The Working Girls (1974) is a 60s-style comedy that almost requires that
you lived the late 60s to appreciate it. All but forgotten now, it would be in
complete oblivion except that a few copies are sold by touting it as a
Cassandra Peterson film, as has been the only marketing plan since she became
Elvira. In fact, Cassandra actually had only a small part in this film as a
stripper who befriends one of the main characters. It is really about three
other women, young roommates trying to make it financially and sexually In
L.A..
It all starts with Sarah Kennedy. She is in the "cute as a bug" family of
actresses, and has a squeaky little girl voice. Most of her work has been on
TV. Her character in this flick is the small-town girl from parts unknown who
arrives in LA with a dream and no money. She stops in a restaurant, eats a
meal, then tells the owner she is dead broke. He agrees to take it out in
trade, and asks her to return after closing. She says now or never, and starts
to strip in the crowded restaurant. He throws her out, and she walks off
laughing at him.
She runs into Lauri Rose, who manages apartments, and works as a sign
painter. When Lauri learns that Sarah is broke, she invites her to live at her
place, along with roommate Lynne Guthrie. While Sarah is job hunting, she
meets a street musician and brings him home. He ends up becoming an item with
Lauri Rose. Then Lynne Guthrie comes home and announces that she got a job.
Lauri asks if she has to show her tits, and she says no, she got the job based
on her qualifications. "Both of them?", Lauri asks, and it turns out that
Lauri had it pegged pretty close to the mark. Lynne landed a job as a waitress
in a strip club, where she will meet Cassandra Peterson, who teaches her a
strip routine.
The plot is driven by the fact that the club is paying for protection, and
the club owner takes a vacation, leaving Lynne in charge.
That is enough to set up the plot.
One IMDb member complained that it was so bad it wasn't even MST 3000
material. I disagree. Again, it has to be taken in context of the 60s, but the
characters were believable, and the dialogue was occasionally funny. I knew
people like this. For me, it had lots of laughs to go with its nostalgia
value.
This is a C-, but for a very small audience.
IMDb readers say 4.6.