The Great American Girl Robbery

"Take them away for a weekend… then try and let them go!"

1979 1h 27m EN

💀

4.2

SKIP

★4.2TMDB · 17

ComedyCrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A busload containing three cheerleading teams from three different schools who are heading to compete against each other is hijacked by terrorists and the girls are kidnapped.

“Take them away for a weekend… then try and let them go!”

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Cast

Kristine DeBell
Debbie Williams
Jason Williams
Wayne
Wyatt Johnson
George
Wally Ann Wharton
Lisa
Janet Blythe
Afton
Deslyn Bernet
Anita
Leslie King
Sandy
Joan Wolff
Pam

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jeff Werner
Writers: D.W. Gilbert, Jason Williams
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

47 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Part of the "The Cheerleaders Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jeff Werner, shot by Paul Ryan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ruben Banuelos. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jeff Werner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kristine DeBell and Jason Williams and Wyatt Johnson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Take them away for a weekend… then try and let them go!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jeff Werner directs. Paul Ryan behind the camera. Ruben Banuelos scores. Jeff Werner cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
247 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "The Cheerleaders Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Jeff Werner, shot by Paul Ryan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Ruben Banuelos. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Jeff Werner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Kristine DeBell and Jason Williams and Wyatt Johnson carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Take them away for a weekend… then try and let them go!".
9IMDB entry: tt0078960 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 17 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Paul Ryan
Original score: Ruben Banuelos
Editing: Jeff Werner
Costume design: Sarah Bardo
Makeup / hair: Alan Friedman
Runtime: 87 min · 1h 27m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Great American Girl Robbery (1979)

Part of

The Cheerleaders Collection

These cheerleader films explore themes of school spirit through unusual methods, like in The Cheerleaders (1973), where cheerleaders weaken the opposing football team through sexual encounters. The Swinging Cheerleaders (1974) examines cheerleading's societal implications and perceptions as degrading to women, with a reporter joining a squad to expose this. Revenge of the Cheerleaders (1976) presents cheerleading with sexualized imagery, violence, and humor. The Great American Girl Robbery (1979) utilizes cheerleaders in crime-related storylines, involving a hijacked busload of cheerleaders kidnapped by terrorists. These films maintain coherence through recurring themes of spirit, energy, gender dynamics, and sexualization. Often portraying cheerleaders positively as energetic and virtuous, they depict moral righteousness and role models against injustices. Plots involve cheerleaders in mysterious scenarios, adding thrill and intrigue, with themes of pride, rivalry, and competition.