Uschi 🌰🌰 Digard

The first thing to know about Uschi Digard is that they are completely fake. No, not her boobs, which are 100% natural goodness. But all her claims about being Swedish, growing up in Saltsjö-Duvnäs, going to a Swedish boarding school where she was taught by nuns, getting her break in Swedish films and most other things written about her background.

The interview with her in the Rialto Report podcast sets the record straight that she is Swiss (French-Swiss), grew up in Switzerland, went to Catholic nun boarding school there. As the Rialto Report said:

“For someone with such a larger than life presence, Uschi was also elusive and deeply private. Her face and body may have been all over the magazines but her own voice was notably absent. Throughout her long career as a nude model and actress she revealed everything, but revealed nothing.”

She was, however, incredibly prolific: 26 films in 1970, 25 films in 1971, 16 films in 1972, 13 films in 1973, 7 films in 1974 and so on. She became famous with her role (dance) in Russ Meyer's “Cherry, Harry & Raquel!” (1970) and she had small parts in mainstream films (usually walk-on parts as ‘busty girl’), such as “I Love You, Alice B Toklas” (1968, starring Peter Sellers) and “The Kentucky Fried Movie” (1977, Dir: John Landis).

But it is the exploitation films of the late 60s and throughout the 70s that made her a household name.

Over two weeks on Cultpix we worked our way through a selection of her early filmography in chronological order:

The Scavengers (1969) - Lee Frost directed this western roughie with whippings and nudity. The first film where Uschi Digard has a credit in a feature film. She was also in Lee Frost's “The Black Gestapo” (1975).

Getting Into Heaven (1970) - Sex-lite comedy best described as frothy and frolicsome except that the women in this picture are naked and having simulated sex with deformed looking men. “In her sexplosive prime, Uschi radiated a wholesome, fresh air and sunshine sexuality no matter how sleaze filled the movie. Getting into Heaven is a good, if harmless, vehicle for Uschi’s erotic talents,” say the SWV liner notes.

Oddly Coupled (1970) - Shy photo nerd kidnapped by carload of pretty girls, but prefers fish instead of women.In a final touch of delirium, Oddly Coupled (a.k.a. One More Time) keeps flashing to a hallucinogenic scene shot through a fish tank where some lovely naked woman beckons. Original title: Betta Betta in the Wall, Who’s the Fattest Fish of All?

Private Arrangement (1970) - The Playpen cruise is actually an orgiastic yacht party. But when a member turns up dead it becomes a whodunnit-with-boobs. Made by Mitam Productions, a small, sleazy production company who, in a world of small, sleazy production companies, was among the smallest and sleaziest.

Sandra, the Making of a Woman (1970) - Small-town girl (Monica Gayle) relocates to LA where she moves in with Uschi, who promptly makes a move on her. A real time-capsule of a movie in terms of showing the San Francisco of the ‘Free Love’ era.

Coed Dorm (1971) - Semi-musical nudie comedy with Uschi a member of The Farouk U All-Girl Topless Tabernacle Choir. Coed Dorm is a rather wacky drive-in mix of skin, songs, and stupid jokes. But Beware. This print has been through Hell and back.

A Touch of Sweden (1971) - Uschi uses her best (fake) Swedish äccent tö tell störies öf sexuål ädventures. Everyone’s favorite sex bomb then "helps her fellow man" by becoming a nurse (!) and meeting "the strangest people." Naturally, Uschi and her fellow nurses offer their own special brand of sexual healing.

Skin Flick Madness (1970s) - Loop of Uschi in a grindhouse cinema 'inspires' couple watching to get frisky. Starring Sandy Dempsey as the reluctant girlfriend. Forced to watch a skin flick by her boyfriend, Harold, Sandy squirms in her theater seat and kvetches and whines to beat the band.

Hawaiian Split (1971) - Say Aloha! to drugs, violence and nudity. Rene Bond co-stars in this with Uschi as "bimbo". The surprisingly violent Hawaiian Split was called The Godchildren when first released, in a shameless attempt to cash in on the success of the Godfather. At least this one has Uschi.

The Big Snatch (1971) - Uschi and four other women kidnapped by lowlifes in this mean and nasty ultra-sexy roughie. The girls are submitted to every form of sexual degradation, until they turn the tables on the thugs.

The Goddaughter (1972) - Uschi murders a man by smothering his face in her tits; it's not even the strangest murder method. Vagina firing bullets, anyone? A surprisingly obscure sex film considering the cast, violence, and sick jokes. Fortunately, Something Weird rescued this film for posterity.

The Black Alley Cats (1972) - Black & white female vigilante gang in cool leather jackets. The tough girls rob from the suburban rich and give to the poor.

The Secret Dreams of Mona Q (1977) - On the surface Mona Q is a docile and tender young wife, but deep inside she's a hot young temptress, driven by uncontrollable urges. This is the film the Troma Kaufmann brothers deny ever making! (Liars.)

And of course there's a Uschi Spotify playlist.