Ms. Collins is a survivor and has nearly always been willing to do whatever it took to hold on to some kind of career in acting, even though at the start she lacked the ambition to really push for success. After a period as a contract player for 20th Century Fox (often in roles that Marilyn Monroe rejected), Collins took some time to concentrate on marriage and children (a few of each, actually!) When she was ready to work steadily again, she found herself considered a relic of the 50's and wound up some really lame cinematic and television fare (and the occasional decent project.) She was close to the bottom when her husband at the time produced and she agreed to star in this film, a steamy, tawdry, silly film based on her sister Jackie's novel. She plays a wealthy, decadent socialite whose husband Gotell is an older, not particularly scintillating gentleman. One of his holdings is a discotheque, which Collins frequents and which is managed by the title character, portrayed by Tobias. Not only is Tobias taking care of the night club, he is also taking care of Collins' sexual needs. She films their interlude in an elevator and shows it to her best pal Lloyd who decides that she wouldn't mind trying Tobias out herself, despite her marriage to effete writer Burns. All four of them wind up involved in a hilarious pool orgy (which must be seen to be believed!) that ends when Tobias is asked to go places he's never considered. Unfortunately for Collins, playtime is over when her stepdaughter Jacobs gets wind of the sex tape and decides to take matters into her own hands (and other places.) If the plot sounds trashy in description, it's because the entire enterprise is trashy in the extreme! However, this was made at a time when disco was king, sex was free and easy (pre-AIDs) and hedonism was considered glamorous. By this, it would seem that all rich folks ever do is decide where their next sexual encounter will occur! That said, there are more than a few times when the film strays away from the erotic and strains under the weight of a lame storyline and shoddy acting. Collins occasionally looks a little tired here, most likely due to budgetary lighting, but other times is quite striking, especially when she shows up at the club in a dramatic up 'do. "Dynasty" fans will likely enjoy seeing her manipulate and copulate her way through the film though it is quite an eye-opener to see her cavorting naked when she's best known for TV roles in which only a little skin is shown. By the time she's wearing a huge, crimped, side-ponytail and smoking a joint, followed by various chlorinated frolicking and au naturel trapeze swinging (a homage to one of her most notable films "The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing"??) the majority of her TV audience's minds will have been blown. Tobias (who resembles what would result if Harry Hamlin and a circa 1978 Tommy Lee Jones procreated) is reasonably acceptable in his role. He has a clothing selection scene that must surely have inspired Paul Schraeder when he made "American Gigolo" a short time later. Though he's little known, Tobias actually went on to have a pretty steady career in films. Jacobs is decent enough, but really no one could do much with all the sordid material in the script. Cotell is recognizable as a supporting actor in several James Bond films. Lloyd, Burns and Fisher (who plays another Collins crony who hangs out at the disco) would all come back for the sequel "The Bitch", a year later. The film features a soundtrack of songs that were actual hits of the era, which makes the extended, murky shots of the dancing a little bit more easy to bear, though no one on the dance floor is in danger of dethroning John Travolta (or even Karen Lynn Gorney!) This film, along with its sequel, was a double-edged sword for Collins. On one hand, it represents a headlong dive into exploitation, tastelessness and mediocrity. On the other hand, its box office success helped get her name and face out there again and allowed her to show the world that she was up to the task of portraying the type of mega-bitch that she became on "Dynasty", a move that cemented her financial security forever.
Review of The Stud
