they are in the original film, with Lewis again my personal standout. The sexism, which is prevalent in the 1971 film, is toned-down here, though there are still occurrences - as you'd expect. Any 'Laugh-O-Meter' would remain at the same level, nothing close to a full-on laugh but there are amusing moments.

I found the plot, whilst still silly, an improvement on its predecessor. However, the ending feels too randomly stuck together in order to fill the run time; despite it still giving stuff to make for decent viewing.

Rubbish

[freya1939 · 1/10 · 26 December 2005]

Watching it now it's still as skanky and sexist as I remember. comes from a time when girls were "Dolly Birds" and basically men's playthings. It's hard to take in that it is from the Hammer studios and the fact it's available on DVD when good films are not. Our nations shame where the working class are portrayed as work shy layabouts or worse! Trouble is you can't help feeling nostalgic for a Clippie on a bus. Try to hold your stomach contents when you see Olive in a fluffy? Blue "saucy" nightie or something similar like Shirley Bassey used to wear for a concert in 1972. Warning this film shows the illegal practice of towing a motorcycle combo by a red double decker bus, which I've been informed is not a Routemaster but a Bristol.

Look just don't bother watch something decent instead like Porridge or Dad's Army...or a fly crawling up a wall.

"Does he have to do that every time I eat?"

[ShadeGrenade · 8/10 · 9 November 2007]

Two months after 'On The Buses' notched up its sixth successful season on television, the gang were back, this time in the second of their big screen offerings. With the first being the most popular film release of 1971 ( had 'Diamonds Are Forever' opened earlier, I suspect this might not have been the case ), there just had to be one.

Director Harry Booth returned to oversee the proceedings, once again scripted and produced by the Two Ronalds - Wolfe and Chesney. The title 'Mutiny On The Buses' was chosen by the winner of a competition in 'The News Of The World'. Pity the writers were not aware of it when they started work on the script. The idea of Blakey as 'Captain Bligh' and Stan Butler as 'Fletcher Christian' is most appealing.

The plot ( such as it is ) revolves around Stan's accidental engagement to clippie Suzy. Stan cannot afford a place of his own, and Suzy is not keen on moving into the Butler household ( can you blame her? ), so the wedding is deferred. When Arthur loses his job, Stan gets him into the bus depot as a driver.

As the slapstick comedy went over well in the first film, 'Mutiny' offered more of the same - hence Blakey breaks a light fitting as he plays darts ( he is distracted by a sexy clippie ), the depot catches fire, Olive races around on Arthur's motorcycle, a sewer worker is hit by a dartboard which falls off Stan's bus, Arthur reverses into a stop, the depot is engulfed by fire-extinguisher foam, and there's the hilarious finale in which a lion menaces Blakey and Stan drives through Windsor Safari Park with an excited chimpanzee on the wheel.

One of the more unfortunate aspects of the 'Buses' movies was the broadening of the humour, here we are treated to topless clippies exposing themselves to Blakey, Little Arthur taking a dump in his father's cap, and Big Arthur stepping in his son's wee-filled potty. 'On The Buses' on television was a family show, but the movies were targeted at the young and dirty-minded. I saw 'Carry On Matron' in 1972 and the house was full of sniggering teenagers, the sort who went to see 'Mutiny On The Buses' and later, the 'Confessions' movies.

'Mutiny' also offers one of the first examples of 'product placement' in a movie - Stan's bus is festooned with ads for Pontins holiday camp and the Ladbrookes betting shop chain. The next film 'Holiday On The Buses' would mainly be set in one of Sir Fred's establishments.

Brassy blonde Pat Ashton, who played 'Sally' in the first film, returns as a different character - 'Nymphie Norah'. She also appeared in two episodes of the series - as 'Doreen'. 'Suzy' was played by Janet Mahoney, also to be found in 'Carry On Loving' and as 'Dawn Dailey' the dancer in 'Doctor In Trouble'.

Released in the summer of 1972, 'Mutiny' was another big hit, though not on the same scale as its predecessor. Personally, I think its a better film, though 'Holiday On The Buses' was the best of the trio. Ron Grainer's musical score boasted a catchy accordion and saxophone title theme - a big improvement over the dreadful 'Its A Great Life On The Buses' by QuinceHarmon.

Where do the three movies fit into the chronology of the show? They don't. Arthur and Olive were childless on television, the buses were green instead of red, and the name of the company was 'Luxton & District' not 'Town & District'. So some time after the 'Gardening Time' episode, we must assume that Stan returned home from the Midlands, Arthur remarried Olive, and the Luxton bus company underwent a makeover. Blakey was to eventually retire ( but that's another story ).

