Lady Cocoa - WTF?!

This week’s WTF film is a special flick that is near and dear to my heart. The 1975 fantastic Blaxploitation journey of Lady Cocoa (A.K.A. Pop Goes The Weasel), starring Lola Falana, will have you absolutely rolling on the floor with camp laughter. Here’s the premise; Cocoa (Falana) gets a 24 hour get-out-of-jail-free card if she’ll narc on her no good criminal hustler boyfriend in a court of law. She cashes in on her card, sexy style, and the companionship of her protective custody/steamy leading man Doug (Gene Washington). Along for the ride is Detective Ramsey (Alex Dreier), sort of a Raymond Burr starter kit, who is continually torn between the task of keeping Cocoa in line and tracking down the bad guy.

We have to thank writer George Theakos and cult film director Matt Cimber for this wonderful low budget masterpiece that mixes a gritty underworld of drugs and crime with a beautiful young Falana; all set in Lake Tahoe’s glitzy King’s Castle backdrop. This 35mm Mono-sound Masterpiece was the last of 3 films the two worked on together as writer and director. They’re also responsible for The Black Six and The Candy Tangerine Man. Cimber started his career as a NYC live theater director and was probably best known as the ex-husband of actress Jayne Mansfield. Cimber met Mansfield on a revival production of Bus Stop and directed her in the awful Mansfield swan-song film Single Room Furnished (1968).

WTF moments ooze from the screen throughout this entire film. Let’s start with one of the longest opening scenes/title sequences I’ve seen in a long time. In wonderful exposition the first 15 minutes of the film volley back and forth between Ramsey and Doug unlocking Cocoa out of jail, the loooong car ride to Lake Tahoe, and credits backed by Falana singing the film’s catchy yet coquettish theme song, “Pop Goes the Weasel.” But brace yourself. You’ll hear this theme song possibly a dozen or more times throughout this 93 minute grind-house achievement. You hear it as a groovy dance track in the hotel club; a stinger for the comedic room service guy; in a minor key when our hero & heroine are being stalked by the bad guys. Which version will be your favorite?

Oh and what about the bad guys? One of the two hit men stalking Cocoa and her heavy is none other than future Coca-Cola (irony?) commercial star “Mean Joe” Green! Even with a substantial amount of screen time, poor “Mean Joe” doesn’t get to utter one line of dialogue in the entire film!

Falana’s performance is not a terrible one (when you can understand her dialogue through the ear piercing squeak that is her speaking voice.) Okay, it's pretty ridiculous! This “hot piece of cheese” spends most of the film trying to prove to her companions that she is as smart as she looks by misquoting literary greats and taking what’s nearly 3 to 4 dozen hot showers. When she gets upset, she takes a shower. When she’s happy she takes a shower. When she’s riddled with fear she takes a shower. I can only imagine that it was the producer’s way of keeping her dressed only in a towel for 75% of the film. Falana didn’t go on to do a ton of acting after this film. She appeared on episodes of The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and many variety shows in the 70’s and 80’s.

The entire motion picture plot line wraps up with what could quite possibly be the craziest twist you’ll ever see. Let’s just say that not everything is as it appears and “Pop Goes the Weasel” takes on a whole new connotation. It is a DO NOT DARE MISS WTF moment. The U.S. was blessed by the bad-movie Gods to have this lovely gem find national DVD release on 2/2/2002. Sure, technically this film has a lot to be desired. Hey, that’s why they call them Grind House Blaxploitation films! They weren’t produced to be technical master works; they were created to make money and entertain the masses.

Lady Coco, Miss Lady Luck, took a gamble and got stuck 'cause "Mean" Joe Greene ain't playin' when he goes slayin'.

They traded her life in the slammer for 24-hours of fun in a Nevada Casino. But MURDER was the big pay-off!

(5/19/10 update!) OK so the original vid that I posted has been removed. Until I can get some footage from the film, here's some wonderful clips from Lola Falana's Italian Variety Specials!