What makes it different from others?

Don't Believe the Hype

Charming and brutal

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

"Mother, Jugs & Speed" is one of the more interesting films of the 1970s that this viewer has seen, and it deserves to be seen by a larger audience. It's mostly a dark comedy (with some moments that are very, very serious) about private ambulance services engaging in cutthroat competition, and the quirky characters that work for the financially strapped F & B Ambulance Company, run by cranky crook Harry Fishbine (Allen Garfield). Bill Cosby plays ace driver "Mother" Tucker, Harvey Keitel is Tony / "Speed", an ex-cop and new employee who'd been accused of selling drugs, and Raquel Welch is the spirited Jennifer a.k.a. "Jugs" who's determined to prove herself capable of being more than a secretary. This is a lot of fun for a while, with some choice lines of dialogue and energetic performances. The Cos walks away with all of his scenes, but he does receive some hilarious competition in the form of Larry Hagman as sleazy, horny employee Murdoch. The guy can't help himself but get together with an attractive patient in the back of an ambulance! Also appearing are people as diverse as L.Q. Jones, Bruce Davison, Dick Butkus, Severn Darden, Bill Henderson, Toni Basil, and an uncredited Tim Reid. Ultimately the movie can't quite maintain the same momentum all the way through, and those sobering dramatic moments may throw some people for a bit of a loop. Still, the premise makes for some great humour, with one example being the instance in which two of the attendants have a hard time transporting a heavyset woman. "Mother" also figures in a priceless running gag where he threatens to mow down nuns who are crossing a street. It's fun to see the lengths to which these companies will go for the sake of reaching patients first and therefore getting the contract for their services. The movie does do a nice job of capturing the nature of the people in the profession and the nature of their business, and is never less than entertaining. It's easy to want to follow the adventures of our main characters, superbly played by The Cos, as the seasoned veteran and wise guy, the ever lovely Welch as the impassioned woman whose efforts to break through barriers is all too believable, and whose education in the harsh reality of life is poignant, and the nicely low key Keitel as the newcomer learning the ropes. They make viewing "Mother, Jugs & Speed" quite the experience; this film definitely comes recommended. Seven out of 10.

To the 1970s, nothing was sacred – so, we had a string of black comedies/satires about army surgeons (M.A.S.H. [1970]) or the goings-on at a big-city hospital (THE HOSPITAL [1971]) and, in this film’s case, ambulance-drivers. However, another thing these films had in common is that, amid the jokes, there was something serious being said – and things often took an unexpected tragic turn (as in the scene here where a call to a gun-toting junkie sees a young hospital attendant being blown away when he tries to reason with her!); another is the one in which a woman in labor, denied access to a hospital’s facilities due to the proverbial red tape, delivers her baby inside the ambulance and dies because the “rig” is ill-equipped to deal with massive haemorrhaging! The men (and women) themselves are depicted as having a detached, even flippant, attitude to their sensitive profession – but we’re told that this is needed if one is to keep his sanity; still, there are those who overstep the line of decency (one attendant allows his green partner to drive the ambulance, when it had previously been his sole prerogative, so as to be alone with the unconscious and good-looking patient!). Other gags, however, are more typical: for instance, the scene where they have difficulty transporting a large black woman down a flight of stairs – which predictably ends with her slipping out of their grasp and scurrying down the street on a stretcher, miraculously dodging the oncoming traffic – brought tears to my eyes. A topical subplot, then, involves the rivalry between ambulance companies whose members would go to extreme lengths to intercept or otherwise stall their opponents – the issue is ultimately resolved in court by suggesting a merger between the two.Though the film is somewhat uneven, it’s well served by the cast (incidentally, several films from this era opted to use monikers in connection with their protagonists for a title, such as the recently-viewed road movie DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY [1974]): Bill Cosby (as “Mother”, a seasoned driver everyone looks up to); Raquel Welch (“Jugs”, the secretary who wishes to be an ambulance driver and takes night school to acquire the requisite training – her first unofficial job proves memorable as a police car gallantly offers to escort her but, having no address, leads them on a wild goose chase until a colleague she unwittingly absconded with improvises a patient’s get-up!); the latter, then, is Harvey Keitel (a former cop suspended for drug-dealing, which earns him the nickname “Speed” – at first glance, the Method actor seems out of his element here but wisely plays it straight most of the time); Allen Garfield shines as the loud-mouth yet flustered director; and equally effective is Larry Hagman, naturally playing the biggest scumbag of the lot (the afore-mentioned lecherous driver who even gambles as to how many lives are lost per day – which causes Cosby to physically assault him when he wants to add Bruce Davison, the attendant who fell in the line of duty, to the list) and who, during the climax, suddenly reappears at his former workplace armed with a gun and making demands (having gone berserk in the interim)…only to be pinned down with a bullet fired by an over-eager cop.

I just watched "Mother, Jugs & Speed" for the first time since seeing it on TV almost 30 years ago. The screenplay is very episodic, with no plot to speak of, but the vignettes as written do have the ring of truth to them. The original screenwriter was either an ex-EMT driver or did some heavy research. The direction by Peter "Bullit" Yates, however, is leaden and dull. I guess the producers picked him to direct because of the many high speed chases. But his handling of the potentially comedic dialog is slowly paced and strictly TV-Sitcom. The only person that could have even possibly made this work was Robert Altman--MJ&S just begs for the fast pace, quick overlapping dialog and throwaway improvs that Altman was known for in the early Seventies. And while I'm complaining--why in god's name does Raquel Welch go bra-less only during the credits sequence?

1976 was a year for fun movies. "Mother, Jugs, and Speed" has got it all: comedy, action, drama, and adventure. This movie deals with the life of being a paramedic. Bill Cosby plays Mother, a veteran ambulance driver with a history of uncouthness: Drinking on the job; carrying a firearm; and being slothful at the final moment. However, he gets the job done. Raquel Welch plays Jennifer aka "Jugs". I don't want to go there with that! Sorry! Harvey Kitel plays Tony aka "Speed" Mother's new partner after his junkie partner was killed by another addict(Toni Basil, way before she hit it big with her 1980's hit "Mickey"). This movie deals with a lot of issues in the business: racial, sexual, economical, etc. Most of it was pretty tame. Despite the "N" word, and the finger expression which "Jugs" gave to her superior. I liked the way the ambulance was made for the movie. This movie wasn't made for kids, if Richard Pryor was the star, this would be an R-rated movie. This is made for mature audiences. It's great though!3.5 out of 5 stars!