It’s 1969, and the skies have never been friendlier as we experience a day in the life of a group of swinging stewardesses in what is basically a soft-core porn film – shot in 3-D, no less.
A group of stewardesses have an extended layover in Los Angeles and decide to have some fun. There’s no actual plot to speak of, just a series of adventures featuring the beautiful stewardesses.
Ambitious Samantha (Christina Hart, who later appeared on Happy Days, Murder, She Wrote and David Cassidy – Man Undercover) meets advertising executive Colin Winthrop (Ronald South) and – because she desperately wants to be an actress – eagerly goes out on a date with him.
What she doesn’t know is that Colin has a hidden secret that he has been nursing for several years (he’s gay), and it’s going to change their relationship rather dramatically – he beats her during sex so she kills him, then jumps out of a 30th floor window . . .
Meanwhile, Cathy (Kathy Ferrick) and Jo (Anita de Moulin) go to a club to unwind but eventually return to Jo’s apartment. Jo turns out to be a lesbian but promises Cathy a promotion in return for her cooperation . . .
Wendy (Janet Waas) has a thing for men in uniform as she first cavorts with a sailor in bed at the start of the movie and then spends some time with a soldier who has orders to return to Vietnam.
“Horny” Annie (Donna Stanley) decides to go home and drop some acid instead.
Tina” (Paula Erikson) gets herself invited to a playboy pilot’s home, resulting in Cindy (Beth Shields) being left all alone.
Each erotic adventure is well staged, and the novel 3-D effect is only marginally annoying. There’s LSD, a Vietnam vet, Indian music, a rock band with Beatles hair, strobe light dancing, sex in a nightclub, pool cues, feet, and a coat rack jabbing into the camera.
Shot with a minimal crew, shooting regularly began with just a general story outline instead of a full script. Typically, scenes weren’t finalised until the camera was ready to roll.
Nevertheless, The Stewardesses was one of the most profitable films ever made, with a shooting budget of just over $100,000 and a worldwide gross of $25 million to $30 million. It remains the most profitable 3-D film ever released.
Samantha
Christina Hart
Colin Winthrop
Ronald South
Captain Brad
William Condos
Jo Peters
Anita de Moulin
Tina
Paula Erikson
Cathy
Kathy Ferrick
Cindy
Beth Shields
Wendy
Janet Wass
Horny Annie
Donna Stanley
Karen
Patricia Fein
Cappy
Jerry Litvinoff
Charles
Robert Keller
Loren Hatcher
Gordon White
Director
Allan Silliphant (as Alf Silliman Jr.)