Bad Girls Do Cry

Although Misty Ayers (burlesque stripper) is certainly attractive as the blonde lead, this flick is just an excuse to let her strip down to her underwear a few times (no nudity in 1954 when this film was made; not 1965).

The guy who hires her to work in a whorehouse resembles Bud Abbott of Abbott & Costello. Most of the other woman are unattractive, and the drunken woman is semi-amusing in a creepy way.

A 2 out of 10. Ms. Ayers has a curvacious physique, but you can't judge any acting talent because the ENTIRE film is post-dubbed. Some of these "exploitation films", usually made later than this one, are interesting in some way, but this is really a bore fest. Sid Melton (MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY) directed. There are some Samurai-like facial expressions and interesting apartments, but there's really NOTHING here.

Released in 1965, but clearly shot years earlier, this is an inept little crime melodrama with some inept sexploitation up front. As usual for grindhouse flicks of era, there's a fair amount of undressing and dressing for no reason complemented by lousy music, annoying narration, and awkward editing. The coffee shop scene lays the excruciating groundwork, as we chop back and forth between characters to avoid actually seeing them speak their lines. All we get are reaction shots to the off-screen character's voice! 50s-pretty Misty Ayers strips to her French-cut panties a couple of times before the action gets started. She's accompanied continuously by what is apparently stock music from romantic to western to mother-does-the-dishes, mixed randomly to produce, among other things, the most thrilling cigarette lighting ever captured on film. Watch as he taps it! Watch as he strikes the match! Will he inhale or will he be captured by Apaches? Only time will tell!! The film tells the sordid tale of how Sally gets tricked into working in a whorehouse, falls for a dope, and can't escape. For some reason, we're treated to some of the most bored and boring hookers ever committed to film, literally doing their nails or knitting rather than entertaining the clientèle. Some stupendously lame comedy (boozy dame accidentally drinks milk! Har dee har!) and silent film acting doesn't help. This is one of the worst feature films I've ever seen, even on the Something Weird Video marquee. It's really more of a film curiosity for those interested in the history of cinema--very bad cinema.

First of all, the 1965 date is certainly wrong for this film--1955 is more like it. The title card seems to be taken from a 1960s Doris Wishman film of the same title, but then the rest of the credits are original (was this film issued under another name in the 50s???). Director Sid Melton is best known as a fine comic character actor, famous from his stints on Make Room for Daddy and Captain Midnight, and from his many supporting roles in Lippert films in the 49-52 period, and his starring turn in the fascinating STOP THE CAB from the same period, where he was teamed with the amazing Iris Adrian. I'm surprised he put his name on this film, but it is relatively tame and probably couldn't have hurt his reputation THAT much as it merely features the beautiful Misty Ayres slowly stripping down to her undies a few times. As there are TWO scenes of that in the first ten minutes, I was expecting most of the film would be in that vein (which I could have enjoyed, but that's another story...), but it then evolves into an attempt at a crime drama, with a few comic bits (an ongoing drunk routine, done by a woman who is a moll of the gangster in charge..and another one with a singing telegram delivery boy played by Sid Melton's voice!). Basically, Ayres arrives in the big city, tries to get a job, works as a waitress, is approached by a sleaze who runs a modeling agency, goes out on a job that is actually a front for prostitution, gets beaten up and put on dope... I won't give anything else away. The films plays on the same level as, say, Broadway Jungle, and its main impediment to being accepted by most viewers is that it is shot silent and has non-synced dialog and sound effects. The acting of the bad guys is also on a dinner theatre melodrama level and isn't helped by the flat non-synced dubbing. Films like this have a strange fascination for me, and no doubt there is an interesting story behind this film and Mr. Melton's involvement in it. If you already own Dance Hall Racket, Broadway Jungle, Barry Mahon's "crime-oriented" nudies, Virgin in Hollywood, and other films of that ilk, you should surely appreciate this unique film experience as much as I did. If you don't know what any of those films are, I wouldn't think this would have any appeal for you. Sid Melton fans might also want to check it out, if only to see another facet to this great funnyman.

Misty Ayers had a smoking body, and that's all this movie was about. Pure exploitation flick. I started playing a game with myself, counting the number of times they looped the stock orchestral music. And of course the music is completely unrelated to the scenes. Case in point: casually walking into a room and saying "Hello" was scored with chase music from a roman epic. I'd like to know why this film sat on the shelf for 11 years before being released. What I learned from this movie: that women's low-rise panties existed in 1954. I'm talking Sigourney Weaver in the original Alien movie panties. At least 20 of the first 30 minutes is Misty leisurely taking off and putting on her clothing (except for bra and panties, sadly). Also includes horrendous dubbing, leading to a "Look out! Godzirra!" effect.

Cheap, amateurish, unimaginative, exploitative... but don't think it'll have redeeming amusement value. About as unentertaining, uninstructive and just plain dull as a film can be.