Happy (Belated) Birthday Tiffany Bolling ! - KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS 1977

Tiffany Bolling Movie Night # 5

 \

"A Living, Crawling Hell On Earth !"

    I meant to post this last week for her birthday on the 6th, but unfortunately fell behind on my blogging chores, as I decided to get things a little organized around here. To that end I pulled all my various video formats off the shelves (not to mention the random stacks on the floor) and spent several evenings sorting amidst piles of stuff. Now everything shelved IN ORDER and I can actually walk up to the shelves and find immediately what I want (what a novel concept !!)

   But enough of this housekeeping stuff, let’s get on to the much more interesting subject of Tiffany Bolling. Born on Feb. 6 1947 this very easy on the eyes actress was one of the great leading ladies of 70’s drive-in exploitation appearing in BONNIE’S KIDS (1973), THE CANDY SNATCHERS (1973), THE CENTERFOLD GIRLS (1974) & the rather oddball “Duo-Vision” WICKED WICKED from 1973 (which has been restored and is due to be released by Warner MOD). In April 1972 she was featured in a Playboy pictorial (for which she claims she was never paid for) and had a minor hit single at age 16 and later recorded a full album titled Tiffany, which has become something of a cult item.
   Later in her life she would try and distance herself from the more exploitative credits in her film career. She appears in an interview segment for Subversive's DVD of THE CANDY SNATCHERS, in which although she seems to be rather proud of her performance also states that it ruined her career. No matter how she feels about this stuff, she'll always be on the Mt. Rushmore of 70's cult actresses - along with Claudia Jennnings, Candice Rialson & Linda Haynes (their my picks at least !).

    In 1977 she appeared alongside post Star Trek Will Shatner (here giving one of his typical clenched jawed 70's performances) in John "Bud" Cardos's KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS. A personal favorite and one of the better entries in the "nature on the rampage" genre that proliferated in the 1970's (especially post JAWS), it features a simple plot unburden by lengthy scientific explanations (nothing "giant" here - just millions of pissed-off normal sized spiders) and fine work by its leads (along with a wonderful supporting cast). Plus of course the presence of Tiffany Bolling, who gamely kneels besides crawling mounds of hairy tarantulas and even tenderly pets one as she holds it in her hand !

    Shatner stars as local veterinarian Robert "Rack (?)" Hansen who upon finding rancher Walter Colby's (Woody Strode) prize bull dead by mysterious circumstances sends the blood off to be tested. The results come back in the form of arachnologist Diane Ashley (Tiffany) who suspects something amiss as the bull had massive amounts of spider venom in it - that combined with the discovery of huge spider mounds and millions of  the creepy & crawly hairy little buggers. As mentioned before there's not a whole lot of science here, although it's speculated that the massive use of DDT (cue 70's ecology) has gotten the spiders riled up (and undoubtedly made them immune). As a further nod to JAWS, we also have the spineless mayor worried about the upcoming county fair and wanting to keep the spider rampage quiet (gee, I wonder how that'll work out for him).

    The film does a commendable job working up the suspense and the expected romance between Shatner's "aw shucks" country vet and Tiffany's cool as a cucumber scientist doesn't interfere with the spiders too much, in addition there's also a plot point with Shatner's relationship to his brother's widowed wife that adds another dimension to the goings on. The film climaxes with the massed attack on the town with the main survivors (including Lieux Dressler &  Adele Malis) holed up in an increasingly claustrophobic hunting lodge.

 
    Although they are obvious "dummy spiders" about there are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of the real deal scuttling about (animal trainer Jim Brokett is credited as "spider wrangler") and the entire cast does a commendable job interacting with them - including a terrifying sequence with a little girl on a swing (and later on a bed), "Rack" having deal with a dark basement full of them and the expected plane ride with some extra passengers. Also with down home character actor Hoke Howell, Marlboro Man David Mclean and songs by Dorsey Burnette (including the theme song "Peaceful Verde Valley"). Although this has been released on a variety of DVD labels, the Shout Factory edition is the one to get - nice transfer & extras.

Tiffany Bolling Movie Night # 4 - The Candy Snatchers 1972

 

                                                               

    One of the more perversely twisted movies to come out of the 70's, The Candy Snatchers was screenwriter Guerdon Trueblood only directing credit (besides an episode on Barnaby Jones). Along with Tiffany Bolling's other two Arthur Marks 70's classics Bonnie's Kids and Centerfold Girls these three together form a very dark trilogy of the human psyche with The Candy Snatchers having a typical downward spiral to hell Arthur Marks ending.
  Tiffany plays Jesse, who together with her psycho brother Alan (Brad Davis) and troubled vet Eddy (Vincent Martorano) kidnap 16 year old Candy (played by very young looking 20 year old Susan Sennet) and bury her in a box tied & blindfolded. Because her father owns a jewelry store the gang believes he'll hand over a bag full of merchandise to let her go. The only trouble is Dad (Ben Piazza) has his own agenda and paying the ransom isn't very high on his list as he's busy fooling around with his assistant. As if this wasn't all enough Candy's mother is a alcoholic and the only person to have witnessed the crime and can save her is Sean, a small deaf & autistic boy (played by director Trueblood's son Christopher and looking like Klaus Kinski as a kid) who has the ultimate patents from hell.

