Schoolgirl Hitchhikers (3 Stars)

This is Jean Rollin's sixth film, made in 1973. The title written on the box of the new 4K release is "Girls Without Shame", a literal translation of the original French title, "Jeunes filles impudiques". The title "Schoolgirl Hitchhikers" was given when it was dubbed for American audiences, to make it sound more racy. The film itself contains no hitchhiking, and the girls don't claim to be schoolgirls. The actresses were both in their late twenties when they made the film. The brunette Monica (Joelle Coeur) could just about pass for an older teenager, whereas the blonde Jackie (Gilda Arancio) looks more like a woman in her 30's.

It's a simple plot, a criminal story with erotic elements that borders on farce. Two young women are in the woods camping. They find an abandoned mansion and move in. What they don't know is that it's also being used by a jewel thief, who returns late in the evening. After a night of sex the two girls leave. The thief discovers that his jewels are missing and chases the girls. But it wasn't them.

This unnamed man is the thief. Do you recognise him? It's Jean Rollin himself. He did brief cameos in most of his films, but this is his only film in which he plays an important role. His name is missing from the credits.

Whatever the film is called, it's untypical for Jean Rollin's films and doesn't come up to the standard of his usual work. It's not bad, but there's nothing special about it. If you're a Jean Rollin fan like me you'll want it to complete your collection.