Doris Wishman, R.I.P.

Filmmaker Doris Wishman was sort of the female Russ Meyer, cranking out low-budget films featuring ladies with gargantuan, oft-exposed breasts.  The main difference was that her films — like Deadly Weapons and Double Agent 73 — were less well known and a lot grimier.  (The title of the latter refers to its star, secret agent Chesty Morgan and her bust measurement.)  I made it through about half of two Wishman films back in my teen years and for a teenage boy to walk out on movies that feature naked women…well, those had to be pretty crummy movies.  They were…but I still admired her tenacity, banging out bad movies on a shoestring for more than a quarter-century.  Matter of fact, I find the details of her career more interesting than anything she committed to film.

I haven't seen it hit the wire services anywhere but Ms. Wishman passed away August 10 at the age of…well, she never told anyone how old she was but 85 is a good guess.  An episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien on which she guested is scheduled for a rerun on August 23.