Three Nuts In Search Of
A Bolt (1964/VCI)
Picture: C
Sound: C Extras: C+ Film: C
Mamie Van Doren joined Tommy Noonan in Three Nuts In
Search Of A Bolt, a stripper who lands up getting involved with a few guys
who need therapy, though she may give them all a new reason to lay down on the
couch! She needs some help of her own
and cannot afford it, so they get an actor (Noonan) to play a patient who has
all three of their symptoms combined to save money. What might have been funny at the time has become very dated and
looks like the forerunner of a TV situation comedy. Fortunately, one of them is Three’s Company, so it is
worth a look.
Of course, Miss Van Doren is also looking good and we see
more of her than you would expect for a film from this period. Like her contemporaries (Monroe, Mansfield)
of the time, she was in top shape and always a pleasure to watch in any kind of
action. The color is saved for the sexier
moments, made at a time when it was more expensive than black and white. At least they still had real black and white
then. The actors give it their best,
but time and a script that was trying to juggle sexy, classy and funny that did
not age well or work much at the time hurt the film. It is still worth a good look just for Miss Van Doren alone,
which is why it is finally on DVD.
The letterboxed 1.78 X 1 image is a mix of EastmanColor
and black & white footage that does not always work, but has its
moments. The print is in decent shape,
but has some glaring flaws at times and Fouad Said’s cinematography deserved
anamorphic treatment. The Dolby Digital
2.0 Mono is smaller and more compressed than expected, not weathering time as
well as the footage did. Extras include
an hour-long interview with Miss Van Doren herself and it is really good. You also get uncensored on the set footage,
a stills gallery, “hot” & “cold” trailers for this film + three other VCI
DVD titles, text bios on the leads and director. This title was issued at the same time as Promises, Promises,
another Noonan independent production reviewed on this site from VCI. This time, the lead is Jayne Mansfield.
- Nicholas Sheffo
