The Swinging Barmaids (1975)

A cop goes after a psycho who is killing cocktail waitresses.

Director:

Gus Trikonis

Writer:

Charles B. Griffith

Stars:

Bruce Watson, Laura Hippe, Katie Saylor

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bruce Watson	...	Tom
Laura Hippe	...	Jenny
Katie Saylor	...	Susie
Renie Radich	...	Marie
William Smith	...	Lt. Harry White
Zitto Kazann	...	Zitto
Dyanne Thorne	...	Boo-Boo
Jim Travis	...	Dave
Ray Galvin	...	Jack
John Alderman	...	Andrews
Andre Tayir	...	Bruce
Dick Yarmy	...	Comic
Milt Kogan	...	Dan
Judith Roberts	...	Sally
M.J. Kane	...	Doctor

Storyline

A cop goes after a psycho who is killing cocktail waitresses.

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Plot Keywords:

serial killer | police | waitress | female nudity | investigation | 

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Taglines:

When the bar closes the action really begins!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

July 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Eager Beavers

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carlin Company Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 3 (1996)

User Reviews

Definitely flawed, but still might appeal to 70's trash aficionados

A psycho killer is stalking the waitresses of the "Swing-a-Ling Club". While his identity is no mystery to the viewers, the dense characters and the police are a different story. So will the killer run out of the stuck-up and nasty waitresses to murder and move on to the nice girl (Laura Hippe) about to marry her doctor boyfriend, or will the police catch him in time? (To tell you the truth, I've already forgotten). This movie is HIGHLY implausible. The deranged, moralistic killer starts out as a customer before following his first victim (Dyanne Thorne) home and killing her. He is caught in the act, however, by her three dimwitted co-worker/roommates (whose full names are subsequently reported on TV as witnesses to the crime!). So what does he do? Why, he shaves off his beard, dyes his hair black, and goes back to the SAME bar to work as a bartender/bounce, naturally--and NOBODY notices!

Okay, believability isn't necessarily all that important in a movie like this, but even as sexploitation this falls down. Even though all these actresses are VERY impressively built for the pre-silicone era, they're not actually strippers, but only very scantily clad "waitresses". The actual entertainment at the club is provided by an unfunny male comedian and one transvestite dancer(!). No wonder the poor male clientèle of the club can't keep their hands off the girls' boobs and bums. Bully for them I guess, but the problem for the viewer is that (with the exception of one lovemaking scene between the heroine and her boyfriend) pretty much all the female nudity occurs WHILE the various girls are being (pretty realistically) murdered. Of course, fans of these kinds of movies like sex and violence, but not necessarily for the same reason, and not at the EXACT same time. This was the first movie of the director, Gus Trikonis, and he would get a lot better in the future, but he really fumbles the exploitation elements here.

The murders are pretty harrowing at least. And the movie has a good 70's grindhouse feel to it (Quentin Tarantino is reportedly a fan). It would be a great companion piece to the similar "roughie" porno/proto-slasher film "The Centerfold Girls". The psychotic killer in this one isn't as good as Andrew Prine who starred in that flick (but then few 70's "psycho" actors were). You do get an early appearance from Dyanne "Ilsa" Thorne (who I can take or leave personally), and the leading cop is played by perennial 70's tough guy William Smith (even if it's far from his best role). This is a pretty flawed movie, but I still might recommend it to die-hard 70's trash aficionados.