Stars: Michael Ansara, John Carter, Anthony Eisley, Francine York, Raphael Campos

Director: Ted V. Mikels

Summary: An ex-CIA agent seeks to control the world and the all-female band of assassins must battle to save the World....... Features martial arts action

A bevy of beautiful women, each one with a secret, each one with a strength, band together to form a crimefighting squad.

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Both director-entrepreneur Ted V Mikels and the packaging of The Doll Squadclaim that the TV show Charlie's Angelswas ripped off from this cheapo action film. In truth both concepts owe a lot to Emma Peel, Pussy Galore's Flying Circus or the femme armies that crop up in Our Man Flintand other 60s spy efforts. Despite its (horrible) lounge score and eye-straining selection of flared, midriff-baring 70s outfits, Mikels' opus is basically a late-trailing Bond knock-off shot without a stunt budget. Extortionist baddie Eamon O'Reilly (the usually classier Michael Ansara) wants to blackmail the US into handing over secrets and giving into a load of terrorist demands by spreading a bubonic plague manufactured by twin (or clone) mad scientists. "Big Bertha", a computer, suggests that the best way to nail O'Reilly is to send out "the Doll Squad", a cadre of female agents led by Sabrina (Francine York), who can take advantage of his weakness for women (and occasional impotence). The first two choices, a Q-type scientist and a martial artist, are killed by O'Reilly's goons, though Sabrina sees off her would-be assassin with a cigarette lighter/flamethrower that scars his face (and only mildly perturbs the people in the next booth at the bar), so she rounds up a new gang of hairspray-addicted fashion victims: a librarian (Sherri Vernon), a stripper (Tura Satana) and a swimmer (Leigh Christian), later hauling in a squealy and useless undercover girl who is easily kidnapped by O'Reilly to lead them into a trap. We're supposed to believe most of the action takes place in a Dr No-like island retreat but it looks a lot like scrubby California desert and the director's ranch-style "castle". Aside from some fab gear (matching jumpsuits with bust-accenting white lines) the girls have little to do but run around shooting inept stuntmen.

On the DVD: For a marginal title, The Doll Squadoffers some pleasing extras: a lurid trailer that's probably a more fun watch than the film ("Sabrina's code-prefex is OO-38-24-35!"); a gallery of publicity materials and stills; an exhaustive Mikels filmography; and an odd 1993 interview with the director. The film itself looks as good as it ever will--it's muddily photographed with low-tech effects (the flamethrower flames are just scratched on the emulsion) but at least the colours are vivid and the print is in great condition. --Kim Newman

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Filmography, Interactive Menus, Interview, Original Key Art Ads And Interactive Press Kit, Original Theatrical Trailer, Scene Selection
Year:	1973
Release Date:	July 23, 2001
Runtime:	92 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D V 1057
Keywords:	Action, Doll, General, Squad, Adventure
Genre:	Action/Adventure