Movie Ad of the Week: THE STUDENT BODY (1976) a.k.a. VALIUM HIGH (1978), WET & WILD (1981), and CLASSROOM TEASERS (1981)

There was an uncut Planet Video cassette of THE STUDENT BODY in the Temple library for many years -- a plastic clamshell case with a pink paper insert (looked kinda pretty) -- so we were never exposed to the shortened version that Continental Video released on a double feature tape with JAILBAIT BABYSITTER a couple of years later. Unfortunately, that shorter cut became the standard until Code Red's double feature JOCKS/CLASSROOM TEASERS disc came along three decades later and restored seven or eight minutes of running time to this interesting drive-in drama, which was filmed in Kansas City in 12 days for under $250,000 and peddled on the exploitation circuit as a wacky sex comedy. One thing about it that always stood out, at least to us, is a nicely executed long take during a pool party scene about 15 minutes into the film, which resembles the long take in TOUCH OF EVIL during the search of Sanchez's apartment (no doubt thanks to cinematographer Gary Graver and the influence of his mentor, Orson Welles). Above is the ad for its Miami opening on April 23, 1976.

The distributor, Surrogate Releasing, began life as Centaur Releasing, launched in June 1973 by Irvin Dorfman in New York and Frank Moreno in Los Angeles to release INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS. The two had been indicted earlier in the year on obscenity charges involving the motion pictures TEEN-AGE FANTASIES and LITTLE SISTERS, both released by Dorfman through his Unique Film Distributors, Inc. Centaur followed INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS with TEACH ME, BLOOD ON THE SUN, THE SWINGING CHEERLEADERS, THE GIRLS WHO DO, THE MAN WHO WOULD NOT DIE, and SWITCHBLADE SISTERS, and then changed its name to Dandrea Releasing to avoid confusion with Peter Traynor's Centaur Films, which was being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. By the time THE STUDENT BODY was released in March 1976, the company's name had changed again, to Surrogate Releasing, though they did retain the Greek mythological creature as their logo. The above ad is from Philadelphia on September 15, 1976.

Apparently the film was sub-licensed to Empire Releasing, which changed the title to VALIUM HIGH for a reissue in 1978. Empire was a short-lived distribution outfit based in New York and run by Walter H. Durell, formerly the division manager of Allied Artists in Kansas City and the national sales manager of Film Ventures International. Other Empire releases include SUPERVAN and JAILBAIT BABYSITTER. The above ad is from Miami on June 30, 1978.

The VALIUM HIGH ad campaign was recycled by Empire a few months later for...

...SUBSTITUTE TEACHER, the U.S. release of the Italian sex comedy LA SUPPLENTE (1975) starring Carmen Villani and Dayle Haddon.

We were unaware that WET & WILD! was another alternate title until Temple contributor Mike MacCollum brought the ad above to our attention. CJ Ruff Film Distributing, which handled sub-distribution for New World, Centaur/Surrogate and other companies, opened this triple bill in Indianapolis on May 29, 1981.

Motion Picture Marketing (MPM) also had the film in circulation in 1981, under the title CLASSROOM TEASERS, with model Patty Kotero (later known as Apollonia in PURPLE RAIN) front and center in the advertising. The ad above is from Bismarck, ND on June 4, 1981.

The Endangered List (Case File #14) - FOUND!

THE DIRTY DOLLS (1973)

An Edward E. Paramore Production

Starring

JOHN ALDERMAN

and

DENISE DRAKE

with

Sharon Kelly, Chris Schwarzer, Cindy Summers, Jeff Marlow,
George Pursell, Esther Abbott, Lyllah Torena [uncredited],
Gary Graver as Charlie
and
C. D. LeFleure (George "Buck" Flower)

Director: GODFREY DANIELS (Stu Segall)

Associate Producer: MURRAY M. PERLSTEIN

Production Manager: JOHN HERSHEY

Assistant Director: LARRY LABIDO

Cameraman: GARY GRAVER

Assistant Cameraman: ROGER NELSON

Grip: GLENN JACOBSON

Script Girl: MARIA LEASE

Stills: CHET NORRIS

Make-up: RAY SEBASTIAN

Sound: GEORGE MASTERS

Production Secretary: SUSAN McDOWELL

Released by The Film Makers Company

PLOT

(from the pressbook)

Johnny Feral, a ruthless clever psychopath, has recruited a band of young girls to commit robberies for him. These nubile disciples include even his own younger sister and his domination of this group is absolute. They will do anything for him.

