Holiday on the Buses (1973)
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With the package holiday boom of the 1970's in full swing,it seemed that the going abroad was no longer the prerogative of the rich anymore,and that anyone can enjoy the joys of the Costa Brava. Of course in this new era of liberation for the working class was reflected in the films of the day.So Carry on Abroad (1972) went to Mediterranean island Elsbels,Are You Being Served? (1977 ) went to the sunny resort of Costa Plonka, (check out those hilarious comedy names for the foreign resorts).Mean while the cast of On the Buses for there third big screen outing go to the sunny climbs of Prestatyn, North Wales to enjoy the charms of a Butlins style holiday camp. So what happens when Town & District bus company two best or worst ( Stan Butler (Reg Varney) and Jack (Bob Grant) ), depending on your view-point,employees get sacked for being lecherous incompetent dim wits,well it seems they get employed by a holiday camp to take their campers on holiday tours.But of course all this holiday mischief just gives the boys more reasons to chase skirt,blow up toilet bowls,trying to have sex on a choppy ferry and just generally annoying Blakey (Stephen Lewis),who by coincidence got sacked and ended up at the same holiday camp as head security guard. The sauce level is raised slightly with a bit of nudity (female of course,not sure the world was ready for Reg and Bob to do full frontal nudity at that time.) and of course the highlight is the scene where Anna Karen as Olive,loses her bikini bottoms in the indoor swimming pool,and we get the full shot of her naked bottom. Alas reports has it that it was a stand in bottom and not Anna Karen's rear,also this seems to be one of the few times of any censorship problems,the bum shot is usually snipped if the film is shown during the daytime.So how does the Buses trilogy compare to other such great movie trilogies? Is it better than The Godfather films,definitely,better than Star Wars yes certainly,more funnier than Lord of the Rings maybe not.But does any of those films have geriatric love-making or Arthur Mullard no.