| The Swinging Barmaids | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster by John Solie | |
| Directed by | Gus Trikonis |
| Written by | Charles B. Griffith |
| Produced by | Ed Carlin |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Irv Goodnoff |
| Edited by | Jerry Cohen |
| Music by | Don Bagley |
Production company | Carlin Company Productions |
| Distributed by | Premiere Releasing Org. |
Release date | July 1975 |
Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,250,000 (1980 release)[1] |
The Swinging Barmaids is a 1975 American exploitation film about a serial killer who targets cocktail waitresses. The film was directed by Gus Trikonis, and stars Bruce Watson, Laura Hippe, William Smith, and Dyanne Thorne.
It is also known as The Eager Beavers.
William Smith later recalled "Jesus Christ, that was a wild fuckin’ movie! (Laughing) Yeah, that was kind of fun."[2]
Plot
After murdering a cocktail waitress at the Swing-A-Ling Club, a psychotic killer, Tom, disguises himself and gains employment at the same club where he continues his killing spree. He is particularly interested in a girl called Jenny.
Three of the club's barmaids and a police lieutenant, Harry White, attempt to stop him.
Cast
- Bruce Watson as Tom
- Laura Hippe as Jenny
- Katie Saylor as Susie
- Renie Radich as Marie
- William Smith as Lt. Harry White
- Dyanne Thorne as Boo-Boo
- Zitto Kazann as Zitto
- Jim Travis as Dave
- Ray Galvin as Jack
- John Alderman as Andrews
- Milt Kogan as Dan
- Judith Roberts as Sally
Cult status
Quentin Tarantino screened the film at his festival in 2007. A critic at the screening wrote:
This flick is kind of bizarre. It’s a serial killer flick that’s not really high on the gore or suspense. It’s a sexploitation flick without much titillation. It’s a William Smith movie where he’s kind of unthreatening (until the end when he’s as badass as you want him to be). None of that means it’s a lame movie. Not at all.[3]
Shock magazine wrote "By normal critical standards, this is the dregs. But as no-budget 70s exploitation goes, this crap succeeds on every necessary level (I particularly enjoyed the crude, handheld camerawork during the murder scenes). Laced with fitfully sleazy kicks and a surprisingly energetic, corpse-laden finale, this inept flick is a wonderful example of the bad-/s-good nature of drive-in cinema. "[4]
See also
References
- ↑ Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 297. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
- ↑ Poggiali, Chris (1998). "Shock Cinema Talks with the Legendary William Smith". Shock Cinema. No. 12. p. 6.
- ↑ Review of 2007 screening at Aint-It-Cool-News
- ↑ "The Swinging Barmaids". Shock Cinema. No. 13. 1998. p. 19.
External links
- The Swinging Barmaids at IMDb
- The Swinging Barmaids at The New York Times
- The Swinging Barmaids at Grindhouse Database
- The Swinging Barmaid at TCMDB