A guide to Confessions of a window cleaner

Val Stuart's 1974 film provides a typical example of a British sex comedy, revelling in naughtiness, innuendo and a typically English 'seaside postcard' type of humour, focusing on a roguish male lead and his farcical exploits with a series of women. The movie is part of a series of films featuring Reg Askwith and Anthony Booth.

Synopsis

Plot
Timothy Lea (Askwith) is a somewhat inept young man who carries a torch for successful police woman Elizabth Radlett (Linda Hayden). However, the path of true love, or, perhaps more appropriately, lust doesn't run smoothly.
Lea is employed as a window cleaner by his brother-in-law Sidney Nogget, whose wife is pregnant.
As a result of that, Nogget expects Lea to take over his mantle as a man who fully 'satisfies' all his customers. Timmy, being an optimistic young man with a certain sense of adventure, is only too happy to take on his new 'duties'.
Lea's ineptitude extends to his bedroom adventures though and he leaves a string of unsatisfied ladies in his wake.
To the surprise of everyone who knows him, he proposes to his darling Liz, who will not be swayed until he proves his commitment.

Cultural significance and critical reception

History
Confessions of a Window Cleaner was part of a series of films, similar in theme and tone, that were released in the 1970s in Britain.
Often criticised at the time, and compared to soft-core pornography because of the amount of female nudity involved, the films are nowadays considered to be cult movies.
The movie was produced by Norman Cohen, Michael Klinger and Greg Smith.
Askwith, who became something of a star after his roles in the series, was the only male actor to be seen naked.
The sex scenes largely played for comedy value and are less explicit than many scenes depicted in films today. Reception
The film was not deemed suitable for British television audiences until 1997 when
Channel 5 broadcast Confessions of a Window Cleaner, much to the chagrin of tabloid newspaper the Daily Mail. Other films
The other films in the series are: Confessions of a Pop Performer, Confessions of a Driving Instructor and Confessions from a Holiday Camp.
They were released after the original film's 1974 release.