Common Law Cabin (1967)

Strong and Moving!

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Common Law Cabin is one of the more obscure directorial efforts from exploitation legend Russ Meyer. This was one of the ones which came from his 'soap opera' period from the late 60's, in which he made a few over-the-top melodramas. This one is set at a dilapidated tourist trap up the Colorado River run by a depressed middle-aged man, his ex-stripper helper and his sexy daughter. An alcoholic boatman rounds up three suckers to pay money to holiday in this dump, an uptight doctor, his sexually aggressive wife and an ominous stranger. Needless to say, it doesn't take long before things start to get out of hand.This one is a bit rougher round the edges than most Meyer movies, with less impressive photography and editing that we are used to seeing from him. Despite this, its unmistakably one of his movies and contains several elements common to many of his other films, such as married couples at war with one-and-other, violence, buxom women, hints of incest and all of it ultimately being played for laughs in a deadpan manner. The story is pretty lacking here it has to be said and it essentially boils down to a series of events. Like all Meyer movies, much of the success comes down to the women and in this case we have three, Babette Bardot, Adele Rein and Alaina Capri. They are all good value with Capri being the standout, although she was even better in Good Morning... and Goodbye! Which Meyer also released in the same year. It's probably worth pointing out that there isn't any actual nudity in this one, with the edits always cutting away before anything can be seen – so from an erotic standpoint this one is more about acres of cleavage and heaving bosoms. So, it's a relatively restrained affair I guess. It's certainly not in the upper bracket of the Meyer cannon but it's still an enjoyable enough romp nevertheless.

With having found auteur film maker Russ Meyer's Film Noir quartet to be a wonderfully deranged take on the genre,I decided to take my first look at what is,perhaps Meyer's most overlooked film era.The plot:Being the only family to own a cabin that is based in the middle of a huge river,recently widowed Dewey Hoople decides to take advantage of his families position,by arranging for the only near by resident who lives in the area that owns a boat (Cracker) to drop off any passers-by to the families cabin,so that Dewey can charge huge amounts for "unlucky" travellers's who have to stay at Hoople's cabin,whilst they wait for Cracker to make his return.Excited about getting asked by a husband (Dr.Martin Ross),his wife (Sheila) and a friend,(Barney Rickert-who seems to have some less then secret eyes for Shelia),to take them on a "surprise adventure",Cracker sets sail for Dewey's cabin,with a big smile on his face over the cash that they are about to make out of the unsuspecting visitors.Initially seeing dollar signs when the traveller's "actidentally" arrive,Hoople and his family soon begin to fear that the travellers's may know a lot more than they are showing,when Barney Rickert pulls out a less than clean looking pile of money from his wallet,and tells Dewey that he wants to be the cabin from the family right away.View on the film:Making his first ever non-Silent colour film,co-writer/ (along with Jack Moran)co-cinematography/co-producer/editor and directing auteur Russ Meyer uses the swamp-like setting to create a strong,warped-Soap Opera atmosphere,with Meyer hinting that Dewey may be getting a bit too close to his own daughter's,by having each of the stunning actress's circling Hoople uncomfortably close.Offsetting the Soap Opera sections of the film,Meyer also uses the brash colours to give the movie a huge "it's happening" influence,which disappointingly ends up dampening the gripping Soap Opera elements by feeling like an unnecessary add on to the film.Credited not only for the terrific tongue-twisting dialogue but also making his debut in front of the camera,Jack Moran gives a very good performance as Dewey,with Moran showing Hoople's creepy behaviour around his family,to only be equal by his chase to nab cash out of the hands of unwitting visitors.Joining Moran,Ken Swofford gives a tough,tobacco chewing performance as Barney Rickert,with Swofford slowly revealing his true motive for making a coincidence visit to the cabin.

By the time he made Common Law Cabin, Russ Meyer had already found his feet with the likes of Lorna, Mudhoney and the fantastic Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! but hadn't yet found the popularity that he would find with his hit film Vixen! a year later. This was one of Meyer's first films in colour and could be described as a sort of practise run for later films such as Up and Supervixens as it features all the playful sleaze and buxom babes of Meyer's later work but it's a shorter and more concise film. The plot is a decent enough springboard for a sex flick and focuses on a criminal who has stolen a fortune in jewellery. He stumbles on a ranch in Arizona but when his attempts to buy the ranch from its owner are knocked back, he decides instead to seduce the ladies. The film features three of Meyer's chesty vixens; Alaina Capri, Babette Bardot and Adele Rain, and all are nice to look at as you would expect from a Russ Meyer flick. As usual with Meyer; it's not deep or particularly intelligent, although I'm sure that Meyer fans will enjoy it nonetheless. I do prefer most of Meyer's later stuff to this one; but Common Law Cabin is still worth a look.

i don't know if i loved so much cause i was like 14 when i watched it bu this has got to be the funniest movie ever made. i'd never heard of Russ Meyer and i was staying in a hotel watching TV when suddenly there is some bizarre movie about a guy who wants to shag his own daughter, a corrupt cop intent on shagging everybody, a couple who at one point aren't into sex but the next are doing some dodgy s&m and some hot blonde screaming through a field with torches and jumping off a cliff into water for absolutely no reason at all. Genius!! Everybody has to watch this but watch it with an open mind and don't expect much and it'll be the best comedy you'll see ever.