Seeing Behind The Bikinis - Sex~Kitten.net

Drive-In Dream Girls is a collection of profiles on the babes that bounced their way across the teen drive-in movie screen. This includes the typical beach romps, with their girl-next-door goodliness; the mini-skirt & go-go-boot wearing mod girls of motorcycle & hot rod flicks, with all the independent spunk & attitude their clothing required; and even those strange girls to be lusted over during those classic 60's fantasy films, as heroines of spy spoof, kitschy sci-fi, and other cheesy adventure films. We're talking about the sweatermeat staples of the film fodder for teens at the drive-in movies.

But don't let the bikini-clad & mod bod beauties or their stereotypical roles fool you - these women are as interesting as the drive-in phenomenon itself.

Of the 50 women profiled, 20 of them have been interviewed by author Tom Lisanti (with a bonus of the book's foreword by Carole Wells!). Sex Kittens will love to read what the women themselves thought of their fame, films & acting, as well as to hear what they are doing now. More than sketchy biographical information & lists of acting credits, these profiles are fascinating - as in this last paragraph of the foreword by Carole Wells (of "The Lively Set" and "The House of Seven Corpses"):

"The most difficult part of living life in the "real world" is dealing with mediocrity. There is still a constant striving for perfection in every walk of life - how we look, how we uphold ourselves, how we conduct our lives, how we raise our children, even how we decorate our homes. It must drive our husbands and families crazy. But this exposure at such an impressionable young age gave us an awareness of excellence and the necessity of giving back by helping others not as fortunate as we. Striving to live at the highest level of integrity haunts us, be we continue to stand out as beacons of light encouraging others to greatness."

B-movie fans will love this fun & easy way to find more ~ move information about the women, about the films, and even listings for film & television performances that may have been missed! (I myself had never heard of Beverly Washburn's "Spider Baby", which I now must find!)

Film fans & collectors will delight in the the book's many black & white images: photos, lobby cards, movie posters, etc. Not only does this book help you remember faces, but the names as well. While you may remember that it was Shelly Fabares & Barbara Eden in 1964's "Ride the Wild Surf" you may not know who it was who posed with them and that surf board...

In Drive-In Dream Girls, you'll learn it was Susan Hart, of "The Slime People" and even "Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine." (Again, if you've never heard of any of these films, this book points out what you've been missing!)

Die-hard fans will love the insider comments - otherwise known as gossip, which even decades later, is fun! For example, Laurel Goodwin dishes on Stella Stevens (during the making of "Girls! Girls! Girls!" with Elvis) "She was very aloof to everybody, even to Elvis. I heard gossip and stories about her from wardrobe to makeup to hairdressing. They called her Madame Stella - she thought she was some great stellar star. And she really wasn't much of anything at that time."

Those who wish to indulge in nostalgia will find more than familiar images & names, they'll remember the times...

Each woman offers another layer to the stories of others and is part of the puzzle that is the culture of the 60's. For example, Laurel Goodwin's memories of her relationship with Elvis offers a unique point of view, a special look at the legend himself. It's no 'kiss and tell,' but rather the simple story of a comfortable sister/brother relationship, which is equally tender in it's brief telling. And Lori Williams tells of Russ Meyer's behavior on the set of "Faster, Pussycat! Kill!, Kill!" including Meyer's predictions about the success of the film.

These women's stories are more than just more Hollywood lore. These women, these films, they have left their imprint on our culture - for good & bad. The films themselves, now often dismissed as kitsch, are clues to our society. But perhaps more important than all of this are the individual stories - stories of young women in the 60's, and how they matured.

So even if you do not consider yourself to be a fan of B-movies, let alone those drive-in movies of the 60's, you'll find something unique here...

You'll discover these women may have been what every typical teen boy desired, often playing roles so stereotypical that your feminist side cannot look upon them - but that does not mean these women limited themselves to such shallow personal desires or roles. Read this book, and perhaps at least these babes will break out of your stereotypes.