The Chicken Chronicles

The best things about this movie are: the SONGS (on the original release), the GIRLS (Maddy, Margaret and Tracy) and the CARS!! The plot of this movie is sort of mediocre, but there are some decent scenes of Beverly Hills; with all of the (now) classic automobiles in this film there REALLY should have been more "cruising" scenes. The way the film was shot really did (and to me, still does) make you feel as though you're in May of 1969. Too bad it's so difficult to obtain licensing rights for certain songs--the soundtrack could have used some good Soul tunes like "Time Is Tight" by Booker T. and the MGs, "California Soul" from Marlena Shaw, or "Nothing But A Heartache" from the Flirtations. One final criticism: A movie set in California featuring three beautiful women (with High School as a backdrop) set in the Spring of '69 has NO BEACH SCENES??

Millionaires and palm trees line swanky Beverly Hills, California in May, 1969. When not protest-writing about the Vietnam War, curly-haired high school senior Steve Guttenberg (as David "Dave" Kessler) has one thing on his mind. He desperately needs to have (you guessed it) sex, but Mr. Guttenberg is unable to find a place to copulate. Yes, he has his own car and lives in the Los Angeles area. Guttenberg is also good-looking, muscular and athletic. He has access to all the intoxicants he could need, and lives in a specious mansion with parents who keep out of sight. And, Guttenberg attracts attention from blonde Lisa Reeves (as Margaret) and brunette Meridith Baer (as Tracy), who certainly must be among the two most arousing young women in school...

That Guttenberg can't find a partner and place for sexual activity is not entirely believable, but he is appealing in his first starring role. The story never seems as funny as writer Paul Diamond's original intentions, but there are some laughs. Funniest is nerdy but cute Gino Baffa (as Charlie), Guttenberg's more sexually active little brother. Director Francis Simon does well with his engaging cast at a graduation party. Veteran comedian Phil Silvers is always nice to see – herein, he's the manager of am unsanitary "Kentucky Fried Chicken"-styled eatery. Guttenberg claims he works there for gas money. Back in 1969, rich kids still worked at fast-food restaurants. The songs, led by "Every Day with You Girl" by Dennis Yost and the Classics IV, sound fresh.

****** The Chicken Chronicles (10/20/77) Francis Simon ~ Steve Guttenberg, Branscombe Richmond, Gino Baffa, Phil Silvers

"The Chicken Chronicles" is a very slight teenage sex comedy, centering around Steve Guttenberg's futile attempts to get laid. Although there are a few chuckles, mostly involving take out chicken and Phil Silvers, this is basically a misfire. The jokes are lame, there is no nudity, and really very little story. Most definitely, the "American Pie" crowd should avoid this. It is however suitable for mixed company that can tolerate the endless joint smoking, and sexual references. The film also serves to promote the Vietnam era liberal viewpoint. At best a time capsule of innocent high school pranks, at worst a totally pointless movie. - MERK

I'd just watched THE POM POM GIRLS and was quite taken by one of the actresses, Lisa Reeves, who only ever appeared two other theatrical films and a handful of TV appearances before retiring from acting and moving to Oregon to be an Educational Assistant, so I'm now on a quest to see all nine of her IMDB credits, starting with THE CHICKEN CHRONICLES. The film was written by the son of famed Hollywood screenwriter I. A. L. Diamond, who co-wrote with Billy Wilder such classics as SOME LIKE IT HOT and THE APARTMENT, so I'm guessing there's some autobiographical elements to the story about a Beverly Hills High School senior, Steve Gutenberg in his film debut, on a quest to lose his virginity before he graduates. His reluctant girlfriend is Reeves, and she's once again quite good playing the girlfriend who doesn't really want to have sex with him. The other standout in the cast is Branscombe Richmond, who plays Gutenberg's best friend and co-worker at the nasty fried chicken joint owned by the always great Phil Silvers (best known for playing Sgt. Bilko). It's kind of cool that Gutenberg's best friend is an Asian dude from Hawaii who's not used as comic relief at the character's expense, which was how most minority sidekicks were typically used in his era. I looked Richmond up and he's been in a ton of movies, most often as a stuntman, with credits from THE KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE to COBRA to 3 NINJAS, and is still working today, both acting and as a stunt coordinator. Another standout in the movie is Meridith Baer, who I didn't recognize in the film, but her name sounded familiar. She plays a teen girl with a "reputation" who likes Gutenberg. What's cool about her character is she's actually really sweet and actually nicer than the girl Gutenberg wants to be with. When I looked her up, she's all over HGTV as a successful businesswoman with the premier "home staging" business in the world. Fascinating! Just like Reeves, I'm kind of surprised Baer didn't appear in more movies. They both have a great natural presence and come across as really likable. But back to the film's plot, there's a bit of pathos to the film with Gutenberg's wacky hijinx potentially getting him expelled, in which case he won't get into Stanford and will be sent to Vietnam, though the film doesn't earn any genuine emotion. It's primarily just a lightweight comedy, but even when the comedy isn't always that funny, which unfortunately is often, the film does have an earnestness you don't get in most films of this sort, and it's not nearly as crass as the plot and poster would have you imagine either. It's a PG-rated sex comedy, which is unusual, even if that's the 1970s version of PG, so it's a racy PG with lots of sex-talk, pot smoking, and swearing, but it still manages to be a fairly innocent and sweeter than you'd expect. Overall, THE CHICKEN CHRONICLES has a far better cast than the script deserves, and they manage to keep you engaged, even when the situations and hijinx seem rather contrived.

AI CAPSULE REVIEW: The Chicken Chronicles is a lightweight 1970s teen sex comedy with more sweetness than sleaze, elevated by a surprisingly endearing cast-including a charming early performance by Steve Guttenberg. While the script is thin and the laughs uneven, the natural charisma of the actors keeps it engaging.

In 1969, a high school senior from a wealthy, absentee family in Hollywood--a rebel on the school paper and a goof-off at his job in a chicken restaurant--is frustrated at his lack of progress with the girls (a survey that proclaims "87% of all 12th grade boys admit to being sexually active" clearly doesn't apply to our frustrated hero). Screenwriter Paul Diamond, adapting his novel, facetiously drops hints about the Viet Cong, President Nixon, Ingmar Bergman and "Rosemary's Baby" in an attempt (I guess) to situate his story in a particular era, yet director Francis Simon fails to accentuate the film with any nostalgic flair--the majority of it looks like 1977, and sounds like it as well. In the lead, Steve Guttenberg (who gets an 'introducing' credit) is a handsome, muscular, ingratiating fellow with a boyish voice and a slightly-stupefied look. He's full of youthful energy and breezes through the movie effortlessly, yet he doesn't leave any footprints behind him. As a vehicle for newcomers and veterans, these "Chronicles" are certainly lacking. Ed Lauter does his granite-jawed act as the school's vice principal, while top-billed (!) Phil Silvers overacts as Guttenberg's boss, shouting as if he were performing in front of a live audience. *1/2 from ****