The Stud (1978) User Reviews

Laughably dated

[canndyman · 5/10 · 23 May 2022]

I'd managed to avoid this film for decades but, in the end, my curiosity got the better of me and I thought I'd take a look.

My expectations were set pretty low, which was just as well as it's laughably naff, cheesy and low budget.

I won't go into the plot (such as it is), but it's really a vehicle for Joan Collins to hone her bitchy cougar persona to the hilt - while getting caught up in a predictably doomed love and lust tangle.

Oliver Tobias is suitably sullen as her love-interest, and the sex and orgy scenes (which presumably at the time were very racy and made the film so popular for cinema goers) are now very tame and even a bit silly.

There is of course the late 70s disco soundtrack which adds to the cheese - as well as providing lengthy scenes of disco dancing in a nightclub that just feel like padding in a film that was pretty thin on the ground to start with!

Some of the locations are good (villages in Berks & Bucks, and the indoor swimming pool), but as whole this film is extremely tedious, risible, and very much a bi-product of its time.

"Warning. This film contains scenes of a sexual nature"

[richardchatten · 3/10 · 10 April 2022]

Like most seventies softcore the film that put Joan Collins back on the map contains far more talk than rutting; and like anything thinking it's being really with-it it now looks far more dated than anything made in the fifties; compounded by the constant pounding disco music on the soundtrack.

As it meanders along it's garrulous way you also have plenty of time to marvel at the fact such a sorry collection of fashion disasters got so much more sex than any other generation before or since.

One of my sisters writes trash, the other acts in it.

[JamesHitchcock · 3/10 · 1 June 2023]

"The Stud" and its sequel "The B*tch" were based upon novels by Jackie Collins and starred her older sister Joan. (As the third Collins sister, Natasha, remarked, "One of my sisters writes trash, the other acts in it"). Despite being almost universally panned by the critics, both films were huge commercial successes, the most successful British films of the seventies apart from the Bond franchise. There is, however, an explanation for this apparent contradiction. The films are little more than soft-core porn, and in an age when porn, whether hard- or soft-core, was much less easily available than it is today, any film involving nudity and sex scenes was virtually guaranteed to be good box-office.

In "The Stud" Joan plays Fontaine Khaled, the British wife of a wealthy Arab businessman. She was to play the same character, by then a divorcee, again in "The B*tch". Her husband Benjamin is played by Walter Gotell, best remembered as General Gogol in the Bond films. Fontaine owns a London nightclub and is having an affair with the club manager, Tony. The late seventies were the golden age of disco music and the producers hoped that the film could be a British "Saturday Night Fever", a film which had appeared the previous year. Many scenes are set in the club, and we hear a lot of disco songs on the soundtrack.

Although Fontaine makes it clear that Tony owes his position more to his ability to satisfy her sexual demands than to any managerial ability, he loses interest in her and begins a relationship with her young stepdaughter Alexandra, Benjamin's daughter by a previous marriage. This explosive situation becomes yet more so when a videotape emerges of Fontaine and Tony having sex in a lift.

These films may have been successful in their time, but most people today would side with the critics rather than the audiences who flocked to see them. "The Stud" and "The B*tch" helped to revive Joan Collins's career by reinventing her as a middle-aged sex symbol, but (along with "Dynasty" in which her character Alexis Carrington was essentially Fontaine Khaled toned down to meet the more puritanical standards of prime-time television) they also helped fix the idea of her in the public mind as a one-trick pony who could play sultry, promiscuous femmes fatales and little else. That idea would be an injustice, as she had a much wider range than that, but she seems fated to go down in history as a film star best remembered for two of her worst films.

Of the two films, "The Stud" is probably the better. It has something closer to a coherent plot, centred upon (as well as the sexual elements) Tony's attempts to raise the finance to open his own club. Collins makes more of an attempt at acting than she was to do in "The B*tch", where her performance is marked by a total lack of sincerity. Of her supporting actors, Gotell and Oliver Tobias as Tony at least make an effort and seem to know what they are doing, something which cannot always be said of her co-stars in the sequel.

"The Stud" shares with its successor a general sense of incompetence and pretentious tackiness. It may be the better of the two, but the difference is not a great one, and to say that a film is not quite as bad as "The B*tch" is to damn it with the faintest of praise. 3/10

A goof. The glamour model Felicity Buirski, who has a minor role in the film, refers to herself as "Felicity", but according to the cast list the name of her character is "Deborah".

The late 70s wasn't all punk

[glenn-aylett · 8 March 2011]

Far from it, ten times more people were into disco and this film is probably a better reflection of the late 70s than Jubilee, with its Britain is finished, let's celebrate all that's grotty and rotten about the country. After all, where would you rather be, in some smashed up slum in punk gear, or down some high class disco being seduced by Joan Collins, what we would nowadays call a classy MILF. I am sure millions who attended their local Roxy every Saturday imagined they were in Hobos and flocked to their local fleapit to see what proved to be Joan Collins comeback after such dross as Empire of the Ants. Also the soundtrack, about the best thing about The Stud, sold in huge numbers.

