The Likely Lads (film)

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The Likely Lads is a 1976 film starring James Bolam and Rodney Bewes. It took its name from the popular British television series of the 1960s The Likely Lads, although it was closer in tone to the more recent sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?.

Plot

The opening sequence shows the conception of both the protagonists, during an World War II Air raid. After the opening credits the film cuts to Bob and Terry, who are both now around the age of thirty, they are playing football with children around the age of eleven.

The main plot begins when Bob and Terry's former drinking hole, The Fat Ox is demolished. Bob feels great sentimentality for this whereas Terry who is now living in a high rise council flat in Gateshead is more optimistic of the redevelopment stating he has a "Modern kitchen, a lovely view and an inside lavatory". From this point the plot unfolds, Terry receives his divorce from his wife in West Germany, and is looking forward to a bright future, Bob on the other hand is growing tired of his married life with Thelma and jaded with his social activities (ironically two things he boasted about in the series Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?).

Terry starts a sexual relationship with Christina (or 'Chris' as she is known), a Finnish beauty, of whom Bob is openly envious. Thelma sees this as an opportunity to try to get Terry married, thus removing the threat of her husband's boyhood friend. In her pursuit of this, she insists the four of them go on a caravanning holiday in Northumberland, while Thelma and Chris enjoy the trip, Bob and Terry do not and hitch up the caravan and drive home with the girls asleep in the caravan. However at some roadworks, both Thelma and Chris leave the car, with Bob driving off before they can get back in, unknowingly leaving Bob and Terry driving alone, giving them the opportunity to pick up Sandra and Glenys, two young female hitch hikers.

On return home, Terry and Chris split up, and Bob leaves Thelma to stay at Terry's. Terry seduces Iris, a collegue of Chris, leaving Bob to unwittingly walk in on their lovemaking. Both Bob and Thelma incorrectly believe each other to be having sexual relations elsewhere. The two of them argue in the back of Terry's van. Unbeknown to Bob and Thelma, the public address system is left on, broadcasting their arguments across their neighbourhood. Terry gets sacked for this incident.

Bob and Terry then drive to Whitley Bay and take a room in a Bed and Breakfast. Bob first seduces the landlady's daughter and Terry, the landlady. After hearing noises from her bedroom, a disgusted mother walks into her daughter's bedroom, shortly after Bob makes a departure from the bedroom window. The same happens again, however with roles reversed, this time Terry makes a departure from the window. The landlady then goes to the door, for Terry, however Bob appears, leaving her to accuse him of rape. The pair of them then make a hasty departure (trouserless) back to Terry's flat where Thelma and Audrey (Terry's elder sister) are waiting, with both Bob and Terry unable to explain the absence of their trousers.

Terry then takes Audrey's advice and makes plans to emigrate and signs on a boat leaving Newcastle. Bob and Terry spend the night drinking on the boat. Terry decides to stay and leaves the boat, however Bob after much intoxication falls asleep and remains on the boat, sleeping until after its departure. The last diction in the film involves Terry explaining to Thelma, they'll drop him off at the next port of call, that being Bahrain.

Quotations

Vicar:I'm affrain I've got two young ladies in trouble (To a Lorry driver, the misinterpretation is played on, with the Lorry driver under the impression he has impregnated Thelma and Chris. The joke continued when Thelma mentioned it "being in front of the boys brigade)

Bob: As far as women are concerned, you're hardly Omar Sharif

Terry: If Omar Sharif had lived in Gateshead, I doubt if he would have been Omar Sharif.

Bob: I think I'm going through what the psychiatrists call an identity crisis

Thelma Is that what Alan Pooley had

Bob: No, I think Alan just liked dressing in Women's clothes

Terry: I come away with a sexy girl from a boutique, and who do I end up with Sherpa bloody Tenzing.

Terry: "Oh hello Bob. I'd give you a can of beer but I've only got six."

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