Pretty Maids All in a Row

Last updated
Pretty Maids All in a Row
Pretty Maids All in a Row1971.png
theatrical release poster
Directed by Roger Vadim
Screenplay by Gene Roddenberry
Based onPretty Maids All in a Row
by Francis Pollini
Produced byGene Roddenberry
Starring Rock Hudson
Angie Dickinson
Telly Savalas
CinematographyCharles Rosher, Jr.
Edited byBill Brame
Music by Lalo Schifrin
Production
company
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
  • April 28, 1971 (1971-04-28)(NYC)

week of May 10, 1971 (LA) [1]
Running time
91-92 or 95 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office282,810 admissions (France) [2]

Pretty Maids All in a Row is a 1971 American sexploitation film that is part black comedy, part sex comedy, and part murder mystery. Starring Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson, and Telly Savalas, it was released on April 28, 1971. Roger Vadim directed the film, and Gene Roddenberry produced and wrote the screenplay based on a 1968 novel by Francis Pollini.

Contents

The film was Roddenberry's only feature film writing credit.

Plot

In Oceanfront High School, a (fictitious) American high school, at the height of the sexual revolution, female students are being targeted by an unknown serial killer. Meanwhile, a male student called Ponce is experiencing sexual frustration, surrounded by a seemingly unending stream of beautiful and sexually provocative classmates. Michael "Tiger" McDrew (Hudson) is the high school's football coach and guidance counselor who has sexual encounters with a number of female students.

In class, Ponce takes a shine to a substitute teacher named Miss Smith (Dickinson) and presents his report on John Milton's Paradise Lost. Tiger tries to befriend Ponce and help him deal with his sexual needs by encouraging him to seek the affections of Miss Smith. Later, Tiger talks to Miss Smith and recommends that she teach Ponce in building confidence.

After school, Miss Smith takes Ponce to her home, where she tantalizes him by reading poems by English poet John Milton. Ponce flees into the closet. Miss Smith convinces him to come out and reveals that she knows about his sexual problem and invited him to her house to talk about it.

The next day in school, Miss Smith informs Tiger of her progress with Ponce and of the boy's attraction to her. Tiger tells Miss Smith that at her next meeting, she has to do a more informative assessment of Ponce.

Following Tiger's suggestion, later that night Ponce goes to Miss Smith's house to deliver a liquor-filled chocolate duck as a present, accidentally giving her his keys in the process. He then leaves but comes back to get his keys. Clad only in a nightdress, Miss Smith behaves provocatively toward him and kisses him passionately, which he returns. The next morning, Ponce and Miss Smith are lying naked and have sex before heading to school.

Meanwhile, one young girl after another turns up dead. A police detective captain, Sam Surcher (Telly Savalas), investigates the case. Tiger is suspected but never caught red-handed. Ponce, however, learns that he is guilty when he discovers evidence in his office. Tiger drives Ponce to a pier and confesses, then apparently commits suicide by driving his car into the ocean. However, Surcher suspects that Tiger has faked his death.

After Tiger's funeral, a much more confident Ponce flirts with several female students, taking one for a ride on his moped.

Cast

From left to right: June Fairchild, Joy Bang, Aimee Eccles (front row); Joanna Cameron, Gene Roddenberry, Rock Hudson, Roger Vadim (center); Margaret Markov, Brenda Sykes, Diane Sherry, Gretchen Burrell (back row) Rock Hudson, Gene Roddenberry, Roger Vadim, and cast of Pretty Maids All in a Row.jpg
From left to right: June Fairchild, Joy Bang, Aimee Eccles (front row); Joanna Cameron, Gene Roddenberry, Rock Hudson, Roger Vadim (center); Margaret Markov, Brenda Sykes, Diane Sherry, Gretchen Burrell (back row)

Cast notes

Production

The novel was published in 1968. [3] Producer Jay Weston and director James B. Harris originally optioned the novel and assigned William Hanley to write the script. [4] [5] [6] Joe Namath was meant to star as the football coach. [7] Eventually Gene Roddenberry rewrote the script and came on board as producer; the job of directing was given to Roger Vadim – his first movie in two years. "There is no role in the film for Jane Fonda" said the director, who was estranged from his wife at the time. [8]

It was Vadim's first American film, though he said he had received offers before – a contract ten years previously with Paramount for five films, and one with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) three years earlier. He said he had bought himself out of both contracts because he could not get the necessary control. Vadim said he had to be persuaded to return to MGM:

It seemed this time they (MGM) were more interested to give more credit to the director. 'We have changed' they said. But from the moment I get here I fight like hell. They want names but they don't want to pay for them. For the first time I will be at a studio for a major company in Hollywood. In a way I like a challenge. I really think it's necessary to get involved with something new. It's so good to break all your habits. In France I can do anything, here I have to fight. That's a good thing. They respect you if you fight and it keeps you alert. [9]

