A very inexperienced rock band flirts with fame thanks to a valuable assist from the media in this comedy-drama directed by veteran music producer Lou Adler. Corinne Burns (Diane Lane) is a fifteen-year-old orphan who gains a measure of local notoriety when she quits her job at a burger stand during a live television newscast. Corinne has few prospects but plenty of nerve, and she’s formed a band with her sister Tracy (Marin Kanter) and cousin Jessica (Laura Dern) called the Stains. While checking out a gig by veteran hard rock band the Metal Corpses, led by flamboyant singer Lou Corpse (Fee Waybill), opened by British punk upstarts the Looters, Corrine sneaks backstage to ask advice just as Lou demands tour manager Lawnboy (Barry Ford) find a new opening act. Lawnboy impulsively gives the Stains the gig, and while the first show for the girls (who’ve had all of three practices) is little short of a disaster, Corrine’s skunk-stripe hairdo, provocative clothes and defiant declaration “We don’t put out” captures the attention of a television reporter who covered her before. A story on the evening news about the Stains turns the band into a cult sensation, and Looters lead singer Billy (Ray Winstone) tries to offer her some advice and emotional support as the Stains rise from opening act to headliners, but Corinne and her friends learn that their new fans are a very fickle breed. Shot in 1980 but released to only a handful of theaters in 1982, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains gained a potent cult following after it appeared on cable television, largely among punk rock fans — the Looters featured Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols on guitar and drums as well as Paul Simonon from the Clash on bass, while L.A. punk troublemakers Black Randy and the Metrosquad briefly appear as themselves.
Lou Adler (born December 13, 1933) is an American record producer, manager, and director.
Born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in East Los Angeles, Adler grew up in a mixed Jewish/Mexican family.[citation needed] In 1964, Adler founded and co-owned Dunhill Records. He was President of the label as well as the chief record producer from 1964 to 1967. That summer he sold Dunhill for three million dollars to ABC Records. Later in 1967, he founded Ode Records. In June 1967, Adler helped to produce the Monterey International Pop Festival, as well as the film version, Monterey Pop.
He is the former manager of Jan & Dean, and was the producer of Sam Cooke, The Mamas & the Papas, Johnny Rivers, Barry McGuire, Scott McKenzie, The Grass Roots, Spirit, Carole King, The Weaver Temptations (which he signed in 1968) and Cheech and Chong. In 1974, he helped to produce the American stage version of The Rocky Horror Show as well as the film version, The Rocky Horror Picture Show… read more
Cool girls, rather dull movie. I took three tries for me to finally finish the entire thing.
everyone misses the point of this film and what it wants to convey- while fame and consumer culture of pop icons are strong themes, Nancy Dowd, who was part of the punk rock scene, wanted to give women a voice in a subculture that is ultimately dominated by men. Production values and formal, stylistic elements aside, i like this film a lot and think of it as an important underground cult classic
Although I feel like I should love this movie because it's about a super rad riot grrrl punk band whose message is "We don't put out!", the movie was just really terrible. Yeah the girls looked awesome and the entire message of the movie might have been strong but the movie was such a bore.
I have been waiting to see this movie ever since they showed a making of on the rainbow man DVD it was the first time I had even heard of this movie and I was way into movies then too plus it had some… read review
