Switchblade Sisters (1975)

The leader of an inner city girl gang is challenged when a new girl moves into the neighbourhood.

Director:

Jack Hill

Writers:

Jack Hill (story), F.X. Maier (screenplay)

Stars:

Robbie Lee, Joanne Nail, Monica Gayle

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robbie Lee	...	Lace
Joanne Nail	...	Maggie
Monica Gayle	...	Patch
Asher Brauner	...	Dominic
Chase Newhart	...	Crabs
Marlene Clark	...	Muff
Kitty Bruce	...	Donut
Janice Karman	...	Bunny
Don Stark	...	Hook
Don Marino	...	Guido
Helene Nelson	...	Cherry
Bill Adler	...	Fingers
Paul Lichtman	...	Mr. Clutch
J.S. Johnson	...	Principal Weasel
Kate Murtagh	...	Mom Smackley

Storyline

The "Dagger Debs" are a gang of snarling girls, and Maggie is their newest member. Lace, the ever tooth-gritting leader, befriends her but soon has doubts --it seems Lace's man, Dominic, head of the "Silver Daggers" fancies the new recruit. Lace struggles to keep control of the Debs, and a handle on Nick, as they face off against the rival gang of pushers lead by Crabs.

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Plot Keywords:

lesbianism | grindhouse | grindhouse film | drive in classic | women in prison | 

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Taglines:

Mothers... lock up your sons. The Switchblade Sisters are coming!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Maggie's Stiletto Sisters

Filming Locations:

Moonlight Rollerway - 5110 San Fernando Road, Glendale, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$320,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$51,264

Company Credits

Production Co:

Centaur Pictures Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Jack Hill, when interviewed at the 1996 re-release of the film, pointed out that it did have some authenticity - he interviewed girl gang members and rewrote the script. "But the idea of doing a realistic movie about street gangs with beautiful blondes in hot pants was preposterous, so we tried to make it a wacky fantasy."

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Goofs

Lace cuts the necktie from the man in the elevator leaving about 6 inches of tie. When he identifies the ladies with the police moments later his tie is much longer.

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Quotes

Hook: Like my dad used to say, God rest his ass...

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Connections

Referenced in Gilmore Girls: A House Is Not a Home (2005)

User Reviews

Sensational Seventies She-Devils!

Jack Hill's 'Switchblade Sisters' is a wild ride that will have you hooked from the get go! It's everything I hoped Ted V. Mikels disappointing 'The Doll Squad' was going to be - a trashy, campy slice of 1970s exploitation that manages to be self-parodic AND take its subject matter seriously simultaneously. Happily, 'Switchblade Sisters' is so good you'd think you'd dreamed it yourself.

Robbie Lee plays Lace the Debs' leader, and fulfills all the promise she showed in Roger Corman's 'Big Bad Mama' the previous year. She's cute but deadly, and why she never became a major star is hard to fathom. Most of the other girls, particularly gang newcomer Maggie (Joanne Nail), and Lace's former second in command Patch (Monica Gayle), are also sexy and dangerous, but none show the sheer charisma of Lee's Lace, surely up there with Tura Satana, Pam Grier or Raven de la Croix as a proto-feminist icon of the drive-in era.

'Switchblade Sister' is trash par excellence. You will both laugh at and laugh with the Dagger Debs and their rival gang, the disco-dudded Crabs, who could easily walk off this movie and straight into 'The Warriors', another surreal gang movie, directed by another Hill, Walter. Both Hill's deserve their place in psychotronic history!