Streetwalkin'

In the 80's there were a lot of movies released about prostitution. And I'm not talking about the fantasy fairytale that is Pretty Woman. I'm talking about the gritty, sleazy, and more realistic depiction where young runaways turn to this life of abusive pimps, clients, and cops. Vice Squad, Hollywood Vice Squad, and the Angel series come to mind. Of course producer Roger Cormanthrew his hat into the ring as well with 1985's Streetwalkin'.

The terrific Melissa Leo headlines in one of her first starring roles as an older teen who has ran away from home with her younger brother, Randall Bantikoff. A pimp, Dale Midkiff, spots the two at the bus station and offers to take them in. He immediately puts her to work which she is ok with at first. But after seeing him get rough with one of the other girls, she knows she needs to get out of the life.

This one isn't as gritty as some of the others I mentioned. The main reason is that Midkiff isn't really that menacing. If you compare him to Wings Hauser, he comes off as a chump. The rest of the supporting cast, that includes greats like Julie Newmar and Antonio Fargas, are really good. I also like that it doesn't rely on a storyline where the compassionate cop tries to help the young prostitute. That trope is overused in these kind of films and Streetwalkin' is smart to avoid it.

Streetwalkin' is so so drive in fare, but a nice showcase for Leo.

It's available on dvd.