The Young Like It Hot

A belated entry from Caribbean Films and their former Playboy Playmate producer Gail Palmer, also this film's nominal screenwriter along with uncredited input from Bud and Hyapatia Lee and the late great Jim Holliday, THE YOUNG LIKE IT HOT bears comparison with director Bob Chinn's other forays into frantic fornication farce like his classic CANDY STRIPERS and the under-appreciated TELEFANTASY. Ever the deft dirty movie raconteur, on a par with the equally taken for granted Gary Graver a/k/a "Robert McCallum", Chinn's recipe for limitless lust proves refreshingly simple. Take a single, stereotypical professional setting (hospital or TV station respectively) and turn loose a large, hormonally charged superstar cast within.

For THE YOUNG, Chinn relocated to a phone company whose roster of operators – all gorgeous ladies, save for "token male" David, played by the star's husband and future filmmaker Bud Lee – are deeply worried about corporate plans to replace them with computers. The answer, of course, is to supply services that no computer could ever match and have satisfied customers contact management (personified by dense Mr. Fishbait, engagingly portrayed by dependable Eric Edwards) to pass on the good news and thereby save the protagonists' jobs. Night operator Linda Shaw, briefly spotted on a TV screen in Brian De Palma's magnificent BODY DOUBLE, gets the ball rolling with an under the credits desktop tumble with Herschel Savage before we move on to the story "proper".

In her awesome adult film debut (though Edwin Durell's subsequent NAUGHTY GIRLS NEED LOVE TOO beat it to the punch at theaters), Hyapatia Lee scorches the screen as sympathetic supervisor Loni who's never above lending a hand or more to a friend in need. Edwards eagerly pops her screen cherry, she performs a heartfelt hummer on husband Bud and has lesbian liaisons with both spinster virgin (?!) Lilli Marlene and Southern amazon Rose Linda Kimball. If internet adult film journalist Luke Ford is to be believed, Lee faked her own death from diabetes to further milk loyal longtime fans for contributions to a trust fund from which remaining family members were to benefit while conflicting sources claim it was a desperate effort to finally close the door on a "scandalous" past she no longer wanted any part of. Either way, it provided an unworthy coda to one of the industry's most distinguished careers.

While all the sex is undeniably enthusiastic and hot, most erotic scene might just be class act Kay Parker's Cheryl soothingly guiding luscious Laurie Smith and Paul Thomas through a deep throating session with some really strong competition coming from seasoned Pat Manning (the memorably haughty British Lady from Tim McDonald's LUST ON THE ORIENT X-PRESS) all but devouring telephone repair guy Mike Horner. Still billed as "Callie Aimes" at the start of a shooting star career, the late Shauna Grant unwillingly becomes part of a totally charming running gag as she keeps dispensing disastrous building advice to bumbling home improvement aficionado Joey Silvera who finally shows up for some in person follow-up at the company. Their resultant tryst shows special chemistry and, as far as I'm concerned, makes for a much sweeter encounter than their more celebrated clinch in Graver's SUZIE SUPERSTAR.

Longtime stud "Radio" Ray Wells, minus the trademark whiskers, plays Fishbait's randy sibling Jim who has the hots for the maternal Parker and fly by night starlet Sharon Mills (also in Bob Vosse's YOUNG GIRLS DO) is the girl in the kitchen counter solo. Industry icon William Margold has a funny bit as obscene phone caller "Big Dick".

Veteran DoP and occasional filmmaker Jack Remy supplied the handsome photography for this hugely enjoyable carnal comedy whose appeal was best encapsulated by Hustler critic Lonn M. Friend who described as "the kind of adult movie no one cares to make anymore, but a lot of people still want to see". This goes double a quarter of a century further down the line, when they really don't make 'em like they used to. Surely, I can't be the only old duffer still pining for the enticing innocence and amazing resourcefulness these unassuming fantasy flicks of yore displayed so eloquently.