- For the episode, see MST3K 1002 - Girl in Gold Boots.
Girl in Gold Boots is a 1968 romance/crime drama/musical film directed by Ted V. Mikels and written by Leighton J. Peatman, Art Names, and John T. Wilson.
Plot[]
A young woman named Michele works at a run-down diner with her abusive father, but she dreams of being a dancer. A customer at the diner named Buz convinces her to go with him to Los Angeles, where he claims to have connections that can land her a job as a Go-Go dancer. The two head to California, joined by an erudite hitchhiker called "Critter".
Once in Los Angeles, Michele gets hired as a dancer in a nightclub where Buz's older sister Joanie promises to help her. Critter gets hired as a janitor at the nightclub as well, and his presence irks Buz. Critter manages to interest the house band in some songs that he has written.
Michele and Critter soon learn that the nightclub's management has connections to the illicit drug trade and that Joanie is an addict. Joanie suffers a breakdown and Michele is offered her place as lead dancer. Buz is recruited into a plot to steal confiscated drugs from a local jail, and Critter tries to convince Michele to go away with him. Critter reluctantly reveals to Michele that he is draft dodger, but he finally decides to defy Buz and the criminals and turns them over to the police.
Critter and Michele leave to start a new life, with Critter fulfilling his obligation to the military.
Cast[]
- Jody Daniels as Finley "Critter" Jones
- Leslie McRae as Michele Casey
- Tom Pace as Buz Nichols
- Mark Herron as Leo McCabe
- Bara Byrnes as Joanie Nichols
- William Bagdad as Marty
- Victor Izay as Mr. Nichols
- James Victor as Joey
- Harry Lovejoy as Harry Blatz
Notes[]
Girl in Gold Boots
- The film is infamous for its shoddy editing. A notable edit was made during a scene where one of the characters appears out of nowhere on a couch. This was likely a piece of missing film from the print Best Brains had on hand. Other prints of the movie do not contain this jump cut.
- While most widescreen films of the era would matte the top and bottom of a standard frame and open the matte for broadcast on television, Girl in Gold Boots was shot with the entire section to be matted at the top of the frame, leaving an unusual amount of empty space above the actors' heads.
- The bass player in the LA club backing band is highly-regarded guitarist Donald "Duck" Dunn. His hands are prominently featured during the seven note riff in Critter's song, "Do You Want to Laugh Or Cry."
- Preston Epps, the manic bongo player in the house party scene, had a moderately-successful music career in the late 1950s and early '60s. His best selling single was "Bongo Rock".
- Actress Bara Byrnes (Joanie) has since gone to speak and write about her negative experiences in Hollywood during the 60s and 70s and was the subject of a short documentary film entitled A Bittersweet Tale of a Hollywood Failure.
- Co-writer Art Names had a long career as a sound technician for films and television. His credits include the cult film Midnight Madness (featuring a young Michael J. Fox and Paul Reubens) and one installment of Elvira's home video series that was also entitled "Midnight Madness" (specifically, the presentation of The Giant Gila Monster).
- The nightclub called The Haunted House was a real nightclub in Los Angeles, located at the famous corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Vine St. It was also featured in the 1967 film It's a Bikini World and a TV special in which it was visited by Sonny & Cher.
MST3K Connections[]
- Director and producer Ted V. Mikels was cinematographer for Catalina Caper and Agent for H.A.R.M..
- Rafael Campos (unspecified role) also portrayed Luis in Agent for H.A.R.M..
- Bara Byrnes also portrayed Dolores in Girls Town.
- Sound recordist Sam Kopetzky was also recording engineer for Eegah and sound mixer for The Sinister Urge.
- Harmonica player Tommy Morgan also played harmonica music in Agent for H.A.R.M.