![Cherry Hustlers - classic porn - 1977]()
Cherry Hustlers
Year: 1977
Director: Art Ben
Distributor: Art-Mart
Country: US
Language: English
Length: 63 min
Actress: Vanessa Del Rio, [Anal, DP, Facial] Annie Sprinkles, [Fisting] Jennifer Jordan, Cheryl White, [BJOnly, Facial, Fisting] Cami Graham, Carry Graham, Taylor Young, [BJOnly] Brooke Young, [BJOnly]
Actors: Bobby Astor, Roger Caine, Alan Marlow, (aka Robert Random)Russ Carlson, Michael Thorpe, Todd Davis, Philip De Hatte, Buddy
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While Shaun Costello is still present in a substantial leading role, the consensus seems to be that this movie was directed by his longstanding friend and DoP Art Ben (a/k/a Ron Dorfman). Anyone familiar with Ben’s ’80s output (GOOD GIRL/BAD GIRL, SEXUALLY ALTERED STATES and his overall best film FASHION FANTASIES) will soon spot his familiar failings. Contrary to Costello, who favors hot sex over just about anything else, Ben invariably goes for that real film feel with complete and often convoluted story lines, lavish production values and hefty acting assignments for people not always equipped for such, slighting the carnal component along the way. For a one hour flick, this one has an almost impossibly complex plot to wade through.
An aging accountant named Gregory Barr (Robert Random, also in Carter Stevens’ enjoyably silly ROLLERBABIES) has embezzled a sum of $ 80,000 from the company he works for, aided and abetted by lady executive Toby (talented Jennifer Jordan, so impressive as the duplicitous landlady in Roberta Findlay’s THE TIFFANY MINX), but is now starting to panic and wants out of the deal. It’s up to Toby and her friends Sally (Vanessa Del Rio with extremely plucked eyebrows) and Keith (Alan Marlow, the title character’s husband in Radley Metzger’s PRIVATE AFTERNOONS OF PAMELA MANN) to make up for the deficit by auctioning off their bodies to the highest bidder. Huh ? Well, there is rather more to the story but this is quite honestly the gist of it. Hey, I said it had plot. I didn’t say it was good. As a matter of fact, it trails off in a different direction at every turn with sex taking a back seat on most occasions. For instance, someone actually managed to cast real life twins Brooke and Taylor Young (seen to better advantage in Carter Stevens’ TEENAGE TWINS and DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE) for a group scene involving Vanessa and some unappealing male who’s supposed to be the girls’ father. This potentially sulfurous sequence is however rudely interrupted after about two minutes’ worth of action by the character of Del Rio’s jealous husband, leading to an admittedly well-acted heart to heart that unfairly has to make up for the lack of a full sex scene. Same thing for the weird psychodrama bit with Keith and his carping middle-aged wife who goes berserk when her husband jacks off on the TV screen. Bits like these might work well in addition to well-crafted carnality but hardly instead of them. Likewise, viewers trying to figure out the complex narrative might not immediately realize that an actress as appealing and, it has to be said, accomplished as Jordan doesn’t get naked until the final ten minutes or that there’s a lack of explicit coverage in her single sex scene with Costello at the end.
Not all is lost however. Every now and then Ben does let a sexual encounter play out from start to finish, the best of which being the disco tussle with Marlow and the divine Annie Sprinkle (a veritable legend in her own lifetime as star of screen, stage, written page and what not) that turns into a hot little group with the addition of Vanessa and late funny man Bobby Astyr with Del Rio supplying the sandwich action. The brightly colorful cinematography is some of the best I’ve seen on these low to no budget New York grinders and the framing device with Costello’s smitten company detective interrogating Toby aboard a sports plane in full flight over some startling scenery definitely adds a touch of class. A final ironic touch sees all this plot Ben has so carefully orchestrated jettisoned for a tired orgy finale with only Vanessa displaying the necessary verve.
