Smashing Time

Smashing Time is a 1967 British satirical comedy film starring Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave. It is a satire on the 1960s media-influenced phenomenon of Swinging London. It was written by George Melly and directed by Desmond Davis. The supporting cast includes Ian Carmichael, Michael York, Jeremy Lloyd, Anna Quayle, Irene Handl, Arthur Mullard and Geoffrey Hughes. Plot Brenda (Rita Tushingham) and Yvonne (Lynn Redgrave), two girls from the North of England, arrive at St Pancras railway station in London to seek fame and fortune. However, their image of the city is quickly tarnished when they realise that they cannot pay for their meals in a greasy spoon café as Brenda has been robbed of her savings by a tramp. Yvonne visits Carnaby Street in the hope of catching the eye of a trendy photographer, Tom Wabe (Michael York), while Brenda has to stay behind and do the washing up. A messy scene ensues as ketchup is mistaken for washing-up liquid and everyone in the café is drenched in variously-coloured liquids. Yvonne excitedly tells Brenda that Wabe took her photo for a newspaper and paid her for it. However, when the paper drops that day, Brenda sees Yvonne has been mocked for being out of fashion, and decides to confront Wabe. She finds him at a strange party served by robots (built and introduced by Clive Sword (Bruce Lacey)). While she tries to curse him out, Tom attempts to charm her. The girls get a referral from their new flatmate for hostess jobs at a night club. On their first night there, Yvonne is summoned by affluent Bobby Mome-Rath (Ian Carmichael), who gets her drunk and spirits her to an apartment he keeps for one-night stands. Brenda follows them, sneaks into the apartment, and tries to sabotage the tryst, adding laxative to Bobby's drink and ensuring that his bubble bath gets out of control. Meanwhile, Bobby's building supervisor (David Lodge) spies through a hole in the ceiling. He falls through, giving Brenda and Yvonne a chance to escape. When they return to their flat, they learn the club has sacked them.