Eve Plumb gives a soft but rather touching performance as a naive teen from the sticks who ends up working the Hollywood Boulevard. I loved it when Dawn and her troubled roommate Alexander finally get electricity to their dump ("Bottled sunlight", Dawn says), and the brief scenes where Alexander is tempted by his gift-giving gay customers are handled with surprising resonance and taste. It's not an especially campy movie, despite the glitter rock songs (The Runaways screaming "Cherry Bomb!") and the presence of a Brady Buncher playing a prostitute. Rather, the film has good location work, interesting characters and editing. It would be easy to tag the film as TV-styled exploitation, yet it has its heart in the right place. In its day, this was a bigger ratings winner than Linda Blair's "Sarah T.: Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic" which started fresh a timeworn cycle: the teens-in-trouble genre.
12 Reviews
This ain't the Brady Bunch
safenoe23 February 2021
I remember seeing this awhile ago, and seeing Eve Plumb, fresh from playing Jan on the Brady Bunch, playing a teen runaway. She really sheds her Brady Bunch persona big time. All credit to the production team for the level of authenticity that permeates from this 70s flick.
It jerked my tears!
Grand28 June 2000
Although a bit tame by today's standards, "Dawn" was quite the thing when it came out. In my opinion, the most memorable character is not Dawn, herself, but her hustler friend Alexander, played by Leigh J. McCloskey, whose performance was so deeply moving that he scored a sequel of his own: "Alexander: the Other Side of Dawn" (1977) (TV). Unfortunately, the sequel wasn't up to the original when it came to presenting Alexander. This was a landmark movie to many of its audience members, some of whom I know can STILL remember its EXACT title, a quarter century later; such was its impact on the post-Vietnam, post-Watergate generation.
Release this movie on video - NOW!
Chris@UK13 August 2000
Great stuff! It's a pity this movie and its sequel - 'Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn' are not available on video - (Perhaps we could lobby the studio!) Eve Plumb and Leigh McCloskey (where are they now?) are superb in the central roles. I couldn't imagine a successful remake of these movies as the naivety of the teenagers just wouldn't be credible in the 21st Century - or would it? Incidentally, I seem to recall a Disney movie entitled 'Blind Sunday' circa 1976, which featured Leigh McCloskey. His character was, in some ways, a precurser to the character of Alexander.
Delicious Piece of Trash
noahax1 February 2001
I have to admit, I'm rather shocked by the other comments left for this movie. I watched it on video last night, and greatly enjoyed it, but it's by no means a "great film."
Eve Plumb's acting is truly atrocious. I never really paid attention to her acting on the Brady Bunch, but she's absolutely wretched in this movie, (in an oh-so-enjoyable way.) The dialogue is also hilariously bad. And, any movie that has a midget in the opening few minutes is a winner in my book.
Yes, this is definitely a camp classic. Worth seeking out for fans of bad movies.
Eve Plumb's acting is truly atrocious. I never really paid attention to her acting on the Brady Bunch, but she's absolutely wretched in this movie, (in an oh-so-enjoyable way.) The dialogue is also hilariously bad. And, any movie that has a midget in the opening few minutes is a winner in my book.
Yes, this is definitely a camp classic. Worth seeking out for fans of bad movies.
Bland Jan can act
doctardis24 May 2002
I saw this when it first aired as a tv movie, and have also seen it on tape. This is a much better the average TV movie. Parts are very compelling as you watch this young runaway evolve into a streetwalker. I was shocked to find out that the actress that played Dawn also played Jan Brady. This role is a great departure for her, and she plays it very well. She can act, and she has sex-appeal. The ending is pure TV movie soap, but the middle and beginning are an intense drama. It is quality television that holds up well over time. This far better then the sequel which was more of soap.
Entertaining, but weak 70's TV movie...
Falconeer13 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
The 1970's were a truly amazing time for "made for TV" movies. Some of the most powerful, gritty and shocking stuff came out of this decade. Who can ever forget Linda Blair in "Born Innocent," the brutal tale of an innocent young runaway, corrupted by the system which was supposed to protect her? Not to mention that shocking toilet plunger rape scene, something that would never see the light of day in these PC times. Films like "Death of Richie," about the teenage boy whose manic depression makes him turn to drugs, and destroy his life in the process. As powerful today, as it was 30 years ago. Unfortunately, "Dawn" is not one of those special films. It is hampered by too much melodrama, and Eve Plumb's atrocious performance, as the teen runaway, who changes from innocent girl to hardened hustler in the blink of an eye. The story is bland, and has been told so much better before. Most importantly, films like "Born Innocent" pulled no punches, and refused to cop out with the traditional and unrealistic "happy ending." "Dawn" leaves one with the false message that everything always turns out OK in the end, when this is rarely the case. Still this is worth a watch for the nostalgia quality. The classic scenes of a Hollywood Blvd. that no longer exists, the 70's fashions, the Runaways song "Cherry Bomb," etc. Hell, its worth the price of admission to see Jan Brady turning tricks! Just don't expect to be emotionally blown away by this standard TV movie.
