The Unholy Rollers (1972)

Karen wants more action out of life and quits her job at the cannery to become a skater in the roller derby. She encounters friction from the other skaters - especially Mickey, the current ... See full summary »

Director:

Vernon Zimmerman

Writers:

Howard R. Cohen (screenplay), Vernon Zimmerman (story)

Stars:

Claudia Jennings, Louis Quinn, Betty Anne Rees

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Claudia Jennings	...	Karen Walker
Louis Quinn	...	Mr. Stern
Betty Anne Rees	...	Mickey
Roberta Collins	...	Jennifer
Alan Vint	...	Greg
Candice Roman	...	Donna
Jay Varela	...	Nick
Charlene Jones	...	Beverly Brayton
Joe E. Tata	...	Marshall
Maxine Gates	...	Angie Striker
Kathleen Freeman	...	Karen's Mother
John Harmon	...	Doctor
Karl Rizzo	...	Referee
Mike Miller	...	Referee
John Steadman	...	Guard

Storyline

Karen wants more action out of life and quits her job at the cannery to become a skater in the roller derby. She encounters friction from the other skaters - especially Mickey, the current number one star of the team. Karen proves herself a feisty competitor but refuses to be a team player. As she skates her way to roller stardom, she incurs the wrath of jealous team members and the owner of the team.

---

Plot Keywords:

exploitation | cult | broad as slang for woman | 1970s | record player | 

---

Taglines:

On the boards she's a skull cracker at 40 m.p.h. On a date she really plays rough!

---

Genres:

Action | Comedy | Drama | Sport

---

Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original soundtrack was replaced by a Kendall Schmidt synthesizer score for the HBO VHS release in 1986.

---

Goofs

At the gun range, the outline of a mic and connecting wire is visible under Nick's shirt.

---

Quotes

Foreman: I heard you talked to Mr. Talahanty
Karen Walker: Yeah! I talked to him.
Foreman: You don't talk to Talahanty about nuthin'. You talk to me!
Karen Walker: I got nuthin' to talk to you about.
Foreman: [Grabs her behind] You talk to me about a raise.
Karen Walker: I told you to keep your hands off me!
Foreman: Listen, Walker, you want that raise, you better change your work habits a little bit.
[Squeezes Karen's breast]
Foreman: Stop off at the office, Walker, we'll talk about that raise.

---

Connections

Featured in Beverly Hills, 90210: Fade In, Fade Out (1996)

---

Soundtracks

Stay Away From Karen
Written by Bobby Hart, Danny Janssen
Sung by Louie and the Rockets

User Reviews

Nasty but nice, down and dirty derby drama

A Roger Corman production from the 70's so you know it's funny, sleazy, plot less and gratuitous but never boring, there's always something happening on screen. Claudia Jennings dominates as Karen Walker, a cat food factory worker who gets cheesed off and becomes a roller derby queen. She gives a tough-as-nails performance, spitting her lines in a manner not unlike the actresses in John Waters' early films. Other stand-outs include Louis Quinn as a cynical promoter and Alan Vint doing a hilarious take on the "roommate's boyfriend" character. It's an obvious attempt to cash in on Kansas City Bomber (apparently started while KCB was still in production) replacing Raquel Welch's vulnerability with Claudia Jennings' unapologetic approach and ladling on plenty of sleaze. So what's not to like?

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 November 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Leader of the Pack

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

American International Pictures (AIP), Roger Corman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1