Candy Stripers

The naughty nurse remains one of the most enduring stock characters in erotica of all stripes. Trust the easy-going Bob Chinn, a formally trained UCLA film school graduate best known for his long-running Johnny Wadd series, to deliver the definitive dirty movie dissertation on the subject. Often imitated, sequelized and what not, when it comes to doctors, nurses and patients doing the horizontal mambo, the original CANDY STRIPERS knows no equal. Yet the recipe is simple, proving once more that the best things generally are : get lots of attractive people (not just by '70s standards either) and turn them loose on each other in an imagination-fueling setting – not a real hospital, as frequently assumed, but a very convincing sound stage – with a happy go lucky narrative structure punctuated with plentiful visual jokes and funny one-liners, the latter courtesy of Dean Rogers who penned the screenplays to the Sam Weston classics SEX WORLD and TALK DIRTY TO ME.

Opening with a bouncy title song (the handiwork of "John Long" a/k/a "Long John", actually two song writers who usually worked for Stu Segall, most memorably perhaps on TEENY BUNS), we watch our three candy stripers get ready for an honest day's work. Level-headed Pam (Amber Hunt) is already on the job bright 'n' early, mischievous little Sharon (baby-faced Nancy Hoffman) goes around pleasuring staff – watch for a youthful Richard Pacheco as the medic in the linen closet – seeing this is her last day and Cindy ("Montana" a/k/a Chris Cassidy) is running late as usual, taking time to make it a very good morning for boyfriend Joey Silvera. Sharon's trying to get the word out about her going away orgy planned that night and steer clear of the overbearing head nurse none too affectionately nicknamed "Sarge", played to the hilt by the magnificent Sharon Thorpe, who will of course let her hair down by the time the group climax – rightfully considered one of the best of its kind – rolls around. Nurses include Mimi Morgan (the pre-operative Eve from the Mitchell Bros. classic RESURRECTION OF EVE), who takes a licking from the infectiously enthusiastic Hoffman but keeps on ticking, and rarely seen Lauren Black, who was billed as "Lauren Brooks" on Jesse Pearson's haunting LEGEND OF LADY BLUE. Phaedra Grant, who played the Vietnam floozy in that same film, appears as the lady with the banana lodged in her nether regions, cue an all time lesbian liaison with the sympathetic Cassidy. Of course, the movie's most notorious for two oft-deleted fist insertions, finally re-instated as easter egg extras on Arrow's recent DVD incarnation. Awesome Amber takes the first of these, perpetrated by obscure stud Rock Steadie (frequently found in group scenes in Joe Sherman's MOMENTS OF LOVE and the Las Vegas episode of Bill Milling's first ALL American GIRLS), unforgettably scored with a song appropriately titled "It Hurts" ! Even more spectacular may be Nancy's double fister – don't worry, she has got tiny hands ! – on an accommodating Eileen Wells (the female rapist from Joanna Williams' sulfurous EXPENSIVE TASTES) as part of their threesome with Paul Thomas.

This is clearly one for true fans of fornication flicks, wall to wall flesh that may cause some to overlook just how well-made the movie really is. Sets and costumes perfectly perpetuate the fantasy in a genre known for taking short cuts since. John Williams, who also shot Chinn's unjustly overlooked TELEFANTASY, contributes a color scheme suggested by the candy doled out by our titular heroines and the editing effectively keeps the pace pumping until and thankfully including its orgy finale. Nitpicking naysayers may counter that the acting's not the greatest – a few line readings may actually make you groan – but they would be missing the point by about a mile. This is just about the happiest, horniest hardcore hospital you could ever hope to find. Now, if any of these girls would like to take my pulse