Vice Squad (1982)

A Los Angeles businesswoman, known only by her street name of Princess, turns to prostitution to support herself and her young daughter when she's forced by Detective Tom Walsh and his vice... See full summary »

Director:

Gary Sherman (as Gary A. Sherman)

Writers:

Sandy Howard, Kenneth Peters

Stars:

Season Hubley, Gary Swanson, Wings Hauser

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Season Hubley	...	Princess
Gary Swanson	...	Tom Walsh
Wings Hauser	...	Ramrod
Pepe Serna	...	Pete Mendez
Beverly Todd	...	Louise Williams
Joseph Di Giroloma	...	Kowalski (as Joseph DiGiroloma)
Maurice Emanuel	...	Edwards
Wayne Hackett	...	Christian Sorenson
Nina Blackwood	...	Ginger
Sudana Bobatoon	...	Dixie
Lydia Lei	...	Coco
Kelly Piper	...	Blue Chip
Kristoffer Anders	...	Sergeant Brooks
Joseph Baroncini	...	Ted
Fred Berry	...	Sugar Pimp

Storyline

A Los Angeles businesswoman, known only by her street name of Princess, turns to prostitution to support herself and her young daughter when she's forced by Detective Tom Walsh and his vice squad to help them arrest a brutal pimp named Ramrod for the murder of a prostitute named Ginger. But when Ramrod learns that he was set up, he escapes from police custody and begins a long night of tracking down Princess while Walsh and his vice squad are always one step behind him.

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Plot Keywords:

prostitute | pimp | misogynist | wire hanger | cruelty | 

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Taglines:

She's a whore . . . he's a psychotic pimp bent on REVENGE

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 January 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nachtratten

Filming Locations:

Tiffany Theatre, 8532 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, California , USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$237,811, 24 January 1982, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$13,253,583

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dynamic,Hemdale

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gary Swanson once said of his role in this movie: "The world out there is vicious and cruel, and the film pulls no punches in bringing it all to life down to the finest detail . . . and I hope its gritty impact brings a new awareness to moviegoers."

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Goofs

The scene where the two plain-clothes police officers are taking Ramrod to the precinct for the booking of Ginger's murder. Ramrod (Wings Hauser) manages to overpower them and causes police officer Pete Mendez (Pepe Serna) driving to crash. We see the car crash from a side vantage point, then we see it crash from a head-on position. It is the same crash filmed from two different angles using two cameras. In a little economizing, the filmmakers get two separate shots of the same crash so as not to have to set up twice for a matching crash shot.

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Quotes

Louise Williams: [as undercover cop, pulling a gun from her garter on an armed pimp in a potential shootout] Blink your eyes, motherfucker, and you die in the dark!

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Alternate Versions

The UK cinema version was heavily cut by over 6 minutes by the BBFC to edit scenes of violence and torture including Ramrod's torture of Ginger with the pimp stick (twisted wire coat-hangers) and shots of Princess being assaulted and beaten. The 1987 Embassy video release was the pre-edited U.S TV version which ran around 4 minutes shorter, removed most of the violent scenes, and was dubbed to delete nearly all the profanity.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Spanker-Man (2017)

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Soundtracks

Everybody Needs Somebody Sometimes
Written and Produced by Paul Sabu
Performed by Ann-Margret

User Reviews

The 'A' List of 'B' Movies!

I didn't see this movie until 1984 when it was an added feature to "Angel" at the Parkway Drive-In here in Toronto. After reading all of the comments of this movie, it's nice to see that other people appreciate fine 'B' movies as myself. I have this movie on VHS, but like the other reviewers have stated, it would be nice to see this movie released on DVD someday. It has a riveting storyline, and great performances by all the actors involved. It even features ex-MTV VJ Nina Blackwood as a desperate hooker trying to get away from the clutches of a psycho pimp named Ramrod, played by Wings Hauser. This movie has a gritty atmosphere to it which makes the story believable. Season Hubley plays Princess, a streetwise hooker with call girl attributes. She works with the police to try and rid the streets of Ramrod. This movie has been largely forgotten by most people, but for me it will always be a prized addition to my video library!