Saturday, November 3, 2007

No. 29 - Sheba, Baby

No 70's list is complete without a Pam Grier film. She was the foremost female star to emerge from the blaxploitation movement, and she is still a busy actress.

Back in the day, nobody could kick butt like Pam. She was a beautiful as a fashion model, and as deadly as Dirty Harry. She could seduce a man and use a gun without blinking

Sheba, Baby finds Pam playing a cool Chicago private eye who heads down to Louisville, where toughs (led by that bad D'Urville Martin of Dolemite fame) threaten her dad's loan company. Needless to say, Pam gets to play her lethal game, in between the wardrobe changes.

According to some accounts, director William Girlder pitched this movie to American International, and they gave him the green light. There was just one slight problem -- there was no script. So, Girdler and another writer churned out a script literally overnight.

Girdler went on to direct the 70's cult classics Grizzly (a Jaws knock-off) and The Manitou. Tragically, Girdler died in a helicopter accident while scouting locations.

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