"I am not trying to make a statement on America", added Vadim. "I tell a story and the story happens to be located in America." [10] Rock Hudson was signed to star, and filming began in August 1970. [11] Brigitte Bardot was offered the female lead but could not get out of a prior commitment; Angie Dickinson played the role instead. [9] The cast included eight young female newcomers, the "pretty maids": Brenda Sykes, Joy Bang, Gretchen Burrell, Joanna Cameron, Aimée Eccles, June Fairchild, Margaret Markov, and Diane Sherry. [12] The film was in production from August 10 to October 25, 1970. [1] It was shot in large part at University High School in West Los Angeles. [13] Some years later, a University High administrator told the Los Angeles Times that the high sexual and violent content of the film should have precluded it from being approved for filming at the school. [14] Other scenes were shot at Santa Monica Pier and Venice Marina, while the football sequence was filmed at Rancho La Cienega Park using a local football team and school band. [1]

Publicity

The April 1971 issue of Playboy magazine published an article about the movie written by Vadim. This includes a nine-page pictorial of actresses Angie Dickinson, Gretchen Burrell, Aimee Eccles, Margaret Markov, Playboy bunny Joyce Williams, and others.

Reception

The film was poorly received by most critics, with Roger Ebert calling it "embarrassing" [15] and Ken Hanke of Mountain Xpress remarking: "In 1971 this was pretty daring and trendy. Unfortunately, it's no longer 1971." [16]

Quentin Tarantino selected this film as one of his choices for Sight & Sound magazine's 2012 edition of Top 10 Greatest Films of All Time. [17] [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Roddenberry</span> American screenwriter and producer (1921–1991)

Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. was an American television screenwriter and producer who created the science fiction franchise Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, where his father was a police officer. Roddenberry flew 89 combat missions in the Army Air Forces during World War II and worked as a commercial pilot after the war. Later, he joined the Los Angeles Police Department and began to write for television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Majel Barrett</span> American actress (1932–2008)

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry was an American actress. She was best known for her roles as various characters in the Star Trek franchise: Nurse Christine Chapel, Number One, Lwaxana Troi, and the voice of most onboard computer interfaces throughout the series from 1966 to 2023. She married Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry in 1969. As his wife and given her relationship with Star Trek—participating in some way in every series during her lifetime—she is sometimes referred to as "the First Lady of Star Trek".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Vadim</span> French filmmaker (1928–2000)

Roger Vadim Plemiannikov was a French screenwriter, film director and producer, as well as an author, artist and occasional actor. His best-known works are visually lavish films with erotic qualities, such as And God Created Woman (1956), Blood and Roses (1960), Barbarella (1968), and Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Hudson</span> American actor (1925–1985)

Rock Hudson was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. He was a prominent figure in the Golden Age of Hollywood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabian Forte</span> American singer and actor (born 1943)

Fabian Anthony Forte, professionally known as Fabian, is an American singer and actor.

American International Pictures LLC is an American film production company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution company known for producing and releasing films from 1955 until 1980, a year after its acquisition by Filmways in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernest Tidyman</span> American author and screenwriter (1928-1984)

Ernest Ralph Tidyman was an American author and screenwriter, best known for his novels featuring the African-American detective John Shaft. His screenplay for The French Connection garnered him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as a Golden Globe Award, a Writers Guild of America Award, and an Edgar Award. In 1971, he also co-wrote the screenplay for the film version of Shaft with John D. F. Black.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Saxon</span> American actor (1936–2020)

John Saxon was an American actor who worked on more than 200 film and television projects during a span of 60 years. He was known for his work in Westerns and horror films, often playing police officers and detectives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angie Dickinson</span> American actress (born 1931)

Angie Dickinson is a retired American actress. She began her career on television, appearing in many anthology series during the 1950s, before gaining her breakthrough role in Gun the Man Down (1956) with James Arness and the Western film Rio Bravo (1959) with John Wayne and Dean Martin, for which she received the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Parks</span> American actor and singer (1940–2017)

Michael Parks was an American singer and actor who made numerous film and television appearances, notably starring in the 1969–1970 series Then Came Bronson. He was widely known for his work in his later years with filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and Kevin Smith.

<i>Mans Favorite Sport?</i> 1964 film by Howard Hawks

Man's Favorite Sport? is a 1964 American screwball comedy film starring Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss and directed and produced by Howard Hawks. Hawks intended the film to be an homage to his own 1938 screwball classic Bringing Up Baby with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, and unsuccessfully tried to get the original stars to reprise their roles.

