Female Trouble (1974)

A spoiled schoolgirl runs away from home, gets pregnant while hitch-hiking, and ends up as a fashion model for a pair of beauticians who like to photograph women committing crimes.

Director:

John Waters

Writer:

John Waters

Stars:

Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Divine	...	Dawn Davenport / Earl Peterson
David Lochary	...	Donald Dasher
Mary Vivian Pearce	...	Donna Dasher
Mink Stole	...	Taffy Davenport
Edith Massey	...	Aunt Ida
Cookie Mueller	...	Concetta
Susan Walsh	...	Chicklette
Michael Potter	...	Gater
Ed Peranio	...	Wink
Paul Swift	...	Butterfly
George Figgs	...	Dribbles
Susan Lowe	...	Vikki
George Hulse	...	Teacher
Margie Skidmore	...	School Snitch
Berenica Cipcus	...	Mean Girl

Storyline

The life and times of Dawn Davenport, showing her progress from loving schoolgirl to crazed mass murderer - all of which stems from her parents' refusal to buy her cha-cha heels for Christmas. She runs away from home, is raped, becomes a single mother, criminal and glamorous model before her inevitable rendezvous with the electric chair...

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Plot Keywords:

absurd violence | absurd humor | disfigurement | male frontal nudity | cult film | 

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Taglines:

Divine Returns! with the whole "Pink Flamingos" gang in John Waters' Female Trouble

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated NC-17 for explicit sexuality and nudity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 March 1984 (France)

Also Known As:

Rotten Mind, Rotten Face

Filming Locations:

Little Tavern, 519 East 25th Street, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dreamland

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min 92 min (16 mm) 97 min (original length)

Sound Mix:

Chace Surround (2001 re-release) Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Divine was injected with a real needle in the liquid eyeliner scene. Divine also took a dose of vomit-inducing medicine, but this had no effect at first so Earl's vomiting on Taffy had to be faked. A nurse was on the set to supervise both scenes.

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Goofs

When Dawn returns home from hospital with the Dashers and unwraps the birdcage containing Aunt Ida, Donald instructs her to, 'Cut off the hand that threw the acid!' Dawn then chops off Ida's left hand. Ida, however, threw the acid with her right hand.

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Quotes

Gator: I'm straight, I mean I like a lot of queers but I don't dig their equipment, you know. I like women.
Aunt Ida: But you could change. Queers are just better. I'd be so proud if you was a fag and had a nice beautician boyfriend. I'd never have to worry.
Gator: You have nothing to worry about.

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Crazy Credits

For Charles Watson (the Manson Family member). Waters' prison visits to Watson inspired the "crime is beauty" theme of the film, and Waters used a toy wooden helicopter Watson made for him in the credits.

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Alternate Versions

Censored prints are in circulation; the Maryland Censor Board logo can be seen over an oral sex scene with Dawn and Gator

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Connections

Featured in Indie Sex: Taboos (2001)

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Soundtracks

Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Xmas
Written by Ruth Lyon
Performed by Ruby Wright with Cliff Lash and his Orchestra and the Dick Noel Singers
Courtesy of Ace Records Ltd.
by arrangement with Celebrity Licensing Inc.

User Reviews

John Waters' Masterpiece!

This film is my favorite of all time! All of the great elements of John Waters' films mesh together perfectly in this hilarious romp that operates around the theme of 'crime is beauty.' All of the classic John Waters' actors are here, and most of them give their best performances. John Waters has said that this film is the 'ultimate Divine vehicle', and he's right. Her look literally changes every ten minutes as she mutates from a teenage hair hopper with an attitude to an unwed, abusive mother, to crime fashion model to death row inmate. Divine also has a small male role as the father of her own illegitimate child. Edith Massey, my personal favorite actress, gives her funniest and best realized performance as Aunt Ida, the bitter, veangful fag hag who lives next door. This is not the most accesible of Waters' films, and truthfully, this probably isn't the one to start with if you're not yet a fan (I would recommend Polyester or Hairspray in that case), but if you want to see an early work thats not quite as gross as the others, check it out! Waters himself says that this is his favorite of his underground films.