''Cover Girls'' is a 1977 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

film directed by

Jerry London Jerry London (born January 21, 1947) is an American television director and producer. Life and career London has directed more than forty television movies including Emmy Award nominated '' Chiefs''. London won best director for James Clavell ...

and starring Cornelia Sharpe,

Jayne Kennedy Jayne Kennedy Overton (née Harrison; born October 27, 1951) is an American television personality, actress, model, corporate spokeswoman, producer, writer, public speaker, philanthropist, and sports broadcaster. Personal life Jayne Kennedy g ...

and

Don Galloway Donald Poe Galloway (July 27, 1937 – January 8, 2009) was an American stage, film and television actor, best known for his role as Detective Sergeant Ed Brown in the long-running crime drama series '' Ironside'' (1967–1975). He reprised the ...

Plot

Two world class models, Linda and Monique, work for an American intelligence agency. They are given a mission to track down an embezzler who is also being chased by a criminal, Michael. Linda falls for the embezzler.

Cast

* Cornelia Sharpe as Linda Allen *

as Monique Lawrence *

as James Andrews * Michael Baseleon as Paul Richards *

DeVeren Bookwalter DeVeren Bookwalter (September 8, 1939 – July 23, 1987) was an American actor and director. He primarily appeared in theater, though he did have several film roles. DeVeren was the first person to win three Los Angeles Drama Critics Circ ...

as Karl *

Jerry Douglas Gerald Calvin "Jerry" Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer. Career In addition to his fourteen solo recordings, Douglas has played on more than 1,600 albums. As a sideman, he has ...

as Fritz Porter *

Sean Garrison Sean Garrison (October 19, 1937 – March 2, 2018) was an American film, television and theatre actor. He played Mark Dominic in the 1966 film '' Moment to Moment''. Garrison also played The Culhane in the American western television series ''Du ...

as Sven *

Don Johnson Donnie Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor, producer and singer. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series ''Miami Vice'', for which he won a Golden Globe, and received a Primetime Em ...

as Johnny Wilson *

George Lazenby George Robert Lazenby (; born 5 September 1939) is an Australian actor. He was the second actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in '' On Her Majesty's Secret Service ...

as Michael * Bill Overton as Football Player *

Ellen Travolta Ellen M. Travolta (born October 6, 1939) is an American actress known for playing Louisa Arcola Delvecchio in ''Happy Days'' and ''Joanie Loves Chachi'' as well as Lillian in '' Charles in Charge'' (1987-1990). Early years Ellen M. Travolta wa ...

as The Photographer *

Vince Edwards Vince Edwards (born Vincent Edward Zoine; July 9, 1928 – March 11, 1996) was an American actor and director. He was best known for his TV role as doctor Ben Casey and as Major Cliff Bricker in the 1968 war film '' The Devil's Brigade''. Ear ...

as Bradner * Lenore Stevens as Maria * Eric Holland as Bodyguard #1 * Paul Dumont as Georg * Maurice Marsac as Mireau * James Almanzar as Hans * Todd Martin as Bodyguard #2 *

Fritzi Burr Fritzi Burr (May 31, 1924 – January 17, 2003) was an American character actress that was most notable for her roles as Miss Collins on the sitcom ''What's Happening!!'' and as various comedic foils to Fred Sanford on the sitcom ''Sanford and ...

as Seamstress #1 * June Whitley Taylor as Seamstress #2 * Peter Gunneau as French Detective * Brian Baker as Uniform Sergeant * Ben Frommer as Tourist In Bus * Kieu Chinh as Chinese Model * Carolyn Brandt as Girl Singer *

Bob Hastings Robert Francis Hastings (April 18, 1925 – June 30, 2014) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Lt. Elroy Carpenter on ''McHale's Navy'' and voicing Commissioner James Gordon in the DC Animated Universe. Early life Hast ...

as Joe

Production

The success of ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...

'' in the 1976-77 ratings season prompted all the American TV networks to feature more sexy young women in action-orientated roles, either adding them to existing programs or introducing new shows that focused on them. NBC picked up ''

The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel ''Cyborg'' by Martin Caidin, starring Lindsay Wagner that aired from January 14, 1976, to May 13, 1978. ' ...

'' from ABC and also added young female characters to the 1977–78 seasons of ''

Baa Baa Black Sheep "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" is an English nursery rhyme, the earliest printed version of which dates from around 1744. The words have not changed very much in two and a half centuries. It is sung to a variant of the 1761 French melody '' Ah! vous di ...

'' and ''

BJ and the Bear ''B.J. and the Bear'' is an American action comedy television series which aired on NBC from February 10, 1979, to May 9, 1981. Created by Glen A. Larson and Christopher Crowe, the series stars Greg Evigan. The series was produced when the CB ...

''. They introduced several new shows with female sex symbol leads such as ''

Quark A quark () is a type of elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most stable of which are protons and neutrons, the components of atomic nuclei. All commonly o ...

'', ''

The Roller Girls ''The Roller Girls'' (on-screen title: ''Rollergirls'') is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from April 24, 1978 to May 10, 1978. Premise The series features the exploits of a fictional all-female roller derby team, the Pittsburgh Pitts, owne ...

'' and ''

Who's Watching the Kids? ''Who's Watching the Kids?'' is an American sitcom produced by Garry Marshall which aired on NBC from September 22, 1978 to December 15, 1978. The series focused on two young Las Vegas showgirls, working and rooming together, who each had a youn ...

'', as well as commissioning pilots for several series which were direct imitations of ''Charlie's Angels'': '' The Secret War of Jackie's Girls'', ''

The Hunted Lady ''The Hunted Lady'' is a 1977 American TV movie starring Donna Mills as a woman who goes on the run. It was a pilot for a TV series that never eventuated but screened as a stand-alone film. Credits * A Quinn Martin Production * Executive Producer: ...

'' and ''Cover Girls''.Hilmes p 231

Reception

The ''Los Angeles Times'' said "the only things not negligible about" the movie was "are the radiant beauty of its stars, Grady Hunt's elegant costumes for them and a creditable acting job by Vince Edwards." Writer Marcia Hilmes contrasted the film negatively with ''Charlie's Angels'', arguing that in ''Angels'' the lead characters were always first and foremost detectives, with any sexual objectification as an aid to their detective work, whereas in ''Cover Girls'' the leads seemed to place as much emphasis on their modelling as their crime fighting.Hilmes p 232 She also pointed out that ''Cover Girls'' included scenes implying an erotic relationship between the two leads, further objectifying them sexually.

References

Notes

External links

*
Cover Girls
at Letterbox DVD
Cover Girls
at BFI {{Jerry London 1977 television films 1977 films American television films 1970s English-language films