On the Buses * (1971, Reg Varney, Doris Hare, Anna Karen, Michael Robbins, Stephen Lewis, Bob Grant) – Classic Movie Review 6873

Director Harry Booth’s 1971 movie stars Reg Varney as Stan Butler and Doris Hare as his mum in this poor first spin-off from the inexplicably popular 60s and 70s British TV comedy series, which ran seven seasons from 1969 to 1973. It finds the Hammer house of horror returning to its roots as a film company spinning off hit radio and TV shows.

It might be okay if it wasn’t lumbered with a witless, sexist, smutty script about women drivers (you know, the ones who can’t drive) at Varney’s bus garage. The bus company decide to overturn a long-standing decision and employ women bus drivers, so, with his overtime wages threatened, Stan joins forces with his bus conductor buddy Jack Harper (Bob Grant) to sabotage the new female employees.

On the Buses strains one’s liking for the amiable cast to the limit. It was a big box-office winner though, and in 1971, On the Buses was the second greatest hit of the year at the British box office, following The Aristocats. So two sequels duly followed – 1972’s Mutiny on the Buses and 1973’s Holiday on the Buses. It was made for only £90,000, that is £10,000 less than Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974), so it must have racked up quite a profit.

It stars Reg Varney, Doris Hare as Mum, Anna Karen as Stan’s sister Olive Rudge, Michael Robbins as Stan’s brother-in-law Arthur Rudge, Stephen Lewis as bus Inspector Cyril ‘Blakey’ Blake and Bob Grant as bus conductor Jack Harper.

Also in the cast are Andrea Lawrence, Pat Ashton, Brian Oulton, Pamela Cundell, Pat Coombs, Wendy Richard, Peter Madden, David Lodge, Brenda Grogan, Caroline Dowdeswell, Eunice Black, Claire Davenport, Maggie McGrath, Jeanne Varney, Nosher Powell, Tex Fuller, Terry Duggan, Anna Michaels, Norman Mitchell, Arthur Mullard, Ivor Salter, George Roderick, Gavin Campbell, David Rowlands, Hilda Barry, Jeanette Wilde, Moira Foot and Reginald Peters.

On the Buses runs 88 minutes, is made by EMI Films and Hammer Films, is released by MGM-EMI, is written by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney, is shot in Technicolor by Mark McDonald, is produced by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney, and is scored by Max Harris and Philip Martell.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6873

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