Night Call Nurses

The third entry in Roger Cormans' "nurse" series marked the feature directing debut for Jonathan Kaplan, who went on to make such diverse fare as "Truck Turner", "Over the Edge", "Heart Like a Wheel", "The Accused", and "Unlawful Entry". With a script by George Armitage (who'd directed the previous nurse flick, "Private Duty Nurses"), it gives each of its three extremely comely gals their own story thread. Among other things, the gals get stalked / harassed by a creep who sends them letters, one has her consciousness raised by a new acquaintance (a black revolutionary), and another gets involved with a likable, talkative speed freak cowboy truck driver.

There are some enjoyable bits throughout, if no real fireworks, but Kaplan knows full well what fans of exploitation fare want, and he delivers it - over and over again, with various scenes of delectable nudity. Naturally, the leading ladies are appealing and oh so easy to admire: the sweet Barbara (Patty Byrne), the serious-minded Sandra (Mittie Lawrence), and the upbeat Janis (Alana Stewart). A fine cast of familiar faces is a true pleasure: Clint Kimbrough is the arrogant Dr. Bramlett, Felton Perry is the impassioned Jude, Richard Young is Kyle (the aforementioned truck driver), Dennis Dugan is cheerful orderly Kit, Stack Pierce is convict Jon Sampson, and the *always* welcome, and *always* funny, Dick Miller makes the most of his brief screen time as horny motorist Mr. Jensen.

Armitages' script is often funny and occasionally weird (what *is* with that sequence of people pretending to be a machine?), and injects the kind of social & political commentary that was sometimes to be found in these Corman productions. Offbeat characters such as amiable compulsive flasher Bathrobe Benny (Martin Ashe) and sleazy pharmaceuticals peddler E. Eddie Edwards (Robert Staats) add to the fun. R. Michael Stringer does the slick cinematography and there's a good 'n' groovy rock soundtrack to help things move along well.

Overall, this is worth watching for trash film enthusiasts.

Seven out of 10.

Night Call Nurses, which follows the travails of three young ladies (as director Jonathan Kaplan says on the Shout factory DVD, it was told he had to have three girls), one involved in a rather salacious story (the girl who is tricked mentally to snap), one just involved with an amiable redneck-speed freak, and another (the black girl) with a political story as she tries to help get a guy who is on suicide watch out of the hospital, is a lot better and more fun than it has any right to be.

Kaplan, very early in his career (and recommended by Scorsese to Corman), brought a lot to the table as a director - he tries a lot of things, not least of which having that speed freak guy having a meltdown early on (how he meets the nurse he's hooked up with) via an LSD trip where he keeps seeing mad things on the road, and overall this has a breezy, free-wheeling and shaggy feel. Not to mention this has some actually decent dramatic bits (or at least it tries, and it doesn't feel unearned), gleefully stupid twists (one of them involves, no joke, the guy who would eventually direct numerous Happy Madison productions, Dennis Dugan), and a climax that really decides to go all out on the fifteen cents they were able to throw at the thing. The girls are also good actors, or at least they *try* more than in Candy Striped Nurses, which came out two years later.

Don't expect art; this is a joyful, sexy romp with a few wtf moments, and of course that guy Dick Miller!

Sure, "Night Call Nurses" is essentially a relic of the typical product thrust upon drive-in theatres in the 1970s. There isn't much of a plot, just a whole lot of nonsense about three nurses and their exploits. There is a lot of nudity, a little humor, some slasher-film elements and a truck driver who does psychedelic drugs. Pretty ridiculous stuff overall, but not without some amusing parts. (I was scratching my head, however, with the "human machine" segment; it was interesting yet pointless).

"Night Call Nurses" was merely one entry in the New World Films "Nurses" cycle which included "Candy Stripe Nurses" and the original "Student Nurses." While those films had a more coherent plot than this one, it is difficult to criticize this one for being so episodic and meandering because the film delivers what it promises: nude women. There are plenty here, no complaints in that category.

And George Armitage, who went on to make the cult classic "Miami Blues," infused some wit and social commentary into the script which are also present in his own foray as writer-director into the "Nurses" cycle, "Private Duty Nurses."

The music is all pseudo-rock and gutter-guitar blues.

Overall, "Night Call Nurses" is a mindless time-waster, but as far as time-wasting goes you could do far worse.

If there was ever any proof that Roger Corman's New World Pictures would produce anything to make a buck, Night Call Nurses is it. Although, how this made money is beyond my comprehension (it is common knowledge that Corman never lost money with any films he produced). But then again, I assume this would have been predominantly show at drive-ins, and how many spectators would actually be watching the film? Anyway, the film begins with a topless girl jumping from the roof of a hospital, and then is never mentioned again, as we are introduced to our trio of "sexy" psychiatric nurses, Barbara (Patty Byrne), Janis (Alana Stewart), and Sandra (Mittie Lawrence).

The film is simply a series of non-sequential, rambling, unconnected stories (and story is too strong a word for the concept). We see a cowboy-style trucker, Kit (Dennis Dugan), who comes in cause he is tripping, starring at his hands (this scene is repeated later, as he enters a lighting fantasy in a truck cab, as he stars at his mirrored hands). Bathrode Benny (Martin Ashe) exposes himself at regular intervals, and the nurses break several doctor/patient restrictions by have relationships with patients (Janis with the tripping trucker, and Sandra with a black revolutionary that wasn't pleasant when they first met).

Barbara however, bizarrely gets therapy, but is then forced into psychosis, which manifests itself in a group meeting, where a bunch of clichéd hippie-types sitting round a living room, as the male doctor encourages the women in the group to take their clothes off, in a bid to shake off any lack of confidence - it's this side of the sexual revolution that is rarely talked about, the lecherous side of men. There are also a series of car chases, explosions and smuggling out a revolutionary, but it's all just very silly and pointless. Kit does however, have one great (but very silly) piece of dialogue. Being seen out of the hospital by Janis, he reads her name badge: "Janis. Is that your name, or the name of your left titty?" Yeah, it's juvenile, but within the context of this pointless drama, it is a joy amongst the nonsense.

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You have 3 friends who work at a psych ward in a hospital. One deals with a trucker who has a trip out, one who wants to help out a revolutionary, and one who gets to be a guinea pig. They have a close bond working in the hospital. Each one that have a dream of their own. No one says no to what needs to be done. They work without a strife. Lots of sexual encounters and the energy is played out in the film. It's like a skin flick, with a little bit of eroticism. Just tame. A classic for the collection. 2.5 out of 5 stars