Models Inc.

You used to have to study to be a model. At least the applicants actually looked like models in those days, ie, slim and attractive. These days, size does not seem to matter as we champion all shapes and varying degrees of fatness. We also don't have many wholly real female models these days as young women seem to pump their boobs and lips full of nonsense. It's become a fake horror show to see what passes for attractive these days. The media is to blame. Stop giving people like Katie Price air time.

This film starts off quite well but just doesn't follow up with anything interesting. There is a noticeable lack of tension with the story and we unfortunately have the Hollywood Film Code in place which determines a rather bland ending. Someone gets a gun so guess what? There's some shooting. Boring.

How's your posture? Stick some books on your head and walk around the room. Study hard at this and you, too, can be a model. Ha ha. I was asked to become a model in the mid-1980s by the trendy up-coming London fashion set (a few designers became famous names). Please note how I was asked as opposed to trying to become a model! You can't fake natural beauty.

Coleen Gray's gold-digging Rusty starts out by blackmailing her married lover, then sees opportunities in a model agency that's rehearsing in the same building. She's soon making a play for the boss, who falls for her, and everything seems fine until her old crooked partner Lennie, out on parole shows up. "We're a couple of first class heels who are made for each other". He decides to exploit the models by opening a photographic studio. It's not going to end happily.

The alternative title 'That Kind of Girl' is more accurate, as the narrative focuses on Rusty and Lennie, rather than being another expose of model agencies; the one here is entirely above board until his involvement. A routine and predictable story and the cheap production values prevent this from hitting the heights, but there's some snappy hard-boiled dialogue and the director works up some tension toward the end, with the final shoot-out well done. Howard Duff gives a convincing performance as the vicious Lennie, and Coleen Gray is effective as a woman who is not as smart as she thinks she is.

With a 1940's type plot updated to the 1950's, "Models, Inc." moves along briskly in a neat, well-executed manner. This film is what it is, and doesn't pretend to be an a-level classic but that's OK.

A pseudo expose of the modeling business, it begins with a cheap gold-digger (Gray) who tries to go big time with a business owner (mature John Howard doing fine work as a square who should know better). Marjorie Reynolds gives a smooth, professional performance as his knowing secretary. When ex-con heel Howard Duff appears the movie swiftly proceeds from gold-digging into sleaze, and then into dark criminality. Duff gives a solid, forceful performance that dominates the film.

Gray's character sort of vacillates along as a tool for whatever the script requires at the moment, but overall is an adequate depiction of a noir type girl who must struggle to find the wherewithal to somehow go legit.

"Models, Inc." will probably hold your interest at least for the good work by a very fine cast. Its basically just an above-average little exploitation film but that is good enough for entertainment value.

Coleen Gray suddenly decides she wants to be a model, so she talks bartender Edwin Max into paying her tuition at John Howard's elite model training school. Within a few reels, she's Howard's mistress. Then along comes Howard Duff straight out of prison. He and Miss Gray clearly know each other from darker days, so he uses her connections to get her fellow models in for men to photograph and party with. Meanwhile, Howard asks Miss Gray to marry him. In order to get away from Duff, she agrees.

This movie looks like it wants to be a tale of redemption, but of course the wicked must be punished with a bullet in the belly. It looks like it wants to be a sexy exploitation film, but is far too worried about the production code. It wants to be many things, but lacks the nerve to be anything other than some good actors parading around in nice clothes. With Marjorie Reynolds, Louis Jean Heydt, and if you look closely, you can spot Franklyn Farnum sitting at the bar.