Cover Me Babe (1970)

Student filmmaker lets nothing stand in the way of his getting a studio contract.

Director:

Noel Black

Writer:

George Wells

Stars:

Robert Forster, Sondra Locke, Susanne Benton

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Forster	...	Tony Hall
Sondra Locke	...	Melisse
Susanne Benton	...	Sybil
Robert Fields	...	Will (as Robert S. Fields)
Ken Kercheval	...	Jerry
Sam Waterston	...	Cameraman
Michael Margotta	...	Steve
Floyd Mutrux	...	Ronnie
Maggie Thrett	...	Prostitute
Jeff Corey	...	Paul
Regis Toomey	...	Michael
Mitzi Hoag	...	Mother
Franklin Townsend	...	Transvestite
Mello Alexandria	...	Male Puppet
Linda Howe	...	Female Puppet

Storyline

Student filmmaker lets nothing stand in the way of his getting a studio contract.

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Plot Keywords:

nudity | film making

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Taglines:

Life. Love. Illusion. At 24 frames per second.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Run Shadow Run

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min 86 min (FMC Library Print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Noel Black described making this film as a series of compromises made in order to please 20th Century Fox. Black originally planned to cast a young, unknown Al Pacino as Tony Hall, but this was just one of the things he had to forsake. Black also disagreed with the ethical issues about filmmaking brought up in the script, wanted to change them but couldn't.

User Reviews

The only point to the movie is that there's no point

**SPOILERS** "Cover Me Babe" is one of those anti-establishment type 1970's films where it's main character takes himself, and his future in film, so lightly that it's a wonder that anyone, in the audience or in the movie, take him seriously at all.

Tony Hall, Robert Foster, a college student film maker does everything he can to destroy his future career, if he had one to begin with, in film. Tony makes sure that if he would ever need to be financed by a film studios in or out of Hollywood to do a project they would slam the door in his face. Smug arrogant sarcastic and unfeeling Tony goes through the entire movie totally detached from his friends and fellow students as well as those in the film business like Hollywood press agent Paul Rogers, Jeff Corey. That by the time the movie is over Tony doesn't have a friend in the world and at the same time doesn't really seem to care.

All Tony wants to do is do is "his thing" which is being snobbish and aloof like those in the establishment that he despises, and who he's rebelling against, and if nobody likes it let them take a long walk of a short plank. Robert Foster tries to be "Medium Cool" in "Cover Me Babe" but comes across totally obnoxious as the very overly conceited vain and pompous as Tony.

Tony forces both his girlfriends Melsse & Sybil, Sandra Locke & Susanne Benton, to forcibly make love in movies that he was making with Jerry & Ronnie, Ken Kercheval & Floyd Murtux, who were also friends of his. Tony also doesn't get along with his film professor in college Will Ames, Robert S. Fields, Tony doesn't get along with anyone for that matter. Ames' is also in love with his girlfriend Meilssa and had an affair with her before she met Tony.

It seemed to me that Prof. Ames had a grudging admiration of Tony's talents but Tony was so rude and uncivil to him that in the end Prof. Ames wanted nothing to do with him. Prof. Ames even wanted Tony thrown out of college when he found a film clip of a young couple making out, in a car at a local lovers lane, that Tony secretly filmed without their knowledge.

Back at the college studio Tony has Meilsse almost raped on film in an "art movie" he had her "act" in. Later Tony had poor Ronnie, who was very shy with women,forced into a hard core sex scene with his, Tony's, other girlfriend Sybil. This action of Tony's part was so revolting that the cameraman, Sam Waterston, stopped shooting and walked off the set in disgust.

Tony did show some talent when he touchingly filmed a derelict, Mike Kellin, at local park who spilled his guts out on how the world, and his ex-wife, treated him. That scene really hit me as well as it did Tony who was filming it. There was also a horrific scene, at a film exhibition in the college auditorium, that Tony shot of a man on a ledge of a high rise building being urged to jump by the people on the streets below, and then did. To the horror of those watching the film, to his death.

It's been said that actor Al Pacino, who was a total unknown back then in 1970, was first offered the role of Tony Hall and for some reason didn't get the part. Not getting that part very probably saved Al Pacino's movie and acting career.