The Doll Squad

The Doll Squad is a 1973 low-budget Z-grade action film by Feature-Faire that was later re-released under the title Seduce and Destroy.[1] Directed, edited, co-written and co-produced by Ted V. Mikels, it features Francine York, Michael Ansara, John Carter, Anthony Eisley, Leigh Christian and Tura Satana.[2][3] Mikels claimed he filmed it for a total cost of $256,000.

For the rock group, see Doll Squad.
The Doll Squad
Original film poster
Directed byTed V. Mikels
Screenplay byJack Richesin
Pam Eddy
Ted V. Mikels
Produced byTed V. Mikels
Paul Burkett
StarringMichael Ansara
Francine York
Anthony Eisley
John Carter
Tura Satana
CinematographyAnthony Salinas
Edited byTed V. Mikels
Music byNicholas Carras
Distributed byFeature-Faire Productions
Release date
  • September 19, 1973 (1973-09-19)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

CIA operative Connolly assigns Sabrina, the leader of a group of five shapely female operatives individually selected by a computer. Code named the Doll Squad, they thwart the efforts of a madman who formerly worked alongside Sabrina as a fellow CIA agent who has become an entrepreneur to overthrow world governments. His plan is to release rats infected with bubonic plague.[4]

Cast

Production

Mikels said the script was brought to him by Pam Eddy and Jack Richesin: "It was three kind of naughty girls of the night getting together to take vengeance against somebody that did something to them. It evolved deeper and deeper, I did two or three re-writes on it, and finally the wife of Joseph Robertson did the final draft". Mikels said that Mary Martin and Sissy Spacek came in for parts but the roles had already been cast: "I'm very pleased with everybody I had in it though. That turned out to be a forerunner of female power films".[5]

Time Inc. contributor Ed White notes that the visuals for the action sequences near the end of the film are unusually dark. This part of the film was shot in a single night. The multiple submachine guns used by the actresses in this sequence were really a single weapon that was on temporarily loan to the director.[6]

Reception

DVD reviewer and Rolling Stone contributor Doug Pratt called it "an enjoyable action romp". He adds, "the girls kick some serious butt and they look terrific in their hot black jumpsuits. Who can resist?"[7] Film critic Michael Adams said the film is "so slow in parts I think it should be called The Dull Squad", but "it picks up at the end". He rated it a solid 37/100.[8] Nonetheless, it has become something of a cult film for fans of actress Francine York.[9]

Influence

This film may have been the inspiration for the Charlie's Angels television series.[4] Aaron Spelling, who later produced the television series, and at the time was executive producer of Mod Squad, was invited to the premiere of this film,[10] and the lead member of the squad was named Sabrina, just as in Charlie's Angels.[9] Quentin Tarantino said the women in the film have a similar look to his Deadly Viper Assassination Squad in his film Kill Bill.[11]

See also

References
  1. Tucker, Ed (2004), "The Ted V. Mikels Interview", Crazed Fanboy Presents..., retrieved 2011-10-22
  2. Beldin, Fred. "The Doll Squad (1973)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 2013-02-08. Retrieved 2011-03-09.
  3. Staff (2004). The Scarecrow Movie Guide. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. p. 385. ISBN 1-57061-415-6.
  4. Lisanti, Tom; Paul, Louis (2002). Film fatales: women in espionage films and television, 1962-1973. McFarland. p. 316. ISBN 0-7864-1194-5.
  5. Ashmun, Dale (2000). "Ted V Mikels". Psychotronic Video. No. 32. p. 43.
  6. White, Ed (November 10, 2000), Astro Zombies and Corpse Grinders, Time Inc., archived from the original on December 16, 2003, retrieved 2011-08-23
  7. Pratt, Douglas (2004), Doug Pratt's DVD: Movies, Television, Music, Art, Adult, and More!, vol. 1, UNET 2 Corporation, pp. 350–351, ISBN 1-932916-00-8
  8. Adams, Michael (2010). Showgirls, Teen Wolves, and Astro Zombies: A Film Critic's Year-Long Quest to Find the Worst Movie Ever Made. HarperCollins. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-06-180629-2.
  9. Lisanti, Tom (2001). Fantasy femmes of sixties cinema: interviews with 20 actresses from biker, beach, and Elvis movies. McFarland. p. 103. ISBN 0-7864-0868-5.
  10. Paul, Louis (2007). Tales from the cult film trenches: interviews with 36 actors from horror, science fiction and exploitation cinema. McFarland. p. 203. ISBN 978-0-7864-2994-3.
  11. Machiyama, Tomohiro (August 28, 2003), "Quentin Tarantino reveals almost everything that inspired Kill Bill in... The Japattack Interview", Film, The Jap Attack, archived from the original on September 16, 2011, retrieved 2011-10-22
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