The Cheerleaders

Last updated
The Cheerleaders
CheerleadersSeries.jpg
DVD cover
Directed byPaul Glickler
Written byAce Baandige
Paul Glickler
Richard Lerner
Tad Richards
Produced byRobert Boggs
Paul Glickler
Richard Lerner
StarringStephanie Fondue
Denise Dillaway
Jovita Bush
Brandy Woods
Kimberly Hyde
CinematographyRichard Lerner
Edited byJoseph Ancore
Paul Glickler
Larry Goldman
Richard Lerner
Music byDavid Herman
Distributed byCinemation Industries
Release date
  • March 1973 (1973-03)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
BudgetUS$153,000 (estimated) [1]
Box office$2.5 million (U.S./ Canada rentals) [2] [3]
The Cheerleaders playing at a movie theater in Berlin, New Hampshire (June 1973) MOVIE THEATRE - NARA - 550685.jpg
The Cheerleaders playing at a movie theater in Berlin, New Hampshire (June 1973)

The Cheerleaders is a 1973 erotic comedy film directed by Paul Glickler, starring Stephanie Fondue and Denise Dillaway. [4]

Contents

Plot

Jeannie, a spirited student at Amarosa High School, found herself at a crossroads. Encouraged by her friends Bonnie and Debbie, she decided to try out for the cheerleading squad. There was an opening due to one of the cheerleaders unexpectedly ending up in the maternity ward. The stakes were high, and Jeannie’s fate hung in the balance.

During the nerve-wracking tryouts, Jeannie’s secret was revealed. Bonnie whispered to the head cheerleader, Claudia, that Jeannie was a virgin. Claudia, always one to seize an opportunity, saw potential in Jeannie. She approached their coach, Isabel, with a proposition: perhaps Jeannie was the missing piece needed to carry the squad through the season.

And so, Jeannie was selected. But there was a twist. Claudia and Isabel made a bet: would Jeannie retain her virtue until the end of the season? It was an unusual wager, but the stakes were high. Jeannie’s mettle would be tested in ways she never imagined.

The cheerleader initiation was a rite of passage. Jeannie found herself in the boys’ locker room, ready to take a shower. The other cheerleaders waited outside, anticipation in the air. But fate had other plans. As Jeannie soaped up, the team burst in, returning from practice. Their amorous intentions were clear, but Jeannie’s virtue remained intact—thanks to the timely intervention of Norm, her steadfast boyfriend.

As the season progressed, the cheerleaders faced another challenge. Prior to the game against Central, they held a slumber party at Jeannie’s house. But the Amarosa team crashed the party, seeking their own form of celebration. The cheerleaders obliged, except for Jeannie. It was a wild night, but fairness demanded reciprocity.

Determined to level the playing field, the cheerleaders embarked on a mission. They ventured into Central City, ensuring that the opposing team faced equal fatigue during the game. However, a twist awaited them. One of the opposition players had eluded their efforts and remained fresh. He played at full strength, threatening Amarosa’s chances.

At halftime, Jeannie stepped up, devising a plan. She confronted the elusive player, revealing a hidden weakness. The opposition’s star was no longer invincible. Isabel’s bet with Claudia was won, with Jeannie’s virtue lost in the process.

In a thrilling finale, engineered by Norm, Amarosa High emerged victorious. The cheerleaders cheered, and Jeannie’s journey—from initiation to triumph—was complete. As the confetti fell, she knew that sometimes, strength came from unexpected places. And perhaps, in the world of cheerleading, virtue was its own kind of victory.

Cast

Production

The film was made in the summer of 1972 in the cities of Cupertino, California and Sunnyvale, California. The high school scenes were shot at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California. The administration of Monta Vista high school claimed to not be aware of the racy elements and theme of the movie. Many of the football player extras were recent graduates of local high schools from these two cities. The red uniforms in the film representing the home team high school Amarosa High School were actual uniforms of Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, California from that same year. One of the identified extras is Carl Ekern, who later played professional football for the Los Angeles Rams. He was a student football player at San Jose State University when the movie was made.

