Hide and Seek – 1972

In a previous entry I’d written a bit about the “Children’s Film Foundation” movies Robin was in, although I hadn’t seen any of them at the time. But now, thanks to the guy that sent me so many Robin appearances, I’ve been able to watch 2 out of the 3!

Hide and Seek was a fun film. And, one I could watch with my 8 year old son! The story: A boy (Peter Newby, who had a very interesting look, like a young Keith Richardsy type…wonder where he is now?) runs away from some kind of reform school to look for his dad in a section of London named Deptford. Really beautiful old brick buildings there! But it looked like a lot of them were abandoned and getting knocked down, so I wonder how much of the area is left today. I loved the scenes of the kids running through what seemed like interesting brick-walled passageways with mysterious doors – what fun!!!! I love old architecture. Anyway, the boy squats in an empty basement apartment and goes out to steal food. A couple of neighborhood kids find out about him and help him find out where his dad is. Now, the dad is at a nearby demolition site, and has dug a tunnel into a bank in order to steal millions of pounds. He has a gang of helpers, one of whom is Robin, dressed up as a policeman. When one of the kids come nosing around, Robin and another fake cop grab him and lock him up. My son’s favorite part was when the kid gets helped out of the hole in the roof by the other kids and they all start running away from the bad guys…very suspenseful! Hehe

This was 1972, so I had been expecting Robin to have his “Dimensions of Greta/Tower of Evil/Flesh and Blood Show” length hair but no, it appeared pretty short in this. Even my son commented: “I thought Robin Askwith has long hair! This guy doesn’t even look like someone you’d like!” Ahhhh! I assured him I like Robin no matter what he looks like.

I love these CFF films, I wish they still made these type of movies for kids! I have a few non-Robin ones I’d shown my son as well, and he always enjoys them. I try to make sure he’s not too exposed to modern-day movies so he doesn’t get too jaded to enjoy the simpler, more innocent stuff. How wonderful it’d be if the whole CFF collection were to come out on a big boxed-set collection!!!

I have just found out that “Hide and Seek” at least is available for purchase here in the U.S.! Check it out! http://www.tower.com/hide-seek-peter-newby-dvd/wapi/117246105

Crumpet! A Very British Sex Symbol – 2005

Can we really stand another “Sex Film retrospective”? Yep, I guess so! I found this one easily on the web (see below!).

This one focuses on the more innocent side of the genre. “Crumpet” - a word I never really noticed before – refers to the sexy-yet-innocent type of woman who was in everything from sitcoms to movies to pop music. They cover a lot of territory and near the end is when they get to the “Confessions” movies (we are again treated to a bit of the “bubbles” scene from “Window Cleaner” – can they not show us anything else??) and mention how these films were the beginning of the end for the “Crumpet” era – which focused on teasing instead of out-and-out sex. Robin is then brought out and thankfully does NOT again launch into how traumatized he was by that toxic foam. ;) This time he looks to be in a more cheerful mood, hair brushed, and tells us how everyone else turned down the role of Timmy Lea but finally he accepted it. And he also tells us how he enjoyed showing up to work every day while filming these movies.

And, alas, yes, that comedy-sex-crumpet era is long gone. I’ve been watching a more current UK show now called “Shameless” and the innocence and fun is Definitely. Long. Gone.

X-rated: The Films They Tried to Ban – 2005

This may also be titled “Sex in the ‘70s – Blue Movies”?

A year after the film from last week’s entry comes yet another “Sex comedy” retrospective, covering all the same things about the “Confessions” series that was already talked about in the other one. Britain really must be proud of their Sex comedy heritage? Robin is trotted out yet again to complain about that toxic foam he was made to perform in….and it looks like they dragged him right out of bed to do it! His hair is wild and ungroomed. He looks like he wishes he didn’t have to rehash all this stuff yet again. Compare this interview to the one he gave 10 years ago where he seems enthusiastic and pleased to be giving us his overview!

