The Smashing Bird I Used to Know

The Smashing Bird I Used to Know
U.S. publicity poster
Directed byRobert Hartford-Davis
Written byJohn Peacock
Produced byPeter Newbrook
StarringRenée Asherson
Patrick Mower
Dennis Waterman
Madeleine Hinde
Maureen Lipman
CinematographyPeter Newbrook
Edited byDon Deacon
Music byBobby Richards
Production
company
Titan International
Distributed byAmerican International Pictures (U.S.)
Release date
  • 25 August 1969 (1969-08-25)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Smashing Bird I Used to Know is a 1969 British drama/sexploitation film, directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring Renée Asherson, Patrick Mower, Dennis Waterman, Madeleine Hinde and Maureen Lipman.[1] The film was not released in the U.S. until 1973, retitled by AIP as School for Unclaimed Girls.[2] AIP also reissued the film a year later under their shadow company United Producers Organization as Hell House Girls. It is also known as House of Unclaimed Women.[1]

As with other Hartford-Davis films, The Smashing Bird I Used to Know contains elements from different genres including psychological drama and social commentary. It is best known however as a sexploitation piece featuring nudity, attempted rape and lesbianism. The film features the first screen credit of the then 15-year-old Lesley-Anne Down in a supporting role.[3]

  1. ^ a b "The Smashing Bird I Used to Know". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  2. ^ "School for Unclaimed Girls (1969) - Robert Hartford-Davis - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related - AllMovie". AllMovie.
  3. ^ "Lesley-Anne Down". Archived from the original on 13 August 2017.