University of Virginia Library

Indian Wench

The other female of major
importance is Frank's Indian
wench. Michele Carey plays the role
of a Western Playboy Bunny, a
dumb Indian who has just learned a
new "trick" and wants to play it
all the time. She flaunts a leather
micro skirt and boots (a little too
Hollywoodish), and refers to her
partner as "Ding-goose."

My main criticism of the film is
its commercialization of and superfluity
of sex. Not sex in general,
understand, but the treatment of it
as a gimmicky game instead of what
it is. Sex in "Dirty Dingus Magee"
is more tiresome than funny, and
the film's approaches are too conventional
to evoke humor.

The town is set up as a sexual
free-for-all. Even the seemingly
pure school marm gets her share.
The Indian village is merely a Western
Bunny Club, where the
wrinkled elders also are provided
with entertainment. Sex permeates
the film, but it is never actually
seen, so that "the kiddies" can see
the film without becoming disturbed.

Another abuse is that of the
Indian. He is pictured as a money-crazed
gun trader, an ignorant nonentity,
or an Indian counterpart to
Belle - anything but what he is.

In summary, the film totally lacks
depth - depth in plot, depth in
character, even depth in scenery.
This void cannot be filled with sex
nor slapstick, which neither the
director nor the writers have
realized. "Dirty Ding-goose"
appears only as a hoax to make
money, or another one of Sinatra's
passing fancies.

(Now at the Paramount)