So….we are again told by the announcer that “hardcore porn was illegal in 1970s Britain blah blah blah and sex-comedies were a way around that blah blah blah.” Robin tells us that millions of people saw these films, yet oddly you’ll never meet anyone who’ll admit to seeing them. A few young people I’ve never heard of: a film critic, a comedian and a ‘sex-film expert’ come on and weigh in on the series (doesn’t matter they weren’t born yet, of course) and then we get to see Sue Longhurst, the actress who did the “bubbles” scene with Robin! I fell off the couch. She looks very very old now, grandma-like, even!!! I always freak out when I see someone who used to be young and sexy as an old person. Why do some people morph into elderly people with the short grey hair? I gotta admire Robin in his attempt to keep himself looking the same.

One thing that bugged me was that the announcer referred to Robin’s hair as mullet-like. Ummm, NO you can not describe his hair that way! Mullets were that ridiculous 1980s ‘short-on-top, long in back, hesher/redneck’ style. Robin’s is more mod-60s/glam 70s! Come on, people!!!!

I do have to commend them for having the super-happy pop song “Tiger Feet” going on in the background!

X-rated: The Films that Shocked Britain 2004

Almost 10 years later comes another “look back at Britain’s sex comedies” retrospective.
Robin 54 here, not looking too bad. He talks about the “Confessions” movies, about how successful they were and how, even though there was nudity they were considered acceptable because of the comedy. The whole concept of this genre of films was trying to make sex funny…more slapstick than sexy, even trying to be a continuation of the “Carry On” films, but taking them to a whole other level.

Clips from “Window Cleaner” are shown. Robin talks of that bleach-based foam they used in the bubbles scene, how it made his skin peel off. He also mentions, after we see his naked backside in the bubbles, that he now has a dolphin tattoo on his ass. Sigh. If it’s one thing I liked about 70s porn is that everyone had clean, un-marked bodies. I’m not into all this tattoo craziness of today. But, oh well. I wouldn’t say no if someone has a picture of his tattoo to show me, wink wink!

Doing Rude Things 1995

This is I guess a kind of documentary about the sex-comedy films of the 1970s. Just the parts concerning Robin were added to the discs of appearances I’ve been reviewing in recent weeks. And, oh my gosh, I cannot be more thankful to see this probably pretty rare piece!!! Robin is amazingly adorable here! He walks us through some of his feelings concerning being in the Confessions films. You don’t often get to see him just talking as himself instead of acting, so that was a treat. He seems to have a very fun personality. I’ll add a videoclip of some of it to this so you can see for yourself how hot he is.

Coronation Street – Aug 1, 2007: Episode 6611

Another freebie from the nice guy who sent me all the things I’ve been reviewing in recent weeks. And, very helpfully, he only included the Robin scenes. As I’ve mentioned before, I hate soap operas and was glad to not have to wade through a bunch of storylines that he had nothing to do in. Typical, he only had a few scenes in this episode. He plays “Aidan”, a travel guide in Gozo! What a beautiful place! So sunshiney and historic and flowery! I need a vacation!

So, here’s what I surmised without knowing the characters or the backstory. A middle-aged couple is vacationing on the island, and Robin is showing them around. Only they stress that they are not actually “together” nor do they like each other (not sure of the reason why they’re there together, then). The only hotel room available was a small one with one bed, and the woman “Eileen” is annoyed about that. Robin is his friendly, flirty self with her and she seems flattered at that. Later, the guy “Steve” warns him that she can be dangerous and violent and “Aidan” wonders aloud why Steve is even with her. To which Steve confides that he does find her intriguing and suggests Aidan get together with them for a threesome. This scares Aidan off and he leaves just as Eileen joins them. She disappointedly asks where he’d gone off to. Steve reveals he purposely scared him off because he didn’t want to be left out of his half of the hotel room had Aidan and Eileen hit it off too well!

I guess he never pops up again. Too bad, this would have been a nice spin-off role for him had they developed it further.

