Three in the Attic

I had to give this a high rating. I ran the 16mm theater while stationed at Cape Romanzof Alaska. We were in the bottom of a volcano on the Bering Sea. My previous duty assignment was at North Truro AFS on Cape Cod. The scenes showing Provincetown, MA. made me feel so great! Not quite like being home again, but it sure was nice to see.

American International was a hot studio in the 1960s and it was NOT because it was producing quality films! Beach movies, LSD and hippie movies were quite popular with the small studio and they were very successful. Shot with rather small budgets, their films kept raking in the bucks during this era because their content appealed to younger, hipper viewers. Artistic masterpieces? Hardly....but they did have their own odd sort of appeal.

In many ways, "Three in the Attic" is exactly the sort of movie I expected from American International. It is jam-packed with sexual innuendo and is the sort of film that would have been banned only a decade earlier. But, despite this, it's not exactly a typical exploitation or trashy film. The acting and script are a bit of a surprise as they really did NOT suck!

This film is about Paxton Quigley (Christopher Jones) and why he was given this odd name is beyond me. When the film begins, you learn that he's being held prisoner in an attic and then the film jumps back so you can learn how and why he's in this situation. It seems that he and a young lady were in love....but Paxton couldn't resist temptation. When two other women practically throw themselves at him, he gives in to the sexual revolution and juggles all three women...having a LOT of sex and good times. However, eventually the three discover his dalliances and decide to teach him a less...to practically screw him to death in this attic prison!

Despite the salaciousness of the plot and the steamy story, the film actually has some interesting things to say about this sexual revolution. I am not saying it's exactly a deep film...but it is weird and worth seeing...especially when you look at it as an interesting snapshot of an unusual time. As for the ending, it really didn't make much sense...but it still was quite interesting!

I was about 15 years old when I saw this movie, in 1969, I think. I never saw it again but I never got it off my mind even until today. Why? because It was very funny and it was just a hilarious story and well thought out.

It tells a story where this guy has a number of girlfriends, they all found out he was cheating and decided to teach him a lesson that he couldn't refuse. Lots of laughter and hurting sides and you would keep wanting more and more.

It would still do well even today and would fit right in with today's society. I would love to see it again. It really was ahead of it's time.

I was fascinated by the concept of this movie when it came out. I remember the poster and the trailer. But I didn't get to see it then because I was too young. (Somehow I did see "Barbarella" and "In Cold Blood." My parents must have been slipping.) Finally I have seen "Three In The Attic" and my expectations were no longer high. It was somewhat enjoyable and probably wouldn't have gotten made if "The Graduate" hadn't been a hit. (The finale even somewhat mirrors the earlier film.) Its ideas about gender conflicts, race, class, sex and death are interesting, but it's ultimately an exploitation movie with a Hollywood ending, cheaply made by American International who made a lot of fun trash.

The film (which stars Christopher Jones - in a nude scene showing his backside - square-jawed John Beck, Judy Pace, and top-billed Yvette Mimieux) takes place on a Vermont college campus and there are also brief shots of hippy-dippy 1960s Provincetown. There's not much to see in terms of Vermont scenery.

James Dean lookalike Christopher Jones ('Wild In The Streets') plays college boy stud Paxton Quigley who finds his life is turned around when he meets the beautiful and intelligent Tobey Clinton ('The Time Machine's Yvette Mimeux). Paxton is so smitten with her he gives monogamy a try for the first time, and everything looks fantastic. But he finds himself irresistibly drawn to vivacious newcomer Eulice (Judy Pace) and begins an affair with her. Soon after he does the same with hippie chick Jan (Maggie Thrett), and juggles all three girls, egged on by his best buddy Jake (John Beck). However, Tobey discovers the truth and convinces the other two girls to help her imprison Paxton in the attic of their dorm. The three girls then proceed to punish him by screwing him to death! 'Three In The Attic' was probably quite risque when it was released in the late 1960s, and while it was most likely just intended as a "naughty" exploitation movie, it actually holds up very well as an interesting drama about men, women and sex. Christopher Jones is just great throughout, and watching it you can't help but be a bit saddened thinking how this talented and charismatic actor's career came to a standstill after he appeared in 'Ryan's Daughter' only two years after 'Three In The Attic'. This is a very interesting and entertaining movie if you can manage to see it.