Casting

Twenty-one year old Enid Finnbogason was from St. Vital, a neighborhood of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, who rode the local transit system for a dime, since she looked like a sixteen year old at the time. She was in a restaurant in Los Angeles with friends, including two members of the film industry, when she was approached by a casting agent for a movie. He asked Enid to walk across the street to the Ramada Inn, where they were currently casting a movie: "The Cheerleaders". She was given a copy of the script and was asked if she was ever a cheerleader; she had never been one. She was asked to do a cheer, so she remembered one from high school and guessed at the footwork. The casting director liked what she did, so she was asked to perform one of the scenes from the script. Afterwards, even though they had already cast Jeannie, the lead, they reconsidered and thought that Enid was perfect for the part. She accepted the role and was asked what she wanted to use as a stage name; she chose "Stephanie Fondue". [5]

Sequels

The film's success spawned a series of sequels during the 1970s. It was followed by The Swinging Cheerleaders (1974), directed by Jack Hill, Revenge of the Cheerleaders (1976) (a.k.a. Caught With Their Pants Down), directed by Richard Lerner, and The Great American Girl Robbery (1979) (a.k.a. Cheerleaders' Wild Weekend ), directed by Jeff Werner.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Sugar & Spice</i> 2001 film by Francine McDougall

Sugar & Spice is a 2001 American teen film directed by Francine McDougall and starring Marley Shelton, Marla Sokoloff and Mena Suvari. The plot follows a group of high school cheerleaders who conspire and commit armed robbery when one of them becomes pregnant and desperate for money.

Fremont Union High School District is a school district in Silicon Valley, California. It serves the communities of Cupertino, Sunnyvale, San Jose, Los Altos, Saratoga, and Santa Clara.

<i>Easy Virtue</i> (1928 film) 1928 film

Easy Virtue is a 1928 British silent romance film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Isabel Jeans, Franklin Dyall and Ian Hunter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cupertino High School</span> Public school in Cupertino, California, United States

Cupertino High School, colloquially referred to as "Tino", "CHS", is a four-year comprehensive public high school located near the Rancho Rinconada and Fairgrove neighborhoods of Cupertino, California, USA. The school serves mostly suburban residential and areas in eastern Cupertino, southern Santa Clara, and west San Jose.

Sweet Valley High is a series of young adult novels attributed to American author Francine Pascal, who presided over a team of ghostwriters to produce the series. The books chronicle the lives of identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, who live in the fictional Sweet Valley, California, a suburb near Los Angeles. The twins and their friends attend Sweet Valley High.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudia Jennings</span> American actress and model (1949–1979)

Mary Eileen Chesterton, known professionally as Claudia Jennings, was an American actress and model. Jennings was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for November 1969 and also Playmate of the Year for 1970. She subsequently pursued a career in acting, and was known as the "Queen of B movies". She died in an automobile accident in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders</span> NFL cheerleader squad

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are the National Football League cheerleading squad representing the Dallas Cowboys team.

<i>Bring It On Again</i> 2004 film directed by Damon Santostefano

Bring It On Again is a 2004 American cheerleading comedy film directed by Damon Santostefano and starring Anne Judson-Yager and Bree Turner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fremont High School (Sunnyvale, California)</span> Public 4-year school in Sunnyvale, California, United States

Fremont High School is a co-educational, public high school in Sunnyvale, California, United States. Fremont is currently the only open public high school located in the city of Sunnyvale and is part of the Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD).

<i>The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom</i> TV movie

The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom is a 1993 biographical black comedy television film produced by and for HBO. It was directed by Michael Ritchie and starred Holly Hunter, Swoosie Kurtz and Beau Bridges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claire Bennet</span> Fictional character

Claire Bennet is a fictional character in the NBC psychological thriller superhero drama series Heroes. She is portrayed by Hayden Panettiere and first appeared on television in the pilot episode of the series, "Genesis", on September 25, 2006. She is a high school cheerleader with the power of rapid cellular regeneration. Claire appears in more episodes than any other character. In Heroes Reborn, she dies while giving birth to Malina and Tommy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maiara Walsh</span> American actress (born 1988)

Maiara Walsh is an American actress. She played Ana Solis on the sixth season of the ABC show Desperate Housewives, Meena Paroom on the Disney Channel sitcom Cory in the House and Simone Sinclair on the Freeform series Switched at Birth. She also portrayed Vicky Patterson in the film Identity Theft of a Cheerleader by Lifetime and Mandi Weatherly in the film Mean Girls 2 on Freeform.