Easy watching, nostalgia!

[Majikat76 · 5/10 · 1 April 2018]

Not the best of the series of films, but still easy going fun. Of course there is the sexualisation of women, whilst two letchy men ogle and make their rounds, but it is a sign of the times.

Worst Movie Ever?

[buzzcovington · 1/10 · 16 March 2013]

Stumbled upon the movie on the telly today. It was like watching a car crash. Horrific, but couldn't stop watching. The writing, the acting, the plot... All were competing to see which could be the biggest turd. Seriously, really, really bad. Don't say you weren't warned. The gentleman playing the boss of the other drivers was particularly pathetic, and I almost thought that the writers were trying to get him to make fun of the mentally deficient.

Random scenes were added willy-nilly throughout the film which made this stinking pile of crap even worse, if that is even possible.

Also, the actors when delivering their pathetic lines, were often staring off into space, as if there were no director on the set. I have seen fifth grade school plays that were more cognizant than this disgrace to movie making. The makers of this film should be deeply ashamed of themselves.

Plot all over the place and very few laughs

[bob the moo · 2 May 2004]

Bus driver Stan gets engaged to sweetheart Suzy - much to the annoyance of Stan's mother, sister and brother in law; how will they afford to pay the rent without Stan's money coming into the house? In order to be able to move out, Stan agrees to help Arthur get a job on the buses with him. However his attempts to teach him how to drive the bus are frustrated by Blakey's new boss and his efficiency drives.

Anyone approaching On The Buses cannot really complain about the humour being basic, sexist and crude - this is a given. However it is the other qualities that make this a bad film. True the humour is very broad, sexist and silly but this wouldn't have been a problem for me if it had even managed to ever be funny more than once. Sadly it doesn't and is depressingly devoid of laughs throughout. This is made worse by a plot that actually has no idea where it is going - it uses the very basic frame of Stan's engagement but where it goes with it is just all a bit silly and doesn't really work. The collection of scenes that make up the plot are supposed to be wacky and fun but actually just stand out as badly dated and banal, certainly laughs are not part of them.

The material also lets down the characters as none of them are engaging - it is a damning comment on the script that I never cared one way or another what happened to the characters here. The cast don't help - the drivers are all womanising lads, the bosses all incompetent and flustered and the girls either battleaxes or `hot totty'! Varney and Grant don't display much in the way of comic ability here as they are not given anything to work with but the most basic tools. The only character that stands out is Blakey but that is more down to his memorable and oft-imitated line; he isn't great but his character is the most enjoyable of a bad bunch.

Overall it is unfair to complain that this film's humour is broad and sexist because what else did you really expect from this film series? However it is fair to complain that the film lacks laughs, any sort of plot and is really difficult to enjoy even if you expect it to be broad and basic. A really poor film that is wholly lacking in laughs and is pretty unenjoyable all told.

So dated it's painful

[motor89 · 3/10 · 6 August 2000]

This wasn't funny in 1972. It's not funny now.

Unlike a lot of other people, I'm not bashing the film because it is incredibly sexist - I quote enjoyed that bit, or rather I enjoyed the reaction it generates in annoying PC people - I'm bashing it because it is poorly written and acted.

The only really memorable character is Blakey, which British people 25 years old will recognise immediately since he was a favourite with impressionists for a long time.

Avoid.

Excellent for fans!

[kezz18 · 10/10 · 18 March 2003]

If you're a fan of the series then you will adore this film, as an avid fan myself i find this to be the second best film after holiday on the buses. Some of the gags are classic, and the film feels so full that it never loses your attention. A highly recommended one to watch!

British oral hygiene at its worst

[drgreenthumb1001 · 1/10 · 25 December 2021]

Bob Grant has mold/tar in teeth, and to make it worse, he has a giant toothy mouth.

Maybe back then standard definition film couldnt pick that up, but in remastered times, it is disgusting and off-putting, and completely ruins your suspension of disbelief, which is needed to enjoy any film.

I tried watching a Hustler horror film once, and being Hustler, the chicks were not the highest caliber; one of the girls had bad acne. You cant have acne on a hot babe, nor black, tar-ridden teeth on be a "cheeky playboy".

The fact he plays a cheeky character is beyond unbelievable. I cant believe a producer would let that disgusting mouth on screen, even back then.