   As the gang slowly waits out the never arriving ransom and their plan slowly unravels the plot descends into a harrowing mix of double crossings, rape, killing and sadism. Save for Candy and the small boy (who spends the entire movie desperately trying to get someone to understand him) none of the other characters seem to have much of any moral character. We're led to believe that Eddy is a decent guy as he attempts to protect Candy however he has a very disturbing scene with Tiffany (who seems to enjoy torturing & taunting their captive). Psycho serial killer brother Alan just looks forward to killing her and a side plot dinner party with the kid Sean's family and the Dad's boss even turns ugly.
   Along with all this is a very dark sense of humor (almost slapstick at some points) including a trip to a morgue to purchase an ear. The humor really doesn't do anything to lighten up the proceedings, but does somehow even add to the overall creepiness & unsettling atmosphere of the film. The rape scenes are particularly shocking with one being observed by the child and another Candy is forced to listen to while laying tied & blindfolded on the floor as she silently recites the lords prayer.

    Tiffany Bolling in the past always had a kind of tolerate and/or hate relationship with her career in these types of movies. In 1991 she did an interview with Kris Gilpin over at Temple of Schlock where she refers to this as "the worst movie ever made". On the Subversive DVD she appears in an on camera interview and shares a commentary with co-star Susan Sennet (who was also in Big Bad Mama). She says that this movie was the one that pretty much killed her chances at mainstream success and Sennet (who seems rather uncomfortable watching it) relates how she's suffered from claustrophobia since filming this. One of the greatest 70's grindhouse movies and a film that probably could only have been made in the 70's. Well worth checking out.

Tiffany Bolling Movie Night # 3 Bonnie's Kids 1973

"Thank God - She Only had two !"

    There are certain times when everything pretty much clicks in a film , things come together and you've got the almost perfect drive-in movie. With enough sleazy elements (implied incest ,attempted rape, nudity, a shotgun death, plus voyeurism - and this is just during the pre-credits ! - with a bunch more to follow) and a story that develops into an twisting amoral film-noir like plot worthy of a James M. Cain novel, this is a great 105 min. ride. Producer Arthur Marks (The Centerfold Girls) really knew how to cast a movie and Bonnie's Kids has a wonderful cast of newcomers and veterans including Leo Gordon, Scott Brady, Alex Rocco, Timothy Brown, Steve Sandor, Max Showalter, Lenore Stevens, plus Tiffany & future daytime soap star Robin Mattson (who was only 17 at the time of filming - yep we're all goin' to jail !)) as the title characters.

   The story starts off with sisters Ellie (Bolling) & Myra (Mattson) who are in the care of step-father Charley (Leo Gordon) after the death of their mother. Coming home from work one night Ellie finds Charley attempting to rape little sister Myra (after an undressing Myra has been leered at thru a window by Dad's buddies and even the local cops !) and blows him away with a shotgun. Stuffing his body down the in the basement, the sisters head off to Los Angeles to hook up with their Mom's brother "Uncle" Ben (Scott Brady) and his wife Diana (Lenore Stevens). 

   Turns out Ben runs a modeling agency that is tied in with the mob and he sets up the sisters up to live with himself and his ignored wife in their huge ranch house. Ellie then auditions for some nude modeling, afterwards ol' Uncle Ben sends her out of town to pick up a box (which unknown to her at the time, is full of money) that was arranged to be delivered by a P.I. ( Larry - played by Sandor) who was hired by two gunmen working for Ben. At this point for the first time in the movie the sisters are separated with Myra using the lesbian advances of Ben's wife Diana to con free stuff out of her(at first she was merely stealing it ) and Ellie who after discovering what was really in the case, running off with Larry while being pursued by the two gunmen Eddy & Digger (Rocco & Brown).   

   This is a twisting, turning story that spirals into a bloody & downbeat ending with none of the main characters having much of any redeeming qualities. The best part (aside from Tiffany) are the two the mob guys played by Alex Rocco and ex-football player Timothy Brown. An obvious inspiration for Pulp Fiction, the two go about their business with a low-key, deadpan approach and almost steal the whole movie. Rocco would later later star in Mark's Detroit 9000 (1974). Veteran TV actor and character "face" Max Showalter has a great part as an unlucky traveling gun (!) salesman who has the unfortunate luck to meet up with Ellie and Larry.

