BB17-059 — WAITRESS!
Shop Now

YEAR: 1981
FILM STUDIO / PRODUCTION: Troma Entertainment / Lloyd Kaufman–Michael Herz Production
TAGLINE: “The Wildest Film of the Year!” / “Make Your Reservations Now For… Waitress!”
DIRECTORS: Lloyd Kaufman (credited as Samuel Weil) and Michael Herz
CAST: Jim Harris, Carol Drake, Carol Bevar, Renata Majer, Hunt Block, Tony Denison
GENRE: Comedy / Sex Comedy / Sexploitation
POSTER PRINTER: M.A.P.S. Litho Pty. Ltd.
FORMAT: Australian Daybill

Waitress! is an early Troma comedy about three waitresses contending with the chaos of a New York restaurant. It was made before Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz took Troma into the cult exploitation territory for which the company later became famous. AFI records the film as a Troma production directed by Kaufman, under his Samuel Weil credit, and Michael Herz.

POSTER DESIGN FEATURES: A very distinctive Australian Daybill using black, white and vivid red, dominated by a large circular photograph of three waitresses dressed in revealing restaurant-themed costumes. The oversized red Waitress! title sits beneath the Australian promotional wording, while a second photographic scene occupies the bottom panel. The Australian R classification, Blake Films branding and M.A.P.S. printer credit add strong local theatrical-release details. The relatively simple photographic design is unmistakably early-1980s exploitation advertising.

COLLECTOR'S NOTE: This one has an important cult-film connection: Waitress! belongs to Troma's early run of adult-oriented comedies, preceding the company's breakthrough with The Toxic Avenger. It was the second of Troma's so-called “sexy comedies,” following Squeeze Play! and preceding Stuck on You! and The First Turn-On!. The film also contains the first feature-film appearance of Chris Noth, later widely known for Law & Order and Sex and the City. This gives the poster additional crossover interest for Troma, cult cinema and exploitation-film collectors.