You Look Fabulous

I finally got around to seeing the cult film Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains. I'd had chances to see it on the long-lamented Night Flight show years before, but always just missed it.

The movie, shot in 1980, tried to take advantage of the punk movement, and since everyone hated punk, it failed. The story is about some teenage girls who run away and start a rock band that becomes a quick hit before crashing in flames. It's a surprisingly dour film--or maybe not so dour, considering the subject.

Though low-budget, a lot of talented people worked on it, in front of and behind the camera. (It's directed by Lou Adler, who'd produced The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which flopped upon release and went on to make over $100 million.)

I was going to describe it, but then I discovered a short documentary on its making at YouTube which does it a lot better than I could.





PS The girls have a "skunk" hairstyle and are referred to as a "white stripe." Were the White Stripes inspired by this film?

PPS In the comments section on the IMDb, here's an interesting on-the-scenes report:

I was a student in high school when the film crew and actors/actresses came to Vancouver, British Columbia Canada to film this movie.

They had a radio contest at the local radio station called 14 CFUN and they wanted people to come down to the radion station to sign up to be "extras" in the movie. I had never done this before, but took a chance and was selected. I was to play a "skunk".

We filmed down at the exhibition grounds of the P.N.E. {Pacific National Exhibition}.

I missed 3 days of school to do this movie and had the time of my life! Actually, it was even more fun when I found a friend of mine was also picked as an extra.

I remember meeting and getting the autographs of the Sex Pistols and Clash members who were there. I actually didn't even know that there were other "stars" in this movie until I had found this website and saw the cast list.

I also remember eating way too much "White Spot" {burgers and fries}. It seemed like that is all they fed us. I had been "called back" for a 3rd day of the shoot because they had chosen me for some "close-up shots".....much to my surprise.

I remember the costume and the makeup that we wore as "skunks". We all wore see-through red blouses with very high pumps on our feet. The makeup was kind of "skanky" and the big white stripe that they put down the middle of your hair. I can barely remember what we looked like.

I signed a contract with Paramount Pictures when the movie was still called "All Washed Up". I never did see it. Actually, when I was in Waikiki, Hawaii a couple of years later, we had been watching "sumo wrestling" on one of their channels and had fallen asleep. When I woke up, the credits to this movie were scrolling by!!!!!

I was soooooo upset about it, because I had never even seen the movie.

I have still yet to find this movie and would like very much to attain a copy of it on DVD.