Film Review: Whiffs (1975)
Imagine a protagonist who uses weapons of mass destruction against innocent civilians and the film being made as a comedy. Half a century ago, various strange chemicals were apparently consumed in Hollywood offices, and that may explain for creative decisions that led to Whiffs, 1975 film directed by Ted Post. Its protagonist, Private Dudley Frapper (played by Eliott Gould), is not a stranger to various exotic chemicals himself. For fifteen years he loyally served in US Army as human guinea pig for bacteriological and chemical warfare experiments. They had predictably dire effects on general state of his health, including impotence, which strains the relationship with his girlfriend, comely Army nurse Lt. Scottie Hallam (played by Jennifer O’Neill). Things get even worse when his superior officer, Colonel Lockyer (played by Eddie Albert), informs him that his condition made him unsuitable for further tests, so he is discharged from the Army and receives meagre disability compensation which isn’t enough to make ends meet. Dudley has problems keeping jobs from his disability, but the accidental encounter with “Chops” Mulligan (played by Harry Guardino), career criminal who took part in experiments in order to win early parole, gives him idea how to solve his financial problems. Two men steal incapacitating chemical agents from Dudley’s old base and later use them in order to commit robberies. Their most audacious plan, which involves crop dusting biplane and gassing of an entire city, will bring attention of Colonel Lockyear and his chemical warfare unit.
This film is one of the more obscure from its era, despite being nominated for Oscar for Best Original Song. The obscurity can only partially be explained with its somewhat questionable premise. The environmentally conscious audience today is less friendly to plots involving chemicals that could have long-lasting negative effects on people than it was in an age before effects of compounds like Agent Orange became widely known. In mid 1970s, on the other hand, idea of using weapon that makes people “get high” was thought to be attractive to Baby Boomer audience. Whiffs tries to exploit anti-militaristic and anti-establishment sentiments created by Vietnam War and the film leans heavily on anti-military classic MASH, which featured Eliott Gould in one of his most popular and iconic roles. With proper script and carefully dosed black humour and irony, the concept could have worked, but screenwriter Malcom Marmorstein fails to deliver it, except in the first part when we are introduced to protagonist and his grotesque predicament. Gould and the rest of the cast does the best what can be done with inept plot and characterisation, and Godfrey Cambridge must be commended for humorous performance in the role of overenthusiastic crop dusting pilot. Some actors are, however, worse than others and that includes Jennifer O’Neill who lack chemistry with Gould, despite two of them being a real life couple during production. Director Ted Post, best known for his television work, does uninspired but solid work and Whiffs pass relatively quick, not allowing audience to fathom how truly dreadful this film could have been.
RATING: 4/10 (++)
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