hussy

A mismatched romance that takes a dodgy turn into crime thriller territory, Hussy (1980) obviously sold itself on the performance (clothed and unclothed) of Helen Mirren who'd proven herself game for any cinematic challenge. But director Matthew Chapman's film retains an aura of '70s respectability, investing her character with a flawed, blue-collar gravitas that turns exploitation into a sort of working girl expose.

Beaty Simons (Mirren) turns tricks at a London nightclub, dreaming of a life in the country where she can leave the business behind and raise her ten-year-old son. And her relationship with Emory (John Shea), a soft-spoken widower, provides hope for just that. But Beaty finds old habits are hard to break. And when an ex-lover fresh out of prison turns up on their doorstep, things go from bad to worse for all of them.

Hussy sells sex, but it's a stealth character study at heart. Chapman's film makes sure we realize Beaty's job is anything but glamorous. The lovemaking scenes are callously unerotic, full of hairy, sweaty, overweight men. In contrast, Mirren and Shea's time spent in bed is shot with a subtle, soft-core elegance that connects them physically and emotionally. It's a classy production that's headed in an interesting, if familiar, direction until the film abruptly shifts gears to incorporate old flames, drug smuggling, and murder.

Twilight Time's 3000-copy limited edition Blu-ray has that soft, naturalistic grain common in much of the late '70s film aesthetic while still providing some great detail. Extras include the original theatrical trailer and liner notes.

By her own admission, Betty Grable didn't have the talent or looks to compete with the other female stars of the day. But numbers don't lie. And the fact the she was one of the top ten box office draws every year between 1941 and 1952 proves she had charisma to spare. So does Pin Up Girl (1944), a wartime musical comedy that draws inspiration from Grable's own famous pin up photo that kept lonely GIs company overseas.

Lorry (Grable) is a USO sensation in Missoula, engaged to hundreds of men but just for the attention. She gets that and more from a hotshot war hero, Tommy Dooley, who buys her false Broadway backstory while on a side trip to New York. Lorry winds up having to create a false identity (courtesy of a bun and reading glasses) after running into Tommy at her real job as a Washington, D.C. stenographer. Juggling her little white lies and sudden nightclub stardom, Lorry eventually has to come clean or risk losing the love of her life.

Pin Up Girl is an unapologetic good time, nothing more or less than a showcase for singing (Martha Raye belts out two high-spirited tunes), tap dancing (the look-alike Condos Brothers) and swinging big bad numbers from Charlie Spivak and his orchestra, who get primo billing on the poster. The comic misunderstandings offer just enough narrative distraction to string together 83-minutes of meet-cute plotlines and patriotic musical numbers. Through it all, Betty Grable proves that while she doesn't have the figure of Rita Hayworth or the pipes of Doris Day, she can win over any audience with her bottomless charm and infectious enthusiasm...even more than 70 years later.

Twilight Time's 3000-copy limited edition Blu-ray looks a bit more faded than their usual Fox transfer but is otherwise completely pristine. Extras include a deleted musical number, liner notes and slow-paced but informative commentary track from Richard Schickel.