The Swinging Barmaids

CinematographyIrv GoodnoffEdited byJerry CohenMusic byDon BagleyDistributed byPremiere Releasing Org.88 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBox office$1,250,000 (1980 release)^[1]

The Swinging Barmaids is a 1975 American exploitation film about a serial killer who targets cocktail waitresses. The film was directed by Gus Trikonis, and stars Bruce Watson, Laura Hippe, William Smith, and Dyanne Thorne. It was re-released in 1980 as Eager Beavers.

William Smith later recalled "Jesus Christ, that was a wild fuckin’ movie! (Laughing) Yeah, that was kind of fun."^[2]

Plot

After murdering Boo-Boo, a cocktail waitress at the Swing-A-Ling Club, Tom, a psychotic killer, disguises himself and gains employment as a bouncer at the same club where he continues his killing spree. While police lieutenant Harry White attempts to stop him, Tom sets his sights on 'pure' waitress Jenny.

Cast

• Bruce Watson as Tom
• Laura Hippe as Jenny
• Katie Saylor as Susie
• Renie Radich as Marie
• William Smith as Lt. Harry White
• Dyanne Thorne as Boo-Boo
• Zitto Kazann as Zitto
• Jim Travis as Dave
• Ray Galvin as Jack
• John Alderman as Andrews
• Milt Kogan as Dan
• Judith Roberts as Sally

Cult status

Quentin Tarantino screened the film at his festival in 2007. A critic at the screening wrote:

This flick is kind of bizarre. It’s a serial killer flick that’s not really high on the gore or suspense. It’s a sexploitation flick without much titillation. It’s a William Smith movie where he’s kind of unthreatening (until the end when he’s as badass as you want him to be). None of that means it’s a lame movie. Not at all.^[3]

Shock magazine wrote "By normal critical standards, this is the dregs. But as no-budget 70s exploitation goes, this crap succeeds on every necessary level (I particularly enjoyed the crude, handheld camerawork during the murder scenes). Laced with fitfully sleazy kicks and a surprisingly energetic, corpse-laden finale, this inept flick is a wonderful example of the bad-/s-good nature of drive-in cinema. "^[4]

See also

• List of American films of 1975

References

External links

• The Swinging Barmaids at IMDb
• The Swinging Barmaids at The New York Times
• The Swinging Barmaids at Grindhouse Database
• The Swinging Barmaid at TCMDB