Main Cast: Carole Augustine, Elaine Baillie, Christine Donna, Porjai Nicholas, Christopher Owen, Claire Russell
Release Year: 1974
Country: UK
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
The British "Confessions" film series was reminiscent of the "Carry On" series, albeit far, far dirtier. Many fans consider the first entry, Confessions of a Window Cleaner, to be the best of the batch. Based on a supposedly autobiographical novel by Timothy Lea, the film stars Robin Askwith as an apprentice window washer with a voyeuristic streak. Nearly everyone with whom Askwith comes in contact is an oversexed, underdressed female. Potato-shaped
Dandy Nichols plays the protagonist's mother. An anachronism even before it was released, Confessions of a Window Cleaner was nonetheless successful enough to inspire several sequels, none of which were released to American theatres. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Cast
Robin Askwith - Timothy Lea; Anthony Booth - Sidney Noggett; Jeannie Collings; Hugo de Vernier - Reception Manager; Brian Hall - Removal Man; Linda Hayden - Elizabeth Radlett; Joan Hickson - Mrs. Radlett; Sam Kydd; John Le Mesurier - Inspector Radlett; Robert Longden - Apprentice; Sue Longhurst - Jacqui; Judy Matheson - Elvie; Bill Maynard - Mr. Lea; Lionel Murton - Landlord; Dandy Nichols - Mrs. Lea; Frank Sieman - Driver; Marianne Stone - Woman in Cinema; Melissa Stribling - Mrs. Villiers; Totti Truman Taylor - Elderly Lady; Richard Wattis - Carol's Father; Sheila White - Rosie Noggett; Katya Wyeth - Carol; Anika Pavel - Dolly; Monika Ringwald - Baby Doll; Andee Cromarty - Window Dresser; Peter Dennis - Waiter; Peter Fontaine - Returning Husband; Anita Graham - Ingrid; Derek Lord - Policeman; Jo Peters; Bruce Wightman - Cafe Owner; David Rose - Store Manager; Olivia Munday; Jenny Westbrook; Carole Augustine - Sunlamp Girl; Elaine Baillie - Ronnie; Christine Donna - Lil; Porjai Nicholas - Stripper; Christopher Owen - Vicar; Claire Russell
Credit
Robert Jones - Art Director, Bert Batt - First Assistant Director, Val Guest - Director, Bill Lenny - Editor, Sam Sklair - Composer (Music Score), Frank Revis - Production Designer, Norman Warwick - Cinematographer, Greg Smith - Producer, Norman Cohen - Producer, Michael Klinger - Producer, Val Guest - Screenwriter, Christopher Wood - Screenwriter, Timothy Lea - Book Author
Like many British sex comedies of the 1970s the narrative involves a male protagonist who gets into compromising situations with a succession of women.[2] The optimistic and inept Timothy Lea is freshly employed by his brother-in-law Sid as a window cleaner. With Sid an impending father to be, he looks to Timmy to fully 'satisfy' his customers, little realising that Timmy's accident prone ways often stretch to his sex life with his clients. Timmy bed hops from unsatisfied housewives to even a lesbian love tryst, all the while with his main eye on successful police woman, Elizabeth Radlett, who will have none of Timmy's sexual advances. He proposes as a result, much to his family's upset, unaware that Timmy's usual run of luck will affect the outcome!
Critical reception & impact
It has been called, "perhaps the best known and most successful British sex film" of the era, and was the top-grossing British film of 1974.[2] As well its sequels in the Confessions series it spawned another unrelated series of films which began with Adventures of a Taxi Driver (1975).[2] The film made Robin Askwith a star in the UK.[2] When the films were originally released they were regarded as very risqué and essentially soft core pornography, owing to the amount of nudity involved - generally female, with Robin Askwith being the only male shown naked. However the sex scenes themselves are more suggestive than explicit, being essentially played for laughs. Nonetheless, it was not until 1997 that Channel 5 became the first British terrestrial channel to show the entire series of Confessions films. At this time the Daily Mail newspaper was very critical of the sexual content of Channel 5's late night schedule, referring to Channel 5 as Channel Filth and the Confessions series as "Films from the darkest days of British cinema".
