This time with a mother daughter team decadently scaling the showbiz heights in Manhattan.
Director: Joel M. Reed (as Joel Reed) is mostly remembered for his gorefest Bloodsucking Freaks. The film was also written by Reed (screenplay) with Cinematography by Ron Dorfman. Title Song was by Vic Spina and music by The Lost Children.
The film stars Jennifer Welles as Susan, John Cardoza as Jack Landive, Honey Hunter as Mrs. Potter, Stioge Glyspayne as Gerald, John David as Bob, and Georgina Spelvin (The Devil in Miss Jones (1973), Police Academy (1984)) as Miss Reynolds a talent agent.
To a trippy song "Mother Love" by Vic Spina who sounds something like Grace Slick, we get our title sequence, which is a cheap bathroom style makeup mirror surrounded by bare light bulbs. The titles are written in lipstick.
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| Title Sequence |
The opening sequence is at the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal.
We watch a man, Bob, descend the escalator with a suitcase. He puts the suitcase in a locker and heads out the 8th Avenue-40th Street exit. He heads down into an 8th Avenue subway entrance.
Cut to a young woman wearing the false eyelashes that were all the rage in the 60s, sitting on a rug by a sectional couch brushing her dark hair watching a soap opera "The Daily Storm" on TV with her mother. She's wearing just her skirt and a bra. The mother shuts off the tube.
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| Susan (Jennifer Welles) |
Mother Potter: The girl in the hand lotion commercial isn't half as pretty as you are Susan. Well you'll get your chance to be a star soon enough.
Susan: Momma. why don't we give this all up? You known I don't want to be an actress. I hate New York and I hate show business.
Mother Potter: You'll feel differently about it when your a star.
Susan: I don't think I'll be an actress much less a star. I don't think I'll wind up in one lousy little commercial. Our family just has bad luck, that's all.
Mother Potter: Listen you'll be a star. I got you out of that rotten little town and we're going straight to the top. Money and fame. I've got enough ambition for the both of us. You'll be a star even if I have to pull every dirty trick in the book. You're not gonna get stuck raising kids and cooking dinner every night.
Susan tells her that Bob from their hometown is coming to visit. Momma tells her she won't let her get married to him. She tells Susan that her virginity is to important to give up to some silly boy. Momma tells Susan to get dressed for her dance class. When Bob calls Susan, Momma answers the phone and tells Bob that Susan is not there, but to come by anyway and surprise her when she gets home.
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| Bob (John David) |
When Bob rings the bell of the apartment momma tells him to come in the door is open. She calls from the other room to make himself a drink. Momma comes out in a nightgown, and proceeds to come on to Bob telling him that she's now a gay widow in a sophisticated city.
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| Mrs. Potter (Honey Hunter) |
Bob breaks away to sit on the couch. Momma move in getting Bob aroused. Bob still pushes her off until momma tells him that Susan won't be back tonight because she is with her new boyfriend. Momma tells him that her new boyfriend is good for her career. Bob believes it and for revenge takes up momma on her advances. Momma shucks her nightgown and drops to her knees in front of Bob and undoes his belt. Bob tells momma not to stop and supplies a bunch of heavy breathing to the soundtrack.
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| Momma going down oh Bob |
It's actually sub typical for a sexploitation lovemaking session, some T & barely any A. Momma is bored distractedly sucking on a tar bar while Bob is getting his jollies taking her from behind.
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| Momma Potter sucking on a tar bar |
Of course, when Susan gets home she finds her momma and Bob "embracing." That plan worked well. She freaks out. Susan has nothing left but her career.
Cut to a montage of Susan doing various acting gigs. We pause at a point where Susan with momma as a chaperone is standing half naked in front of Miss Reynolds a female agent.
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| Miss Reynolds (Georgina Spelvin) |
Cut to Susan in bed with Miss Reynolds. Susan's career advances but momma gives Susan pointers. Susan's going to an interview with a producer. Momma tell her not to do anything nasty with him until she tells her to.
Unexpectedly Susan and the producer hit it off. The producer takes her for a walk in the park they talk. He tells her that her agent sucks and that she gotta away from her mother. He tells her he'll find her a place to stay with one of his actresses. Meanwhile momma is giving her all to David a TV producer to get Susan a part on a TV program. Momma tells him he'll have a date with Susan.
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| Momma going down so her daughter can go up |
When Susan gets home and packs to leave her mother breaks a bottle and cuts her wrist. Susan gives in and stays, and agrees to go out on a date with David.
Also in the picture is a movie producer Mr. Miller, who signs a contract with Susan. Susan finally ditches momma buy hooking up with a director named Boris Rachman. Susan's hilarious last scene has her (like mother like daughter) sucking distractedly on a tad bar while Rachman is banging her from behind.
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| Susan going down on Rachman |
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| Susan Sucking on a tar bar |
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| Momma's new career |
Noirsville
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| Momma Potter sucking on a tar bar |
The acting is a bit wooden and Honey Hunter as the obsessed mom is quite campy, but the story is at least cohesive and stays on point. This low budget film has some longer that usual sequences of 1969 Manhattan that give it some archival interest.
Screen caps are from a Something Weird screener. Mildly amusing and interesting to any NYC residents, but not a must see for dilettantes. 5-6/10.
"FILM NOIR HAD AN INEVITABLE TRAJECTORY…
THE ECCENTRIC & OFTEN GUTSY STYLE OF FILM NOIR HAD NO WHERE ELSE TO GO… BUT TO REACH FOR EVEN MORE OFF-BEAT, DEVIANT– ENDLESSLY RISKY & TABOO ORIENTED SET OF NARRATIVES FOUND IN THE SUBVERSIVE AND EXPLOITATIVE CULT FILMS OF THE MID TO LATE 50s through the 60s and into the early 70s!" The Last Drive In (thelastdrivein.com)
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