The Great Texas Dynamite Chase (1976)

Director:

Michael Pressman

Writers:

Mark Rosin (story)
Peter Macgregor-Scott (screenplay)

Release Date:

July 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

They'll steal your heart... and rob your bank!

Plot:

Explosive drama and action when two sexy girls go on a bank robbing binge. |

Plot Keywords:

Spoof | Exploitation | Parody | Chase | On The Run

Cast

Claudia Jennings	...	Candy Morgan
Tara Strohmeier	...	Pam Morgan
Jocelyn Jones	...	Ellie-Jo Turner
Miles Watkins	...	Boyfriend
Nancy Bleier	...	Carol
Buddy Kling	...	Mr. Sherman
Oliver Clark	...	Officer Andy
Tom Rosqui	...	Jason Morgan
Ed Steef	...	Todd
Danny Sullivan	...	Young Texan
Bart Braverman	...	Freddie
Peggy Brenner	...	Bank Teller
Jim Boles	...	Mr. Ralston
Christopher Pennock	...	Jake
Priscilla Pointer	...	Miss Harris

Also Known As:

Dynamite Women (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

USA:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Ryder Sound Services)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Moorpark, California, USA

Company:

Yasny Talking Pictures (II)

Claudia Jennings (See what the fuss was about)

Women have always had it bad in low-budget exploitation films. In the olden days they were relegated to merely looking pretty and screaming a lot as the monster or villain pawed them and the male hero rushed to the rescue. In more modern, "post-feminist" times they get to wield guns and use karate to beat up musclebound guys (who strangely never seem to know karate themselves), but the actresses in these things don't look like they could even fight off the sleazy Hollywood producers that cast them (and they probably didn't try too hard) and it's a wonder they can even wield their over-sized, silicone breasts let alone a submachine gun.

70's drive-in queen Claudia Jennings was unique among exploitation actresses. She was a Playboy Playmate who could actually act (and not just in the Pamela Anderson sense of the word). Physically she could have passed for one of Charlie's Angels, but she had a tomboy-ish, trailer-trashy quality that made her completely believable packing a gun (or, in this movie, a stick of dynamite) while still managing to look sexy as hell in her typical outfit of short-shorts and a skimpy halter top. Regrettably, she made only a few films before her tragic death in the late 70's (and many of these performances were marred by her off-screen substance abuse). Along with "Gator Bait" and "Roller Derby" this was one of Jenning's most famous roles.

The plot's pretty simple--it's a typical post-"Bonnie and Clyde", Roger Corman school "criminals-on-the-lam" knock-off with The two Great-looking girls (Jennings and Jocelyn Jones) from Texas pulling off a string of bank robberies using Dynamite while the cops Chase them. In between jobs they take time out to roll in the hay with some random guys (strip miners, hotel porters, etc.) or have a naked three-way with their amiable male accomplice (who you just know is going to come to a bad end, but you just can't feel too sorry for him). It ends on a pretty tragic and cynical note like these kind of flicks tended to do. It would pretty much be a total waste of time if not for Claudia Jennings. See it so, if nothing else, you can see what the fuss was about.