Poor Pretty Eddie (1975)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Directors:

Chris Robinson
David Worth

Writer:

B.W. Sandefur (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

June 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror

Tagline:

All He Wanted Was A Friend.

Plot:

A wrong turn on a jazz singer's road trip results in her car breaking down near an isolated lodge run by a faded starlet and a young, homicidal Elvis impersonator. |

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Car | Southerner | Woman In Jeopardy | Sadist

Cast

Leslie Uggams	...	Liz Wetherly
Shelley Winters	...	Bertha
Michael Christian	...	Eddie Collins
Ted Cassidy	...	Keno
Dub Taylor	...	Floyd
Lou Joffred	...	Odell
Slim Pickens	...	Orville
Red Lawson	...	The Salesman
Sherif Smith	...	The Deputy

Directed by
Chris Robinson
David Worth

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jean Genet		play "The Balcony" (uncredited)
B.W. Sandefur		writer

Produced by
Michael Christian	....	producer
Robert G. Diamond	....	co-producer
Linda Marsh	....	co-producer
Anthony Mazzola	....	associate producer
Vito A. Sasso	....	executive producer
Leon Walters	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Grant Boatwright

Cinematography by
David Worth

Film Editing by
Frank Mazzola
David Worth

Art Direction by
Peter Bankins

Costume Design by
Margaret Rose

Makeup Department
Christopher Carter	....	hair stylist
Melanie	....	makeup artist
Johnine Waychus	....	makeup assistant
Ralph Wilcox	....	makeup assistant

Production Management
Eugene Mazzola	....	production manager

Art Department
Rick Dunn	....	props

Sound Department
Jan Brodin	....	sound mixer
Richard Mazzola	....	boom operator

Stunts
Ronald C. Ross	....	stunts (as Ron Ross)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Barrere	....	best boy
Rusty Carter	....	dolly grip
Bill Lucas	....	assistant camera (as Billy Lucas)
Bert Maggio	....	key grip
Melton Maxwell	....	lighting technician (as Mel Maxwell)
Jim May	....	still photographer
Bruce Pearn	....	electrician
Peter Smokler	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Leonard Mazzola III	....	assistant editor
Anthony Redman	....	associate editor

Music Department
Larry Cox	....	music producer

Other crew
Jay Bernstein	....	additional publicist
Sherry Bloom	....	production assistant
Fran Cantero	....	production associate
Wally Cantero	....	production associate
Marilyn Giardino	....	script supervisor
Jules Koenigsberg	....	production associate
Leila Oertel	....	production assistant
Marvin Paige	....	production associate
Gale Robinson	....	auditor
Lloyd D. Robinson	....	production associate
Linda Spatz	....	publicist

Production Companies

• Artaxerxes Productions
• Michael Thevis Enterprises Production

Distributors

• WestAmerican Films (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• Group 1 International Distribution Organization Ltd. (1979) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Saguenay Films (1975) (Canada) (theatrical)
• 905 Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• VidAmerica (1996) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Producers' Sound Services  sound mix

Also Known As:

Black Vengeance
Heartbreak Motel
Redneck County Rape

Runtime:

USA:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R

Company:

Artaxerxes Productions

Trivia:

Loosely based on Jean Genet's play "The Balcony" - the first film version of which also starred Shelley Winters in 1963.

Quotes:

Orville: Would you like a tomato?

sadly forgotten drive-in classic

Elizabeth Wetherly is a black jazz singer who's car breaks down in backwoods hillbilly hell where she meet's faded starlet, Bertha (Shelly Winters) and Eddie Collins, a wanna-be famous country crooner. Eddie stalls on fixing Liz's car in order to hatch his devious plans much to the chagrin of lovestruck Bertha. Soon Liz is stuck in a living nightmare in this forgotten drive-in gem. The story not only holds up quite well even 25 years after the film came out, but also trumps most Hollywood films that deal with racism now. Never browbeating you, instead just saying it matter of factly. This film should be better known and is extremely watchable for the performances of Winters and Slim Pickens alone. (the other actors do a great job as well, but seem underdeveloped especially Ted Cassidy best known for being Lurch in the Addams family, here as Keno). It also deserves better than the strictly bare-bones DVD treatment it currently has.

My Grade: B+