  A long time wanted DVD, Dark Sky has released this in a very nice package with the trailer, TV spots and an interview with Arthur Marks. 

Tiffany Bolling Movie Night # 2 The Big Party 1975

   Tiffany Bolling from The Wild Party. A rather unlikely 1975 collaboration between Merchant - Ivory and American International, based very loosely upon the Fatty Arbuckle scandal in 1921. In 1920's Hollywood James Coco plays a silent film star who throws a huge party to celebrate his comeback and show his new movie (and things go rather badly).  A kinda messy script and not a great movie, but it is interesting and a features a wonderful performance by Raquel Welch as Coco's mistress. In addition , it has Royal Dano in it -always a plus. Tiffany's got a rather large part (5th billed and she gets to sing) and does an excellent job. Available on an MGM DVD.  Her next movie was Kingdom of the Spiders.

The Centerfold Girls 1974

(or Tiffany Bolling Movie Night # 1)

    A 1974 release from Arthur Marks General Film Corp, The Centerfold Girls is a great 1970's exploitation thriller. It contains an unbelievable cast - Andrew Prine  Aldo Ray, Jennifer Ashley , Janet Wood, Francine York, Ray Danton, Jeremy Slate, Mike Mazurki and one of the queens of '70's drive-in movies- Tiffany Bolling.

   Andrew Prine, looking like a demented door to door salesman, wears a dark suit a couple of sizes too small (which accents his gangly figure), glasses, ugly saddle shoes and lives in an all white room in which he keeps souvenirs of his victims. Playing Clement Dunne, a psychotic killer who is murdering centerfold models for a popular men's magazine, he really brings a creepy vibe to the role. From the opening scene of Prine dragging the nude body of a girl with her throat slit over a desolate beach to bury her to the finale in a bleak, wildfire ravaged canyon,  this is a very dark & twisted ride.  Like most of Arthur Marks's productions Centerfold Girls presents the world and the people in it (except for the killers victims) as pretty sick. Prine, started out on the stage and appeared in John Wayne's Chisum in 1970 among other films, and alternated T.V. work with such such drive-in staples as Hannah, Queen of the Vampires (1973) and Grizzly (1976).

   Although it first come across as disjointed the film actually sets up a kind of interesting concept of being divided into three separate stories with Prine's character being the the common thread as he stalks the models. One of the segments ends up in a house on an island for a rather neat Agatha Christie type "who's going to get murdered  next" setup.  The film also uses several times the telephone as a suspense item (one of my favorite things from older movies), which in these days of cellphones is pretty much a lost plot device.
   Director John Peyser might seem at first an odd choice for such a movie. He was born in 1916 and did most of his work in T.V., but he does a very nice job here and there's more then a couple startling set pieces- including one scene where Prine slashes one of his victim's neck and the blood  splatters across a window in front of the camera. The cast is really good with Jeremy Slate playing an an almost darkly funny ineffectual police detective and Ray Danton (in a wonderful slimy role) & Francince York as the models agents.

  Tiffany Bolling plays one of the centerfolds (naturally) and brings her usual presence. I really like Tiffany Bolling. She did bunches of T.V. work in the 70's but also appeared in several other classic exploitation films, including another Arthur Mark's production Bonnie's Kids ("Thank God, she only had two" !!), The Candy Snatchers (released by Subversive on DVD , but now OOP) both from 1973 and pehaps her best known role, co-starring in 1977's classic Kingdom of the Spiders. She always seems to bring a little something extra to her roles and has a wonderful, natural, very pretty "70's" look to her. She first started out as a singer, releasing an album in 1970 and a had a minor regional hit with the single  "Thank God the War is Over". In the unique 1974 film Wicked, Wicked which was filmed in "Duo-Vision", a process in which two side by side scenes were shown on the screen, she appears as a nightclub singers and gets to sing in the movie. Her album titled "Tiffany" on Canyon Records is a pretty hot item on the collector market today.

  Centerfold Girls is out on an excellent DVD from Dark Sky. The 1:66 anamorphic transfer displays some wear and scratches, but  overall looks very good. Also included is a documentary on the film containing interviews with cast members Andrew Prine, Francine York and Jennifer Ashley - who relates how she was initially uncomfortable with the nudity (she says it came out "pretty good") and how most of her fan mail now comes from prison inmates. Trailer and TV spots, and some isolated music cues from Mark Wolin's very effective score are also included. Dark Sky has also released the above mentioned Bonnie's Kids on DVD. Over at the Cool Ass Cinema blog there's  an excellent write up done on The Centerfold Girls from 2010.