McKinney North High School is a public secondary school located on 2550 Wilmeth Road in McKinney, Texas, US. The school is part of the McKinney Independent School District. Mckinney North currently holds the most zoned space in McKinney. McKinney North High School opened to its first freshman class in the year 2000. North was also recently updated to a "recognized" status via the TEA.

<i>Bring It On: In It to Win It</i> 2007 American film

Bring It On: In It to Win It is a 2007 American cheerleading teen comedy film directed by Steve Rash and starring Ashley Benson, Cassie Scerbo and Michael Copon.

<i>A Friend to Die For</i> 1994 television film directed by William A. Graham

A Friend to Die For is a 1994 American psychological thriller television film directed by William A. Graham. Written by Dan Bronson, the film is inspired by the real-life murder of Kirsten Costas, who was killed by her classmate, Bernadette Protti, in 1984. The film was the highest-rated TV movie of 1994.

<i>Cheerleader Massacre</i> 2003 American film

Cheerleader Massacre is a 2003 American B-movie slasher film directed by Jim Wynorski and written by Lenny Juliano. It is the seventh installment in the Massacre franchise and was originally meant to be a direct sequel to The Slumber Party Massacre (1982).

<i>Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal</i> American made-for-TV movie

Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal is a 2008 American teen drama telefilm produced by Lifetime. It stars Jenna Dewan, Ashley Benson, and Tatum O'Neal, and was directed by Tom McLoughlin. The film premiered on August 2, 2008. It is based on real-life events that occurred at McKinney North High School in McKinney, Texas, in 2006, five teenage cheerleaders became notorious for truancies, violations of the school dress code, and general disrespect to the school community.

<i>Groove Squad</i> 2002 television film by Patrick A. Ventura

Groove Squad Cheerleaders is a 2002 animated television film produced by DIC Entertainment as part of the DIC Movie Toons series of movies which debuted on Nickelodeon on November 24, 2002 and was later released on VHS and DVD by MGM Home Entertainment and eventually airing internationally on Disney Channel and Toon Disney. The titular squad consists of three high school cheerleaders and best friends, who end up gaining superpowers after being accidentally zapped by a jolt of electricity from a deranged mad scientist. With help from their team mascot and their hairstylist, a former Mi6-agent, the three cheerleaders learn to use their newfound powers while hiding their newfound identities, to become superheroines and defeat the power-hungry mad scientist, and also win the annual cheerleading competition. Notably, it was the only movie in DIC Movie Toons that was a completely original concept; it was neither based on an older cartoon nor adapted from a classic literature story. The film features famous celebrity Jennifer Love Hewitt as the voice of Chrissy.

Laura Lynette Vikmanis is an American dietitian, personal trainer, and dancer who was a professional cheerleader for the Cincinnati Ben–Gals, the cheerleading squad of the Cincinnati Bengals. She was the oldest cheerleader in National Football League history, at 40 years of age when she joined in 2009. She is also a co-author of the book It's Not About the Pom-Poms.

<i>Senior Year</i> (2022 film) 2022 teen comedy film by Alex Hardcastle

Senior Year is a 2022 American comedy film directed by Alex Hardcastle in his feature film directorial debut from a screenplay by Andrew Knauer, Arthur Pielli, and Brandon Scott Jones. The film stars Rebel Wilson as a 37-year-old woman who awakens from a 20-year coma and decides to go back to high school to earn her diploma. Her teenage version is played by Angourie Rice. Whilst Mary Holland, Sam Richardson, Zoe Chao, Justin Hartley, and Chris Parnell also star. The film was released by Netflix on May 13, 2022.

References

  1. "The Cheerleaders (original title) Budget". IMDB. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  2. "Big Rental Films of 1973", Variety, 9 January 1974 p. 19
  3. Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 294. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
  4. "The Cheerleaders". TV Guide . Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "St. Vital's Enid Strips for Movie". Winnipeg Free Press . Winnepeg, Manitoba. January 6, 1973. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  6. "Clair Dia". TV Guide . Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  7. "Kimberly Hyde". TV Guide . Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  8. "Robert Hirschfeld". TV Guide . Retrieved August 24, 2024.