Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Laurence Harvey | ... | Dove Linkhorn | |
Capucine | ... | Hallie | |
Jane Fonda | ... | Kitty Twist | |
Anne Baxter | ... | Teresina Vidaverri | |
Barbara Stanwyck | ... | Jo / Jo Courtney | |
Joanna Moore | ... | Miss Precious | |
Richard Rust | ... | Oliver | |
Karl Swenson | ... | Schmidt | |
Don 'Red' Barry | ... | Dockery (as Donald Barry) | |
Juanita Moore | ... | Mama | |
John Anderson | ... | Preacher | |
Ken Lynch | ... | Frank Bonito | |
Todd Armstrong | ... | Lt. Omar Stroud (as Todd Anderson) | |
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Sherry O'Neil | ... | Reba |
John Bryant | ... | Spence |
At the Doll House, a 1930's New Orleans bordello, Hallie is the main attraction both for clients and for Jo, the madame. Her comfortable if tedious life is disrupted by the arrival in town of Dove Linkhorn, her true love of three years before who is now searching for her. When Linkhorn learns the truth of her profession he triggers a chain of events involving a number of people, including the young Kitty with whom he travelled from Texas and who is now the Doll House newest recruit. Written by Jeremy Perkins {J-26}
This sleazy bit of melodrama, loosely based on a racy Nelson Algren book, is now dated kitsch; but can be enjoyed for what it is, thanks to the Hollywood team that put it all together. It's trashy intentions and heavyhanded delivery work in it's favor nowadays, so the brilliant Columbia DVD transfer is well worth checking out. The highlight of the movie is the Elmer Bernstein score; a masterwork with a life all it's own. The cast is a hoot: Barbara Stanwyck standing out as a lesbian brothel owner, a stiff dyke, hardly correct as a New Orleans Madame; Jane Fonda is a pouty, sultry slut, overdoing her overaged, nubile nymphette act; Laurence Harvey stretches all credibility as the good-boy Texas heartthrob searching for his lost love; an utterly miscast Capucine, playing an artsy, elegant whore-with-a-heart-of-gold; and Anne Baxter is quite humorous as a Mexican cafe owner. It's hard not to enjoy a movie with lead characters whose names are Dove and Kitty Twist, and a title song performed by Brook Benton with lyrics like: "Chances of goin' to Heaven, 6 to 1!".