Rag Doll

Christina Gregg has been sexually abused by her alcoholic stepfather, but when a customer at the diner tries to rape her, a trucker steps in and gives her a lift to London. Alas, she falls in with evil companions, including pop singer Jess Conrad, whose main job is being a burglar.

It's a compelling movie to watch, but I'm not really sure what it's about. This no-luck character with no judgment isn't the hero in her own story, just the clueless ride-along on others' journeys to self-destruction. With Patrick Magee and Hermione Badderly.

There are three things you should know if you were unfortunate enough to read the review currently given prominence by IMDb: 1) Rag Doll has fine performances from such terrific character actors as Hermione Baddeley (Scrooge), Kenneth Griffith (1984), and Patrick Magee (A Clockwork Orange), as well as yet another ingratiating turn from the lovely Christina Gregg; 2) Gregg's character (Carol) was not nearly as naive as another reviewer claims, as she's aware of what Joe is from the moment she sees him; and, 3) 17-year-old girls are and have always been the most naive and reckless creatures on God's green earth, which means that the screenwriters went far too easy on Carol. I suppose they could have gotten a better choice for the J.V. than Jess Conrad, but it's always fun to see an AYBS alumnus in an older film. Rag Doll is an example of the many modestly effective, medium-length program fillers prevalent in Britain at the time. In addition to Lance Comfort, some directors to look for include Henry Cass, Montgomery Tully, John Gilling, and Charles Saunders.

A cinematic dream come true for fans of Christina Gregg, the extremely beautiful British model and actress, in an extremely strange programmer preaching the dangers of running away from home... even when and if home has a stepfather whose intentions aren't so innocent...

He owns a countryside cafe where married customers lust after Gregg's naïve and vulnerable Carol with the nickname RAG DOLL when she was young and awkward...

So she goes out of a lukewarm frying pan into a guarded fire in the big city, finding immediate safety with an old lady sightseer who moonlights as a waitress at a jazz club, and the owner, an older guy so nice he's hardly creepy but should be, wants to save Carol from bad boy singer Jess Conrad...

And right when things get intriguing there's a sudden tragic downturn, similar to the decade-later BADLANDS, only without all that much danger, which there was far too little of here to begin with...

A shame since Christina Gregg, as pitiful and innocently sexy as ever, really does seem -- as the alternate title reads -- YOUNG, WILLING AND EAGER way more than her THE BREAK director Lance Comfort allows to pan out.

Jess Conrad was one of a host of 60s pop idols who appeared in films.Cliff Richards and Adam Faith are other names that come to mind.However Conrads acting was so bad that as is evidenced here he couldn't act his way out of a paper bag.This film was destined for the bottom half of double bills and it looks it.Filmed on location in the West End which i knew well.Conrad comes out of the Astoria Charring Cross Road,where The Alamo is showing.I saw that film in that cinema in 1961 so i found it very nostalgic.Kenneth Griffiths is good support as a seedy nightclub owner and Hermoine Badderly suitably endearing as the ex tart who looks after the young girl.One can only wonder if girls of 17 were as naive as this one even in 1960.It is available to view on DVD.