Candy (1968)

A strange film, very much of its time, Candy is really a series of episodes linked together by the main character, Candy, an innocent and attractive young girl who seems to get screwed by male authority figures wherever she goes. Some of the scenes are funny, but the whole film gives the impression of aimless meandering. Quite a few of the sketches feature famous actors, of whom Richard Burton was certainly the best, and Ringo Starr was certainly the worst, playing a Mexican gardener.

Towards the end, the police are taking Candy back to the police station at high speed, but instead they crash through the wall of a building. Inside there seems to be a magic performance -- by Achmed -- in progress. The policemen and Candy are thrown from the car, and their sudden arrival causes panic and mayhem. Oddly, all the audience are females wearing fairly daring outfits, and we slowly realise that the audience are all transvestites.

A policeman is holding one of them and another shouts "police brutality!" The policeman says, "Run for it! It's a nest of commie bad rap artistes! Shoot to kill!"

A moment later another transvestite goes to a policeman and shouts, "You fascist monster!" He calmly replies, "Are you kidding? I'm Irish!" The "girl" says, "Irish?" and gives him a long kiss. The policeman acquiesces in this for a moment, but then pulls away and says, "Hey, why don't you fight like a man?" He hits her repeatedly with his truncheon and says, "There -- maybe you'd like some more of that?" The "girl" says, "Yes -- yes -- you blue eyed bitch!" As everyone runs from the building, only Achmed is left standing. None of the drag audience is credited in the film, unfortunately.

HF August 2007

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