<i>The Christine Jorgensen Story</i> 1970 film by Irving Rapper

The Christine Jorgensen Story is a 1970 American drama film and a fictionalized biographical film about trans woman Christine Jorgensen. While the overall premise of the film is accurate, many of the details are fictionalized for the continuity of the film. It was directed by Irving Rapper and based on Christine Jorgensen's autobiography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Markov</span> American actress

Margaret Mary Markov is an American retired actress. She had a supporting role in the romantic drama The Sterile Cuckoo (1969) with Liza Minnelli and co-starred in There Is No 13 (1974), as well as appearing in other films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Johnson (actor)</span> American actor (born 1951)

Kyle Johnson is an American actor, most notable for his performance in the 1969 film The Learning Tree.

<i>The Carey Treatment</i> 1972 film by Blake Edwards

The Carey Treatment is a 1972 American crime thriller film directed by Blake Edwards and starring James Coburn, Jennifer O'Neill, Dan O'Herlihy and Pat Hingle. The film was based on the 1968 novel A Case of Need credited to Jeffery Hudson, a pseudonym for Michael Crichton. Like Darling Lili and Wild Rovers before this, The Carey Treatment was heavily edited without help from Edwards by the studio into a running time of one hour and 41 minutes; these edits were later satirized in his 1981 black comedy S.O.B..

<i>Made in Paris</i> 1966 film by Boris Sagal

Made in Paris is a 1966 American romantic-comedy film starring Ann-Margret, Louis Jourdan, Richard Crenna, Edie Adams, and Chad Everett. The film was written by Stanley Roberts and directed by Boris Sagal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John David Carson</span> American actor

John David Carson was an American actor. He was born in Los Angeles, California.

<i>The Game Is Over</i> 1966 French film

The Game Is Over is a 1966 French-Italian French language drama film directed by Roger Vadim and starring Jane Fonda, Michel Piccoli, and Peter McEnery. The film is a modern-day adaptation of the 1871-72 novel La Curée by Émile Zola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Roddenberry filmography</span>

Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American screenwriter and producer of several television series, best known for his work in creating the Star Trek franchise. He began a writing career while he was a Sergeant in the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and his first work to be bought by a network was The Secret Defense of 117, although it took four years to be broadcast. During that time, he wrote four episodes of the police procedural Highway Patrol under the pseudonym "Robert Wesley", as the LAPD required employees to seek formal permission to work a second job. After leaving the force, he wrote for several series, such as Have Gun – Will Travel but wanted to become a producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Personal life of Gene Roddenberry</span>

Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist best remembered for creating the original Star Trek television series. While at Los Angeles City College, he entered into a relationship with Eileen-Anita Rexroat, whom he went on to marry on June 20, 1942, before his deployment in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. The couple had two daughters together, Darleen Anita and Dawn Allison. He joined the Los Angeles Police Department, and during this time he was known to have had affairs with secretarial staff, thus endangering his marriage.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pretty Maids All in a Row at the American Film Institute Catalog
  2. Box office information for Roger Vadim films at Box Office Story
  3. Sokolov, Raymond (Oct 20, 1968). "Tiger McDrew: PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW". The New York Times. p. Q59.
  4. A. H. WEILER (Nov 24, 1968). "Paging Ethel Waters". The New York Times. p. D18.
  5. Martin, Betty (Nov 26, 1968). "MOVIE CALL SHEET: 'Eye on Sparrow' Film Set". Los Angeles Times . p. g16.
  6. "MGM Will Begin Nine Films in '69". Los Angeles Times. Nov 30, 1968. p. a5.
  7. Haber, Joyce (May 15, 1969). "Burbank Honors Rowan, Martin". Los Angeles Times. p. d21.
  8. A.H. WEILER (May 3, 1970). "Vadim's 'Pretty Maids'". The New York Times. p. 109.
  9. 1 2 Thomas, Kevin (Aug 23, 1970). "Vadim Reappearing With Promising Film for MGM: Vadim and Promising Film". Los Angeles Times. p. q10.
  10. ALJEAN HARMETZ (Sep 6, 1970). "Movies: In Vadim's Garden 'Pretty Maids All in a Row'". The New York Times. p. 65.
  11. Lundy, Dori (July 24, 1970). "Rock Hudson in Star Role". Los Angeles Times. p. h12.
  12. "THE VADIM GIRLS: First he catapulted Brigitte Bardot to stardom, then Catherine Deneuve ... and now director Roger Vadim sets his sites on these luscious lovelies. Has he done it again?". Chicago Tribune. Sep 27, 1970. p. f7.
  13. "Uni High Footballers to Appear in Film". Los Angeles Times. Sep 7, 1970. p. h22.
  14. Patricia Ward Biederman, "Campuses Make Popular Film Locations: As Stars, Schools Are in Class of Their Own", Los Angeles Times, March 1, 1987.
  15. Ebert, Roger (April 12, 1971). "Pretty Maids All in a Row". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  16. "Pretty Maids All in a Row". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  17. "Read New All-Time Top 10 Lists From Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, Quentin Tarantino & More | The Playlist". Blogs.indiewire.com. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  18. "Quentin Tarantino | BFI | British Film Institute". explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 25 August 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2022.

Metadata