The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington

Joey Heatherton takes the place of Lynn Redgrave in using the name of the famous Xaviera Hollander as the Happy Hooker. Joey's in some serious trouble, she's being held up as an example of the moral decay in America. A Senate subcommittee consisting of David White, Ray Walston, Phil Foster, and Jack Carter is holding hearings on that issue and Heatherton is her star witness.

But often one hand of the government doesn't know what the other is doing. At the same time she's being pilloried in this Senate committee, the CIA wants her to seduce an Arab sheik played by Jerry Fischer. If only handling Osama Bin-Laden was this easy. Heatherton is nothing if not a patriot though and her duty is clear.

In the end the sheik and Heatherton come to a meeting of minds that solves all their problems.

The film is dopey and God only knows what a whole lot of recognizable faces were doing in this thing. But it's also kind of fun. In fact it would take more than a dozen years before topics like these were discussed in the Halls of Congress. I refer to the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings.

But if you're loving large female breasts, this film is for you.

Director William Levy's film based upon the exploits of Xaviera Hollander and from an insightful script by screen veteran Robert Kaufman. A cultural touchstone of America's Sexual Revolution, this film features an all star cast, including George Hamilton and Ray Walston in excellent supporting roles. It is, however, Joey Heatherton who gives what is nothing less than the performance of a lifetime as The Happy Hooker. She is superb in the role, funny, bright, engaging, and stunningly sexy. There is also subtle pathos in her work, reflecting a certain existential uncertainty that she artfully brings to her portrayal. This is indeed Ms. Heatherton's film and certainly her talent that overall sustains it. It also is an important statement regarding profound changes in the moral view of a nation and an incisive look into a time of massive societal transformations. An under-appreciated and often overlooked film, this remains one of the landmark motion pictures of the era.

Forrest was right, this movie is a real gem. A diamond waiting to be unearthed by real movie fans. The performance by Joey Heatherton is so on target, it is a shame that it was overlooked by the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences. The supporting performances deserve equal attention! Why were there no sequels ever made? This is a real moneymaker!

I'm not sure how this gets such a low rating. Only 2.1? I've seen a LOT of worse movies. This one actually has a plot, some lighthearted humour, and (if you like them) lots of breasts. Not a great film, but not bad either. And I think it has a lot to say about our current times, not just the era it is from. This movie could not be made today because nobody with a recognizable name would dare be in it. I recognize there are serious films today that even go so far as to include actual sex to make their points, but nothing is as satirical as this, nothing pokes fun at those who need to be poked at. There are also films like A Dirty Shame which try to be funny, but they all seem to fail because they don't really believe in their own premise, and pull back. Anyway, I found this film enjoyable and refreshing.

Happy Hooker Goes to Washington (1977) was the best of the "Happy Hooker" trilogy (but that's not saying much). This time around, "The Happy Hooker" is portrayed by Joey Heatherton (who's steaming hot in this picture and the best of the bunch). This time around the "World's famous Madame" takes her act to Washington D.C. There she meets one of Hollywood's top ten mack-daddies, Mr. George Hamilton who co-stars as a Washington insider.

The film tries not to be sexy or "adult" but more campy. Joey Heatherton looks good and makes a very welcomed screen presence. The movie is okay. It's not great by any means but it's a definite improvement over the first film. The film (like

many during this time period) is extremely dated and doesn't hold very well over the past twenty some odd years. Great film if you're in the mood for some campy fun. Other than that I wouldn't go out of my way looking for a copy. The final chapter to the Happy Hooker trilogy is "The Happy Hooker goes to Hollywood".

Recommended for fans of the genre or for Happy Hooker completists.

B