Rat Pfink and Boo Boo (Rat Pfink a Boo Boo) (1966) – Nostalgia Central

Ray Dennis Steckler is well known to shlock aficionados as the auteur behind Wild Guitar (1962) and The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? (1964). He makes Roger Corman look like Fellini, but you can’t hate his movies.

Rat Pfink and Boo Boo was Steckler’s no-budget attempt to cash in on the buzz and mania generated by Batman (1966) and the associated television series.

The film begins with a trio of hoods known as The Chain Gang – Linc (George Caldwell), Hammer (Mike Kannon) and Benjie (James Bowie) – roughing up vulnerable young Irma La Streetwalker (Mary Jo Curtis).

We then meet rock singer Lonnie Lord (Ron Haydock) outside the Capitol Records Tower in Los Angeles. The narrator tells us Lonnie has sold ten million records.

Lonnie rides on a merry-go-round with his gorgeous gal Ceebee Beaumont (Steckler’s ex-wife Carolyn Brandt), listening to his song Runnin’ Wild. The hoods harass Cee Bee with obscene phone calls while Lonnie cavorts with bikini-clad girls.

After the Chain Gang abduct Ceebee, Lonnie and his slow-witted gardener, Titus Twimbly (Titus Moede) suit up as the titular heroes in cheesy homemade costumes.

Rat Pfink wears a ski mask and gym sweats, and Boo Boo wears a Mardi Gras hat with blinking lights.

They tool around in a shiny cycle/sidecar ensemble called the ‘Ratcycle’.

The entire film is a jumble of poorly synced sound (there was no microphone used during filming, so all dialogue and sound effects were added later); stolen exterior shots; generic surf-rock; and a guy in a gorilla suit (good old Bob Burns, billed as “Kogar”).

The funniest scene has Haydock and Moede, in costume, bluff their way into a real-life parade and wave to the crowd like they’re real-life celebrities. And the crowd wave back!

Ron Haydock was tragically killed on 14 August 1977 when he was hit by a truck while hitch-hiking after visiting Steckler in Las Vegas. He was just 37.

Rat Pfink/Lonnie Lord
Ron Haydock (as Vin Saxon)
Boo Boo/Titus Twimbly
Titus Moede
Ceebee Beaumont
Carolyn Brandt
Linc
George Caldwell
Hammer
Mike Kannon
Benjie
James Bowie
Irma La Streetwalker
Mary Jo Curtis
Kogar the Gorilla
Bob Burns (as Kogar)
Ape Trainer
Romeo Barrymore
Cowboy
Keith A. Wester (as Dean Danger)
Boy #1 on Beach
Berri Lee
Boy #2 on Beach
Alan Neal
Girl on Beach
Rox Anne

Director
Ray Dennis Steckler