Main Cast: Mickey Spillane, Shirley Eaton, Lloyd Nolan, Hy Gardner, Scott Peters
Release Year: 1963
Country: UK
Run Time: 103 minutes
Plot
Novelist Mickey Spillane portrays his own creation, Mike Hammer, in The Girl Hunters. Hammer has spent seven years in an alcoholic funk after the supposed death of his secretary, Velda. He is brought back to the land of the living by his old friendly enemy, police lieutenant Pat Chambers (Scott Peters), who wants Hammer to extract some information out of a dying federal agent. This puts Mike on the trail of a subversive communist organization, the key to which seems to be sexy Laura Knapp (Shirley Eaton), the widow of a murdered senator. When Hammer determines that following this espionage trail may lead to relocating Velda, who might not be dead after all, he pursues matters with his usual fascistic tendency to pummel first and ask questions later. The Girl Hunters is the film in which Mike Hammer incapacitates an opponent by literally nailing the latter's hands to the floor. But that's kid stuff compared to the fate in store for the treacherous Laura Knapp. The Girl Hunters was filmed in its entirety in England. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The Girl Hunters is a strange, often bizarre, film, one that some will find fascinating and others will find ludicrous, and they will both be right. What both camps are responding to is the intensity of the film, which is undeniable. Hunters is raw and in-your-face, a movie that at times seems to be taunting and daring its audience, slapping viewers in the face and saying, "You like it, don't you?" It's a film driven by an almost unrelieved combination of adrenaline and testosterone, and as such, it has little room for niceties like good acting, believable dialogue, or coherent plotting. And as for it being a detective film -- forget it. Based on the evidence presented in this film, Mike Hammer's detecting skills couldn't help him find a picture of George Washington if he were locked in the U.S. mint. It's his single-minded determination and luck -- and a ready willingness to dispense his brand of justice with a gun -- that gets Hammer through things. In the context of this movie, Mickey Spillane is an ideal choice for Hammer. He can't act, and his attempts can be excruciating; moreover, it's hard to believe that women are ready to fall into bed at the sight of this particular actor. But Spillane doesn't care; he believes that he is Hammer, and that unshakeable belief makes his performance work, despite how bad it is. Credit director Roy Rowland with knowing enough to let Spillane go his own way -- and with capturing some unforgettable moments (such as the nailing to the floor scene). While Hunters is definitely for "specialized" tastes, there's one element of the film that is unquestionably worthwhile: Kenneth Talbot's widescreen black-and-white cinematography, which is invaluable in creating atmosphere and keeping the film moving. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Guy Kingsley Poynter - Dr. Larry Snyder; Kim Tracy - Nurse; Benny Lee - Nat Drutman; Murray Kash - Richie Cole; Bill Nagy - Georgia; Clive Endersby - Duck-Duck; Richard Montez - Skinny Guy; Larry Cross - Red Markham; Tony Arpino - Cab Driver; Hal Galili - Bouncer; Michael Brennan - Police; Howard Greene - Police; Larry Taylor - The Dragon; James Dyrenforth - Bayliss Henry; Shirley Eaton - Victim's widow; Guy Kingsley; Charles Farrell - Joe Grissi
Credit
Tony Inglis - Art Director, Douglas Robinson - Choreography, Rene Coke - Costume Designer, Dan Millstein - Costume Designer, Roy Rowland - Director, Sid Stone - Editor, Philip Green - Composer (Music Score), Sydney Turner - Makeup, Kenneth Talbot - Cinematographer, Robert M. Fellows - Producer, Charles Reynolds - Producer, Mickey Spillane - Screenwriter, Robert M. Fellows - Screenwriter, Roy Rowland - Screenwriter, Mickey Spillane - Book Author