However, the film is complete schlock and little better than other soft porn of the period. It does have a sort of so bad it's good feel to it, but is a rather sleazy, dull film that has dated badly. I know as a seventies nostalgist I would watch it if it was on, if only for the music, but I would give The Stud one look and then put it back in its case as the acting is hammy and the plot is threadbare.

What's his name? What's his name?

[bakerjp · 2/10 · 6 June 2000]

Like the follow-up to "The Bitch", this is a Joan/Jackie Collins vehicle which represents an epiphany of late 1970s excess and trash.

We are shown a group of privileged amoral silly people in a way which attempts to "glamorise" their vapid "shopping and shagging" lifestyle. So meet the improbably named "Khalid Fontaine" (Collins playing a pre-Alexis Alexis), owner of nightclub "The Hobo", possibly the tackiest dive to ever soil the streets of London, England. Oliver Tobias plays the titular lead, an anti-hero who we recoil from.

Every scene is more excessive and ridiculous than the one before. The dialogue is wooden and childish. Collins' delivery is at its worst ever (apart from the Bitch), and that's saying something. She feels compelled to pronounce the last word of every line as if it's written in CAPS LOCK, bold case and italics in the script.

The drugged-out swimming pool scene is horrific. Did we have to see Joan's chest? The whole film is like an over-imaginative, over-sexed 14 year old's fantasy of the way that rich people must live.

See it! See it now!

THE STUD (Quentin Masters, 1978) **

[Bunuel1976 · 3/10 · 18 August 2006]

The R2 double-feature DVD of this film, along with its sequel THE BITCH (1979; see below), had been available for rental through my local DVD outlet for quite some time - and, though I had been tempted to check it out time and again, I finally took the plunge after having watched star Joan Collins in another sexy role in ...CAN HEIRONYMUS MERKIN EVER FORGET MERCY HUMPPE AND FIND TRUE HAPPINESS? (1969).

Based on the lurid novel by Joan's own sister, Jackie Collins, the film isn't for anyone looking for quality cinema; cheesy, sleazy trash - set in London and accompanied by a dated disco soundtrack - that's filled with copious but unerotic nudity. Collins, at least, is clearly having fun with her bitchy role; Oliver Tobias is the would-be stud who finds himself to be merely a pawn in her game (and who, predictably, finds real love in the arms of Collins' teenage step-daughter); while Walter Gotell (a regular in the James Bond extravaganzas) is her betrayed but vengeful diplomat husband.

Oh, Joan...Stop it!

[paul_johnr · 2/10 · 6 January 2008]

Let's get something out of the way right now: 'The Stud' is garbage and doesn't really pretend to be anything more. It is one of the last in an assembly line of mainstream skin flicks that graced Britain and America during the 1970s, finding its place beside 'Come Play with Me,' the Timothy Lea 'Confessions' series, and the many installments of 'Carry On.' In 1978 and '79, bestselling novelist Jackie Collins took advantage of her success to film two adaptations, 'The Stud' and its sequel 'The Bitch.' Older sister Joan Collins, who dealt closely with Jackie at the time, agreed to play her starring role with backing from producer-husband Ronald Kass and Jackie's late husband Oscar Lerman. The rest, we can say, is history; resulting were two incredibly bad films, but also the prototype for Joan Collins's role of Alexis Carrington on the TV series 'Dynasty.'

Released in a burnt-out period of drugs and debauchery, 'The Stud' was very much of its time and an ideal vehicle for adult cinemas. But unlike its successor 'The Bitch,' this earlier film has a semblance of plot, more dimensional characters, and technical work that is not completely awful. The novel and movie use a theme of obvious appeal to working-class men by portraying a young upstart who is eking his way into the social classes that reign above him. This cardboard plot at least makes 'The Stud' watchable, with loads of nudity and cheap, gratuitous moments to wake you from slumber.

While Collins is first-billed as nightclub owner Fontaine Khaled, it is really Oliver Tobias who holds the larger role, playing waiter-turned-club manager Tony Blake. Blake, who doubles as a gigolo and lover of Fontaine, portrays the working-class man who is looking to break through England's social rigidity. He hobnobs and often sleeps with upper-class clientele, prostituting his body and his dignity in order to get places. Tony is pretty much a toy of Fontaine and her friend Vanessa (Sue Lloyd), two married women who escape boredom through orgies and videotapes of their conquests. Fontaine's current husband Benjamin (Walter Gotell) brings onto the scene Alexandra (Emma Jacobs), his daughter from a previous marriage, and Tony begins to have second thoughts about his way of life.

