The Swinger (1966)

Not much of a movie, but a whole lot of Ann-Margret, 29 July 2019

The Quick Pitch:  In order to get her story published in a girly magazine, good girl Kelly Olsson (Ann-Margret) decides to turn herself into the swingingest swinger who ever swung.  

As a movie, The Swinger disappoints at just about every turn.  It’s not funny, it’s outdated (a term I usually hate to use but it’s definitely appropriate here), it’s horribly predictable, and there really isn’t much of plot.  So, if it’s that bad, why haven’t I rated it any lower than a 4/10? Well, because as a vehicle to watch Ann-Margret, The Swinger is a wild success. The scenes featuring Ann-Margaret dancing, rolling around in paint, or trying on a variety of revealing, kitchy outfits - those are the highlights.  I think my favorite bit had to be where Ann is walking through the house she shares with a variety of other people. There’s some sort of choreographed dance practice going on. Ann flawlessly moves into place and out-dances everyone else without ever once looking up from the book she’s reading. Her dancing and outfit are just amazing.  Unfortunately, however, it all ends quickly and we’re back to the tired, unfunny old movie. 

So, to sum it up, if you want to see a good movie, keep looking.  But, if you want to see Ann-Margret in her prime, The Swinger just might be the thing for you.

4/10