Jan Brady Hits The Pavement
bkoganbing21 September 2011
Eve Plumb in an effort to get away from her image of Jan Brady, middle sister with Marcia issues, on the Brady Bunch took a part as far as you can get from the G-rated Brady family. She plays Dawn Wetherby who ran away from home because of problems simply never contemplated in the Brady household.
Getting to the mean streets of Los Angeles she makes three acquaintances who change her life, fellow teen runaway Leigh J. McCloskey, social worker Georg Stanford Brown and bottom feeding pimp Bo Hopkins. In this made for TV movie, a big ratings winner back in the day it all works out pretty much as it's supposed to.
Not that this a great film, it's just average, but people tuned into this one to see Jan Brady in a hooker outfit more than anything else. This was not the end of the saga of Leigh and Eve. A sequel was made next year with McCloskey the protagonist showing him earning a living on the streets any which way he could.
Where was Marcia when you needed her?
Getting to the mean streets of Los Angeles she makes three acquaintances who change her life, fellow teen runaway Leigh J. McCloskey, social worker Georg Stanford Brown and bottom feeding pimp Bo Hopkins. In this made for TV movie, a big ratings winner back in the day it all works out pretty much as it's supposed to.
Not that this a great film, it's just average, but people tuned into this one to see Jan Brady in a hooker outfit more than anything else. This was not the end of the saga of Leigh and Eve. A sequel was made next year with McCloskey the protagonist showing him earning a living on the streets any which way he could.
Where was Marcia when you needed her?
I want to buy the movie!
ook-24 June 1999
This movie portrays the life of a teenage runaway. Fortunately, the outcome of this made for tv movie is a positive one. It does show however, that those teens who wish to 'make it big in hollywood' does no necessarily end up that way. Prostitution and disease is a reality that must be stressed to teens.
Marcia, marcia, marcia, why is everyone so interested in her?!
tbundrick4 February 2007
A slew of movies-of-the-week appeared during the 1970's, aimed primarily at scaring teens away from: 1) underage sex 2)drugs 3) everything else Eve Plumb (Jan in THE BRADY BUNCH) is the teen runaway who ends up on the streets. The movie is maudlin, chauvinist, and downright silly. If you believe this movie, you should never leave home, do whatever your parents tell you, don't be a fool, stay in school, and just say no to drugs and everything else.....
A good triple bill of classic 1970's TV movies about the dangers of sex, drugs and free-thinking:
GO ASK ALICE, where Alice smokes weed, which leads to pills, which leads to acid....you know, that old chestnut. Bill Shatner (Captain Kirk) plays the dad......
TRIBES, where a young hippie is drafted into the Marine Corps and must erase all free-thinking. Darrin McGavin is particularly good here.
A good triple bill of classic 1970's TV movies about the dangers of sex, drugs and free-thinking:
GO ASK ALICE, where Alice smokes weed, which leads to pills, which leads to acid....you know, that old chestnut. Bill Shatner (Captain Kirk) plays the dad......
TRIBES, where a young hippie is drafted into the Marine Corps and must erase all free-thinking. Darrin McGavin is particularly good here.
Shocker For It's Time
angelsunchained1 April 2024
I was a senior in high school when this played on TV and it was not only a big hit, but a big shocker. Plus the fact that one of the Brady Bunch girls played a run away who becomes a street walker added to the shock. Today, this made for tv film would be nothing to really write home about. Most of the acting was just average and Bo Hopkins as Swan the pimp basically overplayed his role, which was also very stereotyped. The content matter was raunchy for 1976. Not only female prostitution was addressed, but also male prostitution. Of course this was made a few years before the Aids epidemic, so it sort of lessens the impact. For it's time, pretty good.
A Troubled Teen
dlp11 October 2001
Young girls who, run away from home, don't see danger. Pimps hang out in bus stations and airports, to catch these young girls, and lure them into prostitution. The young guy, who befriended her, gave her good advice to go back home. Even the Sheriff took Dawn, to the morgue and tried to convince her, that prostitution is dangerous. I would recommend, this movie to all teenagers. Church groups and Police departments, should use this movie, as an example, to our youth.
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