Adventures of a Plumber's Mate

Adventures of a Plumber's Mate is a 1978 British sex comedy film directed by Stanley Long and starring Christopher Neil as Sid South.[1] It was written by Stephen D. Frances and Aubrey Cash. Following Adventures of a Taxi Driver (1976) and Adventures of a Private Eye (1977), it was the final film of the series which attempted to occupy the same market position as the better-known and more successful Confessions series starring Robin Askwith.

Adventures of a Plumber's Mate
Theatrical ball
Directed byStanley Long
Written byStephen D. Frances
Aubrey Cash
Produced byStanley Long
Peter Long
StarringChristopher Neil
Arthur Mullard
Stephen Lewis
Willie Rushton
CinematographyPeter Sinclair
Edited byJoe Gannon
Music byChristopher Neil
Distributed bySalon Productions
Release date
  • 18 May 1978 (1978-05-18)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Cast

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Although Stephen Lewis's character is given the name Crapper, he is in fact recreating his TV role in On The Buses as Inspector Blake.

Critical reception

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For Monthly Film Bulletin, Tim Pulleine wrote: "A glum essay in blue-nosed British farce, featuring a dismayingly loutish protagonist and rapidly abandoning any pretence at an integrated plot. The most regrettable aspect of the film is that a vicious criminal who beats up his wife is presented as an acceptable figure of fun. Elsewhere, the lack of concern for convincing detail is demonstrated by having a supposed Picasso painting hanging on the side of the owner's swimming pool."[2]

The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 1/5 stars, writing: "An example of the British blue comedy boom of the 1970s, this tatty tale presents wife-beating as slapstick. Christopher Neil is unappealing as the hero, whose attempts to settle his debts bring him into contact with endless sex-starved women and gangster William Rushton."[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Adventures of a Private Eye". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Adventures of a Plumber's Mate". Monthly Film Bulletin. 45 (528): 83. 1978 – via ProQuest.
  3. ^ Radio Times Guide to Films (18th ed.). London: Immediate Media Company. 2017. p. 15. ISBN 9780992936440.
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