Mutiny on the Buses

"Your Favourite BUSES Fun Gang... Back Again in Their SECOND Big Screen Comedy!"

1972 1h 29m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 59

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Bus driver Stan Butler agrees to marry Suzy, much to the anguish of Mum, her son-in-law, Arthur, and daughter Olive. How, they wonder, will they ever manage without Stan's money coming in? Then Arthur is sacked, and Stan agrees to delay the wedding. Meanwhile, he hits on an idea: Arthur should learn to drive a bus. Somehow he does just that, and even gets a job. Stan then blackmails the Depot Manager into giving him the job of driver on the new money-making Special Tours Bus. A great idea ...if only the inspector hadn't taken Stan on his trial run to the Windsor Safari Park

“Your Favourite BUSES Fun Gang... Back Again in Their SECOND Big Screen Comedy!”

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Cast

Reg Varney
Stan Butler
Doris Hare
Mrs. Butler
Michael Robbins
Arthur Rudge
Anna Karen
Olive Rudge
Bob Grant
Jack Harper
Stephen Lewis
Inspector Blakey
Janet Mahoney
Susy
Pat Ashton
Norah

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Harry Booth
Writers: Ronald Wolfe, Ronald Chesney
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

89 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

54 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "On the Buses Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Harry Booth, shot by Mark McDonald. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ron Grainer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Archie Ludski shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Reg Varney and Doris Hare and Michael Robbins carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Your Favourite BUSES Fun Gang... Back Again in Their SECOND Big Screen Comedy!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Harry Booth directs. Mark McDonald behind the camera. Ron Grainer scores. Archie Ludski cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

189 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
254 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "On the Buses Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Harry Booth, shot by Mark McDonald. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Ron Grainer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Archie Ludski shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Reg Varney and Doris Hare and Michael Robbins carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Your Favourite BUSES Fun Gang... Back Again in Their SECOND Big Screen Comedy!".
9IMDB entry: tt0068981 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 59 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Mark McDonald
Original score: Ron Grainer
Editing: Archie Ludski
Production design: Scott MacGregor
Makeup / hair: Eddie Knight
Runtime: 89 min · 1h 29m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Mutiny on the Buses (1972)

Part of

On the Buses Collection

A British comedy film series spin-off from the TV sitcom, that spawned two further films.

Also by

Harry Booth

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-08-15
★ 7/10
You lecherous moron! The second of three film spin-offs from the very popular British situation comedy, On the Buses, is actually the best of the three. Of course this will mean nothing to any Brit who wasn't a fan of the format, or anyone perturbed by the absence of political correctness in movies from a different era. Falling in line with the wave of sex comedy based movies that surfaced in 1970s Britain, Mutiny on the Buses pitches our sex hungry bus depot workers against a new management regime determined to actually operate a bus company! Hence the mutiny when all and sundry do all they can to usurp the plans of Inspector Blakey (Stephen Lewis) and Mr. Jenkins (Kevin Brennan). What follows, in between the kissing and fondling - and the not so sly innuendo - are the usual pratfall scenarios played for energetic laughs, with the stand out being a fire drill training stint that descends into frothy chaos. Somewhat forgotten is that the snapshot of the era carries considerable value for those that lived it. The cramped housing arrangements, the sexual attitudes and the unemployment issues brought about by redundancy, these are here making a mark regardless of being played for laughs. The change over of ramshackle buses to the new type as a new era is ushered in - with the engine at the rear no less! And delightful old wives tales to help you to stop snoring. Yes, there's the harmless smut (this is hardly the "Confessions Of" or "Adventures Of" standard of sex comedy films), and a gentle smell of misogyny (though the girls are empowered to take control here), but time is a funny thing and so is nostalgia. Mutiny on the Buses, good fun with a wink and a nod to early 70s Britain. 7/10
r96sk2020-12-28
★ 7/10
Almost better than the first film, if not for that messy ending. Still good. <em>'Mutiny on the Buses'</em> is the second of three spin-off films from the <em>'On the Buses'</em> television series. I think I've watched bits of this one before, certainly the safari parts, but not in full as far as I'm aware. Reg Varney, Bob Grant and Stephen Lewis are as good as they are in the original film, with Lewis again my personal standout. The sexism, which is prevalent in the 1971 film, is toned-down here, though there are still occurrences - as you'd expect. Any 'Laugh-O-Meter' would remain at the same level, nothing close to a full-on laugh but there are amusing moments. I found the plot, whilst still silly, an improvement on its predecessor. However, the ending feels too randomly stuck together in order to fill the run time; despite it still giving stuff to make for decent viewing.