'The Stud' indeed has the look and feel of a cheap romance novel, but it actually had some things going for it when Jackie Collins began to write its screenplay. While Tony Blake is a disgusting man and can be labeled a pervert for bedding Fontaine's just-legal stepdaughter, there is a small amount of depth in his character and we get to know something about him personally. In an odd way, he represents the working-class Briton (or American for that matter) who wants desperately to live a comfortable life, but is inevitably crushed under the weight of those with larger bank accounts and better heredity. In the end, Blake loses everything, with an ease that working-class men can relate too.

However, Collins (with co-writers Dave Humphries and Christopher Stagg) knew the market she was aiming for and kept things mostly on an airheaded level. There is very little plot and dialogue for the actors to work with, resulting in all-around embarrassment. Tobias and Joan Collins fare decently, as does Emma Jacobs in the stepdaughter's role, but everyone is visibly straining to put life into their material. 'The Stud' is so gutted over its 96-minute running time that director Quentin Masters had to cushion the story with nightclub dancing, even though it offers nothing significant. Masters, who may have been under severe budget constraints, directed this film in ways that are laughable. Scenes supposedly taking place at night are botched by windows leaking daylight and it takes half the film to notice a heart-shaped antenna on Blake's roadster, which would have been valuable in showing Blake for the gaudy, tasteless character he is. The sex scene with Tobias and Jacobs (she's about 19, don't forget) is also cheap and exploitative.

'The Stud' is clearly a low-budget film, with tight locations, bad lighting, and poor sound. The disco soundtrack, hyped to the stratosphere when this film was released, comes out blasting while much of the fluffy conversation is drowned out. The cinematography was actually supplied by Peter Hannan, who won an Academy Award in 2006 for co-developing the 'Hot-Head' remote camera. Not surprisingly, The Stud's visuals are superior to that of 'The Bitch' and generally okay, using the darkened gloss that seems common in British film-making. The costuming is ordinary, but a lasing document on 1970s clothing sense - or lack thereof.

Unlike other British skin flicks that played in cinemas and vanished, 'The Stud' and 'The Bitch' are still topics of discussion; few, if any, actors have tumbled into the depths of soft porn and risen back to stardom like Joan Collins has. Where else, after all, can we see a popular actress like Joan stripping down naked, smoking marijuana, and flinging herself into the thick of a pool orgy? When do we ever hear a popular actress like Joan asking her boyfriend if he's getting an erection? In interviews, Collins admits that 'The Stud' led to her famous Dynasty role, but this is still one film she'd like humanity to forget.

Unfortunately for her, 'The Stud' has made it to DVD, released in the U.S. by Trinity Home Entertainment. As expected for a movie of this caliber, it is presented in fullscreen with decent picture and 2.0 Dolby audio that does nothing to resolve the imbalance between music and spoken words. As if people are buying this for the great narratives! The fact is, Joan is nude and nasty - and people have money to spend.

* out of 4

Roving Reviewer - www.geocities.com/paul_johnr

Simply Sleaze!

[bbhlthph · 1/10 · 19 August 2004]

This is a filmed version of Jackie Collins sleazy novel about the lives of the rich and famous, which she herself rewrote for the screen so that her sister Joan could star in the sleaziest role. It does the high society it features no service. Even the most ardent revolutionaries are unlikely to believe that those who have risen to the top in Society are as vacuuous and incompetent as this film shows. The film has no message and no story that is of interest to watch. In some parts it comes close to pornography, something that would be of no concern if it was an important aspect of a worth while story, but in this case provides nothing but futile titillation. As far as I am concerned, the sooner any residual copies are committed to the garbage bin where they belong the better.

My viewers rating is 1 out of 10, and is based only on the fact that a rating of zero does not appear to be acceptable.

Dated Jackie Collins potboiler

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 28 March 2017]

THE STUD is a slightly controversial big screen adaptation of one of Jackie Collins' potboiler novels, about the relationship between a nightclub manager and the wife of a bored businessman looking for a little excitement. This film is notable for featuring Joan Collins in an alluring role; in her mid-40s, she's more than happy to strip off as the part requires and her vibrant personality is very much a reason to tune in.

Unfortunately, the rest of the film is something of a dated mess, and the most enjoyment I got from it were the various funky tunes placing in the various disco dancing scenes. It's an overlong movie and one that's padded to boot; the sex and dancing takes up a lot of the running time, and the rest of the plot is rather slim. Oliver Tobias is miscast as the wooden lead, and I simply didn't care about his predicament whatsoever. Sue Lloyd and Walter Gotell give good value in support, but the sex feels tepid rather than exciting and the end result tends to be 'is that what all the fuss was about?'.

