Quite possibly the most laugh out loud porn comedy ever made, running a close second to Radley Metzger's THE OPENING OF MISTY BEETHOVEN and this only because most of the sex isn't particularly stimulating (at least not in the, ahem, "traditional" sense as that aspect too provides ample fodder for your funny bone) nor was intended that way. It was the crowning achievement for the New England bred Amero brothers, two gay siblings whose cinematic credentials stretch all the way back to '60s sexploitation (BODY OF A FEMALE, THE LUSTING HOURS) before branching out into their own unique brand of hardcore with 1970's avant-garde oddity BACCHANALE and the flamboyantly funny DYNAMITE and EVERY INCH A LADY, both of which already extensively showcased their queer sensibilities. Still, nothing could prepare predominantly straight adult audiences for BLONDE AMBITION, a brazenly poof spoof of classic Hollywood musicals with big production numbers (well, as big as its reportedly $30,000 budget would allow anyway) alternating with intimate interludes that left little to the imagination.
The witty screenplay by Larue Watts, an Amero acolyte with a legit Broadway background, liberally borrows from GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES as it chronicles the rise to fame and fortune of the Kane sisters, arguably one of the worst vaudeville acts ever inflicted upon a paying audience (one taps while the other diligently plays the tuba), from their humble beginnings in Coyote Fang, Wyoming, right up to their becoming the toast of the Great White Way. Once the show's over, encores not being much of an option, dizzy Sugar (British soft-core siren Suzy Mandel) rushes off to the stable which doubles as their dressing room for a romp with her slow-witted cowpoke beau Luke (an early appearance by David Morris whose assurance as an actor would increase considerably over years to come) while level-headed Candy ("Dory Devon", actually a "proper" NY stage performer who would use a different name on each adult project she participated in, most notable among which Sam Weston's CONFESSIONS OF A WOMAN and ORIENTAL BABY SITTER) desperately tries to figure out a way for them to get out of this dump.
As luck would have it, aristocratic Stephen Carlisle III (Eric Edwards) and his faithful manservant Eric (Robert Kerman) just happened to be celebrating their good fortune at the bar after recovering the priceless Buckingham broach thrown down a mineshaft several generations ago. Taken with the Kane combo's ample attractions, they invite them over for drinks and small talk which concludes with the altogether startling revelation that Sugar possesses a dime store replica of the gem. As an aborted barroom brawl breaks out, naturally the two artifacts are unwittingly exchanged. While Stephen jets off to London to reunite his beloved aunt Sybil (a scene-stealing turn by the incomparable Molly Malone) with the family heirloom, the sisters have the run of his New York apartment as they attempt to secure employment.
Acquiring notoriety of sorts as apparently inseparable loop ladies, invariably teamed up with the comically vain Max (the late Wade Nichols, showing seldom explored comic talents), they get their big break as stars of a priceless GONE WITH THE WIND porn remake as Southern Belles (toothsome Victoria Corsaut from Chuck Vincent's VISIONS among them) are duly ravished by Confederate soldiers to the barked orders of their swishy director, a rare yet highly effective non-sex performance from the recently deceased, much-missed Jamie Gillis. Watch for blink-or-miss stud appearances by the likes of Peter Andrews and Pepe Valentine (incidentally, the featured star's banana cream pie combo from INSIDE JENNIFER WELLES) as well as future Pussyman David Christopher during this particularly accomplished sequence.
Intrigue abounds as Sugar loans drag queen neighbor Bill (acid-tongued character actor Kurt Mann's standout screen work) the broach, blissfully unaware of its value, for a fag bar fund-raiser at a dive all too aptly called The Pitts. Informed by an irate Lady Sybil, who caught the Concorde across the pond with her nephew in tow, Candy and Sugar end up posing as transvestites to gain access to the men only club although an overly enthusiastic striptease quickly blows their cover. A mass riot involving most main characters ensues with the lot of them winding up behind bars as a slew of last minute revelations assure the Kanes of their destiny the opening scene hinted at.
Way more fun than the proverbial barrel of monkeys with consistently side-splitting one liners exceptionally well-delivered by the two appealing actresses. The initial plan was to cast two Brits in the parts, with Heather Deeley (from Derek Ford's amazing DIVERSIONS) bowing out at the last minute because of boyfriend problems, but Devon proved a real bargain and essays a mighty convincing Blighty accent to boot. Mandel's cooperation could only be secured under the agreement that she wasn't to perform any actual hardcore so a (fairly obvious) body double was employed to fill the position as it were. As stated earlier, sex isn't really the deciding factor as to the film's greatness anyway, Devon's double exposure fantasy shower solo (not the work of Roberta Findlay, who shot the bulk of the movie, but rather Larry Revene who supplied most of the explicit insert footage after the fact) about as close to genuine eroticism the action ever gets. On DVD, the only way to go is the resplendently restored 2 disc "Platinum Elite Collector's Edition" from Video-X-Pix which contains both hard and soft versions along with the original theatrical trailer and two separate commentary tracks by John Amero (Lem died from AIDS in 1989) and Jamie Gillis as well as a "video tribute" to the latter which amounts to little more than a shameless plug for the company's admittedly impressive back catalog.
