Having been both window cleaner and pop performer, accident-prone Timothy Lea ( Robin Askwith ) embarks on another of his brother-in-law Sid Noggett's ( Tony Booth ) daft, money-making schemes, this time buying Dumphrey's run-down driving school, which they rename 'Noglea'.
Unfortunately, they have a rival next door in the shape of the Truscott School of Motoring, run by pompous Henry Truscott ( Windsor Davies ) and his creepy minion Tony Bender ( George Layton ). Timmy takes a fancy to the former's posh daughter Mary ( Lynda Bellingham ). When not courting her, he is seduced by practically every female he meets, including his landlady 'Mrs.Chalmers' ( Liz Fraser ), her nymphet daughter 'Avril' ( Maxine Casson ) and 'Lady Snodley' ( Chrissy Iddon ).
The best place to see a 'Confessions' film is the cinema. Rather like Bond movies, they lose something on the small screen. It is hard to explain their appeal to anyone who was not alive in the '70's. You had to be there. Yes, they're sexist, homophobic, racist etc. That's why we love 'em! 'Driving Instructor' is my favourite, mainly because of Windsor Davies' Sean Connery impersonation and the irreplaceable Irene Handl as a senile learner. George Layton's 'Bender' is not unlike Richard O'Sullivan's 'Bingham' from the L.W.T. 'Doctor' series, in which Layton played 'Dr.Paul Collier'.
Bill Maynard's fight with the Italian waiter ( John Junkin ) is a scream, as is Damaris Hayman's short-sighted golfer whacking Timmy's bare bum with a golf club, and there are good car stunts by Rocky Taylor. Ed Welch's title theme is great too.
Funniest moment? Lord Snodley ( Ballard Berkeley from 'Fawlty Towers' ) catches Timmy making love to his wife, and sets his hunting dogs on him. Tally Ho!
Lynda Bellingham was then married to producer Greg Smith. In an interview at the time, Robin expressed a desire ( no, not that sort ) to direct a 'Confessions', but it never happened. I wonder what it would have been like.
Given the storyline - rival driving schools competing for custom - it is kind of ironic that in the year this was released, the 'Confessions' series itself acquired a rival - Stanley A.Long's 'Adventures Of A Taxi Driver' starring Barry Evans and Judy Geeson. Actors such as Liz Fraser were poached. It proved equally popular. I do not think Greg Smith had cause for complaint though, seeing how 'Confessions' was a carbon-copy of the 'Carry On' movies to start with.
Big hit though this was ( rightly so ), the end was nigh for Timmy Lea. One more movie - 'Confessions From A Holiday Camp' - and his ardour would be dampened forever. It was probably just as well. You could not imagine a 'Confessions' movie being made in the 1980's. What would it have been called? 'Confessions Of A Dole Signer'?
Unfortunately, they have a rival next door in the shape of the Truscott School of Motoring, run by pompous Henry Truscott ( Windsor Davies ) and his creepy minion Tony Bender ( George Layton ). Timmy takes a fancy to the former's posh daughter Mary ( Lynda Bellingham ). When not courting her, he is seduced by practically every female he meets, including his landlady 'Mrs.Chalmers' ( Liz Fraser ), her nymphet daughter 'Avril' ( Maxine Casson ) and 'Lady Snodley' ( Chrissy Iddon ).
The best place to see a 'Confessions' film is the cinema. Rather like Bond movies, they lose something on the small screen. It is hard to explain their appeal to anyone who was not alive in the '70's. You had to be there. Yes, they're sexist, homophobic, racist etc. That's why we love 'em! 'Driving Instructor' is my favourite, mainly because of Windsor Davies' Sean Connery impersonation and the irreplaceable Irene Handl as a senile learner. George Layton's 'Bender' is not unlike Richard O'Sullivan's 'Bingham' from the L.W.T. 'Doctor' series, in which Layton played 'Dr.Paul Collier'.
Bill Maynard's fight with the Italian waiter ( John Junkin ) is a scream, as is Damaris Hayman's short-sighted golfer whacking Timmy's bare bum with a golf club, and there are good car stunts by Rocky Taylor. Ed Welch's title theme is great too.
Funniest moment? Lord Snodley ( Ballard Berkeley from 'Fawlty Towers' ) catches Timmy making love to his wife, and sets his hunting dogs on him. Tally Ho!
Lynda Bellingham was then married to producer Greg Smith. In an interview at the time, Robin expressed a desire ( no, not that sort ) to direct a 'Confessions', but it never happened. I wonder what it would have been like.
Given the storyline - rival driving schools competing for custom - it is kind of ironic that in the year this was released, the 'Confessions' series itself acquired a rival - Stanley A.Long's 'Adventures Of A Taxi Driver' starring Barry Evans and Judy Geeson. Actors such as Liz Fraser were poached. It proved equally popular. I do not think Greg Smith had cause for complaint though, seeing how 'Confessions' was a carbon-copy of the 'Carry On' movies to start with.
Big hit though this was ( rightly so ), the end was nigh for Timmy Lea. One more movie - 'Confessions From A Holiday Camp' - and his ardour would be dampened forever. It was probably just as well. You could not imagine a 'Confessions' movie being made in the 1980's. What would it have been called? 'Confessions Of A Dole Signer'?