The Grasshopper

This is undoubtedly the best performance of Jacqueline Bisset's career. Unfortunately, it's in an over-the-top trash-fest that is so audaciously (and probably tongue-in-cheek) cheesy that it's pretty damn good. I saw this thing about a hundred times working as a movie usher in the early 70s, and practically any other film would have become dull after that many viewings -- not "The Grasshopper"!

The plot is completely implausible, but in a nutshell it has Jackie starting out as a fresh-faced farmgirl and, after being used and betrayed by gigolo boyfriends, horny old businessmen and the Mob, ending up an embittered prostitute. And all within the space of one year! The final skywriting scene would have become a classic had an audience of any size actually seen this film. Definitely worth a look!

This badly-done movie comes across as a 1970s porn film--without porn! It has the same 1-dimensional, slimy characters that populated porn films of that era, and it is very hard to believe that this was actually a Hollywood production. The story is insulting to adults--everything is predictable and trite. Jacqueline Bisset is gorgeous, but she does not get to show the front of her body off, despite a bunch of teasing scenes that suggest she might.

Jacqueline Bisset is a girl from a small town in Canada. She's on her way to Los Angeles to make something of herself when she finds herself i Las Vegas. There she becomes a showgirl and gradually falls into the pill-popping demimonde, with occasional efforts to lead a more normal existence.

It all seems superficial as directed by Jerry Paris and brightly lit by cameraman Sam Leavitt, but here's an example when that seemingly annoying contradiction actually works. Vegas is beautiful, the showgirls are beautiful, the costumes they wear are beautiful, it's the people's souls that are ugly. With Jim Brown and Joseph Cotten.

Darling with Julie Christie came out in 1965 and this looks like an unofficial remake that takes place in the U.S instead of Britain. However, no one would think it would fall into the hands of TV hacks like Garry Marshall and Jerry (The Dick Van Dyke Show) Paris. It's a combination Showgirls and Valley of the Dolls. It's funny bad, though and worth hunting down. It's also worth the price to pay to see Jackie Bissett in bed with none other than Corbett Monica! True, it does show the gay lifestyle and interracial marriage in a blase fashion which is good. There's this funny scene where Jackie's having a shouting match with her boyfriend Jay. It's about money and he says, "We can even afford the mailblox." That's not a typo. He says mailblox. Also funny are the intrusive vocal songs that dominate a lot of the scenes. They pretty much stop the show and were probably considered groovy back in 1970. Enjoy!

"The Grasshopper" is a little-known melodrama in the spirit of "Valley of the Dolls." The similarities between the two films are many. 'Valley' was made in 1968, 'The Grasshooper' in 1970, and both films tell the story of young and vibrant women who find themselves lost in the overwhelming world of show business. However of the two films, this 1970 film starring Jaqueline Bisset is more focused, and more in-depth, as it is telling the tale of one woman, while "Valley of the Dolls," followed at least three different women on their road to oblivion. Christine leaves home at the age of 19 to find excitement, and a better life. She seems to be driven by the terrifying thought that she might end up as an ordinary woman, with a boring life. Chris, wonderfully played by Bisset, wants it all, and she wants it now, before it is too late. She realizes that she has no real talent, and not much to offer besides her beauty, so she plays that card, with expected results. Jumping from man to man, in search of something that even she doesn't quite know what, always believing that she is the smart one, and the one in control. But when she slowly realizes that it is she that is being used, she finds herself a hard and jaded young woman indeed, turning to drugs, and a succession of 'wrong guys'. Because of the films age, and flashy style, "The Grasshopper" holds much camp appeal. But when you bother to look beyond the kitch, you might find a story filled with some pretty important life lessons, for Christine made all the choices that we don't want to make. And most everyone has known a person like this girl, living for the moment, with no thought of next week, until the time comes when it is too late to realize any dreams of success or happiness. This is a glitzy, excessive film, bursting with eye popping late 60's fashion and music. Jaqueline Bisset sports a different hairstyle every 10 minutes, and she is at her most beautiful here. And oddly, this is the film that showcases her acting ability, far more than any of her well known, later films. Featuring a finale that is both outrageous, and surprisingly downbeat at the same time, this one is quite entertaining, and worth a look, if you can track it down.