A great exploitation film

[goldgreen · 6/10 · 10 February 2009]

Artistically this film probably deserves its average 2-3 out of 10 rating on IMDb, but to watch it for artistic reasons is a mistake. This is a film that simply went out to make as much money as possible and in that respect it was a big (and rare UK) success. So while the much mocked health spa/ swimming pool orgy scene is unarguably pure hokum, its purpose was simply to get film goers talking about all the raunchy scenes, as was the sex in the lift scene. Other great word of mouth devices are using the hugely popular (among men of a certain age) Pans People/ Legs & Co in the dancing scenes and cashing in on the disco craze. Simply as a fan of cinema these devices are of great interest. To top it all there is a surprisingly good film poster for a film supposedly of no artistic merit. After watching it after all these years (too young at the time) I am impressed that the rather pathetic British film industry of this time was capable of making such a venal and direct money spinner.

Two-Timing Grandmother

[jol-4 · 2/10 · 1 June 2000]

It has to be said that Joan Collins really swooped down low to make this film. The Stud could almost be considered a soft porn with some outstanding sex scenes especially with the orgy in the swimming pool when Joan Collins (a married woman), another woman and a man engage in some romping activities. All in all the film keeps you occupied because of the situation between the "Stud" and the girl he falls in love with but the whole film is rather too raunchy ....that is if you like that sort of stuff..HEY HEY....

Underrated Gem from a bygone era

[davefrankfort · 10/10 · 30 April 2017]

From reading the reviews on here they seem to be a mixed bag, too many people on here who post reviews are trying to hard to be next Barry Norman, The Stud is the classic cult movie, yes it's outlandish in parts, majority of cast turn up and deliver a performance, even the bad actors try, it's not meant to be Shakespeare, it's what it's meant to be an easy watch, from a bygone era, a time capsule of 1970s London, Collins is on top form, Mark Burns "Leonard Grant" almost steals the movie with surreal bits of wisdom, Doug Fisher delivers the best lines, yes it's seedy, dark,silly in parts but it's a classic. A film adored by Paul Bonfield.

Must-See for DYNASTY fans!

[TheSmutPeddler · 6/10 · 26 September 2005]

This film, while utter trash from beginning to end, has tremendous camp value along the lines of "The Lonely Lady" and "Showgirls". For one thing, fans of the TV show "Dynasty" are REQUIRED to rent and watch this soft-core porn fiasco to see their beloved Alexis Carrington Colby Dexter (etc.), Joan Collins, boffing in the buff as rich-bitch disco maven, Fontaine Khaled (Fontaine is a forerunner of Alexis if ever there was one!). You could even say Fontaine is a sort of "Alexis Uncensored" -- Fontaine has all the glamorous window dressing of Alexis while tossing-off vulgar quips like, "Doesn't that give you a hard-on?" (Yes, you WILL howl when you hear the lines coming out of La Collins' mouth!). Wealthy wives who are bored silly, Fontaine and her corrupt girlfriend Vanessa spend their leisure time plotting trysts and comparing notes on sex while getting massages and applying make-up. It's all too, too FABULOUS! The so-called "plot" (thanks to Joan Collins' sister Jackie's bestselling novel) is thin stuff at best, almost arbitrarily following the whims and fancies of the rich-and-famous as they use and abuse one Tony Blake, a relatively attractive and ambitious young man who has foolishly resorted to hustling to pay the bills (played by Oliver Tobias, who would also run around naked in another tawdry production, "The Wicked Lady", co-starring Faye Dunaway, some five years later). It's the old "hooker with a heart of gold" story all over again; Tony becomes introspective over the course of the film and starts questioning his lifestyle. Without giving anything else away, your jaw will absolutely drop by the time the orgy scene rolls around. ASIDE: this is almost certainly the inspiration for 1980's "American Gigolo" starring Richard Gere as a hustler whose devil-may-care lifestyle finally catches up with him. Huge points are awarded to composer Biddu for the score to "The Stud". Some well-known songs punctuate the disco soundtrack which is unparalleled and truly captures the shallow, glittery period. I only wish it were available on CD (though the credits state an album was available on the RONCO label...). Good News: both THE STUD and THE BITCH have, as of February 2006, finally been released to Region 1 DVD in a boxed set! I've yet to watch either film, but have them on order, and will edit my comments accordingly sometime in March to say how the release turned out. Bad news: Thorn EMI's rather ancient VHS release (if that's all you can get your hands on, or if that's the level of technology you're currently stuck with) suffers from very bad sound. Dialog drops out from time to time, making nuances of the story irritatingly difficult to follow -- you have to keep adjusting the volume on your TV upward to hear what's being said, then down again so you don't get blasted to death by scenes in the disco. I've checked several commercially released copies of "The Stud" on VHS and they all suffered from the same sound problems, so it's Thorn EMI's fault. Which is too bad. "The Stud" is an example of bad film-making at its most obnoxious and should be witnessed by everyone who is either a fan of "bad cinema" or merely familiar with the work of Joan Collins.

Oversexed and decadent

[bkoganbing · 1/10 · 20 August 2019]

It seems only right that Joan Collins play the main character in many of her sister Jackie Collins's novels. Who could do the character better justice?

