The Female Bunch (1969)

Director:

Al Adamson

Writers:

Jale Lockwood (writer)
Brent Nimrod (writer)

Release Date:

15 October 1971 (West Germany)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Western

Tagline:

Women who live by their own rules...

Plot:

After a string of bad times with men, Sandy tries to kill herself. Co-waitress Libby saves her and takes...

Plot Keywords:

Ranch | Exploitation | U.S. Mexico Border | Shower Scene | Girl Gang

Cast

Russ Tamblyn	...	Bill
Jennifer Bishop	...	Grace (as Jenifer Bishop)
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Monti
A'leisha Brevard	...	Sadie (as A'lesha Lee)
Geoffrey Land	...	Jim (as Jeoffrey Land)
Leslie McRae	...	Dennise (as Leslie McCrae)
Nesa Renet	...	Sandy
Sharyn Wynters		(as Sheryn Wynters)
Regina Carrol	...	Libby (as Gina Carol)
Albert Cole		(as Al Cole)
Don Epperson	...	Scott
Mike Wendler
Megan Timothy
Susan Arnold		(as Sue Arnold)
Lee James

Also Known As:

A Time to Run

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Capital Reef National Monument, Torrey, Utah, USA

Company:

Dalia Productions

Trivia:

Lon Chaney Jr.'s hoarse and raspy voice in this film is due to the effects of his throat cancer radiation treatment.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 9 (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Let Me Be Free

Fantastic Adamson pro-female action flick

After viewing Al Adamson's "Angels' Wild Women", I was wondering if it was such a good thing that I rented this as well. Since "Angels" didn't actually feature much footage with the women, I was nervous that "The Female Bunch" would be another wasted opportunity. Well, it wasn't.

Jennifer Bishop is Grace, the butch leader of a group of feminists who make up a secret society in an isolated desert ranch (in reality the notorious Spahn Ranch, home of the Manson Family). A new member, Sandy (Nesa Renet), is buried alive in a coffin to ensure she has guts (great claustrophobic scene)! Regina Carrol does a sultry go-go dance before once again getting an underwritten part (Al! She was your wife! Couldn't you have given her better roles?!).

The male cast members, Russ Tamblyn, Lon Chaney, Jr., and Geoffrey Land, are not in the movie that much, which makes "The Female Bunch" all the more true to the title. Tamblyn doesn't do much but be a victim of the sadistic ladies when he has sex with Denise (Leslie MacRae) and attempts to rape Grace! It's very hard to watch Chaney in his last role; his voice has been irreparably damaged from years of smoking and drinking and is barely audible. I much preferred his silent role in "Dracula vs. Frankenstein". Land only becomes a character in the last 15 minutes, so this really is the female bunch's movie. Thank God Adamson lived up to the title! Things to watch for: the opening scenes of ladies on horseback and a plane chasing a young couple through the desert is stunningly choreographed by Adamson standards; the heavily claustrophobic scene of Sandy being buried alive; Grace brands Tamblyn with a branding iron; and basically any scene where the women appear. A very, very good movie. It isn't "Satan's Sadists", but at times comes very close to topping it! Highly recommended!