Two months after 'On The Buses' notched up its sixth successful season on television, the gang were back, this time in the second of their big screen offerings. With the first being the most popular film release of 1971 ( had 'Diamonds Are Forever' opened earlier, I suspect this might not have been the case ), there just had to be one.
Director Harry Booth returned to oversee the proceedings, once again scripted and produced by the Two Ronalds - Wolfe and Chesney. The title 'Mutiny On The Buses' was chosen by the winner of a competition in 'The News Of The World'. Pity the writers were not aware of it when they started work on the script. The idea of Blakey as 'Captain Bligh' and Stan Butler as 'Fletcher Christian' is most appealing.
The plot ( such as it is ) revolves around Stan's accidental engagement to clippie Suzy. Stan cannot afford a place of his own, and Suzy is not keen on moving into the Butler household ( can you blame her? ), so the wedding is deferred. When Arthur loses his job, Stan gets him into the bus depot as a driver.
As the slapstick comedy went over well in the first film, 'Mutiny' offered more of the same - hence Blakey breaks a light fitting as he plays darts ( he is distracted by a sexy clippie ), the depot catches fire, Olive races around on Arthur's motorcycle, a sewer worker is hit by a dartboard which falls off Stan's bus, Arthur reverses into a stop, the depot is engulfed by fire-extinguisher foam, and there's the hilarious finale in which a lion menaces Blakey and Stan drives through Windsor Safari Park with an excited chimpanzee on the wheel.
One of the more unfortunate aspects of the 'Buses' movies was the broadening of the humour, here we are treated to topless clippies exposing themselves to Blakey, Little Arthur taking a dump in his father's cap, and Big Arthur stepping in his son's wee-filled potty. 'On The Buses' on television was a family show, but the movies were targeted at the young and dirty-minded. I saw 'Carry On Matron' in 1972 and the house was full of sniggering teenagers, the sort who went to see 'Mutiny On The Buses' and later, the 'Confessions' movies.
'Mutiny' also offers one of the first examples of 'product placement' in a movie - Stan's bus is festooned with ads for Pontins holiday camp and the Ladbrookes betting shop chain. The next film 'Holiday On The Buses' would mainly be set in one of Sir Fred's establishments.
Brassy blonde Pat Ashton, who played 'Sally' in the first film, returns as a different character - 'Nymphie Norah'. She also appeared in two episodes of the series - as 'Doreen'. 'Suzy' was played by Janet Mahoney, also to be found in 'Carry On Loving' and as 'Dawn Dailey' the dancer in 'Doctor In Trouble'.
Released in the summer of 1972, 'Mutiny' was another big hit, though not on the same scale as its predecessor. Personally, I think its a better film, though 'Holiday On The Buses' was the best of the trio. Ron Grainer's musical score boasted a catchy accordion and saxophone title theme - a big improvement over the dreadful 'Its A Great Life On The Buses' by QuinceHarmon.
Where do the three movies fit into the chronology of the show? They don't. Arthur and Olive were childless on television, the buses were green instead of red, and the name of the company was 'Luxton & District' not 'Town & District'. So some time after the 'Gardening Time' episode, we must assume that Stan returned home from the Midlands, Arthur remarried Olive, and the Luxton bus company underwent a makeover. Blakey was to eventually retire ( but that's another story ).
Director Harry Booth returned to oversee the proceedings, once again scripted and produced by the Two Ronalds - Wolfe and Chesney. The title 'Mutiny On The Buses' was chosen by the winner of a competition in 'The News Of The World'. Pity the writers were not aware of it when they started work on the script. The idea of Blakey as 'Captain Bligh' and Stan Butler as 'Fletcher Christian' is most appealing.
The plot ( such as it is ) revolves around Stan's accidental engagement to clippie Suzy. Stan cannot afford a place of his own, and Suzy is not keen on moving into the Butler household ( can you blame her? ), so the wedding is deferred. When Arthur loses his job, Stan gets him into the bus depot as a driver.
As the slapstick comedy went over well in the first film, 'Mutiny' offered more of the same - hence Blakey breaks a light fitting as he plays darts ( he is distracted by a sexy clippie ), the depot catches fire, Olive races around on Arthur's motorcycle, a sewer worker is hit by a dartboard which falls off Stan's bus, Arthur reverses into a stop, the depot is engulfed by fire-extinguisher foam, and there's the hilarious finale in which a lion menaces Blakey and Stan drives through Windsor Safari Park with an excited chimpanzee on the wheel.
One of the more unfortunate aspects of the 'Buses' movies was the broadening of the humour, here we are treated to topless clippies exposing themselves to Blakey, Little Arthur taking a dump in his father's cap, and Big Arthur stepping in his son's wee-filled potty. 'On The Buses' on television was a family show, but the movies were targeted at the young and dirty-minded. I saw 'Carry On Matron' in 1972 and the house was full of sniggering teenagers, the sort who went to see 'Mutiny On The Buses' and later, the 'Confessions' movies.
'Mutiny' also offers one of the first examples of 'product placement' in a movie - Stan's bus is festooned with ads for Pontins holiday camp and the Ladbrookes betting shop chain. The next film 'Holiday On The Buses' would mainly be set in one of Sir Fred's establishments.
Brassy blonde Pat Ashton, who played 'Sally' in the first film, returns as a different character - 'Nymphie Norah'. She also appeared in two episodes of the series - as 'Doreen'. 'Suzy' was played by Janet Mahoney, also to be found in 'Carry On Loving' and as 'Dawn Dailey' the dancer in 'Doctor In Trouble'.
Released in the summer of 1972, 'Mutiny' was another big hit, though not on the same scale as its predecessor. Personally, I think its a better film, though 'Holiday On The Buses' was the best of the trio. Ron Grainer's musical score boasted a catchy accordion and saxophone title theme - a big improvement over the dreadful 'Its A Great Life On The Buses' by QuinceHarmon.
Where do the three movies fit into the chronology of the show? They don't. Arthur and Olive were childless on television, the buses were green instead of red, and the name of the company was 'Luxton & District' not 'Town & District'. So some time after the 'Gardening Time' episode, we must assume that Stan returned home from the Midlands, Arthur remarried Olive, and the Luxton bus company underwent a makeover. Blakey was to eventually retire ( but that's another story ).