Politically incorrect fun

[glenn-aylett · 8/10 · 10 April 2012]

Watched this last weekend as part of ITV 3's British Comedy Weekend and for all Mutiny isn't quite as funny as the first film, the jokes about Olive's baby breaking wind are a bit tiresome and crass, it's still a very amusing and totally politically incorrect film( the female clippies are all big busted and sexually easy and Stan and Jack are constantly making the kind of wisecracks that would give Ben Elton a heart attack).

Basically the film concerns Blakey's schemes to get at the drivers by installing radios in their cabs to monitor their workshy behaviour- with some justification as Stan and Jack in one scene are seen playing darts against a side of a bus- but as ever Stan and Jack get the better of him by tuning the radios to police and airport frequencies with very amusing results. Also Stan is engaged to a female clippy and as money is to be tight at home when he moves out, he teaches his brother in law to drive a bus rather ineptly as it turns out. Yet to me the highlight of the film is when Stan and Blakey take a trip bus to Windsor Safari Park and a chimp takes control of the bus with demented results and a lion climbs on the bus and bites both men in the nether regions.

Obviously the film is corny and rather dated now and the PC brigade and the film snobs loathe these films with a passion, but Mutiny is still hilarious in places and I must admit having a thing for the tarty clippies that Jack and Stan lust after. Also if Mutiny on the Buses is so awful, how come it's always repeated and the television series still has a devoted following.

Laughs with Blakey and the mob

[Robski · 8/10 · 4 August 2000]

One of the better film comedies of the early seventies trend of making the transition from the small to the big screen. All three films easily surpassed the blandness of the TV series which is currently (Aug 2000) enjoying a re-run on Granada Plus in the UK.

More harmless fun

[JoshuaKaitlyn2008 · 8/10 · 19 August 2007]

Off we go again with more of the same thing really. Again it's not politically correct and uses women as objects of lust, again Arthur insults poor Olive and again Jack does his best dirty man grin. But never the less its all harmless fun. A few jokes are reused from the series and at least one from the previous movie has a nice twist to it ... Blakey - bus - water! There are worse movies and TV shows being made now days that get away with it because people are being distracted by the fx and spectacle...smoke and mirrors! These movies as well as the carry on series are more simple and are meant to be fun. There is even a farting baby!

Mutiny on the buses

[colinprunty-1 · 8/10 · 24 December 2020]

Forget for a moment the PC argument that haunts this series this big screen spin off reflects the time it was set in and the era for this type of comedy. Jack and Stan are back laughing away manically at every single thing that happens usually to their hapless sidekick Blakey who surely goes down as one of the funniest ever sitcom characters. Here we have an engagement plot involving the usual twenty something who is lusting after middle aged Stan Butler. Lots of very funny scenes around this and a there is a good strong storyline involving the plot around them finding somewhere to live. We also have the usual antics around Stan Butlers cramped home with a good chunk of time spent dealing with Olive and Arthur and their very flatulent toddler ' little Arthur'. Lots of slapstick in this one and it is mainly set in the bus station and at Stans home which gives it an authentic feel of the original tv sit com. Stan and Jack still have every single female that crosses their paths lusting at their feet but this was part of the joke surely and massively adds to the preposterous idea that this would happen in reality. Hilarious scenes also in the safari park with Blakey and Stan and overall I would say this is the best film of the three cinematic outings. Forget the criticism which is totally unjustified , this was the early 1970s for heavens sake and it's very very funny stuff and well worth a watch for that factor alone.

Probably the best of the three spin-off movies!

[manchester_england2004 · 10/10 · 9 January 2009]

In the 1970s, lots of movie spin-offs of popular British sitcoms were produced. Most of them turned out to be total disasters and were produced solely as lame attempts by ailing film companies, often working in a different genre (Hammer for example), to stop themselves from going under following the withdrawal of American financial investment. Having said that, ON THE BUSES was one of the few sitcoms that actually made a successful transfer to the big screen. Three movies were produced, more than any other sitcom managed to spawn.

The movies are actually better than the TV series in some respects. For one, the daily goings-on at the bus depot receive a lot more focus. And they also use the medium of film to showcase some excellent outdoor scenes that were not possible in the series (due to both lack of budget and the fact that videotape equipment was much heavier to carry thus making location work very difficult without using very grainy film stock).

The movies also capture the heart of the TV series, which is probably the biggest factor behind their amazing commercial success. All of the characters from the series are here and are played by the same actors. They behave the same as they would in any given episode, with Stan and Jack making fun of the inspector, Arthur insulting Olive and so on.

