By the early 1970’s, Hollywood was in a transition period. A new generation of filmmakers were eager to make their mark. Among them was French provocateur Roger Vadim, fresh off the success of camp fest Barbarella, starring his then-wife, Jane Fonda. Given his prevalence toward onscreen nudity, Vadim was tapped to direct Pretty Maids All in a Row, based on the 1968 novel by Francis Pollini, Gene Roddenberry (of Star Trek fame), was brought in to rewrite the script by William Hanley (Something About Amelia), and produced the film.

With a cast that had Telly Savalas, Angie Dickinson, Keenan Wynn, James Doohan, and Roddy McDowall—not to mention a dozen or so of Hollywood’s hottest starlets, MGM hoped for a hip, stylish, and sexy and thriller. Instead, what they got was an uneven high school sex comedy with few laughs. However, if female nudity is your thing, Pretty Maids All in a Row offers up plenty of that. Released in 1971, the film was a box office failure but has since become a cult classic.

The story centers around virile Oceanfront High School guidance counselor and football coach Michael “Tiger” McDrew (Rock Hudson) who is happy to fulfill the desires of the female students. When they start turning up dead in various places on campus, a suspicious policeman, Captain Sam Surcher (Telly Savalas) starts asking a lot of questions. Meanwhile, seventeen-year-old Ponce de Leon Harper (John David Carson) is suffering from serious sexual frustration. He develops a serious crush on substitute teacher Miss Smith (Angie Dickinson), a caring woman with the body of a Playboy centerfold. McDrew convinces Miss Smith to “educate” Ponce and boost his confidence.

The mystery around the deaths is hardly the point, as the film pretty much reveals what’s happening in the first ten minutes. Instead, the killings serve as an excuse for the school principal Mr. Proffer (Roddy McDowall) to fret and avoid doing anything about it all. What could have been an interesting character study on sexuality of early 1970’s teenagers is muddled. The problem is Gene Roddenberry’s script. In what would be his only feature film writing credit, his inexperience shows. Given his science fiction expertise, a sex comedy wasn’t his cup of tea. The decision to tap Roger Vadim to direct his first American movie was ill-advised. He leans into the sex but abandons any social commentary.

Warner Archive has delivered another solid 1080p transfer. Presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, this master is derived from a 4K scan of the original camera negative. The image is clean throughout, highlighting the early 1970’s set design. A nice level of grain is presented, and the naked breasts look natural. Colors are vivid when necessary, and Blacks are appropriately inky. Details are pleasing. There are no digital anomalies present.

The DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio track offers a pleasant listening experience. Lalo Schifrin’s score is spread well throughout the soundfield. Dialogue is clean, clear, and concise.

English subtitles are available.

The following extras are included:

• Theatrical Trailer