Three in the Attic

It is a shame that older small movies (low budget, small box office, "B" movies) rarely climb out of the "attic" and back into availability as VHS or DVD selections.

This was a classic "teen flick" cheaply produced to maximize profit, but it was a bit of a surprise hit. It even produced a sequel.

The music by Chad Stuart show his startling creativity and promise of a career that never materialized.

I only wish it were readily available.

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.

It would seem to be a real shame most of those involved, from writer

Stephen Yada to Christopher Jones, never really got to do much else.

Because this uneven, smart, well acted satire is way ahead of it's time;

and still surprises. The title gimmick, which was used to advertise the movie, is really one

of the weaker sections of the film, which looks at the battle of the

sexes in a way that really does mirror it's time, while treating it's

characters with humor and affection. If you can get a copy, it's well

worth going out of your way to see. Only the mediocre pop score does not

hold up well.

This is one of the great movies of all time.... on par with = The Graduate = .... It had a major influence on teenage girls who saw it in the '60's.

We constantly joked about the guys we had locked up in our own attics! Of course, it was the other way around... Each girl had 7 or 8 guys locked in her attic, and the fact that a couple of us actually had bedrooms in the attic made the joke even funnier.

I don't know why I have not seen this film since it came out in 1968, but I really wish someone would bring it back.

Even to this day, my friends and I joke about our attics, in the same way that we joked about the Ford that was mentioned in The Graduate (of course, that reference didn't last quite as long as the "attic".)