She Mob

This is one of my all-time favorite exploitation flicks which I've watched many times. Filmed in Texas, probably around Houston, in 1968, I first saw this movie in an adult movie house in Charlotte and was fascinated from the get go.

Stunning black and white camera work by Harold Williams instantly set this movie apart from the usual dull, washed out looking "softies" that were just coming into favor. Porno movies would become legit around 1970 and that ended forever the grind house fare of boob and butt movies, where women would undress for sex but men always kept their britches on during fornication. I really think Ed Wood, John Walters and Russ Meyer would have enjoyed this outrageous romp where a bull dyke, Big Shim, Is hiding out in a farmhouse with a bevy of sex-hungry girls. They need a stud to fulfill their desires so they entice Tony, the Gigolo (played with a relaxed, amused air) by hunky looking Adam Clyde. You see, he's being kept as a live-in stud by a wealthy woman, Brenda McCain. Both Brenda and Big Shim are played by the fantastic Marni Castle. As the wealthy woman, she's really likable and believable and earthy. I loved that amazing den, which was probably the real abode of someone wealthy who the director knew. As Big Shim, she's a cartoon caricature of the ugliest lesbian you'll ever see. She wears no make-up, has her hair pulled back and sports a pair of hideous looking spiked bar cones. She's fat and slobby but she still fascinates. What makes this movie stand out is the bath tub sequence where Brenda McCain invites her stud to join her. Softies, where women bared their breasts and butts, were routine. Yet, you never saw a nude male, especially one whose handsome and hunky. Most men in those softies were middle-aged or slobby.

Tony the Gigolo shows us his bare ass as he humps his mistress in a very believable way. Played by Adam Clyde, this handsome hunk appears to be enjoying himself. We'd love to hear the behind the scene stories that he's probably got stored away--if he's still alive. Among the lesbians in the farmhouse that I couldn't get enough of was Twig--played by Twig. She's a skinny freak who never stops dancing and squealing. The editing and lighting makes this movie fascinating and haunting. Today we know absolutely nothing about the cast or the production. The musical soundtrack is demented and we can see this movie as the transformation of a porn paperback from Greenleaf Books. I placed this movie right next to another amazing exploitation classic, SCREAM OF THE BUTTERFLY starring the phenomenal Nelida Lobato and her equally gorgeous Adonis, Nick Novaro. Exploitation movies like these were the bread-and-butter of the grind house movie houses along Times Square back in the 60s. I remember well watching many of them in these enormous, cavernous old movie houses where only men attended. The air smelt of cigarettes, cigars, Thunderbird Wine and semen. This was a perfect setting to watch all those black and white grind house classics. The She Mob and Scream of the Butterfly were certainly on the marquees in those golden days of naughty flicks.

She Mob (1968)

** (out of 4)

Downright insane sexploitation picture about four lesbians who break out of the big house and decide to steal a rich woman's boy toy and hold him for ransom. SHE MOB has got to be one of the poorest made sexploitation movies to ever come along and because of this it's also one of the most entertaining. The opening title sequence is certainly remember and while watching them pay close attention to not only the fact that every "job" is credited except the director but also check out the copyright. From this point on things are just downright crazy as we start with an incredibly annoying sequence where the rich woman is in the bath and keeps calling for her lover. After the first ten calls you'll be screaming enough already. Then we get one of the most unrealistic simulated sex scenes that you're ever going to see. Follow this up with the introduction of the "she mob," which just happens to be some of the strangest characters you're ever going to see in one of these movies. This includes the leader Big Shim (Marni Castle) who goes around in ugly black leather. Her three gal pals aren't much either, although the cutest does also have an early example of breast implants. The entire film contains bad editing, poor directing choices and of course some the worst dialogue that you're ever going to hear. All of these "bad" factors make the film somewhat fun to sit through, although like most in the genre it eventually runs out of gas long before the end credits.

A group of horny female prison escapees holes up in a remote farmhouse. Desperate for a man, they call up an old associate, gigolo for hire Tony (Adam Clyde). The ringleader, Big Shim (Marni Castle) realizes that they could be sitting on a goldmine when they learn that Tony is the "kept man" of a rich businesswoman, Brenda McClain (also played by Castle). So they hold him hostage for $100,000. This prompts Brenda to hire private eye Sweety East (Monique Duval) to deliver the cash. Meanwhile, Big Shims' main squeeze Baby (Eve Laurie) incurs her wrath by escaping with Tony.

I was hoping that this sexploitation feature would be a little more fun than it was. It's certainly got its fair share of sex and titillation, but there's quite a bit of padding. There's not a lot of action, but the characters help to make things passable. Castle is memorable as Big Shim, sporting a pretty amusing wardrobe including a cone-shaped bra. There's a hysterical level of kink to the proceedings, because at one point Big Shim and friends start dressing Tony up in womens' clothing. They even whip him.

The filmmaking is genuinely crude and the story thin, but that will merely add to the experience for devotees of the sexploitation genre. The ladies show off the goods with enough regularity, and even Clyde gets into the act by exposing his backside. The cinematography by Harold Williams is rather stark, the direction by (an uncredited) Harry Wuest adequate, and the stock music used is amusing jazzy stuff.

Worth seeing for Ms. Castle, Ms. Duval, and the perky music lover "Twig".

Six out of 10.