THE WOMAN HUNTER (1972) *

Barbara Eden stars as a wealthy socialite who was just involved in a terrible car crash.  She and hubby Robert Vaughn head down to Acapulco for a little R and R and escape some bad publicity.  They are followed by Stuart Whitman who charms the bored Barbara with his flagrant flirting.  She soon learns he’s obsessed with her, and has been spying, taking pictures, and keeping an extensive dossier on her.  Could he also be the murderous jewel thief that’s been preying on rich women?

The Woman Hunter is a languid and uninvolving TV movie (you can tell from the constant fade-outs that signal a commercial break and the fact Whitman is a “special guest star”) that hasn’t an ounce of suspense.  You can tell from the get-go where this thing is going right down to the predicable last-minute plot twist.  You can’t blame the three leads for grabbing a quick paycheck and a free trip to Acapulco but none of them seem particularly invested.  Director Bernard L. (Attack of the Giant Leeches) Kowalski is an old pro, yet he’s unable to breathe any life into the cliched script.  I mean Barbara’s character is named “Mrs. Hunter” and Whitman is hunting her, so the dual meaning of the title is the closest the bankrupt script comes to being clever.

The standout scene is when Barbara gets drunk at a party and has an extended dance number in front of the ogling tourists.  It’s kind of random, but at least it’s memorable.  Equally memorable is Vaughn’s eventual comeuppance.  There’s also a completely unnecessary scene of Larry Storch standing around, getting drunk, and telling lame jokes.  These fleeting moments barely register a blip of actual interest from the viewer and aren’t nearly bonkers enough to save this turd from being a total snoozer.