The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1976)

A young handyman and his wife (Barry Stokes, Penny Meredith) move to a small village and set up business. There, the handyman encounters numerous strange characters, including a local ... See full summary »

Director:

John Sealey

Writers:

Derrick Slater (screenplay), John Sealey (original idea)

Stars:

Barry Stokes, Gay Soper, Sue Lloyd

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barry Stokes	...	Bob
Gay Soper	...	Maisie
Sue Lloyd	...	The Blonde
Bob Todd	...	Squire Bullsworthy
Chic Murray	...	P. C. Knowles
Robert Dorning	...	Newsagent
Valerie Leon	...	Redhead
Penny Meredith	...	Margaretta
Helli Louise	...	Newsagent's Daughter
John Blythe	...	Farmer Elgin
Harold Bennett	...	Gasper
Julia Bond	...	Polly (as Julie Bond)
Jeannie Collings	...	Mrs Wain
Alexandra Dane	...	Mrs Knowles
Ava Cadell	...	Schoolgirl

Storyline

A young handyman and his wife (Barry Stokes, Penny Meredith) move to a small village and set up business. There, the handyman encounters numerous strange characters, including a local constable (Chic Murray) more inept than a squadcar full of Keystone Kops; an elderly magistrate (Bob Todd) whose primary passion is spanking young women; a schoolmistress (Sue Lloyd) with a closetful of kinks; and more predatory housewives than the young man can handle.

---

Plot Keywords:

pubic hair | spanking | voyeurism | voyeur | bare breasts | 

---

Taglines:

Always Handy - the odd job man whose services are constantly in demand!

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

November 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Happy Housewives

Filming Locations:

Surrey, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

K.F.R. Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gay Soper replaced Hilary Pritchard as Maisie.

---

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

References The Magic Roundabout (1964)

---

Soundtracks

The Ups and Downs of a Handyman
Music and Lyrics by Vic Elms
Theme song sung by Barry Stokes

User Reviews

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.