The Ups and Downs of a Handyman | |
---|---|
Directed by | John Sealey |
Written by | Derrick Slater John Sealey |
Produced by | Kenneth F. Rowles |
Starring | Barry Stokes Sue Lloyd Bob Todd |
Cinematography | Douglas Hill |
Edited by | Jim Atkinson John W. Carr |
Music by | Vic Elms |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Cannon Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 min. |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
The Ups and Downs of a Handyman, also known as Confessions of a Handyman, Confessions of an Odd-Job Man and The Happy Housewives, is a 1976 British comedy film directed by John Sealey and starring Barry Stokes, Sue Lloyd and Bob Todd. [1]
After his wife inherits a cottage in the countryside, Bob takes up a job as the local handyman, but soon becomes entangled with the women of the village.
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "An unexpected gag is provided by Gay Soper in The Ups and Downs of a Handyman when she is momentarily seen singing snatches of the aria from Citizen Kane in a bathtub. Otherwise, if there are any ups to be had watching this repressive, sniggeringly unfunny soft-core farce, then they must have been brought along by the spectator. And in that case, the film has all the downs necessary to annihilate them ten times over, incidentally making it an extremely effective form of birth control." [2]
The Radio Times wrote: "another cheap-and-cheerful sex comedy in the vein of Timothy Lea's naughty bestsellers. Barry Stokes brings a certain cheeky charm to the title role, while Gay Soper, Sue Lloyd and Valerie Leon find him plenty to do around the house. What little comedy there is comes from Benny Hill stalwart Bob Todd, as the local magistrate, and Chic Murray, as a harassed bobby. Derrick Slater's script is one long smutty gag, while John Sealey's direction is perfunctory at best." [3]
Are You Being Served? is a British television sitcom that was broadcast from 1972 to 1985. It was created and written by David Croft, who also served as executive producer and director, and Jeremy Lloyd. Michael Knowles and John Chapman also wrote certain episodes. Produced by the BBC, the series starred Mollie Sugden, Trevor Bannister, Frank Thornton, John Inman, Wendy Richard, Arthur Brough, Nicholas Smith, Larry Martyn, Harold Bennett and Arthur English.
Confessions from a Holiday Camp is a 1977 British comedy film directed by Norman Cohen and starring Robin Askwith. The film was released in North America in 1978 under the title Confessions of a Summer Camp Counsellor. It is the last film in the series which began with Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974).
The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins is a 1971 British sketch comedy film directed and produced by Graham Stark. Its title is a conflation of The Magnificent Seven and the seven deadly sins. It comprises a sequence of seven sketches, each representing a sin and written by an array of British comedy-writing talent, including Graham Chapman, Spike Milligan, Barry Cryer and Galton and Simpson. The sketches are linked by animation sequences overseen by Bob Godfrey's animation studio. The music score is by British jazz musician Roy Budd, cinematography by Harvey Harrison and editing by Rod Nelson-Keys and Roy Piper. It was produced by Tigon Pictures and distributed in the U.K. by Tigon Film Distributors Ltd.
Confessions of a Window Cleaner is a 1974 British sex comedy film, directed by Val Guest.
Susan Margery Jeaffreson Lloyd was an English model and actress, with numerous film and television credits. She may be best known for her long-running role as Barbara Hunter in the British soap opera Crossroads and Cordelia Winfield in the ITC series The Baron.
Brian Todd, known professionally as Bob Todd, was an English comedy actor, mostly known for appearing as a straight man in the sketch shows of Benny Hill and Spike Milligan. For many years, he lived in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
Barry Stokes is a British actor.
Sex comedy, erotic comedy or more broadly sexual comedy is a genre in which comedy is motivated by sexual situations and love affairs. Although "sex comedy" is primarily a description of dramatic forms such as theatre and film, literary works such as those of Ovid and Geoffrey Chaucer may be considered sex comedies.
The Bride Wore Boots is a 1946 American romantic comedy film with Barbara Stanwyck in the title role, playing opposite Robert Cummings. A very young Natalie Wood is seen in the film, directed by Irving Pichel.
Gay Soper is an English actress and singer. Her career includes singing Turn Back, O Man in the original 1971 London production of Godspell. She sang the role of Madam Thenardier on the complete symphonic recording of Les Misérables and she narrated the children's television show The Flumps.
Helli Louise Brunchmann Jacobson, often billed as Helli Louise, was a Danish born actress who appeared in British films and television, including The Benny Hill Show, during the 1970s.
Confessions of a Pop Performer is a 1975 British sex-farce film directed by Norman Cohen and starring Robin Askwith. It is the second instalment in the Confessions series and continues the erotic adventures of Timothy Lea, based on the Christopher Woodnovel Confessions from the Pop Scene, which was later re-published under the film's title.
Go for a Take is a 1972 British comedy film starring Reg Varney and Norman Rossington, directed by Harry Booth. The screenplay was by Alan Hackney.
What's Up Nurse! is a 1977 British sex comedy film directed and written by Derek Ford and starring Nicholas Field, Felicity Devonshire and John Le Mesurier.
Sally is a 1925 American silent romantic comedy film starring Colleen Moore. The film was directed by Alfred E. Green, produced by Moore's husband John McCormick, and based on the musical Sally written by Guy Bolton and Clifford Grey that was adapted to film by June Mathis. The play was a Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. production written specifically for Marilyn Miller that opened on December 21, 1920, at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway. It ran for 570 performances.
A Boy, a Girl and a Bike is a 1949 British romantic comedy film directed by Ralph Smart and starring John McCallum, Honor Blackman and Patrick Holt. The film's art direction was by George Provis. The film concerns the romantic escapades and adventures of a Yorkshire cycling club.
What's Up Superdoc! is a 1978 British sex comedy film, directed by Derek Ford and starring Harry H. Corbett, Christopher Mitchell, Melvyn Hayes, Julia Goodman, Hughie Green, Bill Pertwee, Angela Grant, Chic Murray, Beth Porter and Sheila Steafel. It was produced by Michael L. Green. It was a sequel to What's Up Nurse! (1977), with Mitchell replacing Nicholas Field as Dr. Todd.
Secrets of a Door-to-Door Salesman, also known as Naughty Wives, is a 1973 sex comedy film directed by Wolf Rilla and starring Brendan Price and Sue Longhurst.
Can You Keep It Up For A Week? is a 1974 British sex comedy film directed by Jim Atkinson and starring Jeremy Bulloch, Sue Longhurst, Neil Hallett, Richard O'Sullivan and Valerie Leon.
I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight is a 1976 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Barry Andrews, James Booth and Sally Faulkner.