Chatterbox (1977 film)
| Chatterbox | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Tom DeSimone |
| Screenplay by | Mark Rosin Norman Yonemoto |
| Story by | Tom DeSimone |
| Produced by | Bruce Cohn Curtis |
| Starring | Candice Rialson Larry Gelman Jane Kean Arlene Martel Irwin Corey Rip Taylor Sandra Gould |
| Cinematography | Tak Fujimoto |
| Edited by | William Marlin |
| Music by | Fred Karger |
Production company | Lips Productions |
| Distributed by | American International Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 72 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Chatterbox (also known as Virginia the Talking Vagina) is a 1977 comedy film[1] about a woman with a talking vagina. The movie stars Candice Rialson as Penelope, a hairdresser who discovers her vagina has the power of speech after it derisively comments on a lover's performance. Penelope's talking vagina has a mind of its own, which includes a desire to sing. Penelope and her talking vagina wind up exploited by her psychiatrist (Larry Gelman), who launches her on a career in show business.
According to Michael Medved in The Golden Turkey Awards, Penelope's talking vagina precipitates many developments in her life:
Escapades include a sojourn in jail with a basketball team and sessions with a psychiatrist to help Virginia overcome her (its?) emotional problems. With her self-confidence restored, she makes several hit appearances on TV talkshows; the theory, apparently, is that Virginia makes an even more interesting late-night guest than Truman Capote.[2]
Plot
Penelope, a young hairdresser, discovers her vagina can talk when it criticizes a lover's performance, who leaves in a huff. At the salon where she works, her talking vagina insults a lesbian client, which leads to her being fired. Penelope goes to a psychiatrist, Dr. Pearl, where she reveals her "problem". In the psychiatrist's office, her vagina reveals a new talent, singing. It has a propensity for singing show tunes. Dr. Pearl reveals her secret to friends of his in show business. At a meeting of the American Medical Association, Penelope and her talking vagina, now called "Virginia", are revealed to the public for the first time. Virginia regales the assembled physician with show tunes. Dr. Pearl becomes her agent, and over Penelope's objections, launches Penelope and Virginia on an entertainment career. At a show emceed by Professor Irwin Corey, Virginia sings in public for the first time, becoming a star after crooning a disco tune. Virginia increasingly becomes the tail that wags the dog, with Penelope becoming increasingly unhappy as "they" become a successful act on a cross-country tour.[3] Despite her new success, Penelope decides to kill herself until she sees the lover from the start of the movie and discovers that he has a talking penis.
Cast
- Candice Rialson - Penelope
- Larry Gelman - Dr. Pearl
- Jane Kean - Eleanor Pittman
- Arlene Martel - Marlene
- Rip Taylor - Mr. Jo
- Irwin Corey - Himself
- Sandra Gould - Mrs. Bugatowski
Critical Reception
Chatterbox was poorly received by audiences.
The Los Angeles Times said "the film's vulgar premise smacks of smirking adolescents, it's crude one liners, full of foul language that unsuccessfully try to stretch to into a full-length movie... the movie is a male masturbatory fantasy."[4]
References
- ^ "Chatter Box". The New York Times.
- ^ "Chatterbox (1976)". SciFiFans. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^ Shumate, Nathan. "Chatterbox (1977)". Cold Fusion Video Reviews. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^ MOVIE REVIEW: Chatter-Box Fit for Locker Room Gross, Linda. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 21 Nov 1977: g12.
External links
- * Chatterbox at IMDb