Blonde, buxom waitress Mary sneaks a money bag away from her dishonest boss. What she does afterward and what happens to the money involves a series of ironic twists and turns that fill out the narrative.
The movie's better than I expected given Haas's reputation for trash. Oh sure, Mary (Moore) never appears in anything but tight sweaters and a torpedo bra that she may even sleep in. Still, she manages to make her ambiguous character likable, despite the twists and turns. All in all, Haas has managed an interesting and ironic script, adding up to more than bosomy exploitation.
What interests me most is how the script works in moral compensations for Mary's often questionable actions. Note for example how Mary's theft of her boss's ill-gotten money is payback for his stealing her dad's money. Thus, she's not exactly a thief, since, in an expanded sense, the boss owes her that money or a similar amount. After hiding the money, she pays her debt to the law by voluntarily going to prison for several years. Thus, in a similar expanded sense, she's earned a right to keep the swag. Then when, she defensively conks Damitrof (Haas), maybe killing him, it's because he's apparently stolen the money that she has in a sense earned.
Of course, the money is tarnished no matter how many hands it's passed through or for what reason. So she abandons the money to Catholic charity, which almost wipes clean her questionable maneuvers. But not quite, since she does try to get the loot back, following a quirky turn of events. Interestingly, there's no attempt to exonerate Mary of this final questionable action. Still, I suppose one could argue that she does in fact deserve the money, so if she wants to take it back from charity, that's her right.
I know this is a rather complex morality tale. However, it looks like Haas has considered these aspects before scripting them. As a result, Mary may be morally flawed, but she's shown enough conscience to deserve a happy ending aboard a fishing boat. Just as importantly, the film industry's Production Code can permit that ending, despite her questionable deeds.
All in all, the movie's full of interesting twists. And, if some are a stretch (why trust Damitrof to dig up the money), they add up to a surprisingly thoughtful near-sleeper.
The movie's better than I expected given Haas's reputation for trash. Oh sure, Mary (Moore) never appears in anything but tight sweaters and a torpedo bra that she may even sleep in. Still, she manages to make her ambiguous character likable, despite the twists and turns. All in all, Haas has managed an interesting and ironic script, adding up to more than bosomy exploitation.
What interests me most is how the script works in moral compensations for Mary's often questionable actions. Note for example how Mary's theft of her boss's ill-gotten money is payback for his stealing her dad's money. Thus, she's not exactly a thief, since, in an expanded sense, the boss owes her that money or a similar amount. After hiding the money, she pays her debt to the law by voluntarily going to prison for several years. Thus, in a similar expanded sense, she's earned a right to keep the swag. Then when, she defensively conks Damitrof (Haas), maybe killing him, it's because he's apparently stolen the money that she has in a sense earned.
Of course, the money is tarnished no matter how many hands it's passed through or for what reason. So she abandons the money to Catholic charity, which almost wipes clean her questionable maneuvers. But not quite, since she does try to get the loot back, following a quirky turn of events. Interestingly, there's no attempt to exonerate Mary of this final questionable action. Still, I suppose one could argue that she does in fact deserve the money, so if she wants to take it back from charity, that's her right.
I know this is a rather complex morality tale. However, it looks like Haas has considered these aspects before scripting them. As a result, Mary may be morally flawed, but she's shown enough conscience to deserve a happy ending aboard a fishing boat. Just as importantly, the film industry's Production Code can permit that ending, despite her questionable deeds.
All in all, the movie's full of interesting twists. And, if some are a stretch (why trust Damitrof to dig up the money), they add up to a surprisingly thoughtful near-sleeper.