Maggie McCullough is Priscilla Barnes, a female doctor summoned to the town of Sweetwater by her ailing Aunt Annie (Joan Collins).
She arrives just as all the men in Sweetwater are riding off to join the Confederate army.
And she arrives to another surprise: Her aunt isn’t a mine owner as Maggie thought; she runs a bordello stocked with lots of lovely lasses.
In fact, no sooner have the men departed than the “good” women of Sweetwater descend on Annie’s place, announcing that a new town council has been elected and plans to shut her down as its first order of business.
Not so fast, replies Annie, who quickly educates them on how many of their husbands have IOUs at her place and how many others have allowed her to become partners in their businesses in exchange for carnal favors.
Fact is, she owns half of Sweetwater and, as such, appoints Maggie as the town’s new mayor.
With the men gone, Maggie figures all the women in Sweetwater — the ladies and the ladies of the night — are going to have to work together to keep the town running.
She’s working toward that end with mixed results when a more serious problem rides into Sweetwater.
It arrives in the form of Union Col. Samuel Isaacs (Howard Duff). His son (Donny Osmond) has been badly wounded.
His ultimatum: Either Maggie and wounded Confederate doctor John Cain (Lee Horsley) heal his son. Or he’ll return to wipe out the town.
Priscilla Barnes as Maggie McCulloch, a lady doctor summoned to a Sweetwater bordello in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Joan Collins as Annie McCulloch, trying to convince her niece to give Sweetwater a chance in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Review:
Entertaining little comedy Western featuring an attractive cast. Joan Collins was pushing 50 at the time of its release and still looked fabulous.
The “wild” in the title refers to the frequent catfights that break out. And to the women’s decision to defend the town when Col. Isaacs returns.
Oh, he’s promised to spare Sweetwater and its inhabitants should his son survive. Maggie thinks he’ll keep his promise.
The more worldly Annie and Capt. Cain convince her a renegade Union commander leading a troop of women-hungry men can’t be trusted. So the women begin taking shooting lessons.
Barnes had replaced Suzanne Somers on “Three’s Company” when this television film was released. Lisa Whelchel, an aspiring nurse who winds up falling for the colonel’s son, was a star on the TV show “Facts of Life.”
Her scenes with Donny Osmond seemed awkward, forced a times. But there’s a neat little subplot featuring Pamela Bellwood as Sarah, wife of one of the men who’s ridden off to war, and Phyllis Davis as Sugar, one of Annie’s girl that Sarah’s husband has been frequently visiting.
They’re the instigators behind a couple of those catfights. But they wind up being friends. Husband Tom’s reaction when he returns home to discover that is priceless.
Lee Horsley as Capt. John Cain, giving Maggie a pre-surgery pep talk in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Howard Duff as Col. Samuel Isaacs, returning to Sweetwater intent on pillaging the town in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Directed by:
Philip Leacock
Cast:
Priscilla Barnes … Maggie McCulloch
Lee Horsley … Capt. John Cain
Howard Duff … Col. Samuel Isaacs
Pamela Bellwood … Sarah
Phyllis Davis … Sugar Harris
Jeanette Nolan … Gertrude
Morgan Brittany … Lannie
Donny Osmond … Frank Isaacs
Lisa Whelchel … Amy Cole
Joan Collins … Annie McCulloch
Paul Brinegar … Bodie
Dennis Fimple … Lamont
Susan Kellerman … Betsy
Paul Carr … Confederate captain
Rex Holman … Lt. Pritchard
Rayford Barnes … Russell
Scott Arthur Allen … Tommy
Jerry J. Lewandoswki … Tommy
Runtime: 97 min.
Donny Osmond as Frank Isaacs, standing up to his father, Col. Isaacs in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Lisa Whelchel as Amy Cole, the aspiring nurse who winds up falling for a ‘blue belly’ in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Memorable lines:
Sarah: “You’re a doctor? What are you doing here?”
Maggie McCulloch: “I wish I knew.”
Annie McCulloch: “Anybody can make a life in a place that’s civilized. But to make a town out of the wild is really something.”
Col. Samuel Isaacs to Capt. Cain and Maggie: “The two of your are going to save my son’s life. Or die with him. Along with many, many others.”
Maggie McCulloch: “If the son dies, the colonel says he’ll kill us.”
Annie McCulloch: “I see. Well, there’s nothing like a little incentive for excellent workmanship. What are you waiting for, honey? Patch him up.”
Lannie, one of Annie’s girls, watching Capt. Cain and Maggie walk hand-in-hand: “Don’t that just about beat all. There’s only one man in this whole town and a virgin gets him.”
Priscilla Barnes as Maggie McCulloch, learning the truth about what to expect from Col. Isaacs in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Phyllis Davis as Sugar Harris, about to share some carnal wisdom with a wife in need in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Pamela Bellwood as Sarah, whose husband and young son are both attracted to Sugar in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Morgan Brittany as Lannie, one of Annie’s girls, waiting for men to return in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Susan Kellerman as Betsy, the woman Annie relies on to keep order around the bordello in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Jeanette Nolan as Gertrude, trying to chase Annie and her girls out of Sweetwater in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Dennis Fimple as Lamont, one of two one-armed aging miners left behind in Sweetwater in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Paul Brinegar as Bodie, a one-armed miner who’s still handy with explosive in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Joan Collins as Annie McCulloch, sharing some wordly knowledge with her niece in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Pamela Bellwood as Sarah and Phyllis Davis as Sugar Harris, introducing themselves as friends to Sarah’s surprised husband in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Donny Osmond as Frank Isaacs and Lisa Whelchel as Amy Cole, watching for another advance by the Union renegades in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
Prisilla Barnes as Maggie McCulloch and Lee Horsley as Capt. Cain, helping fight off the Union renegades in The Wild Women of Chastity Gap (1982)
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