C.B. Hustlers

I got this on a double feature DVD with a biopic of Evel Knievel for $2. It's about a bunch of hookers who operate out of a van and seduce truckers, and a journalist hot for a story with a CB radio who tries to shut down their operations. I thought it'd be some laughable C-grade obscure 70's porn I could put on at parties and such, but there's only about, ooh, 5% sex in this. I watched the first 10 minutes or so, and after I had got my fill of long shots of a bunch of people standing around vans drinking & talking, I put it on 2x speed setting and watched the rest of the film that way. Even with the sex scenes, and at twice the speed, it was still pretty slow & boring. Somehow, though, I strangely feel as if my dollar was justified. Hence the 2 rating.

This film begins with a couple known simply as "Dancer" (John Alderman) and "Scuzz" (Jacqueline Giroux) utilizing their CB radio and a couple of refurbished vans to establish a mobile brothel for highway truckers. Needless to say, the country sheriff "Elrod P. Ramsey" (Bruce Kimball) realizes something is going on but, because Dancer changes his location so frequently, he hasn't been able to catch up to them. What really becomes problematic, however, is the fact that a local newspaper reporter named "Mountain Dean" (Richard Kennedy) has also recently figured out what is happening, and he is determined to expose this illegal operation if it's the last thing he ever does. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say this is a film that took advantage of several opportunities that were unique to the period of time. For starters, because of the oil crisis in America a couple of years earlier, CB radios had just become quite popular, and a number of movies were produced to take advantage of this new phenomenon with "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Convoy" being two of the more popular films during this time. Likewise, it was also during this particular time that local drive-ins were so desperate for films that they would take almost anything that was available on the market--and a low-budget film like this fit the bill quite nicely. Having said that, however, it should be noted that, even though the demand was quite high for a film like this, that doesn't mean that this was a good movie by any means. It was quite bad actually with poor acting and an awful soundtrack being the main reasons. Admittedly, there are a couple of attractive actresses featured with Janus Blythe (as "Silkie"), Uschi Digard ("Dee Dee") and Catherine Barkley ("Lemon") being the primary attractions for Dancer's mobile business. Not that it really mattered, of course, considering how bad this movie actually was. Be that as it may, while a film like this might have been a staple for drive-in theaters during this particular time, it's not something I would recommend, and I have rated it accordingly.

The film is carried in great part by crack newsman reporter Mountain Dean (Richard Kennedy) overacting and a decent sound track. Unfortunately, there isn't a laugh out loud moments, kind of like watching a sitcom, the movie actually makes you like the girls and their soul searching pimp Dancer played adequately by John Alderman. The movie features a 28 year old Uschi Digard who looks quite beautiful especially when her wonderfully natural unclad breasts appear.

The good nature feel of the movie, Uschi, and the fact that it only runs for 75 minutes earn it a tenuous 4.

Found this little bit of soft-core raunch on a 'double-feature' DVD in one of those "Anything in the place is a buck" stores. It was paired up with "Cheerleader's Beach Party" (also 1978), which seemed somewhat appropriate.

My one-line summary was, of course, tongue-in-cheek. If you're looking for something more than mild titillation, you'd be better off spending your money elsewhere. The package says this is rated "R"; obviously that's a 1978 "R" because I've seen more explicit stuff on regular broadcast TV lately. There is an ample supply of (naked) female breasts and butts, and some simulated sex scenes, but that's about it. Nothing to be seen below the waistline.

Plot, such as it is, deals with a group of three 'pavement princesses' and their pimp working out of two custom vans. The preferred clientèle are 18-wheel truck drivers, and of course there's a nemesis in the form of an inept backwater newspaper man who overhears some of their coded jargon over a CB radio and decides that morality must prevail.

Slightly amusing byplay between the newspaperman and his sidekick/assistant, and there is a bit of a twist at the end. However, in the long run this is the kind of film that one watches only out of curiosity (or if one wants to know what was considered risqué during the Carter administration), and has little or no replay value.

I gave this a 5 out of 10 for the somewhat lame script. If the script had been better, and there had been more T&A in it (typical of 70s movies) it would have been an 8 or so. The better script would have quickened the pace of the movie, as well the extra sex would have filled in some divots.

This was made during the absolute height of the CB craze at a time when if you didn't have a CB base to the movie, your movie didn't do as well at the Drive Ins across America. I LOVE these type movies, not only because I not only grew up during the CB craze, but had radios in my car and house. The Cb radio was THE way to communicate, make new friends, and get help in a disaster or time of emergency. It was the cel phone of the 70s and 80s Of course it's time has passed and mainly these days only Truckers still use them but these movies are part of a great time in America that happened no where else.

Get the movie if you can and also look out for High Ballin, Citizens Band (the BEST of the CB based movies!) and of course, Smokey and the Bandit.