Or at least that's one say. The title character is played here by British/Swiss actor Oliver Tobias and he's quite an eyeful for horny women and longing gay men. He is the manager of The Hobo, London's trendiest disco, but his real job is pleasing the owner who is Collins.

The Hobo is a gift from Joan's super rich husband Walter Gotell who wants to keep his wife busy while he's jetsetting around the globe on business and maybe a pleasure or two of his own.

Things go well for a bit and Joan even brags about Oliver's prowess in the bedroom and urges them to sample. But when Oliver goes after her stepdaughter that's when the jungle red claws come out.

Joan Collins as a result of playing Alexis Carrington was having lots of fun playing cougars of all kinds, but usually rich ones who could afford their indulgences. I'm not sure even now she really cares that she was doing a lot of trash.

For that's what The Stud is, pure unadulterated trash.

Lifestyles of the Bitch and Famous

[Poseidon-3 · 22 November 2006]

Ms. Collins is a survivor and has nearly always been willing to do whatever it took to hold on to some kind of career in acting, even though at the start she lacked the ambition to really push for success. After a period as a contract player for 20th Century Fox (often in roles that Marilyn Monroe rejected), Collins took some time to concentrate on marriage and children (a few of each, actually!) When she was ready to work steadily again, she found herself considered a relic of the 50's and wound up some really lame cinematic and television fare (and the occasional decent project.) She was close to the bottom when her husband at the time produced and she agreed to star in this film, a steamy, tawdry, silly film based on her sister Jackie's novel. She plays a wealthy, decadent socialite whose husband Gotell is an older, not particularly scintillating gentleman. One of his holdings is a discotheque, which Collins frequents and which is managed by the title character, portrayed by Tobias. Not only is Tobias taking care of the night club, he is also taking care of Collins' sexual needs. She films their interlude in an elevator and shows it to her best pal Lloyd who decides that she wouldn't mind trying Tobias out herself, despite her marriage to effete writer Burns. All four of them wind up involved in a hilarious pool orgy (which must be seen to be believed!) that ends when Tobias is asked to go places he's never considered. Unfortunately for Collins, playtime is over when her stepdaughter Jacobs gets wind of the sex tape and decides to take matters into her own hands (and other places.) If the plot sounds trashy in description, it's because the entire enterprise is trashy in the extreme! However, this was made at a time when disco was king, sex was free and easy (pre-AIDs) and hedonism was considered glamorous. By this, it would seem that all rich folks ever do is decide where their next sexual encounter will occur! That said, there are more than a few times when the film strays away from the erotic and strains under the weight of a lame storyline and shoddy acting. Collins occasionally looks a little tired here, most likely due to budgetary lighting, but other times is quite striking, especially when she shows up at the club in a dramatic up 'do. "Dynasty" fans will likely enjoy seeing her manipulate and copulate her way through the film though it is quite an eye-opener to see her cavorting naked when she's best known for TV roles in which only a little skin is shown. By the time she's wearing a huge, crimped, side-ponytail and smoking a joint, followed by various chlorinated frolicking and au naturel trapeze swinging (a homage to one of her most notable films "The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing"??) the majority of her TV audience's minds will have been blown. Tobias (who resembles what would result if Harry Hamlin and a circa 1978 Tommy Lee Jones procreated) is reasonably acceptable in his role. He has a clothing selection scene that must surely have inspired Paul Schraeder when he made "American Gigolo" a short time later. Though he's little known, Tobias actually went on to have a pretty steady career in films. Jacobs is decent enough, but really no one could do much with all the sordid material in the script. Cotell is recognizable as a supporting actor in several James Bond films. Lloyd, Burns and Fisher (who plays another Collins crony who hangs out at the disco) would all come back for the sequel "The Bitch", a year later. The film features a soundtrack of songs that were actual hits of the era, which makes the extended, murky shots of the dancing a little bit more easy to bear, though no one on the dance floor is in danger of dethroning John Travolta (or even Karen Lynn Gorney!) This film, along with its sequel, was a double-edged sword for Collins. On one hand, it represents a headlong dive into exploitation, tastelessness and mediocrity. On the other hand, its box office success helped get her name and face out there again and allowed her to show the world that she was up to the task of portraying the type of mega-bitch that she became on "Dynasty", a move that cemented her financial security forever.

