GIRL WITH AN ITCH (1958)

Buxom blonde KATHY MARLOWE is Mari Lou, the "Girl with an Itch", and by God, she’s gotta scratch it! Strutting about in a skintight dress that threatens to rupture and spill its luscious cargo at any moment, Marlowe (who’s also one of the sexy Venusians in "Queen of Outer Space") is sure to leave a branding iron-like impression on any red-blooded male viewer. (She’s likely to get a few of the girls all hot and bothered as well!) As BILL CUNNINGHAM belts out the great theme song under the opening credits ("Beware of Mari Lou ... "), we catch our first glimpse of this temptress, sitting on her suitcase by the side of a country road, defiantly smoking a cigarette next to a sign which dearly states: Sorry Folks! No Fires, No Smoking!" It isn’t long before she hitchhikes her way to a job as a fruit picker. As soon as old widower Ben (King Kong’s ROBERT ARMSTRONG, here up against a far more dangerous monster) cops an eyeful of Mari Lou, he starts to feel a stirring in his nether regions. But Mari Lou sets her sights on Ben’s rugged son, Orey (cult star ROBERT CLARKE, who also starred in director RONNIE ASHCROFT’s "The Astounding She-Monster"). Orey’s obviously made of stronger stuff than the rest of us as he manages to resist Mari Lou’s substantial charms. (It’s established that Orey has a girl tucked away somewhere. I wonder if that was a hasty inclusion from the filmmakers to avoid audience speculation that he may prefer batting from the other side?) The scene where Mari Lou tries to seduce Orey in the barn is a classic. Your eyes will pop when you see the camera angle looking straight down the front of her dress as she climbs up the ladder! After a catfight and an earthquake, Mari Lou eventually hooks her claws into Ben (or, more appropriately, his money). Poor Ben quickly becomes well and truly whipped, blowing the ranch payroll on expensive dresses and jewelry. Mari Lou, in return, treats Ben with contempt and coerces a randy ranch hand into a literal roll in the hay. But like many women of her ilk, Mari Lou eventually turns out to be her own worst enemy. After spending the night with two men at the local saloon, she and Ben get into an argument which ends with her smashing a porcelain statue over his head! "All I wanted was a soft touch, and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker, old man!" Pretty soon, she’s back hitchhiking on the road. Driver: "How far do you want to go? Mari Lou: "As far as you want to take me ... "