Unless you love small-town soap opera or are a big fan of Ann-Margret, the only reason to recommend this film is to see Michael Parks emulate James Dean. Perhaps Parks isn't quite as intense or as fidgety as Dean, but the facial expressions, mannerisms, stance, etc. are all spot-on for this Dean fan. I had never really noticed Parks in anything before seeing this, and I haven't seen someone play James Dean this well since James Franco in the TNT "James Dean" (2001) biopic.
Kim Darby, somehow looking older than she did in "Star Trek" or "True Grit" plays a high school version of Barbara Bel Geddes' Midge from "Vertigo."
Plot summary
Bus Riley returns to his small town after time in the army. On his return, his ex-girlfriend wants to resume their relationship. The only problem is she has married in the mean time. Searching for fulfilment in his life, Bus decides to get a job with his gay friend who is a mortician. When the mortician makes a pass at him, Bus quickly gets out.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
June 16, 2023 at 08:01 PM
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Michael Parks channels James Dean
The girls want Bus
This is the kind of film where the title says all. Michael Parks who was attempting to be a 60s version of James Dean is back from Uncle Sam's Navy and looking to
settle down. Jobs like mortician and vacuum cleaner salesman don't quite work
out, but he's got a pair of women in tow.
Janet Margolin is the daughter of a friend of Parks's mom and she's a sweet innocent thing. But his former girlfriend Ann-Margret has up and married
money rather than wait for Parks. Still her older husband is away all the
time and Ann-Margret has an itch that needs scratching which Parks is only
happy to oblige.
The main reason to see Bus Riley's Back In Town is for Ann-Margret. She
really sizzles in the part of the sex hungry man trap. Despite some less
than stellar reviews, folks plunked down their money to see her.
She's still worth seeing.