70's Supertrash

[torrascotia · 2/10 · 6 December 2023]

After watching the recent BBC interview with Joan I decided to see what her standard of work was, after it was famously derided as being secondary to Jane Birkin. The Stud was a UK smash however that isn't saying much as anything which was a UK movie and promised lots of sex generally was. The Stud is basically a UK budget Saturday Night Fever but with more sex and a really terrible disco soundtrack which apparently sold tons. When people talk down about disco they generally mean the kind in this movie however there was some great quality disco which is still on rotation today. Although there are also a significant number of actual chart hits from recognised artists in the soundtrack as well. Roxy Music etc.. This is based on an obviously trashy woman's novel penned by Joan's sister and the story is all kinds of stupid. It's about some working class guy who ends up managing some crappy upmarket nightclub and sleeps with upper class women, the main one being Joan's character. Throw in some double dealings, adultery and barely legal sex along with overly dramatic fall outs and its all very trash novel by numbers. The problem is that the movie is about a man and its written by a woman who has no clue about men. Its actually misandrist in some aspects and its probably the first representation of a himbo I have every seen. We are expected to believe that a guy who has access to pretty much any woman suddenly "falls in love" after a one night stand with a 16 year old, and that the same 16 year old ( a virgin) could manipulate what is basically a hyper experienced womaniser. Make it make sense. The other odd male character is the apparently rich bit older husband of Joan who seems to find enormous happiness after divorce as if he has just got out of jail and isn't on the hook financially to his ex. Rather odd. And that brings me to Joan's character arc. Simply no. While I understand this is written by a trash author Joan's character seems to be of the Tommy Wiseau mood swing school of acting. For someone who has just been caught cheating and divorced she seems to bounce back pretty quick. While this was her most famous movie role she was a 45 year old woman in this movie getting her kit off. She does look her age. Her character is also quite odd, she seems to be very confident but based on what exactly? She doesn't appear to have any skills or profession and she's heading into menopause. So its quite hard to see the appeal of her as a character and her male co-lead isn't exactly likeable either. As such its actually quite a bitter movie. A sequel was made which was less successful and no doubt Jackie must have thought they had cracked it. Its probably never dawned on her that the movie wasn't popular because of the story or production, it was simply riding the wave of acceptable sex movies and disco they 70's was known for. There is a reason why this isn't on UK TV much and its because its simply a bad movie, even if it did make some money at the time. Still, there wasn't much choice back then was there?

The Stud

[jboothmillard · 3/10 · 30 April 2022]

I knew about this film because of its lead actress, I knew she took her clothes off and it contained a fair amount of other nudity and sex, and I knew about the sequel, The B****, despite its low ratings I gave it a chance, based on the book by Jackie Collins, Joan's sister. Basically, in London, Tony Blake (Oliver Tobias) (the "Stud" of the title) is an ordinary good-looking guy looking for work and living carefree and spending time with women when he feels like it. One night he goes to the popular nightclub The Hobo and meets club owner Fontaine Khaled (Dame Joan Collins). Fontaine is the wife of wealthy Arab businessman Benjamin Khaled (Walter Gotell) and spends her husband's money on her club and partying. She is attracted to Tony and hires him as her manager. One night, whilst in a private elevator, she starts kissing him and undressing, and they end up having sex there and then. After some time, it becomes apparent that Fontaine is a nymphomaniac, and Tony's job security is dependent on his satisfying her demands. Soon he loses interest in her, as she treats him like a plaything, but his attempts to escape her clutches seem fruitless. When he gets the chance, he turns his attention to her young stepdaughter Alexandra "Alex" (Emma Jacobs), but he finds himself back in Fontaine's grasp. Tony is invited by Fontaine's friend Leonard Grant (Mark Burns) to a private getaway in Paris, France. There in luxurious decadent surroundings, Tony is surrounded with naked nymphs ready to fulfil his every wish. Tony feels uncomfortable having to watch Fontaine engage in intercourse whilst swinging on a flowery swing above the swimming pool. Then Grant tries being intimate with him, this finally pushes Tony to snap. He angrily leaves the place, having reached the depths of corruption and Fontaine's depravity. But things only get worse when it turns out Alexandra used Tony to get back at Fontaine after she discovered a video tape of Fontaine and Tony having sex in the private elevator. Alexandra eventually shows her father this CCTV footage of his wife cheating on him, and he confronts her about the affair. In the end, Fontaine dumps Tony and is divorced by her husband for adultery. Also starring Sue Lloyd as Vanessa Grant, Natalie Ogle as Maddy, Felicity Buirski as Deborah, Doug Fisher as Sammy, Tony Allyn as Hal, GoldenEye's Constantin De Goguel as Lord Newton, and Chris Jagger (Mick's brother) as Rock Star. Collins has her moments when she is the diva, it was three years she became globally famous as Alexis Colby in Dynasty, and she is relatively alright being sultry and promiscuous, as for Tobias, as her toy boy, he is annoying being a wet blanket, and his performance is just unmemorable. The makers at the time proposed this as a British alternative to Saturday Night Fever, it certainly includes a fantastic soundtrack of 70s disco classics, including "Let's Go Disco" by The Real Thing, "Love Is the Drug" by Roxy Music, "Every One's a Winner" by Hot Chocolate, "I'm Not in Love" by 10cc, "Native New Yorker" by Odyssey, "Car Wash" by Rose Royce, "That's the Way (I Like It)" by KC & The Sunshine Band, and "Silver Lady" by David Soul. The biggest problem with this film is, it is so dated(!), the disco scenes are cringing (despite the great music) and don't add anything to the main plot, the sex scenes are not even worthy of a softcore porn film, the swimming pool sex swing sequence may be memorable, but it's equally silly, and any attempts at trying to put a story together are pointless, a terrible only just watchable drama. It was number 100 on The 100 Greatest Sexy Moments. Adequate!

