Playbirds, The (1978)

This landmark film is like a feature-length version of The Sweeney with lashings of nudity and sex. The Playbirds was one of a series of films produced by David Sullivan, and its story takes place within a porn empire managed by an apparent Sullivan surrogate (Alan Lake).

A string of voluptuous centrefold models for a porno magazine are being stalked and strangled by a mad religious sex fiend. While the magazine’s insatiable stud editor continues to ‘audition’ for his next saucy star, a beautiful policewoman (Mary Millington) volunteers to go undercover in the murky underworld of strip clubs and sex dens in pursuit of the murderer.

The title sequence is an extraordinary document of London’s Soho at the height of its domination by commercial sex, and history has since bestowed a semi-documentary status on the film.

As actress Pat Astley walks through the district we see an unchanging never-ending background of sex shops, adult cinemas, strip clubs and massage parlours as she makes her way through the streets to her apartment, where she’s subsequently murdered.

Sgt Lucy Sheridan
Mary Millington
Chief Superintendent Jack Holbourne
Glynn Edwards
Inspector Harry Morgan
Gavin Campbell
Harry Dougan
Alan Lake
Assistant Police Commissioner
Windsor Davies
Jeremy
Derren Nesbitt
Police Doctor
Kenny Lynch
Lena Cunningham
Suzy Mandel
Hern
Dudley Sutton
WPC Andrews
Penny Spencer
WPC Taylor
Susie Silvey
Doreen
Pat Astley

Director
Willy Roe