Big Bad Mama (1974)

The 1930's where America was at its worst:The Great Depression, The Dust Bowl in the Midwest. Hard times was at its worst, especially for Wilma(Angle Dickinson) and her two daughters BilliyJean(Susan Sennett) and Polly(Robbie Lee). Tired of being poor, they head out West to make a living. They come across Wilma's bootlegging lover(Noble Willingham) at a church to attend Polly's wedding which never takes place because Mama objects the man and his family. They would later find new partners in crime after Uncle Barney gets killed by the Feds. They would me etc a bank robber(Tom Skerritt) and a gambler(William Shatner) . Think they can pull it off? Of course. "Big Bad Mama" packs a lot in this movie: Laughs, drama, romance, even gunfire. No one has been left out of the fun. Billy Jean is the tough older daughter, while Polly is the very hormonally, emotional one. They did give the bank robber some lover while Wilma did the gambler. I heard that this almost got an Oscar nomination, but the silliness gave it a nod. I say, "It's good!" Silly or not, its a great movie. Great for late night viewing. 4 out of 5 stars

Although it is very campy and a little silly, the plot is fairly strong and the acting, while not Academy Award material, was still very entertaining and good. But the highlight for me was the frontal nude scenes with Susan Sennet. What a beautiful young woman and what a fantastic body! If the US economy were in half as good a shape, we'd all be millionaires! She is not only very attractive but a very capable actress and I'd like to see her in more serious parts and films. I've followed her career for many years, and she keeps on getting better and better. Again, BIG BAD MAMA may not be Oscar caliber but it is a very entertaining film and will keep your attention and interest throughout the entire film; get in on DVD today!

I was so enjoying this film. I had rented two films, both from the seventies, one a big budget comedy and then this low budget Corman show. I hated the big budget and loved this one, until the political demon started barking up the plot's far-left sleeve. The heart on the sleeve, that is. I mean, we all enjoy watching films when the rich are being taken from, and the poor get to steal it. That's the basis of all crime movies and why we like them; and why we root for the bad guys so much. But this movie actually mentions such things, and they are mentioned by the "filthy rich", and you can tell when certain lines are uttered, they're in it for a reason other than dialog/conversation. In one scene a rich guy at a party mentions about how bad taxes are because they "tax the rich" (as if the rich are the only ones taxed), in another a guy gives a speech about how bad socialism is: both characters are filthy disgusting villainous types and are made to look stupid. And in the end, or towards the end of the film, a rich girl with an inheritance is kidnapped by the main characters who'd been having a blast robbing banks before, and from that point the movie goes from a fun romp into a mean spirited film with social envy written all over it. Oh well. For an hour I had fun. Till it all started getting see-through. And then, I saw through. As usual. Pity too. I love watching movies. I just wish they'd all keep their agenda to themselves or else better obscured so that we can all enjoy ourselves, not just those in the blue states.

Not too bad if you come into it without unrealistic expectations. It being a Roger Corman production should be a pretty big clue. The film doesn't take itself too seriously, and neither should you. In fact, it edges up toward camp, but backs away. Bill Shatner was, well, Bill Shatner. Angie Dickinson seemed to a little bit amused about the material throughout. She was gorgeous, though, and this film contains her best nude scenes. (I found it interesting that she made no attempt to bleach or otherwise disguise her dark pubic hair. Apparently a bottle blonde. Eye candy, nonetheless.) Sally Kirkland contributes one, too, as do the actresses (previously unknown to me) who play the daughters. One of these, Susan Sennett, was also very lovely. It was too bad she did not continue her acting career. According to IMDb, she married Graham Nash, and hasn't been seen much since.