GIRLY (1970, aka MUMSY, NANNY, SONNY & GIRLY) – Episode 156 – Decades of Horror 1970s

“It's elevens. Tens are for booties.” Shouldn’t that go without saying? Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, and Jeff Mohr - as they cozy up to a film director Freddie Francis calls his favorite, which was originally released as Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny & Girly (1970) in the UK, but retitled, somewhat salaciously, as Girly in the US.

Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 156 – Girly (1970)

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A wealthy, fatherless British clan kidnaps bums and hippies and forces them to participate in an elaborate role-playing game in which they are the perfect family; those who refuse or attempt escape are ritualistically murdered.

IMDb

 

• Director: Freddie Francis
• Writers: Brian Comport (screenplay); Maisie Mosco (play "Happy Family")
• Selected cast:
  • Ursula Howells as Mumsy
  • Pat Heywood as Nanny
  • Howard Trevor as Sonny
  • Vanessa Howard as Girly
  • Michael Bryant as New Friend
  • Imogen Hassall as Girlfriend
  • Michael Ripper as Zoo attendant
  • Hugh Armstrong as Friend in No. 5
  • Robert Swann as Soldier

Doc Rotten and Bill Mulligan couldn’t make it for this episode but Daphne filled in admirably, even choosing the movie to be discussed. Though Girly is a bit cringy at times, she thinks some of the kills are fun and she enjoys Vanessa Howard’s performance as Girly. Despite some eye-rolling, “oh brother” scenes, Daphne gets a strong dose of nostalgia while watching Girly. On the extreme other hand, Chad is at once bored out of his wits and angered by everything from the title down to the characters. He loves Freddie Francis but Girly does not feel like a Freddie Francis movie to him. Jeff had been looking forward to seeing Girly because of both the Freddie Francis direction and a Joseph Perry recommendation. Describing it as very strange and quirky, he enjoys Girly in a weird sort of way, and he, too, lauds Vanessa Howard’s performance

Girly is most assuredly not for everyone, but Freddie Francis’s direction and his description of it as his favorite of the movies he’s directed will make it worth watching for many. As of this writing, Girly is available to stream PPV from Amazon, but versions on physical media appear to be scarce or out-of-print.
Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1970s is part of the Decades of Horror two-week rotation with The Classic Era and the 1980s. In two weeks, the next episode in their very flexible schedule will be Flesh for Frankenstein (1973, aka Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein), chosen by Doc. The Decades of Horror Grue-Crew can’t wait to yak it up about this eclectic 70s flick!

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