A trio of lovely young ladies start their own lunch wagon business. The gals face serious opposition from no-count competitor Al Schmeckler (a perfectly hateful portrayal by Rick Podell). Moreover, things are further complicated by bumbling diamond thief the Turtle (a hilariously cranky and foul-mouthed Chuck McCann) and his gluttonous slob partner Ralph (the equally amusing Vic Dunlop). Director Ernest Pintoff, working from a blithely silly script by Terrie Maxine Frankle and Marshall Harvey, relates the cheerfully asinine shenanigans at a nonstop breakneck pace and maintains an infectiously good-natured tone throughout. The attractive and appealing cast tackle the admittedly inane material with great verve: Pamela Jean Bryant as the feisty Marcy, Rosanne Katon as the sassy Shannon, Candy Moore as brash, foxy body builder Diedre, James Van Patten as likable hunk Biff, Michael Tucci as nice bespectacled nerd Arnie, and the ever-adorable Louisa Moritz as bubbly blonde bimbo Sunshine. Rose Marie has a cool small part as the formidable Mrs. Schmeckler. This movie further benefits from a lively soundtrack of first-rate early 80's New Wave rock songs, with the dynamic "Mental Hopscotch" by Missing Persons rating as the definite stand-out track. Fred Lemler's sunny cinematography gives the picture a sparkling bright look. Despite a generous sprinkling of tasty female nudity and a sizable smattering of profanity, a certain sweet and even innocent charm somehow manages to pervade throughout this tremendously bouncy and upbeat romp. A totally breezy and enjoyable blast.
Review of Lunch Wagon
