| Mother, Jugs & Speed | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Peter Yates |
| Screenplay by | Tom Mankiewicz |
| Story by | Stephen Manes Tom Mankiewicz |
| Produced by | Peter Yates Tom Mankiewicz |
| Starring | Bill Cosby Raquel Welch Harvey Keitel |
| Cinematography | Ralph Woolsey |
| Edited by | Frank P. Keller |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3 million[1] |
| Box office | $7 million (North America)[2] |
Mother, Jugs & Speed is a 1976 Americanblack comedy film directed byPeter Yates. It starsBill Cosby (Mother),Raquel Welch (Jugs),Harvey Keitel (Speed), andLarry Hagman as employees of an independentambulance service trying to survive in Los Angeles.[3]
The F+B Ambulance Company is locked in an intense battle with the Unity Ambulance Company to win a city contract for providing ambulance service to a territory within Los Angeles. Their star driver is "Mother" Tucker (Bill Cosby), a talentedantihero who drinks alcohol on duty, harassesnuns, and behaves brazenly toward practically everybody he meets, including his partner Leroy (Bruce Davison). Indeed, the entire company is a band of misfits, including thehypersexual John Murdoch (Larry Hagman), his partner Walker (Michael McManus), putative medical student Bliss (Allan Warnick), and brash Texan "Rodeo" Moxey (Dick Butkus). Thedispatcher andswitchboard operator is Jennifer (Raquel Welch), whom the drivers nickname "Jugs" for her ample bosom. Harry "Doughnut" Fishbine (Allen Garfield) runs the company, using occasionally underhanded means (such askickbacks) to maintain an income stream.
When Walker is injured after falling through a staircase on a call, Harry Fishbine hires Tony Malatesta (Harvey Keitel), a disgraced sheriff's detective and formerVietnam War ambulance driver. Upon learning that Tony has been suspended from the Sheriff's Department due to allegations that he soldcocaine to children, Mother nicknames him "Speed". Speed is initially paired with Murdoch, though their partnership is strained when Speed must stop Murdoch from raping an unconscious female college student who has overdosed onSeconal. On a false emergency call, Leroy is shot and killed by ajunkie (Toni Basil) demanding drugs. When Mother pulls a gun on the junkie, the junkie commits suicide. Later that night, a drunken Mother assaults Murdoch for stating that Leroy's death "doesn't count"; though Murdoch states this in regard to the drivers' "dead body" pool, Mother perceives it as an attack on the character of his dead partner. Harry then partners Speed with Mother to alleviate his driver shortage.
Meanwhile, Jugs has obtained herEmergency Medical Technician (EMT) and ambulance driver certifications, and forces her way onto F+B's active roster with threats ofsexual discrimination lawsuits. When Speed fakes an injury to prevent Jugs' arrest for misuse of an ambulance, the two fall in love. Though Jugs proves a capable EMT, she loses her nerve after a pregnant woman under her care suffers a severeobstetrical hemorrhage andbleeds to death in Mother's ambulance. Jugs secludes herself afterward until Mother counsels her and gives her the courage to return to work.
At a City Hall meeting, City Councilman Warren informs the owners of both Unity and F+B that they will not be awarded the contract—it will instead be awarded to a larger, established company. To save their businesses, Unity's owner, Charles Taylor, proposes that their two companies merge. Though the councilman is agreeable to the merger, Fishbine is not. The discussion is interrupted by an emergency call: Murdoch,intoxicated and armed with ahandgun, has broken into F+B'sbus garage office with Walker and is holding Mrs. Fishbine hostage. All of Unity's and F+B's ambulances descend on the F+B garage; upon arrival, Murdoch opens fire and hits Speed in the shoulder. When Mother charges onto the garage grounds to rescue his ambulance, he comes face to face with Murdoch; Murdoch tries to shoot Mother, but his gun is empty. A deputy sheriff then shoots and kills Murdoch.
In the aftermath of this incident, F+B does merge with Unity, forming the Fishbine + Unity (F+U) Ambulance Company, based out of the old F+B garage. (The newinitialism for the company is also aslang abbreviation of "fuck you"; the old F+B stood for "Fish + Bine".) Speed, who has been cleared of all charges, is reinstated to the Sheriff's Department, though he remains romantically involved with Jugs. Jugs is initially relegated to switchboard duty again, until Mother insists that she become his new partner. The two drive off together, with Mother harassing the nuns one more time as the movie ends.
There was originally a role written for professional wrestler Lillian Ellison (The Fabulous Moolah) in the film, but she had to drop out of the role due to a gallbladder infection.[4]
20th Century Fox attempted to turn the film into a television series, although none of the original cast participated. The program was titledMother, Juggs & Speed with a double "g" because the network would not allow the lead female character to have a name that made explicit reference to her breasts. Instead, producers added the concept that Jennifer's nickname was taken from her real last name, Juggston. The series was not picked up, butABC aired thepilot as a one-time special on Thursday, August 17, 1978.[5]
Joseph Barbera, one half of the legendary cartoon-creating duoHanna-Barbera, served as executive producer for this film. Tom Mankiewicz says it was Barbera's idea to make a film about ambulance driving. He had a deal with 20th Century Fox who paid a writer to develop a script. Mankiewicz, then best known for writing severalJames Bond films, became interested and was hired. He did research on the subject and wrote his own script, and then attachedPeter Yates as director. Alan Ladd Jr., then head of production for Fox, said he would make the film if it could be done for less than $3 million.[6]
Yates and Mankiewicz thought the lead role of Mother Tucker was perfect forGene Hackman. They offered him the role, but Hackman was exhausted from working onLucky Lady and declined. However he recommendedBill Cosby as an alternative; Yates, Mankiewicz and Ladd all agreed and Cosby accepted the part. The tight budget meant the leads had to accept deferred payment. The female lead was offered toValerie Perrine but she would not take deferred payment, so Raquel Welch was cast instead.[6]
According to Tom Mankiewicz the film was made for around $3 million and grossed $17 million.[6]
Mother, Jugs & Speed was referenced in the 2006 filmRelative Strangers multiple times, most notably during the game ofCharades scene.
Mother, Jugs & Speed was rated in M in New Zealand and Australia, where it was previously rated PG.[citation needed]
Mother Jugs & Speed received mixed critical reviews. OnRotten Tomatoes, the film has a 50% rating based on 16 reviews.[7]