An exploitative curiosity

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 20 November 2012]

The Stud is about Tony Blake, a handsome young man whose fortunes are tied to his ability to satisfy the sexual urges of influential women.

This rather cheap and tatty British sexploitation movie must be the only movie (apart from its sequel, The Bitch) to be based on a novel by one woman, and starring her sister - Jackie Collins, purveyor of glossy erotic fiction in the Harold Robbins mold is the sister of Joan Collins, whose career was reinvigorated by this tosh.

The erotic sequences are, frankly, not particularly erotic, although Miss C (Joan, that is) gamely gets 'em out for the lads for the first time at the age of 45, so points awarded to her for kudos (and also for looking pretty good).

But this is essentially an overwrought bonkbuster, entertaining in a trashy sense on first viewing, but very much a product of its era, and further evidence that we British aren't very good at sex on screen.

I bloody love this movie!

[simon-118 · 9/10 · 15 October 2006]

I can't pretend otherwise, I've always loved this film and it's one of my guilty pleasures for a rainy afternoon, or more likely a night in with a few drinks.

It's astoundingly dreary looking: apart from Joan's soft focus entrance there is precious little opulence on display. The film is low-lit and rather seedy looking. The opening credits sequence remarkably switches from day to night and back again! But right from the start, when the incredibly beautiful Felicity departs after a night with Tony, and then the sequence of him dressing and going out to the sound of the irresistible theme tune (watch Oliver Tobias trying to say "you handsome bastard" tro himself as quietly as possible!), this is a classic quotealong movie. Some of the one liners are great: "they ask for comics and a bag of sweets you give 'em penthouse and amyl nitrate" and best of all "there are two sorts of women in this world. The first sort pick you up and screw you, the second sort pick your brains and screw you up." It's rubbish of course, but however good it may or may not be its about the disco scene and shagging so it will always be seen in that way.

Whatever happened to the director? Oliver Tobias is rather underused in the film it must be said: he doesn't have much to do and is rather overshadowed by super-bitch Fontaine. But the soundtrack is great, and the film is fun. And the scenes with Tony and his pals are the best in the movie. Those three deserved a series! But why does Ben return the video to Fontaine? Surely he'll need it as evidence?

An X-rated slice of disco-era smut.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 5 June 2018]

Based on the steamy best-seller by Jackie Collins, The Stud stars the author's older sister Joan as Fontaine Khaled, middle-aged wife of a wealthy businessman, who spends her time splashing her hubby's cash and screwing stud Tony Blake (Oliver Tobias), manager of her successful nightclub. Blake has bigger plans though: he intends to open his own happening establishment, steal Fontaine's clientele, and make off with her sexy step-daughter Alex (Emma Jacobs).

An X-rated slice of disco-era smut, The Stud is pure '70s trash, with an asinine plot and wooden performances, but it was still a massive success, largely thanks to the nudity and nookie, with Joan baring all for the camera and being all kinds of naughty in an effort revive her flagging movie career. Curious crowds couldn't get enough.

These days, The Stud is a dinosaur of a movie (although some might call it a 'time capsule'), but its tacky disco setting, silly melodrama and carefree attitude to casual sex are guaranteed to provide a good time for fans of camp cinema.

Those who are watching purely to see Joan getting jiggy are treated to a spot of elevator sex that sees Tobias going down on the actress before going up, and an infamous orgy scene set in an opulent health spa which sees a buck naked Collins on a sex swing.

As well as regular rumpy pumpy, the film also features a great soundtrack, with such acts as 10cc, Hot Chocolate, The Sweet, K.C. & The Sunshine Band and Odyssey accompanying the heaving dance floor scenes that make up a large part of the runtime.

6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for the bittersweet ending in which Tony is left jobless, womanless, beaten and bloody, but relieved to be free of the rat race.

joan collins...wow....

