Mutiny on the Buses
| Industry | Film production |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Films |
Mutiny on the Buses is a 1972 British comedy film helmed by director Harry Booth, featuring performances by Reg Varney, Doris Hare, Michael Robbins, Anna Karen, Stephen Lewis, and Bob Grant. The production, overseen by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe under the banner of Hammer Films, represents the second cinematic adaptation derived from the television sitcom On the Buses. It follows the initial film On the Buses released in 1971 and precedes Holiday on the Buses from 1973. While it did not achieve the same level of success as its predecessor, it secured the 17th position in the UK box office rankings for 1972.
Plot
Stan Butler works as a bus driver for Town & District and intends to wed Susy, who is also employed as a conductor. His friend Jack encourages this union, but Stan's family, especially his mother, disapproves, fearing he will move away from home. The wedding plans are put on hold when Stan becomes the family's main breadwinner after his brother Arthur is dismissed from his job. Meanwhile, Jack discovers that Mr. Jenkins, the newly appointed depot manager, is enforcing stricter employee policies to boost profits, disrupting Stan and Jack’s previously laid-back approach to their duties.
Jenkins enforces a ban on casual wear beneath uniforms, sparking a rebellion among staff who respond by wearing only their official uniforms. This stunt causes embarrassment for Inspector Blakey and frustrates Jenkins. In response, Jenkins recruits new drivers and offers Arthur employment contingent upon Stan training him. However, their plans are complicated by the introduction of a new radio control system intended to track buses. Jack interferes with this system, causing disruptions that draw police attention and ultimately lead to its removal.
A fire at the depot reveals insufficient safety measures, prompting Jenkins to upgrade facilities and mandate a fire drill. During this drill, Stan and Jack inadvertently create chaos by flooding the depot with foam, resulting in further incidents including Olive crashing her motorbike into a flooded pit. Arthur manages to secure employment but faces financial challenges in affording accommodation with Susy.
Jenkins later announces an initiative for safari tours to Windsor Safari Park, offering increased pay and tips to drivers selected for this service. Although Stan hopes to be chosen, Blakey informs him he is ineligible due to previous misconduct. At a company darts contest, tensions flare when Olive instigates an argument over Arthur’s attention. Subsequently, Stan and Jack uncover Jenkins’ affair with Norah and leverage this information to coerce him into awarding Stan the safari driver role.
During a trial run at the safari park, Stan damages the bus’s emergency exit, leading to a chaotic encounter with animals and putting strain on his relationship with Susy. When Olive reveals she is pregnant again, Susy calls off their engagement. After Jenkins’ affair becomes public knowledge, he is transferred; Blakey is demoted to conductor status and assigned to work with Stan’s bus crew alongside three new conductors, including Gloria. The film concludes with Blakey once again obstructing passengers while Stan agrees to marry Gloria, suggesting a repetitive cycle.
Main cast
- Reg Varney as Stan Butler
- Doris Hare as Mum
- Michael Robbins as Arthur Rudge
- Anna Karen as Olive
- Stephen Lewis as Inspector 'Blakey' Blake
- Bob Grant as Jack Harper
- Janet Mahoney as Susy
- Kevin Brennan as Mr Jenkins
- Pat Ashton as Norah
- Bob Todd as new inspector
- David Lodge as safari guard
- Tex Fuller as Harry
- Caroline Dowdeswell as Sandra
- Damaris Hayman as Mrs Jenkins
- Jan Rennison as Gloria
- Juliet Duncan as Gladys
- Michael Nightingale as pilot
- Roger Avon as policeman (safari park)
- Barry Linehan as policeman (patrol car)
- David Rowlands as policeman (on beat)
- Nicolette Chaffey as nurse
- Dervis Ward as angry passenger
- Wayne Westhorpe as Olive's baby
- Shirley English as woman getting off bus (uncredited)
- Harry Fielder as bus driver (uncredited)
- Alf Mangan as darts match guest (uncredited)
- Sally Osborne as nurse with wheelchair (uncredited)
- Caroline Munro as poster girl (uncredited)
Production
In addition to filming on location, production took place at the EMI-MGM Elstree Studios located in Hertfordshire, England.
The bus showcased at the safari park in Mutiny on the Buses was a Leyland Atlantean with a Metro-Cammell body, bearing the registration NRN 607, and was originally part of the Ribble Motor Services fleet.
Box office
This film ranked among the top British box office hits of 1972.
Critical
The Monthly Film Bulletin characterized it as a "TV sitcom adapted for cinema," noting its lack of genuine humor and dependence on simple comedic elements such as wardrobe mix-ups and infant-related jokes.
According to The Radio Times Guide to Films, the movie received a rating of 1 out of 5 stars, condemning it as a "painfully unfunny comedy" derived from the ITV series. Despite this negative critique, a subsequent installment titled Holiday on the Buses was released the following year.