Body Fever (1969)

Down and out private detective is hired to catch a woman who dresses like Catwoman while committing robberies.

Director:

Ray Dennis Steckler

Writers:

William Edgar (screenplay), Ray Dennis Steckler (screenplay)

Stars:

Carolyn Brandt, Bernard Fein, Gary Kent

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Carolyn Brandt	...	Carrie Erskine
Bernard Fein	...	Big Mack
Gary Kent	...	Frankie Roberts
Brett Pearson	...	Brett
Herb Robins	...	Herbie
Ray Dennis Steckler	...	Charles Smith
Coleman Francis	...	Coley
Dina Bryan	...	Stella
Julie Conners	...	Shawn Call
Bret Zeller	...	Carol Hollister (as Brett Zeller)
Pat Jackson	...	Julie Richards
Alan Smith	...	Harris Fergeson
Ron Haydock	...	Fritz the Photographer
Larry Chandler	...	Waco
Wade Watson	...	Agent

Storyline

Down and out private detective is hired to catch a woman who dresses like Catwoman while committing robberies.

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Plot Keywords:

robbery | private detective | drugs | neo noir | independent film

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Taglines:

Trapped by Drugs, Hounded by the Underworld

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Also Known As:

Deadlocked

Filming Locations:

Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ray Dennis Steckler had just completed filming the last scene, when walking to his car, he saw Coleman Francis drunk and lying in the gutter. Steckler felt so bad about Francis's condition that, even though he had finished work on the movie, he offered Francis a role in it. Steckler added some scenes just to give Francis some work and some badly needed cash, which he gave Francis in advance. Steckler and his crew were astonished when Francis showed up for work the next day sober, clean-shaven and nicely attired. This was a bit of a problem since Steckler had wanted him to play the part of a disheveled bum. Francis had used the advance pay to buy a decent second-hand suit, a shave and a haircut.

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Quotes

Charlie Smith: My whole life has been a movie, but I keep getting the reels mixed up.

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Connections

References Secret Service in Darkest Africa (1943)

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Soundtracks

"Charlie Smith and Carrie Erskine's Theme"
Written by Don Snyder

User Reviews

Steckler an awkward gumshoe in diverting trash.

You really need to hand it to Mr. Steckler...the man could turn a thin dime into a thoroughly watchable motion picture. In BODY FEVER, Steckler stars opposite his gorgeous wife Carolyn Brandt as a private eye hired to find a female drug-runner who has disappeared with a massive heroin inventory. In truth, she is in hiding from the cartel after being robbed of the stash. Steckler hunts her down through a dot-to-dot network of various underworld miscreants, and the search leads him straight to her bed.

Odd, colorfully written characters played with surprising motivation help make this noir-inspired film worth a look, though viewers preferring a mainstream Hollywood polish will find the grainy minimalism off-putting.

5/10