Seventies Sex Comedy - Confessions of a Window Cleaner

Sex comedy or more broadly sexual comedy is a genre at was very popular during the sixties, seventies, and eighties. There is nothing wrong in principle with a sex comedy. In the theatre there are plays like No Sex Please, We're British a comedy farce with sexual overtones.

Sex comedies existed in Britain because the censorship laws banned the continental style hard-core porn films that left nothing to the imagination where here in this country it left you the lot. Often-low budget with the two most famous examples were the ‘Adventures” and “Confessions” series starring Robin Askwith in the latter.

The hero would be a cheeky chappie in the above films with shaggy hair, monkey grin, and brightly coloured nylon underpants. Women could not resist him mostly bored married women, thus allowing for countless romps. He would have a girlfriend that he would be desperate to be faithful with but with so much on offer, he be like a kid in a sweetie shop.

The sex would involve a lot of puff and gurning while performing press-ups over the semi-naked body of his latest conquest. After a couple of minutes, this energetic congress would be interrupted by a returning husband, boyfriend or parent leading to a mad dash to find somewhere to hide or he would go out the window.

One of the few interesting things about sex films of the 1970s is the opportunity to spot the stars of British comedy. They keep their decency and self-respect by keeping their clothes on sometimes, mostly keep away from anything too sexual. I looked at the cast of ‘Confessions of a Window Cleaner’, which you can see below.

Robin Askwith.... Last seen in Coronation Street and numerous other TV roles

Antony Booth.... Famous for his role in Till Death Us Do Part.

Bill Maynard.... Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt!

Dandy Nichols.... Till Death Us Do Part.

Sheila White.... She played Messalina in the BBCs I, Claudius (TV series)

Linda Hayden.... A regular on British TV

John Le Mesurier.... Dad’s Army

Many saw working in these kind of films as just a job. Major Hollywood star Richard Burton for instants who is on record he made films he normally wouldn’t touch for the wage packet. Others paying the rent with bit parts are actors such as Irene Handl and Alfie Bass.

This type of films were rather popular and would have a late evening showing before multi-cinemas with the ‘Confessions of a Window Cleaner’ perhaps the best known and most successful British sex film" of the era, and was the top-grossing British film of 1974.