Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersSundance Film FestivalIndependent Spirit AwardsBlack History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Ups and Downs of a Handyman

  • 19751975
  • RR
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
4.2/10
251
YOUR RATING
The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975)
Comedy
The sexually frustrated women of Sodding Chipbury lead a humdrum existence, until Bob, the handsome new handyman, arrives in their picturesque village.The sexually frustrated women of Sodding Chipbury lead a humdrum existence, until Bob, the handsome new handyman, arrives in their picturesque village.The sexually frustrated women of Sodding Chipbury lead a humdrum existence, until Bob, the handsome new handyman, arrives in their picturesque village.
IMDb RATING
4.2/10
251
YOUR RATING
    • John Sealey
    • Derrick Slater(screenplay)
    • John Sealey(original idea)
  • Stars
    • Barry Stokes
    • Gay Soper
    • Sue Lloyd
    • John Sealey
    • Derrick Slater(screenplay)
    • John Sealey(original idea)
  • Stars
    • Barry Stokes
    • Gay Soper
    • Sue Lloyd
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 14User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:43
    Watch Trailer

    Photos15

    The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975)
    The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975)
    Sue Lloyd, Chic Murray, and Barry Stokes in The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975)
    Gay Soper in The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975)
    Helli Louise and Barry Stokes in The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975)
    Harold Bennett and Valerie Leon in The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975)
    Alexandra Dane and Helli Louise in The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975)
    Alexandra Dane and Barry Stokes in The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975)
    Barry Stokes in The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975)
    The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975)
    The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975)
    The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Barry Stokes
    Barry Stokes
    • Bob
    Gay Soper
    Gay Soper
    • Maisie
    Sue Lloyd
    Sue Lloyd
    • The Blonde
    Bob Todd
    Bob Todd
    • Squire Bullsworthy
    Chic Murray
    • P. C. Knowles
    Robert Dorning
    • Newsagent
    Valerie Leon
    Valerie Leon
    • Redhead
    Penny Meredith
    • Margaretta
    Helli Louise
    • Newsagent's Daughter
    John Blythe
    John Blythe
    • Farmer Elgin
    Harold Bennett
    Harold Bennett
    • Gasper
    Julia Bond
    • Polly
    • (as Julie Bond)
    Jeannie Collings
    • Mrs Wain
    Alexandra Dane
    • Mrs Knowles
    Ava Cadell
    Ava Cadell
    • Schoolgirl
    Pauline Letts
    Pauline Letts
    • Mother
    Nita Lorraine
    • Jenny Elgin
    Olivia Syson
    • Mrs. Bullsworthy
      • John Sealey
      • Derrick Slater(screenplay)
      • John Sealey(original idea) (screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Can You Keep It Up for a Week?
    4.4
    Can You Keep It Up for a Week?
    Naughty Wives
    4.5
    Naughty Wives
    Queen Kong
    3.2
    Queen Kong
    Confessions from a Holiday Camp
    4.2
    Confessions from a Holiday Camp
    Spaced Out
    4.5
    Spaced Out
    Penelope Pulls It Off
    4.1
    Penelope Pulls It Off
    Adventures of a Taxi Driver
    4.3
    Adventures of a Taxi Driver
    Come Play with Me
    3.7
    Come Play with Me
    The Man Who Had Power Over Women
    5.4
    The Man Who Had Power Over Women
    Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers
    4.7
    Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers
    Confessions of a Window Cleaner
    4.6
    Confessions of a Window Cleaner
    Confessions from the David Galaxy Affair
    3.2
    Confessions from the David Galaxy Affair

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      It was intended to be the first of a series, but the idea was dropped. The sequel would have been called "Ups and Downs of a Soccer Star", and was to star Julie Lee, with a script by John Sealey and Ken Follett
    • Goofs
      In the last shot of the bathroom sequence a crew member's hand can be briefly seen touching actress Mrs Wain's backside, directing her to move out of the way of the camera.
    • Alternate versions
      For the original UK cinema release, cuts were made to the opening sex scene between Bob and Margaretta. The same print was then cut by a further 1 min 17 secs for video with additional edits to a sex scene in a bathtub. The 2009 Odeon DVD features the original cinema version.
    • Connections
      Featured in Twisted Sex Vol. 19 (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      The Ups and Downs of a Handyman
      Music and Lyrics by Vic Elms

      Theme song sung by Barry Stokes

    User reviews14

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    5/10
    Tatty film - but I want to move in to this randy hamlet!
    A recently married young couple arrive in a quaint English village and - through fate - he starts to become very successful as a local odd job man. Although his success has little to do with his skill at fixing-and-making-good!

    The above sentence might make this sound like a legit film like The Godfather and The Shawshank Redemption, but can I quickly dismiss such thoughts. Indeed consider the thought shot-down-in-flames. This is a straight out, head-on, show-me-the-money, no prisoners taken, attempt to exploit money from a soft-core sex romp.

    (What the comedians call a "cold weather film" - you want to turn your collar up as you leave the cinema!)

    The sex film is unique that it doesn't need any plot device or central theme. Indeed we reviewers get embarrassed by such omissions and try and pretend to see one ourselves.

    Here the lead is a male Emmanuelle - someone who falls victim to other people's agendas: Unlike so many of cheap guy-trying-to-cop-off British sex comedies he never takes the sexual lead.

    However when the housewife strips off, lays across the bed, mimes a quarter to three with her legs our hero catches on that there may be more to the job than fixing the bed leg. Like the household dog who sees a wild rabbit - he returns to his primitive self. However in post coital bliss he turns to his former state as the slow affable moron.

    To link together and scenes and fill time we have weak comedy in the form of a spank happy Lord of Manor and a snooping policeman - who has nothing better to do then watch the antics of our bumbling hero. The village, obviously, being crime free.

    (Bob Todd and Chic Murray - Lord and Policeman respectively - were respected character/comedy actors in their day, although long gone to the great music hall in the sky.)

    The director (John Sealey) hardly worked again and you can see why! Is there anything more depressing than third rate dialogue captured on a genuine 35 mm film camera? It is almost a crime against cinema itself. This should be on Super 8!

    For a moment I dream, and in this dream I win the lottery and move in to this village of sex starved zanies - where behind every door is a frustrated wife or a horny daughter with the IQ of a fish and the dress sense of a desperate stripper. If only such a place existed and I could move in - or even take a two week a year holiday.
    helpful•3
    1
    • Pedro_H
    • Sep 22, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 1976 (United States)
      • United Kingdom
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Surrey, England, UK
    • Production company
      • K.F.R. Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 40 minutes
      • Color
      • Mono

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.