Bad Penny

Surprisingly, I'm the first reviewer in over 30 years of IMDb to comment on this droll Chuck Vincent porn comedy, an excellent example of how some talented filmmakers brought craftsmanship to Adult Cinema in an age (the '70s) when making a real film (albeit XXX in content) was still the goal.

Fashioned as a vehicle for Samantha Fox, it's highly entertaining while maintaining a light touch, conscious of being a trifle, story-wise. Sam has to solve a riddle left by her rich uncle to inherit $1,485,000 from his estate, or else next in line, her aunt (the uncle's sister) will inherit. Molly Malone is terrific in the aunt's role, scheming over and over to kill Sam in various ways, always backfiring in a Wile E. Coyote fashion. Her acting recalls top comediennes of the screen back in the '30s, and overall the acting here, even in small roles, is top-notch.

Fox remains in character throughout (always classy), even in scenes where sexually she is called upon to get down & dirty (such as a blow-bang servicing a rock quartet while they dine sloppily, or humping a grease monkey of a janitor played by familiar porn actor Roger Caine).

A jaunty music score, headed up by frequent playing of the "Blue Danube" waltz, keeps the movie moving along in peppy fashion, and attractive location photography of Manhattan takes the viewer briefly to touristy spots like Columbus Circle, Lincoln Center, Times Square, the tram to Roosevelt Island and Rockefeller Center.