A sexploitation classic! The ads beckoned, "CAGED BOY-HUNGRY WILDCATS GONE WILD."
Teen hoodlum Ed "Kookie" Byrnes ditches Luana Anders to take Gloria Castillo on a joy ride in a stolen car. Gloria gets framed in the death of a pedestrian and goes to - that's right - reform school.
There, Luana is waiting, super-pissed because Kookie had her blown in to the coppers for car-stripping. Tensions between the two torment the cellblock, which includes Donna Jo Gribble and, in her debut, Sally (M*A*S*H.) Kellerman. This was rushed into release in 1959 to cash in on Byrnes TV success in 77 Sunset Strip, which also launched the hit song, "Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb."
The movie poster, featuring Luana and Gloria fighting, is a collector's item.
Samuel Z. Arkoff strikes again.
ReplyDeleteByrnes was such a popular member of "77 Sunset Strip" that he was able to basically go on strike for a while for more screen time and a bigger role in the stories. When he came back, he was no longer the car jockey in the lot between 77 and Dino's restaurant (a cool joint with live jazz from the Frank Ortega Trio, a real group). He had been promoted to being the junior partner of Efram Zimbalist's detective agency.
Roger Smith played Zimbalist's detecting partner and also wrote one of the best episodes, which had no dialogue. He got tired of acting and married Anne-Margaret, becoming her manager. I think we have him to thank for her swimming in baked beans in "Tommy," directed by by-then madman Ken Russell.
None of them, as far as I know, did time in a reform school.
If I may take this in a different direction, it is a pity that NY sports media is ignoring the amazing cup win by NYCFC over the weekend. I know, I know. It's just soccer. But today this team is by far the most successful NY sports team. They're quite a "simpatico" team. Their players are young, hungry and dedicated. They press incessantly, use one-touch passing and defend hard (take a page, Yankees). They are led by a vibrant coach that brings out the best in them (take another page, Yankees). The man promised to strip down to his underwear if the team won the cup. They did and he did. Also, they decided to do away with that stupid MLS infatuation with aging European stars coming here to earn some last wads of cash and/or cheers.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, the Yankees should take their whole book and copy it word for word.
ReplyDeleteUnlike the swill that’s served up every Sunday (and monday and Thursday) as a shill for hours of advertising, the game played by NYCFC is called FOOTBALL, not soccer.
A FOOTBALL game takes a bit less than two hours of actual playing time, whereas the average AMERICAN football broadcast takes three hours, more than two hours of that span devoted to endless, repetitive commercials. To my mind a complete waste of time. The 11 minutes or so when the game is actually being played is a footnote to the endless beer, car, insurance, and wireless commercials that dull the senses.
One of my first childhood crushes(along with Shari Lewis and Honey West), was Connie Stevens who sang with Byrnes on Lend Me Your Comb. Also had a recurring role on 77 Sunset Strip.
ReplyDeleteDuque, fortunately, there are more bad B movies available than possible lockout days. Too bad there isn't an option to comment on the movies while they are playing as with Mystery Science Theater.
Anne Francis*=Honey West
ReplyDeleteHoney West and Connie Stevens. Va-Va-Va-Voom!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteOld-fashioned wet dreams.
You guys are some sick bastards.
Soccer just sucks.
ReplyDeleteSorry, but all of the dead time watching guys run up and down a field for maybe a shot is BBBOORIINNG!
Hockey is much better with a true hint of violent contact, without watching so wienny roll around after getting kicked in the shins.
My daughter played college soccer so I had to endure endless matches for the better part of 15 years.
I like soccer all right—but just all right. Stealing the old line about communism, in America it is the sport of the future, and always will be.
ReplyDeleteBut I agree with Platoni. At least there is a team doing something right in this town still. At this point, I wouldn't care if it were box lacrosse or World Team Tennis.
This is the worst NYC sports era since the mid-1960s.