Kitten with a Whip (1964)

Jody, a juvenile delinquent, escapes from reform school by stabbing a matron and attempting to burn down the building and then takes refuge in a house owned by an ambitious politician David... See full summary »

Director:

Douglas Heyes

Writers:

Douglas Heyes (screenplay), H. William Miller (novel)

Stars:

Ann-Margret, John Forsythe, Peter Brown

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ann-Margret	...	Jody Dvorak
John Forsythe	...	David
Peter Brown	...	Ron
Patricia Barry	...	Vera
Richard Anderson	...	Grant
Skip Ward	...	Buck (as James Ward)
Diane Sayer	...	Midge
Ann Doran	...	Mavis
Patrick Whyte	...	Varden
Audrey Dalton	...	Virginia
Leo Gordon	...	Enders
Patricia Tiara	...	Striptease Dancer
Nora Marlowe	...	Matron
Frances Robinson	...	Martha
Maxine Stuart	...	Peggy

Storyline

Jody, a juvenile delinquent, escapes from reform school by stabbing a matron and attempting to burn down the building and then takes refuge in a house owned by an ambitious politician David Patton. Despite the hellcat's ample charms, the would-be officeholder wants nothing to do with her and tries to drive her away. She responds by shortly returning to his house accompanied by a gang of delinquent pals and taking him hostage. A sudden act of violence causes more trouble, leading Jody and her gang to hijack David and force him to drive a getaway car to Mexico.

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Plot Keywords:

juvenile | politician | juvenile delinquent | party | prison escapee | 

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Taglines:

Every man who sees her digs her... but she digs kicks of a very special kind!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Action | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 January 1965 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

La chatte au fouet

Filming Locations:

Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nancy Kwan was originally announced for title role.

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Goofs

Between shots, as Jody stands at the stairs telling David her story, her hair changes position.

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Quotes

[David is in a clothing shop buying clothes for Jody]
Saleslady: Why, David, I thought I'd never find you in ladies' underwear.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Night of the Blood Beast (1996)

User Reviews

Unusually edgy Universal product

Most juvenile delinquency films of the 1950s and early 60s were about the damage kids could inflict on themselves or their classmates. By 1964 America was perhaps subconsciously anticipating the fallout from being involved in Vietnam, and started to exhibit concern about youth's impact on the older generation. Kitten With A Whip may or not not have been Universal's answer to Paramount's Lady In A Cage, but both films convey the same message: the inmates are capable of taking over the asylum. By the end of the decade films like Wild In the Streets and Gas-s-s-s-s-s were taking this theme to its logical extreme.

Kitten With A Whip takes us on a surprisingly seedy tour of the youth underworld, and even though it's another conservative morality play with a happy ending, it serves as a valuable reminder of the social changes underway in the mid 60s. It's also incredibly entertaining.