[jamms · 1 June 2000]

although the movie was not as explicit as the book, it had it's moments.

joan collins plays the part of the bitchy hedonistic adultering wife( a role she embodied in Dynasty as Alexis for almost 9 years!!) to the tee. she has all the moves, the look and the body language. she plays the part of the manipulative, dominating and captivating 40 yr old woman in her prime to such perfection,that it leaves oliver tobias, to play his role as the "stud" with all the enthusiam one could muster for such a role(not much to do but perform on call and bonk the remaining women in the cast).

walter gotell ( the head of the kgb in bond flicks) is wasted in what could have been a meaty role.

emma jacobs does her best as she transcends from an innocent girl who beds the "stud"(after she meets him the first time and finds out he is "doing" her step mom)to one who uses sex as revenge(when she rejects his amorous advances during his visit to her mother's house) and is then promptly not shown until the end of the movie. sad, because it could have been penned into a longer and more interesting role.

the rest of the movie is pretty slow as it follows the tacky night life of the 70's in london, especially the end where after a new year's party, tony blake is happy to be out of the night ife( i would have thought it would be from too much sex)

A part not to be missed is the "orgy scene" in the swimming pool...that was quite a scene!!!!

only worth a watch for joan collins fans who want to catch a glimpse of the early shades of Alexis Carrington Colby..

Nostalgic fun...

[glenn-36518 · 8/10 · 13 June 2020]

I was 15 when this first came out and i had to wait two years before i was able to sneak into the cinema and watch it. While The Stud is by no means a great movie it was the highest grossing british film of 1978 and does bring back some great memories. The soundtrack is superb and there are a few interesting scenes, worth a watch if just for Joan Collins on a swing.

I enjoyed it, Joan and Oliver make it better than it could have been.

[tAYLOR_308 · 11 November 2007]

I enjoyed this movie, Joan Collins is the only actress that could pull it off. She has the ability to play these roles without letting it become silly, or needlessly pornographic. She has the charisma of a true golden era movie star, but her roles are daring, unique and push the envelope. She brings an energy that is so youthful to her roles; which is great in these movies and Dynasty where she is at an age where most women are no longer seen at all, never the less sexy and beautiful. She shows that there is life after you are mature, and she makes it look fun. The messages in the film are interesting; both the men and the women have their own angles on each other and what is happening, neither is really a victim. Infidelity and promiscuity are seen in all socioeconomic levels in society. From peasants to kings sex is happening and has happened. There are also consequences for each character but they happen and life goes on. Some people are put off by the sexuality of the film but Fontaine is a jets disco owner in the seventies, it fits the character.

Entertaining 70's time capsule

[Falconeer · 8/10 · 31 October 2012]

Oliver Tobias plays Tony Blake; plaything to the wealthy ladies of the decadent London disco club scene. Tony is a working class guy, trying to climb the ladder of fortune and success, by using his sexy looks and charm. Unfortunately the hustler is no match for female hustler, lady-shark Fontaine Khalad, played to perfection by Joan Collins. And when Tony begins to have real romantic feelings for Fontaine's teenage stepdaughter, it's the beginning of the end for our anti-hero. "The Stud" is an amazing time capsule, a vivid documentation of a decadent decade where disco and drugs were King. Surprisingly atmospheric, as well as effectively seedy and depressing, but it really has a heart when it comes to showing the rise and fall of Tony Blake. He is the perfect British "working class hero," who turns out to be more noble than any of the high society people that feed on him and throw him to the wolves. This is no "Boogie Nights," or "54," it is the real deal. The soundtrack is impressive, and it is a wonder how they got permission to use all these very popular songs for the production; this movie was apparently a very big deal at the time, and a big hit too. Collins is wonderful in her role as the jaded, two-timing bitch, but it is Oliver Tobias who gives this film it's soul. Followed by a sequel, "The Bitch," but this is by far the better film. Recommended for fans of 70's exploitation films. For those who believe the 70's were a happy and innocent time, see "The Stud." It really shatters that myth..

Really Awful but Has Some Camp Appeal

[Michael_Elliott · 8 July 2017]

The Stud (1978)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Incredibly silly but sleazy "drama" about Fontaine (Joan Collins), a woman married to a very rich man but whose having an affair with Tony (Oliver Tobias), the stud running their club. Poor Tony is good looking and has an unlimited number of great looking women wanting to sleep with him but before long the stud begins to feel sorry for himself.

THE STUD is a pretty awful movie that came out of nowhere and somehow became a very big hit. Who knows why something like this would have become a hit but I'm going to guess that part of the reason was the awful disco era that was going on at the time and the fact that someone like Collins was going full nudity and trashy with the material. Yes, the film is sleazy, campy and at times trashy but that still doesn't make for a lot of entertainment.

The biggest problem with the film is that none of the characters are all that entertaining. I've read some reviews that complained that none of them were likable but that I really don't care about. You don't have to have likable characters for a movie to work but you do need to have some that are interesting. All of the characters here were rather forgettable and boring. The same could be said for the performances but it seems the two leads are having fun with their roles and especially Collins and her bitch quality.

The film became somewhat notorious for the various bits of nudity and sex. The highlight of all of this is a bizarre pool orgy sequence, which is just campy enough to where you can have a good laugh at its expense. The film is certainly a very bad one but it remains mildly interesting just because of the weird stuff going on. Did I mention the awful title song, which was clearly ripping off the SHAFT theme?