Here’s some more reading you can do on this episode if you’re interested:

http://www.gozoluxury.co.uk/press.html

Bottle Boys – Season 2, episode 7, “The Milk Cup Runneth Over” 24 August 1985

This very last episode was a letdown. Not very interesting nor very funny. Robin’s Dave is trying to obtain at ticket to a football match. First he tries to get it when it goes on sale but after getting into a fight with a fan of the opposing team is hauled out of line by a policeman. Then he goes around town following up on leads about who may have a ticket to sell. Finally he gets one from a scalper outside the stadium but is turned away at the gate for having bought a ticket to last week’s game! Ho hum.

But overall, I enjoyed the series, and still need to see the 4 lost episodes. If they ever come out in boxed-set form, I’ll definitely be buying it!!

Bottle Boys – Season 2, episode 6, “I Love Paris” 17 August 1985

This one was so funny! One of the milkmen, Billy, (David Auker, who’d also been in “Hans Brinker” with Robin) wins a trip for two to Paris. The rest of the gang all try to talk him into choosing them to go along….but Robin’s Dave is the quickest-witted and winds up tricking Billy into asking him. Thank goodness, because how funny would the show had been if he didn’t? I laughed out loud during the airplane ride segment! Dave had little experience with airplanes and his confusion and fear were both hilarious and adorable. Then…Paris, with all its misunderstood-language mishaps and a run-in with the French police which leads to Dave having visions of being guillotined. Mmmmm, Robin in 18th century French costume!!! I swear, WHO are these people out there on the internet saying this is the worst British sitcom ever? I could watch this episode over and over I liked it so much! One more final observation. Robin wears THE most ‘80s style sweatshirt covered by a denim vest decorated with those pop music buttons so popular at the time. Just kinda funny. I’m so used to him being “Mr. Ultra 70s” I guess I forget he went through that whole awful 1980s too.

Bottle Boys – Season 2, episode 5, “High Noon” 10 August 1985

The one just before this one is missing. Here's the synopsis of that:

Season 2, episode 4: “If the Cap Fits” 3 August 1985
Dave tries to win the chicken-selling drive in order to secure promotion.

Now onto "High Noon":

Probably the least funny and most predictable one of the lot. A milkman from a rival dairy has started making deliveries to a wealthy neighborhood on Dawson’s Dairy’s route. Robin’s Dave gets annoyed and vows to go to the guy’s house and give him a piece of his mind. Of course, when he gets there the guy turns out to be big and scary and challenges Dave to meet up the next day for a fight. Dave studies up with a karate book, and we are treated to a bunch of his wacky moves. Terrified, he shows up for the fight and bravely goes up against the guy…..only just in time the guy’s wife shows up to bawl him out for making deliveries to that new neighborhood because of the high-class housewives who live there – and forbids him from ever doing so again. The guy slinks off, defeated, and Dave has saved face with his buddies!

Bottle Boys – Season 2, episode 3, “Out of the Frying Pan” 27 July 1985

This one started out with all the milkmen again sitting round the breakroom having their tea. The boss comes in and tells them they need to start upping the sales of eggs and he thought of a way to do it: having one of the milkman and a lovely young lady give a public egg-cooking demonstration! Dave is picked, but alas, finds out he has to wear a chicken suit to do it! (I wonder exactly how many TV shows are out there where one of the characters has to do this. I was actually not too long ago watching an episode of “That Girl” in which this happened as well….) So then I groaned about how stupid it was looking. But, no, Robin made it turn out quite fun. I’ve added a little clip from it below. After they finish the demonstration, they find they are locked out of the dairy building where they’d left their clothes! Of course. They drive to her place – I can’t remember why she didn’t drop him off at his place? – turning heads along the way. So then, they’re at her place changing out of their costumes, are in their underwear, and, naturally, her burly boyfriend shows up. “Dave” hides in the closet and throws on the girl’s wig and clothing and manages to make his escape. Finally, while waiting at the bus stop he sees two of his mates from the dairy who try to make the move on him.
Yeah, lots of predictable cliches, but for some reason I was laughing out loud at all of it !