After successfully heisting a bar, Feral sends his girls out on their next job, a diamond exchange, without him. The girls accomplish their objective, but are forced to take a courier and a female witness as hostages.

Feral's girls return to their hide-out and despite his pleasure with their diamond haul, he is furious at the intrusions of unwanted captives. He has good reason. Later on that night the gang's fence backs out of the deal because he wants nothing to do with kidnappings. Feral's fierce temper is partially mollified by an orgy of sex arranged by three of his girls who spice up the occasion with the unwilling participation of Linda Phipps, the female prisoner. Feral even devises another way of converting the jewels into cash and for the moment, his tight little world seems well under control.

Dee Dee Feral, Johnny's sister, does not share her brother's satisfaction. The gang's other hostage, the courier, has correctly diagnosed that Dee Dee does not belong with this group and is only with them because of her love for her brother. The courier works on her to free him and after Johnny kills the other hostage who tries to escape, Dee Dee confronts her brother in a final effort to have him disband the gang and free the courier. A furious argument ensues in which old sibling passions rise to the surface. In a blinding flash of lust Johnny proceeds to rape his own sister, only to find that she is more than willing to break the taboos of incest!

Later on, deeply shamed at her actions and knowing only too well that her brother plans to kill the courier, Dee Dee steals a gun from one of the other girls and sets the courier free. Their escape is discovered, however, and they are forced to shoot their way out to freedom.

BILL LANDIS says...
Playing with THE CONCRETE JUNGLE on 42nd Street is one of Times Square's staple second features, THE DIRTY DOLLS. This shot in L.A., early 70s softcore porn effort combines an interesting sexual situation with execution that's the quintessence of sleaze. Unstable, macho Johnny (softcore superstar John Alderman) leads a band of four slutty-attractive girls, including his sister, who commit various thefts and robberies. During a bungled diamond heist, two office workers are kidnapped. While the girls amuse themselves sexually with the hostages, Johnny panics and becomes increasingly unglued. THE DIRTY DOLLS defies any sort of normal standards of filmmaking so thoroughly and consistently it's a delight to any trash aficionado. The dialogue is laughable, the lighting is as loud as the overacting, the camera placement reeks of short shooting schedule, the sex scenes are strictly heavy breathing, and movie muzak accompanies the proceedings. Amazingly, this all works, lending THE DIRTY DOLLS the authenticity of the unintentional. -- (Sleazoid Express, Vol. 3, No. 3, February 1983)

RICHARD GREEN says...
Still playing at 42nd Street's Selwyn Theater as the co-feature to THE CONCRETE JUNGLE is THE DIRTY DOLLS, an outrageously cheap ultra trash soft core film from what appears to be the late 60's or early 70's. Its only discernible feature is star John Alderman who has made dozens of soft core low rent films like this one over the years. DIRTY DOLLS has the basic elements typical of soft core films: long drawn-out non-explicit sex scenes coupled with a who-cares plot. Its main emphasis is on sex, not violence, as when someone gets shot they just fall down, no blood. What plot there is to speak of is involved with a girl gang led by Alderman, responsible for the holdups of local bars and a botched attempt at a diamond heist. One somewhat compelling aspect is Alderman's fear-induced control of the gang members (including his sister), which eventually leads to his downfall. It's never really interesting, but I always find a strange fascination about this type of film. (When was it made? Has anyone else ever seen or heard of it before? What's the releasing company? Who is the director? Who are the stars? Is this the only print in existence? Where was it made? I must find out, etc.) It's surprising to see DIRTY DOLLS playing in this day and age, especially when the market is so saturated with hard core product. Trash fiends are strongly advised to check this one out (check out those opening credits) even though it's pretty awful stuff, mainly as a point of history. You never know when (or if) this stuff will surface again. I want to see more no matter how bad it is! This is trash in its purest form. -- (Confessions of a Trash Fiend, Vol. 1, No. 14)