The Stepmother (1972)

User Rating:

4.0/10   

Director:

Howard Avedis

Writers:

Howard Avedis (writer)
Marlene Schmidt (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

She forced her husband's son to commit the ultimate sin!

Plot:

As part of a blackmail plot, a woman is forced to seduce her new husband's son. Complications, including murder, ensue.

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Female Nudity | Red Pubic Hair | Female Frontal Nudity | Stepmother Stepson Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Alejandro Rey	...	Frank Delgado
John Anderson	...	Insp. Darnezi
Katherine Justice	...	Margo Delgado
Larry Linville	...	Dick Hill
Marlene Schmidt	...	Sonja Hill
Duncan McLeod	...	Chief Inspector
David Renard	...	Petro Lopez
Claudia Jennings	...	Rita
Rudy Herrera Jr.	...	Steve Delgado
Mike Kulcsar	...	Alan Richmond
Priscilla Garcia	...	Petro's girlfriend Maria
Margaret Garcia	...	Lupe (as Margarite Garcia)
Gil Barreto	...	Jose (as Gilbert Barreto)
Bert Madrid	...	Mexican businessman (as Burt Madrid)
Joe Snyder	...	Rookie Cop

Also Known As:

Impulsion (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

USA:94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:R (Ontario)

Company:

Magic Eye of Hollywood Productions Inc.

Trivia:

The Oscar nomination for "Strange Are The Ways For Love" for Best Song marked the only time a Crown International Picture title got an Oscar nomination. It lost to "The Morning After" from The Poseidon Adventure (1972).

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 8 (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Strange Are The Ways Of Love

Weird even by weird 70's standards

I like weird 70's movies a lot, but this is weird even by weird 70's standards. It takes about half the movie, for instance, to even figure out why it's CALLED "The Stepmother"--it, at first, seems to be a movie about a jealous middle-aged, Mexican-American architect who murders a business associate after he finds him in bed with his younger gringa wife (and unbeknownst to the wife). By a weird coincidence another more lower-class Mexican also murders his wife in the same area and is framed for both murders. But the cops begins to suspect the architect, and his continuing jealously causes him to accidentally kill his partner and best friend (played by "MASH's" Larry Linville). He then has to fend off the amorous advances of the friend's widow before the cops grow even more suspicious. Got all that so far?

So why is it called "The Stepmother"? Well, about halfway through the man's son shows up from Mexico City, and he also starts messing around with the young wife (his stepmother)and the off-kilter plot REALLY goes into over-drive.

There are a few reasons to see this. First, if you're a weird 70's film completist. This film is kind similar to early 70's bizarro flick "Swinger's Massacre", which was equally ridiculous but had a less random plot. Second, if you're a fan of Larry Linville, he's actually pretty good here and acts circles around the rest of the unknown cast. The best reason perhaps though is this was the first appearance of cult drive-in queen Claudia Jennings. Jennings has a cameo role as a stoned-out hippie chick who has one hilarious line where she tell the cops she was "way too ripped" to remember what happened the night of the murder. (And if that isn't worth the price of admission, she also has her typically gratuitous full-frontal nude scene). Weird, weird movie, but if any of this sounds interesting to you, check it out.