Mother, Jugs & Speed

Mother, Jugs & Speed

Year: 1976

Runtime: 95 mins

Language: English

Director: Peter Yates

ComedyCrude humor and satireGags jokes and slapstick humorFunny jokes and crude humorAmusing jokes and witty satire

Determined to outpace rival ambulance companies, an ace driver, a sharp‑witted office secretary who doubles as a paramedic, and a suspended police officer take increasingly reckless shortcuts to rescue the desperate. Their own lives become as chaotic as the emergencies they answer.

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Timeline & Setting – Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1970s

Set in the 1970s Los Angeles, the film foregrounds a period of lax regulation and cutthroat business practices in the ambulance industry. Characters navigate a city rife with excess, rough humor, and a willingness to bend rules to win contracts. The era’s street-level tension and counterculture milieu influence both the humor and the violence on display.

Location

Los Angeles, California

The story unfolds across a gritty patchwork of Los Angeles’ urban landscape, centered on rival ambulance companies vying for a city contract. The city’s commercial hustle, traffic-clogged streets, and nocturnal calls set the backdrop for a rough-and-tumble world where survival and profit trump polish. The environment blends blue-collar urgency with a corrupt backdrop of kickbacks and mergers.

🚑 Ambulance industry 🏙️ Urban setting 💼 Corporate competition

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:30

Main Characters – Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976)

Meet the key characters of Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Mother Tucker (Bill Cosby)

A charismatic, brazen star driver who drinks on duty and flirts with the edge of legality. He leads the misfit F+B crew with fearless bravado and a keen sense of loyalty to his team, even as his behavior sparks controversy and conflicts with authority. His on-again, off-again clashes with colleagues reveal a man who values camaraderie and survival as much as personal fame.

🧭 Antihero 🧨 Roaring personality 🧭 Loyalty

Speed (Tony Malatesta) (Harvey Keitel)

A disgraced sheriff's detective and former Vietnam War ambulance driver hired by Fishbine. Nicknamed Speed by Mother, he is tough, impulsive, and morally complex, often acting before thinking. He forms a volatile but ultimately bond-forming partnership with Mother, and his presence catalyzes both action and ethical questions within the crew.

🧭 Tough 💥 Impulsive 🤝 Complex loyalties

Murdoch (John Murdoch) (Larry Hagman)

A brash, hypersexual partner whose volatile behavior culminates in a dramatic hostage incident. His actions drive much of the conflict and test the limits of the crew’s tolerance for danger and betrayal. His later encounter with law enforcement marks a violent arc that intensifies the film's stakes.

🔥 Violent 💣 Unstable 🧭 Disruptive

Leroy (Bruce Davison)

Mother's partner whose presence contributes to the crew's rough camaraderie. His fate becomes a turning point in the group’s dynamic, underscoring the film's blend of humor with high-stakes peril. He embodies the loyal, hard-edged ethos of the team.

🔗 Loyal 🛡️ Protective 🪖 Streetwise

Walker (Michael McManus)

Murdoch's brash partner and fellow misfit. He adds to the crew's volatile dynamic with his reckless energy and willingness to push boundaries. His presence amplifies the chaotic, no-holds-barred atmosphere of the ambulance world.

💥 Reckless 🧩 Chaotic 🗡️ Provocative

Bliss (Allan Warnick)

A putative medical student among the drivers, Bliss embodies the crew’s hunger for legitimacy and knowledge. His presence signals the group’s aspiration toward professional competence, even as the job’s chaos tests those ambitions. He contributes to the film’s balance of humor and earnest effort.

🎓 Aspiring 🧠 Competent 🧍‍♂️ Grounded

Jugs (Jennifer) (Raquel Welch)

The dispatcher who earns the nickname 'Jugs' for her appearance and asserts herself into the active roster with determination. She proves capable as an EMT and becomes a romantic partner to Speed, navigating professional milestones and personal doubt alike. Her journey includes handling emergencies that test her nerve and resolve.

💪 Determined 💖 Romantic arc 👩‍⚕️ EMT

Harry Fishbine (Doughnut) (Allen Garfield)

Owner of the F+B Ambulance Company who relies on kickbacks and underhanded tactics to maintain income. He is the architect of the business’s ruthless operational environment and later plays a central role in the proposed merger, keeping the pressure on his crew to survive financially.

💼 Corporate schemer 🏢 Sinister 💸 Kickbacks

Charles Taylor (Unity) (Bill Henderson)

Owner of Unity Ambulance Company who pushes for a merger to salvage both firms' futures. He represents the business side of the conflict, balancing pragmatism with the practical realities of city contracts. His role frames the film’s commentary on consolidation and competition in a cutthroat industry.

🏛️ Merging strategist 🤝 Negotiator 💡 Pragmatic

Rodeo Moxey (Dick Butkus)

A brash Texan member of the crew whose tough persona and streetwise bluntness contribute to the film’s hard-edged humor. He embodies the rougher edge of the ambulance world and provides physical intensity during chaotic moments.

🤠 Brash 🥊 Enforcer 🧭 Streetwise

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:30

Major Themes – Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976)

Explore the central themes of Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🦸 Antihero

The film tracks a band of misfits led by a charismatic, brazen driver whose bravado masks a murky moral code. Each character blends comic bravado with flawed judgment, creating a tone that leans into dark humor while probing loyalty and courage under pressure. The antihero dynamic drives much of the movie’s conflict and camaraderie.

💰 Greed and Corruption

Kickbacks, opportunistic mergers, and the scramble for a contract reveal a corrupt underside of ostensibly respectable work. The corporate maneuvers between competing ambulance companies probe how profit motives distort care and loyalty. The merger culminating in a new company name underscores the pervasiveness of graft and expediency.

🤝 Camaraderie and Romance Under Pressure

A rough-and-tumble crew forms a surrogate family through shared risk and late-night rescues. Romantic tension arises within the team, tempering rough edges with tenderness as partners navigate fear, duty, and desire. The workplace becomes a crucible where trust and affection are forged amid chaos.

⚖️ Violence and Moral Ambiguity

The film blends slapstick intensity with morally gray choices, where characters must decide between self-preservation and ethical duty. Violent confrontations punctuate the plot, raising questions about justice, accountability, and the cost of bending the rules. The climax ties personal loyalties to a broader, imperfect sense of justice.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:30

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Mother, Jugs & Speed Summary

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Mother, Jugs & Speed Timeline

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