That Tender Touch is an obscure and hilarious 1969 American exploitation feature focusing on the twisted break up of lesbian lovers Marsha (Bea Tompkins) and Terri (Sue Bernard). When Marsha tries to win Terri away from her new husband every female in the neighborhood pursues her, but she only has eyes for Terri. Marsha ends up face down in the swimming pool at the end, but not before jumping Terri one last time and getting her to admit that she's still in love with her. "I want you Marsha, but it's wrong," Terri pleads as Marsha tries to pull off her bikini on the bedroom floor.
Described by Variety as "One more variation on the Lesbian thing," this wildly entertaining melodrama stars minor cult figure Sue Bernard as Terri (Bernard was Playboy's Miss December 1966 and co-star of the Russ Meyer classic Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!). Bea Tompkins plays the lesbian ex-lover, Marsha.
"That Tender Touch has a multitude of scenes between the two femmes," says Variety, "which probably will be exploited for good response in certain bookings." While that "good response" was probably supposed to come from male audiences seeking soft-core titillation, contemporary lesbian audiences will respond wildly to the camp value of this vintage Dykesploitation classic.
Film Festivals Screenings: San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival; Melbourne Queer Film Festival; London Gay & Lesbian Film Festival; Montreal Gay and Lesbian Film Festival; Chicago Gay and Lesbian Film Festival; Pittsburgh International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival; Minneapolis/St. Paul International LGBT Film Fest. And many more. . .
Rave Reviews: FIVE STARS! — PlanetOut.com
"The sleaziest lesbosploitation film ever made."
— Ellen Spiro, Out Magazine
"I think easily the greatest movie ever made. A trash masterpiece beyond belief."
— Jack Stevenson, reknowned exploitation film conossieur
PLEASE NOTE: This digital transfer has been mastered from a rare 35mm archival print. The film is complete and unedited, but in poor condition after years of wear and tear. The original 35mm print of this film has been donated to the Outfest Legacy Project at UCLA Film & Television Archive, the pioneering program for LGBT film preservation.
