Girls Are for Loving (1973)

 

Third in the Ginger trilogy: Ginger (1971), The Abductors (1972), and Girls Are for Loving (1973) all  starring Cheri Caffaro. These films are so weird - they play like a Charlie's Angels or Mod Squad episode... then suddenly you're hit with graphic nudity and bondage.  Yes, S&M is the hallmark of these films even though the scenes don't seem to fit at all within a movie that seems like it could be a boring TV movie.

We begin with a man and woman getting intimate in a winter chalet.

A trio of goons holds them at gunpoint and has them strip.

The woman is tied to a tree and shot.

Our hero Ginger McAllister (Cheri Caffaro) is getting ready.

One of her servants sneaks up behind her.  She beats the shit out of him for practice like Inspector Clouseau and Cato.

Ginger is called to headquarters and briefed on the situation.  Ronnie St. Claire (who we'll meet shortly) has learned of a US-Asia deal and is using her spy network to capitalize on the insider information.

Ginger is assigned the mission.

Criminal mastermind Ronnie St. Clair (Sheila Leighton) is lounging by the pool with a gun.

She happily shoots a man in the pool.  Cold blooded.

Ronnie and Ginger trade barbs while getting a massage at the mountain resort.

Ginger is undercover as an exotic performer.  Clay Bowers (Timothy Brown) serves as Ginger's escort and protection.  She gets ready backstage.

Ronnie uses the art of seduction on Clay.

Meanwhile, Ginger gets it on with James L. Whitney III (Scott Ellsworth). Their lovemaking is interrupted by the arrival of assassins sent by Ronnie.

Ginger and Whitney are able to fend them off.  After, Whitney criticizes Clay for being too late. (He was otherwise occupied by Ronnie.)

The trio arrive at the Virgin Islands. Another one of Ronnie's goons approaches Ginger on the beach.

Ginger fights him off topless.

Again, Clay is too late.  Whitney has also been captured.

Ronnie and Ginger stroll through town trading barbs. Half this movie is them exchanging quips.

A speedboat chase ensues.

Later, Ronnie lays out her plan and gives orders to her minions.

AS the camera pans out, we see that Ronnie is butt naked.

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Ronnie's goons attack Ginger.  This time she's too outnumbered.

She's thrown on the table and stripped.

Ronnie explains that she wants her "spread not dead".

Ginger is tied up in the bedroom, butt naked.

Ronnie has William Henderson, Jr. (Fred Vincent) work his magic on Ginger. Hang in there, Ginger.  Clay is on his way.

Clay finally arrives.  He's always late, but he gets there nonetheless.  Ginger is untied and they escape.

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Ronnie has developed yet another diabolical plan for world domination and to defeat Ginger.

Clay and Ginger attend a big party where Ronnie is also present.

Ginger attacks Ronnie and drags her to the bedroom where she strips off every stitch of clothing.

Clay and Whitney show up. Ginger says, "Now split.  And split wide. Or I'll blow a hole big enough for six guys."

[Sheila Leighton had been on all the big TV shows of the previous decade: Star Trek, The Man from UNCLE, Get Smart, Hogan's Heroes, The Beverly Hillbillies.  This was her only movie role, and her last IMDb credit other than a spot on The Odd Couple the following year.]

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Ginger has the last word: "You see, Ronnie. Girls are for loving." THE END

REVIEW: There are stretches of this movie which are so boring they are torture to get through.  The plot is so convoluted and overly complicated: US-Asian trade deals, etc. (yawn)  And yet, when it decides to let loose, this film goes hard.  The out-of-nowhere bondage shit - WTF?  Serious nudity, and sudden bursts of trashiness that take it from yawn-inducing TV "movie of the week" to the seediest grindhouse shitshow on the Deuce.  A shame this series had to end here.  Caffaro's follow up crime-erotica like Too Hot To Handle (1977) just doesn't have the same mojo.

RATING: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10