Confessions of a Window Cleaner ** (1974, Robin Askwith, Anthony Booth, Bill Maynard, Sheila White, Linda Hayden, Dandy Nichols, Joan Hickson, Richard Wattis, John le Mesurier, Melissa Stribling) – Classic Movie Review 6,872

Co-writer/director Val Guest’s 1974 British sex comedy Confessions of a Window Cleaner stars a game Robin Askwith, who gives an appealingly cheeky performance as Timothy ‘Timmy’ Lea, an apprentice window cleaner, working for his brother-in-law Sidney ‘Sid ‘ Noggett (Anthony Booth).

Vainly trying to satisfy his customers, the accident prone Timmy bed hops from one housewife to another, but falls for a successful policewoman Elizabeth Radlett (Linda Hayden), in the first of this incredibly but undeservedly popular British Seventies comedy series, which tried to step into the breach when the Carry On films were flagging.

Astonishingly, Confessions of a Window Cleaner was the top-grossing British film of 1974 and is famed as perhaps the best known and most successful British sex film of the era, the epitome of the saucy Seventies.

The source novels about Timothy Lea were a series of sexual fantasies masquerading as confessional writing, benefiting from the hoax idea that Lea was not a fictional character but the author, This is maintained in the Confessions movies as Lea is credited as the author of the source material, though the real author and co-screenwriter Christopher Wood scarcely resembled his creation.

As presented here, Timothy Lea’s erotic adventures are far more just plain crude and vulgar than amusingly saucy, but the British comedy worthies try hard to raise some laughs and often succeed. It is both low brow and low budget, costing only £100,000, but surprisingly not an independent film, or even truly British one either, as producer Michael Klinger tried to secure most of the funding from Columbia Pictures, who also distributed it and advertised it.

It also stars Bill Maynard as Mr Lea, Dandy Nichols as Mrs Lea, Sheila White as Rosie Noggett, Linda Hayden as Elizabeth Radlett, John le Mesurier as Inspector Radlett, Richard Wattis as Carole’s father, Joan Hickson as Mrs Radlett, and Melissa Stribling as Mrs Villiers.

Also in the cast are Anita Graham as Ingrid, Sam Kydd as first removal man, Christine Donna, Sue Longhurst as Jacqui Brown, Totti Truman Taylor, Lionel Murton as Brenda’s Landlord, Katya Wyeth as Carole, Brian Hall as second removal man and Robert Longden as apprentice.

Confessions of a Window Cleaner runs 90 minutes is produced by Swiftdown, is released by Columbia Pictures, is written by Christopher Wood and Val Guest, is shot by Norman Warwick, is produced by Michael Klinger, Norman Cohen (executive producer) and Greg Smith, and is scored by Sam Sklair.

Three other films in the Confessions series followed: Confessions of a Pop Performer (1975), Confessions of a Driving Instructor (1976) and Confessions from a Holiday Camp (1977), with Askwith and Booth. The upstart did not prove as durable as the Carry On series. What did? Only the Bond movies. But it did well to make a series of four.

Christopher Wood (5 November 1935 – 9 May 2015), best known for the Confessions series of novels and films which he wrote as Timothy Lea, also adapted two James Bond novels for the screen: The Spy Who Loved Me (1977, with Richard Maibaum) and Moonraker (1979).

Richard Wattis (25 February 1912 – 1 February 1975) was one of the key great character actors of his era, making a gazillion films from A Yank at Oxford (1938) and Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) to Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974). His other films include The Belles of St Trinian’s, Blue Murder at St Trinian’s, The Great St Trinian’s Train Robbery, The Prince and the Showgirl (1957), Games That Lovers Play, Hobson’s Choice, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Carry On Spying, The Colditz Story, Dentist on the Job, Very Important Person, The Happiest Days of Your Life, The Longest Day and Operation Crossbow. Most notably on TV, he was a star of the Eric Sykes BBC TV sitcom Sykes. Other TV credits include Jackanory, Danger Man, The Prisoner, The Goodies, Hancock’s Half Hour, and Father Dear Father.

Melissa Stribling (7 November 1926 – 22 March 1992) was married to the film director Basil Dearden. Their sons are director James Dearden and Torquil Dearden. She is best known as Mina Holmwood in Dracula (1958).

RIP Anthony Booth (9 October 1931 – 25 September 2017), best known for his role as Mike Rawlins in the BBC TV series Till Death Us Do Part, who stars as Sidney Noggett alongside Askwith in the Confessions series.

RIP Bill Maynard (8 October 1928 – 30 March 2018), who co-stars as Mr Lea in the Confessions series.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6,872

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

Bill Maynard co-stars as Mr Lea.