I have heard it said that this film took more money at the U.K. box office than 'Taxi Driver' starring Robert De Niro! Easy to see why. Scorsese's film lacked the magic ingredient - Barry Evans' old boy.
Poor Barry. Having starred in the T.V. series 'Doctor In The House' and 'Doctor At Large', he was fired for 'erratic behaviour' and subsequently forced to appear in tat like this.
As you may have guessed, the 'Adventures' series is a shameless rip-off of the 'Confessions' movies starring Robin Askwith. The main gag in all these films is the hero, in bed with a love-starved nymph, being caught by her husband/boyfriend, and having to make a break for it by shinning down a ladder/drainpipe, his bare bottom exposed to the world.
Evans' character is 'Joe North', a chirpy Cockney cabby who lives at home with his mum ( a criminally wasted Diana Dors ) and his younger brother and sister, the latter fond of throwing food around the kitchen. He is betrothed to Carol Hotchkiss ( Adrienne Posta ), whom he hates the sight of. He eventually moves in with his mate, garage owner Tom ( a pre 'Citizen Smith' Robert Lindsay ), and that's when the fun really begins ( sort of ) with knickers and bras flying about confetti. At the end, North gets involved with jewel thieves and you think 'Great! We're going to have a 'Carry On Cabby' type finale!", but no, instead everyone stands around talking for what seems an eternity.
Another reviewer has stated how uncomfortable Evans looks in the role, and I would agree. Unsurprisingly, he was in neither of the two sequels. His career recovered though when he starred in the hit L.W.T. sitcom 'Mind Your Language'. In a sad irony, he became a taxi driver for real when his acting career foundered.
As was the case with 'Confessions', there is a stellar line-up of British comedy talent on display here, including Ian Lavender, Stephen Lewis, Brian Wilde, Liz Fraser, and Henry McGee, none of whom get the material they deserve. Three of Evans' co-stars - Angela Scoular, Adrienne Posta, and Judy Geeson - had acted with him a decade earlier in the superior sex comedy 'Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush'. Scoular charmed George Lazenby out of his kilt in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', but looks a lot less sexy here ( probably due to that awful new hairstyle ). Posta is rather good as the annoying 'Carol', even if her vocalisation of the title theme put me in mind of the mice from 'Bagpuss'. Unable to secure the talents of Linda Hayden, producer Stanley Long settled for her sister Jane, playing a would-be suicidalist.
There are some nice shots of late '70's London, especially at night, but much of the comedy is forced, at times resembling the 'Fast Show' parody 'Confessions Of A Cucumber Salesman'. However, there are at least three genuine laugh-out loud moments, one involving two nuns, another a bathtub, and in the best scene, Liz Fraser's prostitute performs fellatio on a rich client in the back of North's taxi. He breaks suddenly to avoid knocking someone down, the cab lurches forward, and Fraser's client unleashes a terrible scream. Ironically, the movie showing nearby is 'Jaws'! Moments such as these go some way towards making the film at least partially endurable.