Swamp Girl

SWAMP GIRL (1971)

I don't even know what I saw with this utterly boring film. There's a pretty blonde woman who endured some hard knocks as a child and then continued her entire life living in a stinky swamp in Georgia. She was raised by a black man who she now affectionately calls her "pa", but ultimately has to defend her homeland when ruthless outsiders threaten to interfere. Whatever.

I was checking some of the other positive reviews here and I can only surmise that I must have watched a different movie.

0 out of ****

SWAMP GIRL begins with a blonde-haired girl of the swamp paddling her way through the swampland. She deposits something of interest on the swamp bank, while nearby, the swamp ranger (Ferlin Husky) strums his guitar, crooning the ballad of the SWAMP GIRL. Her name is Janeen (Simone Griffeth).

The great thing about swamp country is that you don't need a car. Just hop in your air-boat and woosh! You're bouncing over gators in no time flat!

Swamp ranger and girl meet. We are shown that she lives in a dilapidated shack with her swamp dad, who appears to be about five years her senior

Uh oh!

A pair of hardened criminals find the shack, and abduct Janeen. Things get a bit complicated from here.

If you're in the mood for a swamp romp, then this movie should satisfy. It's ridiculous, yet absolutely mesmerizing!

SWAMP GIRL CONTAINS: #1- Illegal abortions! #2- Human trafficking! #3- Snake farming! #4- Catfish angling swamp-billies! #5- More Ferlin Husky than one could ever dream of!

Yes, the ballad of SWAMP GIRL is played again during the end credits!...

Seemingly without effort, director Don Davis and lead actress Simone Griffeth reach out and lay hands on that flawless sincerity that overrated hacks like Goddard can only pretend to. Griffeth's Janeen is laid bare before us -- emotionally naked -- as the young actress gives herself to the audience completely, rawly, almost desperately.

Also notable is country singer Ferlin Husky, cast here as a good hearted swamp ranger. Husky lends his character an earthy honesty, a sun-wrinkled gentility that only just covers his own scars. He seems to help Janeen in a thinly disguised effort to purge away the acid pain that eats him from the inside every day.

This film has taken an unflinching grip on something living, something grand.

This GP-rated Southern meller is milder and pokier than the best (or at least more luridly enjoyable) of its type. The titular figure is a Marcia Brady-looking blonde who runs around the swamp in a spotless pink dress, living with her "paw"--the African-American man who raised her after she was abandoned by her mother to an abortionist/child trafficker who died not much later). Despite this lurid backstory, plus some deaths by alligator, snake and violent thug, it's pretty mild stuff. Country Star Ferlin Husky plays the local ranger--the whole swamp area is a protected wildlife refuge--who discovers the seemingly mythical "Swamp Girl" really exists. Things are complicated by some loutish local poachers, a criminal couple on the lam (the escaped-con woman is the really mean one), and a couple looking for their "little girl lost" in the swamp. (But said girl is the vicious jailbird.) There's an outrageously contrived revelation at the very end, but nothing else here is special enough to provide major camp or other entertainment value. Still, despite its lack of sufficient energy, exploitative aspects and outrageousness, it holds the attention--just adequately--for fans of old drive-in fare.

The only reason one might see "Swamp Girl" today is in pursuit of its feature on the Something Weird DVD, "Swamp Country" (1966), which is the kind of forgotten oddball gem Z-movie fans love to discover. "Girl" isn't a total waste of time, but "Woman" is the reason you'll want to keep the DVD.

Swamp Girl (1971)

** (out of 4)

Deep in the swamps of Georgia, legend has it that there's a blonde woman (Simone Griffeth) who lurks in the wilderness. Many people have claimed to have seen her yet there's no real proof. That is until one day when the sheriff goes chasing after her and finally manages to talk to her. Soon after a pair of criminals kill her Pa and force her to take them through the swamp.

SWAMP GIRL certainly isn't a long-lost classic and it's certainly not Oscar-material but I'm pretty sure you already know that. During the 1970's there were all sorts of Southern exploitation pictures that managed to find a spot on various drive-in screens and that's exactly where the majority of them belong. This film here certainly isn't the best of the sub-genre but at the same time it's far from the worst.

I think the best thing this one has going for it are the actual locations. The majority of the running time takes place in the swamp where we get plenty of shots of various wildlife and this here is certainly the highlight of the picture. The setting is obviously just right for the story and I also thought Griffeth was good enough for the role. With that said, there's no question that this is pretty much lacking any sort of real story and calling it a well-made movie would be a mistake.

Still, if you're a fan of these type of no-budget pictures then there's certainly much worse out there so this one here is worth watching out.