Mother, Jugs & Speed

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Trailer—Mother, Jugs & Speed

Mother, Jugs & Speed

A buried treasure to sure. MOTHER, JUGS AND SPEED is the best movie Raquel Welch ever made and for that matter, it's Bill Cosby's finest celluloid outing as well. Cosby is Mother, Harvey Keitel is Speed and Welch naturally, is Jugs. They work as EMTs for an unsavory ambulance company owner --- played with full on bluster by the reliable Allen Garfield --- along with an assortment of odd-balls including Larry Hagman as a callous, would be womanizer, Bruce Davison as a pot head, and the always goofy Valerie Curtin as the frazzled dispatcher. With it's occasionally brutal scenes --- including one ambulance call that goes especially wrong --- interwoven with a lot of laughs, MJS wants to be M*A*S*H for the EMT crowd, but it rarely reaches that level of subversiveness. It is, however, a fun and first rate piece of entertainment. The cast is excellent with Hagman standing out among the supporting players. Directed, surprisingly, by the classy Peter Yates.

Interestingly enough I was certified as an EMT in July of 1976. Much of what takes place in the movie was hype with some basis in fact. During this time EMS was in flux. The requirement for EMT certification went into effect in California in July of 1976. Between then and 1986 when I left the business due to injury, tons of things changed. In those years Paramedic Certification became universal, companies merged and merged again, working conditions improved dramatically (my hours were cut in half and my pay doubled). Generally everything in private EMS became much more professional. And women became commonplace. Few industries changed so quickly. I might say that to a lesser degree, the same thing happened during the same time frame with Fire Departments, especially Rural, Volunteer and Reserve Departments. What I like the most is the portrayal of what EMS workers go through, including the risks they take and the emotions the experience. All in all, it's one of my favorite films!

This is a very funny, interesting and worth-watching movie from the 70s. It ought to be seen as a product of the early American indie that helped kick-start the anti-Hollywood boom that mirrored the social and cultural changes happening in the 70s. I liked it and I recommend it to anyone who wants to experience something with a rebellious flair. This film has an edge, not unlike Mean Streets or even Repo Man, and it addresses social issues while maintaining a satirical tack. I love movies from the 60s and 70s because they were made before the whole PG-13 watering down of American Cinema, before political correctness took hold of Hollywood, and before we all thought that we already knew everything there was to know.

I remember hating this on release in '76, but seeing it again made me realize it had some serious things going on. First off, Bill Cosby was actually interesting for a change (although he was great in I SPY - TV and HICKEY AND BOGGS with R. Cup) and was not selling stupidity or jello. Harvey Keitel as the naive good new guy was as compelling as ever, Raquel Welch was THE BABE (she was good in KANSAS CITY BOMBER), and Allen Garfield as owner of the quirky ambulance outfit is always perfectly cast. A 5 out of 10. Bruce Davison (who started his career as a lead actor) is believably human and there is a rhythm to this flick that defies genre-casting (dramady)? Anyway, not worth buying, but check it out on cable and you'll catch some subliminal surprises of the most normal kind!

Take some great Tom Mankiewicz dialogue, the gritty style of Peter Yates, add a top-to-bottom great cast and you've got a recipe for success; the kind of high entertainment that's both hilarious and occasionally disarming. That's "Mother, Jugs and Speed", a movie that just screams the '70s, from its time spent pounding the L.A. nighttime streets to the great list of songs on the soundtrack. Sex-addict Larry Hagman is a highlight of the eclectic cast, but really, every person involved is an inspired choice. And on the matter of Bill Cosby, I fully admit that my exposure to the man these past 34 years has been woefully lacking. But you can't go wrong with this movie when it comes to the man's comedic timing and acting ability. Hell of a jumping-off point. I love this movie. 8/10

As a paramedic in the 1980's, I saw this movie a close to the truth (with the exception of drinking on the job) as any movie could be. We carried guns (there are rough sections of town), scared people with the sirens, ate weird food (2 chocolate eclairs and a pink lemonade at 2:00 am), and even drove across a church lawn (had to get to the patient). Even with all that fun, the MG&S crew also showed compassion and caring for their patient as we all did/do. Larry Hagman even reminded me of a partner I had once. I wish my partner got shot like Hagman did!