Vice Squad (1982)

A single mother prostitute, who goes by the name Princess, finds herself forced to work undercover for the police in order to apprehend a homicidal, misogynistic pimp named Ramrod, who will do anything not to get arrested.

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 | wire hanger | bridal dress | 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

Did You Know?

Trivia

When this movie was being made, lead actress Season Hubley and Kurt Russell were getting a divorce.

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Goofs

As Princess (Season Hubley) moves past the candles and flowers in the wedding scene with the old man in the mansion, a cameraman and camera are clearly visible on the right side of the scene.

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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: Two of a Kind (2014)

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Soundtracks

Neon Slime
Lyrics by Simon Stokes
Music by Joe Renzetti
Performed by Wings Hauser

User Reviews

Best use of a coat hanger in movie history

Wings Hauser, playing brutal pimp Ramrod, uses a wire coat hanger to beat the stuffing out of a hooker in a Hollywood Boulevard motel room. This scene, destined to be remembered by every lucky viewer of this solid, sleazy classic, perfectly captures the tone director Gary Sherman brings to this fine piece of entertainment.

The violence is glossy and sadistic and shot in neon-toned hues by ace cinematographer John Alcott.

Hauser goes on a rampage in an effort to bust the chops of a street girl who was partially responsible for his brief arrest.

The tension is thick, the atmosphere gritty, the entertainment values high.

Nail-biting and stomach-churning...in other words: heaven.

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 January 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Vice Squad

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Gross USA:

$13,253,583

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,253,583

Company Credits

Production Co:

AVCO Embassy Pictures, Dynamic Productions, Hemdale

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1