You ever wonder what happened to the "Swinging London" dream after the Beatles got weird and the colors started to fade? Most people point to the dark side of the hippie movement, but if you want to see the literal, grimy reality of 1970, you look at Pete Walker. Specifically, you look at Cool It Carol.
It’s a movie that usually gets tossed into the "sexploitation" bin and forgotten. But honestly, it's way more interesting than that. It’s a cynical, almost mean-spirited look at what happens when small-town naivety hits the jagged edges of a big city that doesn't care if you live or die.
What is Cool It Carol Actually About?
Basically, you’ve got Joe and Carol. They’re a young couple from Shropshire—the "sticks," as the movie likes to remind us. They pack their bags and head to London, convinced they're going to be famous.
It’s the classic story. Joe (played by a very young Robin Askwith) thinks he’s a big shot, and Carol (Janet Lynn) is the "pretty face." But London in 1970 wasn't exactly handing out modeling contracts like flyers. Joe can’t find a job to save his life. Meanwhile, Carol finds out that the only people who want to "hire" her have very specific, very naked requirements.
Instead of being horrified, the movie takes this weirdly pragmatic turn. Joe starts acting as Carol's manager. Or, let's be real, his girlfriend's pimp. They move from cheap hostels to luxury apartments, trading Carol’s "virtue" for a better zip code. It’s uncomfortable. It's meant to be.
Why Pete Walker Made Something Different
Pete Walker is famous for his "terror" movies like Frightmare or House of Whipcord. He loved poking at British authority figures—judges, priests, the older generation that pretended to be moral while being totally corrupt.
Cool It Carol was an early indicator of that vibe. It wasn't just about the sex; it was about the transaction. Walker supposedly got the idea from an article in News of the World. He wanted to show that the "Swinging Sixties" didn't end with peace and love. They ended with a bill you couldn't pay.
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The movie’s U.S. title was way more on the nose: The Dirtiest Girl I Ever Met. That’s pure marketing fluff. The British title is better because it sounds like advice—something someone would hiss in a backroom when a girl starts getting too many "ideas" about her own worth.
The Cast and the "Confessions" Connection
If you recognize Joe, it’s because Robin Askwith became the face of the Confessions series (Confessions of a Window Cleaner, etc.). But in those movies, he’s a lovable oaf. In Cool It Carol, there’s a bitterness to him.
- Robin Askwith: He brings a "clumsy charm," but his character is fundamentally weak.
- Janet Lynn: She plays Carol with a strange, detached sweetness. She’s the one doing the work, yet she seems the least bothered by it until the very end.
- Stubby Kaye: Yeah, the guy from Guys and Dolls is in this. It’s that kind of movie.
- Jess Conrad: A 60s pop idol playing a sleazy version of a talent scout. Meta before meta was a thing.
The Weird Logic of the Plot
Most movies like this end in a bloodbath or a drug overdose. Cool It Carol does something weirder. After they’ve seen the worst of the "blue movie" industry and the high-end prostitution rings, they just... go home.
They go back to Shropshire.
There’s a scene early on where Carol’s dad asks if her "maidenhead is intact." When she says no, he basically shrugs and gives her twenty quid. That’s the movie in a nutshell. It’s not about grand moral failings; it’s about a world that has become entirely transactional. The pragmatism is the scariest part.
Why Should You Care in 2026?
For a long time, you could only find this on grainy VHS or bootleg DVDs. But Kino Lorber recently put out a Blu-ray restoration that actually makes the 1970 London locations look incredible. You see the real King’s Road, the Chelsea Drug Store, and the grit of Paddington Station before it was cleaned up.
It’s a time capsule.
If you’re a film nerd, you’ll notice the "icky" energy that TCM's Pablo Kjolseth talked about—those tight shots of old men watching young women. It’s voyeuristic and gross, but it captures a specific moment in British subculture that most "history" books skip over.
Key Details for Collectors
- Director: Pete Walker
- Release Year: 1970
- Alternate Titles: Oh Carol, The Dirtiest Girl I Ever Met
- Availability: Look for the Kino Lorber or 88 Films Blu-ray releases. Avoid the old cropped DVD versions if you can; the 1.66:1 aspect ratio is how it was meant to be seen.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans of 70s Cinema
If you want to understand this era of "Sleazy British Cinema," don't just stop at Carol. You’ve gotta see the evolution.
- Watch "Die Screaming, Marianne": Also by Pete Walker. It’s the bridge between his "sex films" and his "horror films."
- Track down the filming locations: If you're ever in London, visit the Chelsea Potter on King's Road. It looks different, but the vibe of that corner of London still carries echoes of the film's "scouting" scenes.
- Compare with "Smashing Time" (1967): Watch these back-to-back. Smashing Time is the colorful, optimistic version of the "girls in the big city" story. Cool It Carol is the hangover three years later.
Don't go into this expecting a masterpiece. It’s a low-budget exploitation film. But it’s one with a brain, a dark heart, and a very cynical view of what "making it" actually means.