The Next Lobotomy Room Film Club: Girls Town (1959) on 17 August 2023

Contrary to received wisdom, Grease (1978) didn’t pioneer the concept of casting adult actors as high school students. It was already a long-held Hollywood convention. Take, for example, Girls Town (1959). The quintessence of the fifties drive-in juvenile delinquent flick, it boasts teenage thugs running amok, girl-on-girl cat fights, frantic rock’n’roll music, drag races, nuns, the threat of sex trafficking in Tijuana – and wanton platinum blonde leading lady Mamie Van Doren as 16-year-old hellcat Silver Morgan. Even with her perky ponytail and tight Capri pants, 28-year-old Van Doren is perhaps the most overripe, fleshy and mature adolescent in cinematic history. (And as Freddie, 34-year-old jazz crooner Mel Tormé (below) seems positively wizened). 

But frankly who cares when Girls Town is such a delirious wild ride? These delinquents have impeccable sartorial taste in striped t-shirts, gabardine jackets and saddle shoes. Vocal group The Platters coo ethereal doo-wop in a nightclub sequence. And everyone speaks in ultra-camp hepcat beatnik lingo like “No dice!” “You dig me?” “It’s real gone, ma!” “Not wonderful – crazy! Cool! Fantabulous!” “I’m blasting out of here!” and “You’re in Queersville, man! You’ve flipped!” (Where is this “Queersville” Silver speaks of and how do I get there?). Girls Town is precisely the kind of film that John Waters parodies in his 1990 rockabilly musical Cry-Baby (and the Traci Lords character is directly modeled on Van Doren). See for yourself when the free monthly Lobotomy Room film club (motto: Bad Movies for Bad People) presents Girls Town at Fontaine’s bar (Dalston’s most unique nite spot) on Thursday 17 August! 

/ Above: Mamie Van Doren as Silver Morgan (“who didn’t want to know right from wrong!”) and John Waters' homage / 

Lobotomy Room Goes to the Movies is the FREE monthly film club devoted to cinematic perversity! Third Thursday night of every month downstairs at Fontaine’s cocktail lounge in Dalston! Numbers are limited, so reserving in advance via Fontaine’s website is essential  Alternatively, phone 07718000546 or email bookings@fontaines.bar. The film starts at 8:30 pm. Doors to the basement Bamboo Lounge open at 8:00 pm. To ensure everyone is seated and cocktails are ordered on time, please arrive by 8:15 pm at the latest.

What happens when youthful rebels go bad? Can you handle this explosive drama of youth racing down the road to nowhere? Join us on Thursday 17 August 2023 to find out! Facebook event page.