This particular spin-off is probably the best of the three movies. the plot, such that it is, concerns the arrival of a new manager at the bus depot who is hellbent on making a profit for the company. So he introduces a number of efficiency drives including; the installation of radio control in the cabs, fire safety training, and extension of the bus services to include excursion tours. Naturally, everything that can go wrong does go wrong. As with the previous movie, there are many subplots:

• Stan gets engaged to a clippie, who wants them to get a place of their own before they get married;

• Arthur loses his job and Stan trains him to become a bus driver, which creates more problems than benefits for the family;

• And in one of the movie's most hilarious scenes, Olive gets into a catfight with one of the clippies at the depot who is known as "Nymphy Norah".

It's all very dated and politically incorrect and could never be produced today due to fear of being branded with some undesirable label such as "sexist". But it is harmless fun and does never descend into vulgarity. There is very little, if any, swearing at all and sexual situations and gags are handled through innuendo.

This movie has a much better score than the first one, with the theme consisting of a catchy accordion and saxophone tune. It stays with you long after the movie is over.

All of the cast do a tremendous job in bringing the movie to life, but of course Stephen Lewis stands out the most as Inspector Blake (or Blakey as he's known).

I wasn't alive in the 1970s so I am not able to say whether or not it truly reflects what Britain was like back then. But I can certainly say that the society expressed in this movie is far more pleasant than the one I live in today. The 1970s is portrayed as a simpler time when teenage pregnancies, family breakdown, and alcohol and drug-fuelled violence were problems that did not exist (at least not on the scale we have now anyway). In other words, it shows a society that wasn't broken, unlike the one that Britain has today.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this if you're a fan of the TV series or have seen either of the other two movies. For those who haven't seen the series, I would recommend the movie if you are a fan of either the CARRY ON movies or Benny Hill-style humour.

''I'm getting a little tired of your crude remarks!''

[Rabical-91 · 8/10 · 18 September 2015]

In July 1971, 'On The Buses' made its way to the big screen. Its astonishing box office performance not only won it the title of 'most popular film of 1971' ( even beating 'Diamonds Are Forever' ) but also prompted a sequel in June 1972 - 'Mutiny On The Buses'.

The first film drew some complaints for the coarsening of the humour. 'Mutiny On The Buses', if not worse, was no better, with toilet humour ( Little Arthur constantly trying to take a dump on his potty while the family are eating ) and even violence ( Olive and another clippie have a cat-fight at the busmen's darts match ) being introduced. Wolfe and Chesney yet again wrote and produced while Harry Booth was brought in again as director.

The main basis of the plot is this - Stan becomes engaged to sexy clippie Suzy ( Janet Mahoney ). She wants them to buy a house together but when he fails to come up with enough money for the deposit, he suggests that they live with his family for the time being, but Suzy is reluctant to settle down unless they have their own space. However Stan's dreams of moving out are thwarted when Arthur loses his job and is unable to support the family. In desperation, Stan teaches Arthur to drive so he can get a job as a bus driver.

Arthur's first attempt at driving is a disaster. He takes of at great speed, with Stan dangling from the door of the cab, only then to crash into a nearby stable. Eventually, he improves and gets a job as a driver. A sub-plot has Stan and Blakey driving a tour bus around Windsor Safari Park, only for a lion to climb aboard the bus and then later a chimpanzee!

It's an okay film, but in my view the first one is better. It is by and large episodic, one scene where Stan and Jack tow Arthur's motorbike on the back of the bus was a direct lift from the series two episode 'The Used Combination' while Stan and Jack tampering with the radios newly installed in their buses was taken from the series three instalment 'Radio Control'. The Safari park sequence towards the end for me is when the film starts to grow tiresome. However Hammer Films must have been impressed enough with it as a third and final film - 'Holiday On The Buses' - went on release in December 1973.

Among the best scenes were the cat-fight between Olive and 'Nymphie Norah' ( a clippie who Arthur seems to have a thing going with, played by Pat Asthon ), which culminates in Norah getting a jug of water tipped over her head by Mrs. Butler, a botched fire drill at the depot in which the whole depot is engulfed in foam, Stan reversing into the bus company's new van, crushing it like a beer can and Olive falling off of Arthur's bike and down a manhole. The film's catchy theme tune was an accordion arrangement composed by Ron Grainer.

A continuity problem occurs here - Olive at the end of the film claims she is pregnant for a second time yet the new baby never appeared in the next film. Did she have a miscarriage? Was she lying in order to guilt Stan into not leaving home? We never found out.

Funniest bit - the twice mentioned cat-fight sequence!