Girl of the Night

"An Exciting Step Forward into a New Realm of Adult Motion Pictures!" promised the ads for 1960's Girl of the Night and there was truth to the claim. The film was rare for its time, a sympathetic portrait of a young girl (Anne Francis in a strong performance) raised in a loveless home who drifts into a life of prostitution. Friendless and lonely, she's an easy target for her boozed-up madam (Kay Medford) and sadistic pimp (John Kerr) until a compassionate doctor (Lloyd Nolan) helps her unlock the secrets of her past and gain a sense of self-worth. Based on Dr. Harold Greenwald's academic work The Call Girl: A Social and Psychoanalytical Study, this is a fascinating curio, a reminder of an era that was just coming to grips with the sordid side of reality.

• drama