I was a little concerned once the top-heavy narrative got started that it would cause the movie to topple over, but these concerns were nipped in the bud early on. Star Chesty Morgan definitely deserves the credit for this, as she gives a wholehearted performance as a woman entangled in the tit-for-tat world of international espionage, seeking to make the biggest bust of her career against a gang of heroin smugglers. But you can't forget the rest of the film's cast, who give Ms. Morgan all the support she needs.To its credit, Double Agent 73 boldly refuses to follow any artificial formula, instead swinging pendulously from sexploitation to spy-thriller and back again. But unfortunately, director Doris Wishman doesn't trust the audience to use their melons, feeding them every plot element at least twice so they get the points. And the plot also gets a little repetitive, as Agent 73 has to deal with one hapless boob after another.But even if you can somehow ignore Double Agent 73's other assets, it definitely has more than its share of charm, and is a real teat for genre fans.
I'm completely at a loss as to what to make of Double Agent 73. By any reasonable measure, it's a terrible movie. The screenplay (using the term loosely, since director Doris Wishman shot without sound and wrote dialogue later) is entirely nonsensical, as are the plot (My favorite example of this is the big spy boss going apoplectic because Chesty Morgan, AKA Agent Jane is missing, when she's just ... out there, like, doing exactly what he's told her to do. I think it was edited in the wrong order, or something, because she does eventually get grabbed by the bad guys, but not after much lamenting of a disappearance that hasn't happened yet.) and the editing, and the acting is terrible across the board. And yet, there's a doggedness and sincerity to it that is enormously charming. Wishman scrounged up about $12, called her cinematographer buddy and Chesty Morgan, and said "Come on, kids, let's put on a show! About a spy with enormous breasts, and an exploding camera implanted in one of them!" It's absurd it every single way, but Wishman is entirely committed, and the resulting film offers tiny, wonderful moments, as when a man gropes Jane and accidentally triggers the camera shutter in her boob, as well as eye-bleedingly spectacular 70s clothing and decor, and the occasional banger of a tune.I suspect the less straightforward Wishmans might be more to my taste (or maybe even the roughies?), but as a first encounter, this certainly made an impression.⏩ 52 Films by Women: watchlist | seen
