My review was written in June 1984 after watching the film on Thorn EMI video cassette.
"Covergirl" is an uninspired, glossy Canadian tax-shelter picture, lensed in 1981 under the title "Dreamworld" and marginally released this past January by New World.in Denver and other regional daes. Purporting to show a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the glamorous world of New York modelling, pic plays in similar fashion to a tv-movie with nudity and swearing added, making it neither fish nor fowl for theatrical use.
Beautiful blonde Irena Ferris is introed here as Kit Paget, an up-and-coming fashion model who meets wiz-kid promoter T. C. Sloane (Jeff Conaway) in a traffic accident. Incident proves fateful, as Sloane gets a massive crush on her, takes over her career and quickly builds her into a world-famous model, designated the "Dreamworld Girl". Amidst numerous soap opera subplots, Sloane's empire almost crumbles as his key associate Harrison (Kenneth Welsh) stages a corporate coup to topple Sloane from power.
Under Jean-Claude Lord's direction, which emphasizes visual glitz and kitschy details, acting here is a bot arch with lead Conaway unfortunately overdoing a (perhaps unconscious) vocal impression of George Segal throuhout in his brash. Dislikeable role.
Writer-actor Charles Dennis' script suffers from gauche dialog (Cathie Shiriff at one point exclaims: "He's got a light meter where his heart's supposed to be", played straight) and fails to present a fresh point-of-view to the usual success story material. Ferris and cohorts are attractive, but wel-bdgeted opus (reportedly in the $5,000,000 range) could have benefitted from some star names.
All told, forgettable film is unlikely to register in film history alongside the Rita Hayworth musical classic "Cover Girl" or even a well-received west coast-made pono title byh that name released three years ago.
