Lust in the Dust (1985)

Director:

Paul Bartel

Writer:

Philip John Taylor (writer)

Release Date:

1 March 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Tagline:

He Rode The West... The Girls Rode The Rest! Together They Ravaged The Land!

Plot:

A group of unscrupulous characters seek buried treasure in the old west.

Plot Keywords:

Saloon | Buried Treasure | Saloon Girl | Transvestite | Catfight

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Tab Hunter	...	Abel Wood
Divine	...	Rosie Velez
Lainie Kazan	...	Marguerita Ventura
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Hard Case Williams
Henry Silva	...	Bernardo
Cesar Romero	...	Father Garcia
Gina Gallego	...	Ninfa, Whore at Marguerita's
Nedra Volz	...	Big Ed
Courtney Gains	...	Red Dick Barker
Woody Strode	...	Blackman, Hard Case Gang
Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez	...	Mexican, Hard Case Gang
Daniel Frishman	...	Clarence, Hard Case Gang
Ernie Shinagawa	...	Chang, Hard Case Gang
Pit Ginsburg	...	Toothless Drunk
Al Cantu	...	Gunslinger

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG (cut) | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bonanza Creek Ranch - 15 Bonanza Creek Lane, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Fox Run Productions Inc.

Trivia:

John Waters was asked to direct the film but refused because he did not write the script.

Quotes:

Red Dick: I'm Richard Barker. Most folks around here call me Red Dick.
[Rosie stares at him]
Red Dick: [sheepishly] On account o' my hair.

Movie Connections:

Remake of Duel in the Sun (1946)

Soundtrack:

These Lips Were Made For Kissin'

A Trash Masterpiece

They sure don't make them like this anymore - A comedic musical western about two buxom women, each with part of a treasure map tattooed on their butt. As a cultural oddity of the 1980s, Lust In The Dust stands alone as a truly bizarre collision of the mainstream and the underground.

Lust In The Dust owes much to the then emerging popularity of John Waters and his Dreamland players. I don't think it is a coincidence that the film reunites two of the stars of Polyester - transsexual goddess, Divine and weathered heart-throb, Tab Hunter. However, while Polyester merely tested the waters of the mainstream, Lust In The Dust jumps right in with a cast of recognisable actors and a comparatively inoffensive plot line. The result is sometimes awkward and occasionally frustrating, but also frequently hilarious and utterly compelling.

Paul Bartel could not have chosen better leads. Divine was really at the height of his powers as Rosie. Rosie is a luscious siren, who positively steams up the screen. Divine was a master at physical comedy and Rosie's facial expressions are priceless. Lainie Kazan more than meets the challenge as Rosie's rival, Marguerita. Lainie, now better known for mush like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, shows why she is one of the best cult actresses in the business. Marguerita is a wonderful creation and her rendition of "South of the Border" (... "but north of my garter") is truly a showstopper. Lust In The Dust also provided Tab Hunter with a memorable role as Able Wood. Tab is smart enough to underplay his part in the presence of these two larger than life ladies and is all the more effective because of it.

Lust In The Dust is a wonderfully offbeat example of the imaginative work being produced by cult directors in the early 1980s and holds up as a great testament to Divine's inimitable talent.