Leofwine_draca DAMAGED GOODS is a hilarious moralistic story about the risks of catching venereal disease from having easy sex. Made in 1961 and shown in schools in the USA, this is tame stuff indeed in which sex isn't shown or even hinted at; instead it's all about inference and implication. The main character is a promising young athlete whose best intentions are put to the test when he ill-advisedly sleeps with a prostitute after a hectic night out.What follows is an amusingly dramatic and portentous story in which the spread of venereal disease is highlighted by the central love triangle. Jim, the lead, is infected, as is his easy bit-on-the-side, played by the scene-stealing Dolores Faith. Jim's chaste and steady girlfriend, with whom he's shared nothing more than a kiss, is safe. There's a little of the sensation film about this, and at the climax it turns into a straight public information film, with an official relying information straight to the camera and some scary real-life facts and, yes, images.

Woodyanders Clean-cut high school track star Jim Radman (amiable Mory Schoolhouse) and his equally wholesome girlfriend Kathy Durham (an appealing portrayal by the pretty Charlotte Stewart) are planning on getting married following graduation from school. However, things go awry after Jim goes out for a night on the town with his male buddies and contracts syphilis from a hooker at a bar.Writer/director H. Haile Chalice relates the engrossing story at a steady pace, maintains a sincere tone throughout, refreshingly avoids being too preachy or judgmental considering the subject matter, nicely captures the strained relationship between Judy and her stern parents, and further nails the guilt and shame one would feel about getting a venereal disease in the early 1960's. The two leads are quite likable and attractive. Michael Bell contributes a lively and engaging performance as Jim's hearty hipster pal Monk Monahan. Best of all, stunning brunette knockout Dolores Faith really sinks her teeth into her juicy role as bold'n'brash bad girl Kathy Durham, who smokes, steals stuff (including snatching Jim from under Judy's nose!), and generally behaves like a blithely wicked stuck-up bitch. The lengthy lecture about STDs complete with gruesome accompanying visuals rates as a real disgusting doozy. The fairly polished cinematography by Vilis Lapenieks boasts a few nifty dissolves and superimpositions. Cool groovy theme by the Ventures, too. Worth a watch.

MartinHafer This is a super-cheaply made and written film meant to scare teens away from having extramarital sex. It's preachy and very dated when seen today. Unlike the other two reviewers (so far), I never saw this in school because the school I attended did not acknowledge that sex even existed---and this might explain why half my graduating class was pregnant (the rest weren't because they were the guys). The movie also would have seen very dated when I graduated in the early 80s.The story is about two high school seniors that look about 22 years-old each. They have been going steady for over a year and care a lot about each other. While they like to neck and hang out late at night, they never get around to doing anything else. However, they do become engaged. In the meantime, Tim goes with his friends on a road trip and meets a 'bad girl' in a bar. The chump gives into temptation and....WHAM!! He's got a sexually transmitted disease (hence the film's title). They never actually show anything and they never even say out loud that any of them had sex and to the naive out there, they might be left to wonder what exactly DID happen! The sexy saxophone music, to me, was the dead giveaway...though I never heard this in real life--just in cheesy older films.Later, when the 'fast' new girl (Kathy) makes her moves on Tim (following a fight with his fiancée), Tim gives in and has sex AGAIN (he's an animal, folks). Again, they don't show it...but that saxophone betrays what happens next! However, instead of just a fun roll in the weeds, it turns out Tim has syphilis--and soon Kathy, too, is infected!! Now he's got a sore, can't run like he used to and feels badly. He tells his coach and the coach takes him to the clinic. There, a guy shows him a whole lot of scary film showing victims of the disorder--thus scaring the crap out of Tim AND the audience! Although I am sure the film is a morality tale meant to steer young people away from premarital sex, it is quite possible that teens might instead get the message that the engaged couple should have just had given in and had sex--thus "protecting him" from seeking it elsewhere. Or, that it's okay to have lots of sex...just be sure to get regularly tested. Just a thought.One positive thing about the film is the opening song by the Ventures. Perhaps this group hadn't yet hit it big--that's the only way I could explain how the film makers could actually afford a decent band!! Otherwise, it's a somewhat shoddy film with nothing except curiosity to recommend it. The acting and production values all betray the film's very modest budget but it is entertaining in a kitschy short of way.A final note. This film features the guys going to a strip club. This is supposed to be sexy, though this woman might just be the most unsexy and titillating woman in strip club history. Had she actually taken any of her clothes off, the customers would have paid her to put it back. I guess that's what you get when your budget is under $89 for the entire film.

steventsapelas i love, love, love this movie. "something weird video" put out a great special edition DVD of it, and i recommend all pick it up.the film chronicles the lives of track star jim and his sweet, virginal girlfriend judy jackson. things are thrown into a tizzy, however, when new girl kathy (played wonderfully by dolores faith) falls for jim as well. they have fun one night, and hang out very late... (strangely, "night" in this movie takes place sometime in the afternoon) ...jealousy arises, and for some reason, jim sleeps with a prostitute at a dive bar. he gets syphilis, passes it on to kathy, but, luckily, not judy. after explaining to his track coach that he has a rash, the coach takes him to a doctor, and asks if there is "anything i can do to help." a short film about the horror of syphilis is thrown in for good measure, and jim marries judy. the end.i recently met charlotte stewart, who plays judy jackson, and had her sign a damaged goods poster. she was really nice, and more than willing to talk about the film.check it out!