''The Unholy Rollers'' is a 1972 American

action comedy film The action comedy is a film genre that applies to action films where humor plays a much more central role. While early films feature stuntwork and humor, academic Cynthia King wrote that the genre only came into its own as a mainstay of the Americ ...

directed by Vernon Zimmerman and starring Claudia Jennings. The film focuses on a team of

roller derby Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played on an oval track by two teams of five skaters. It is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leaguesA Roller Derby league is synonymous with an individual club or team in other team sports, as ...

skaters whose members are hostile to each other.

Plot

Karen wants more action out of life and quits her job at the cannery to become a skater in the

. She encounters friction from the other skaters—especially Mickey, the current star of the team. Karen proves herself a feisty competitor but refuses to be a team player. As she skates her way to stardom, she incurs the wrath of jealous team members and the owner of the team.

Cast

* Claudia Jennings as Karen Walker * Louis Quinn as Mr. Stern * Betty Anne Rees as Mickey *

Roberta Collins Roberta Collins (born Roberta Lee Hefley, November 17, 1944 – August 16, 2008) was a film and television actress who was known for her attractive physique, blonde, curly hair, and Marilyn Monroe appearance. She starred in many exploitation f ...

as Jennifer * Alan Vint as Greg * Victor Argo as Vinnie the Trainer * Candice Roman as Donna * Jay Varela as Nick * Charlene Jones as Beverly Brayton * Joe E. Tata as Marshall * Terry Wolf as grocery boy

Production

The film was made to cash in on publicity from MGM's roller derby film, '' Kansas City Bomber''.

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...

agreed to produce the film for AIP, even though he had established his own studio,

New World Pictures New World Pictures (also known as New World Entertainment, New World Communications Group, Inc., and New World International) was an American independent production, distribution, and (in its final years as an autonomous entity) multimedia com ...

. This was one of the last times Corman collaborated with AIP. There were several other competing roller derby films announced in early 1972. They included ''Jam'' produced by Al Ruddy starring Mama Cass and George Hamilton and directed by Steve Inhat, and ''Wipeout'' with

Lois Nettleton Lois June Nettleton (August 16, 1927 – January 18, 2008) was an American film, stage, radio and television actress. She received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won two Daytime Emmy Awards. Early life Lois Nettleton was born on Aug ...

and Ina Clair. The Corman project was known as ''Leader of the Pack''. However ''Jam'' and ''Wipeout'' where never made. The movie was the first screenplay credit for Howard R. Cohen who went on to have a long association with Corman.

Reception

Due to delays in editing ''Kansas City Bomber'' was released first to cinemas before ''Unholy Rollers''.

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

, who had directed ''

Boxcar Bertha ''Boxcar Bertha'' is a 1972 American Romance film, romantic crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and produced by Roger Corman, from a screenplay by Joyce Hooper Corrington, Joyce H. Corrington and John William Corrington. Made on a low b ...

'' for Roger Corman and AIP, was called in to supervise editing. He said the delay in releasing the film caused it to be "destroyed" commercially. The ''Pittsburgh Post Gazette'' called it "a poverty row version of '' Kansas City Bomber''." ''Take One'' magazine said Jennings "carries the film. Her characterization of a woman so angry that she becomes, in some strange way, an all-avenging Kali figure, is fascinating."

References

External links

* * 1972 films 1972 action comedy films 1970s exploitation films 1970s English-language films 1970s sports comedy-drama films 1970s action adventure films American action comedy-drama films Roller derby films American International Pictures films American sports comedy-drama films American action adventure films Films directed by Vernon Zimmerman 1970s American films 1972 comedy-drama films English-language action comedy-drama films English-language sports comedy-drama films English-language action adventure films {{1970s-US-film-stub