“Just One More Time,” aka “The Over-Amorous Artist,” is a British comedy short film that was directed by Maurice Hamblin in 1974. The movie stars John Hamill as Alan Street, a promising portrait artist who finds himself in a tricky situation while his wife, Sue, played by Sue Longhurst, is at work.
Later re-released in 1975 as “Just One More Time,” the film is a classic example of British comedy, full of innuendos and “saucy jokes” that were common in that era. The story revolves around Alan’s predicament as several female neighbors make romantic advances toward him while he tries to maintain a professional relationship with them.
These female neighbors include a middle-aged nymphomaniac named Bev, a hippie girl named Carole, and a married woman named Fran, along with her daughter Barbara, Alan and Sue’s babysitter. Alan must navigate these advances and keep his composure and professionalism intact while dealing with the temptations each woman offers.
The film starts in a seedy movie theater with Sue and Alan on a date. Sue engages in some naughty business along with some double-entendre dialogue. Upon returning home, we are introduced to Barbra, the babysitter, who promptly parks a firm kiss on Alan’s face. Sue then lays out her demanding plans as the family’s primary earner and insists on being “loved” at least once daily. The film is typically 1970s from the male gaze point of view; the wife earns while the dad is a stay-at-home dad and is allowed to pursue his budding artistic career.
We watch as Alan sends their daughter Abigail off to school one morning; this allows the introduction to all the women that will eventually play a role one after the other with Alan, a constant flow.
The only conflict we encounter is when Ann lets herself into his house and questions the sexualization of women by men. It feels like a throwout moment to the feminist movement of the 1970s. We quickly resume an affair with a series of comedic jump cuts. The ending is Sue, his wife, conceding that she is not being “loved” as much due to her work schedule, and Alans “domestic” duties.
Overall, “Just One More Time” is an entertaining short film that showcases the British comedy style of the 1970s, with a talented cast and a witty storyline. Although it is masochistic, it highlights British culture very well for the time. It was followed by two feature sequels, Girls Come First (1975) and Under the Bed (1977), which also starred Hamill in the role of Alan Street.
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