Confessions of a Driving Instructor

CONFESSIONS OF A DRIVING INSTRUCTOR is the third of the CONFESSIONS series, which start out with the surprisingly enjoyable CONFESSIONS OF A WINDOW CLEANER. Sadly, this film is far from enjoyable: it's saddled with a rubbish script, peppered with dumb jokes and scenarios which simply rehash those that have come before.

The main cast are all present and correct, but it really is a case of ever decreasing circles this time around. Robin Askwith tries his best as a cheeky chappy whose attempts at the titular career get him embroiled in all manner of sexual shenanigans, but his schtick is wearing thin by now. Anthony Booth is relegated to the sidelines, and Bill Maynard barely gets a cameo.

Better are Windsor Davies as the villain of the piece and George Layton as his gloriously un-PC sidekick Bender, who ends up being the butt of some homophobic humour. The film also includes an early role for Lynda Bellingham as the film's romantic interest, although her performance is hardly great; better are veteran players Liz Fraser and Irene Handl who have some funny scenes between them. Sadly, such effective moments of humour are few and far between in what is overall a lacklustre movie.

This is probably the weakest of the British "Confessions of" series which was generally inferior (albeit much more nudity-saturated) than the much longer running "Carry On" series. Still, if you're talking about British T and A films (I guess that would be "teats and arses"), the "Confessions of" series was the top of the heap, and even this weaker entry is a lot better than most. In this entry (which follows the superior "Confessions of a Pop Performer") Timmy Lea and his brother-in-law Sid have opened up a driving school. All of their customers, of course, are beautiful, sex-crazed women except for one half-blind septuagenarian (Irene Handl). And, of course, they're ALL terrible drivers. As usual "Timmy" has a truly ridiculous amount of sex, but true love--this time with the rugby-obsessed daughter (Linda Bellingham) of the owners of a rival driving school--continues to elude him.

Robin Askwith who plays "Timmy" is about the same as ever, but his goofy family--brother-in-law Sid, his housewife sister, and his cantankerous provincial parents--again provide the best comedy. Bellingham, who was the wife of the producer, probably benefited from nepotism to some extent because she is pretty weak, especially compared to Linda Hayden who typically played the main love interest in these. As for the rest of the girls, you get to see all of Suzy Mandel, but not enough of her as she only has a small part. Sally Faulkner too has a small part as a "golf widow" who somehow ends up up naked in a sand-trap with "Timmy" while her negligent husband plays a round of golf. Faulkner was not ridiculously sexy like Mandel or Mary Millington, but she always made the most of these small comedy-type roles (she also appeared in Jose Larraz's "Vampyres" and later played Glory Annnen's murderous lesbian lover in Norman J. Warren's "Prey").

It really depends on what you compare it to, but I would probably recommend this. It's funnier than most T and A films, and has more T and A than most of the funnier Britidsh films.

It's st. Stephen's Day / Boxing day, and I'm so bored I'm watching Driving Instructor again.

Delighted to see Malchwriter (comment above) get the little add-in bits which highlight why the entire Carry On and Confessions series were such a turning point for British cinema. We might have grown up on them, but Elstree was financially screwed shortly thereafter. Brian Rix did farces which were silly but funny, Confessions is a sort of a farce but wasn't really, and in the '90's 'Allo 'Allo resurrected the entire genre to devastating effect.

But on to why I'd watch it again. Was Sally Adez the girl who passed Robin Askwith as an Instructor (only noticed her name because of "Malchwriter")?. If so, her underwear is a wonderful example of why the '60's and '70's could be so much fun. And Lis Frazer's appearance early on in the film (while the daughter is otherwise engaged) - Beautiful.

Between the miserable kitchen sink dramas of the 60s and the depressing social realism movies of the 80s, British cinema gave us the wonderful 'Confessions' sex-farces—a series of silly comedies which glossed over such trifles as the 3 day week, endless power cuts, unemployment, and industrial action to bring UK cinema-goers the simpler delights of the three 'b's—bums, boobs and bush.

Confessions of a Driving Instructor, the third in the bawdy series, once again sees Robin Askwith as cheeky chappie Timmy Lea, an instructor at a driving school owned by brother-in-law Sidney (Anthony Booth). Despite having a particularly gormless mug, women inexplicably throw themselves at Timmy, and his new profession provides him with endless opportunities to get his leg over with a bevy of beautiful babes, including his sexy landlady (busty Liz Fraser), her equally up-for-it daughter, eager first student Miss Hargreaves (the stunning Suzy Mandel), posh crumpet Lady Snodley, and even Mary (Bisto mum, Lynda Bellingham), the awfully nice daughter of business rival Mr Truscott (Windsor Davies).

Cue lots of sexual innuendo ("shall we try the 69 together?", says Bellingam before opening a bottle of wine), plenty of Benny Hill style speeded-up shagging, and much full frontal nudity from Timmy's conquests (although we only get a single boob from Bellingham, whilst Fraser is content to just wear some sexy lingerie). For fans of un-PC humour, there's also a tad of working class racism and a touch of homophobia for good measure ("you dirty queer... no wonder they call you Bender" shouts Windsor's character at his lackey).

Although it certainly isn't the most sophisticated film to have emerged from Elstree studios, Driving Instructor is still a very enjoyable movie—a cinematic time-capsule from the decade of wife-swapping, dolly birds, flared jeans, X-certificate movies, and Ford Cortinas, and one that even occasionally manages to be every bit as revealing about British folk as its more serious cinematic counterparts.

The Brothers embark on a new business, after previous failed attempts, they're now running a driving school, but things don't quite go to plan.

Of its time, I can think of nothing more appropriate to say about it, at times it's an amusing look at 70's Britain, at times it's dismally written hogwash. People often compare this series to the Carry ons, I wouldn't say they're in the same league. I think it could perhaps be the best of The Confessions movies.

Some of the jokes land so badly, we have spinning wing mirrors and jumping out filing cabinets, humour that hasn't aged well (was it funny in 1976?)

There are some funny moments however, courtesy of the likes of the wonderful Irene Handl, she's great as always. I also thought Windsor Davies was pretty funny, always baffled me to see him with a Scottish accent.

Star of the show is the glamorous and glorious Liz Fraser, who's perhaps wasted here, that figure is jaw dropping.

Expect several nude scenes, you'll get full frontal, and more of Robin Askwith's bottom than you can deal with.

6/10.