Jake Speed Reviews

Crawford and Lane had developed reputations in Hollywood for their work writing and producing VALLEY GIRL and NIGHT OF THE COMET, but here their ambitions exceed their abilities--they take on acting and directing, in addition to their usual chores. The plot is original enough: Crawford is the partner of Christopher, the author of trashy, paperback adventure novels, his distinction being that he actually lives the outlandish written adventures. When an American girl in Europe is kidnaped by white slavers led by bad guy Hurt, no one is able to help until her sister (Kopins) is approached by Crawford and Christopher, who offer to rescue the girl and chronicle it in their next book. Although the film fails at a number of levels, most acutely in never making us care much about any of the characters or their problems, it possesses a loopy charm that makes it a pleasure to watch. Crawford is a delightfully unlikely hero, but Hurt's villainous white slaver is the best thing here.