The Female Bunch
| The Female Bunch | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Al Adamson |
| Produced by |
Raphael Nussbaum Mardi Rustam |
| Written by |
Jale Lockwood Brent Nimrod Raphael Nussbaum |
| Starring |
Russ Tamblyn Jennifer Bishop Lon Chaney Jr. Alesha Lee Geoffrey Land Regina Carrol |
| Music by | Jaime Mendoza-Nava |
| Cinematography | Paul Glickman |
| Edited by |
Serge Goncharoff Brent Nimrod |
| Distributed by | Troma Entertainment (DVD) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 86 minutes |
| Language | English |
The Female Bunch is a 1969 western film. It was directed by Al Adamson and starred Russ Tamblyn and Lon Chaney Jr. (in his final acting role in a feature film). The plot centered on a group of female criminals who cause trouble around the Mexican border. The Female Bunch was shot in the summer of 1969, at Spahn Ranch during the time that it was occupied by the Manson Family.
The film was distributed on DVD by Troma Entertainment
Plot
After a string of bad times with men, Sandy tries to kill herself. Co-waitress Libby saves her and takes her to meet some female friends of hers who live on a ranch in the desert. Grace, the leader of the gang, puts Sandy through her initiation and they get on with the real job of running drugs across the Mexican border, hassling poor farmers, taking any man they please, and generally raising a little hell. Soon Sandy becomes unsure if this is the life for her, but it may be too late to get out.
Cast
- Russ Tamblyn as Bill
- Jennifer Bishop as Grace
- Lon Chaney Jr. Monti
- Regina Carrol as Libby
- Megan Timothy
In popular culture
The film shoot at Spahn Ranch is the setting for the short story "Another Fish Story" by horror and fantasy author Kim Newman, collected in the anthology "Weird Shadows Over Innsmouth". Chaney, Tamblyn, and director Al Adamson appear as characters, as well as Charles Manson and several members of the Manson Family. In the story, which is loosely inspired by "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" by H.P. Lovecraft, a mystic drifter makes a deal with Adamson to employ the over-the-hill Chaney for a mysterious mission in the desert in exchange for promising that the Manson Family's rowdy followers will not interrupt the film's shooting schedule any further with their disruptive behavior.