Buster and Billie

Buster and Billie
Theatrical release poster.
Directed by	Daniel Petrie Sidney Sheldon (uncredited)
Produced by	Ron Silverman
Screenplay by	Ron Turbeville
Story by	Ron Bartron Ron Turbeville
Starring	Jan-Michael Vincent Joan Goodfellow Pamela Sue Martin Clifton James Robert Englund
Music by	Al De Lory
Cinematography	Mario Tosi
Edited by	Michael Kahn
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	August 21, 1974
Running time	99 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Buster and Billie (1974) is an American motion picture released by Columbia Pictures. The film was of the tragic romance/revenge film genres. It was directed by Daniel Petrie, whose credits include films such as Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981).

In the title roles were future Airwolf star Jan-Michael Vincent as Buster, and Joan Goodfellow as Billie. In supporting roles, Buster and Billie also featured Pamela Sue Martin of Dynasty fame as Buster's girlfriend Margie, and Robert Englund, who later shot to fame in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series as Freddy Kreuger, in a small role as Buster's friend, Whitey.

This film is also notable as one of the earliest American mainstream movies to have male frontal nudity. Much of the movie was filmed in Metter, GA, Register, GA and surrounding areas. Townspeople were excited the movie was being filmed and were unaware of the movie's risque plot or nudity.

The film is set in a small Georgia town in 1948. It follows the adventures of Buster Lane (Jan-Michael Vincent), a handsome, popular high-school senior, who is engaged to be married to his pretty, popular high-school sweetheart Margie Hooks (Pamela Sue Martin). He is the 'big man on campus' and the leader of his group of friends.

Buster's friends often visit a girl from an underprivileged background named Billie-Jo Truluck (Joan Goodfellow), who dourly gives them the sexual favors they want. Meanwhile, Buster becomes disenchanted with Margie's refusal to have sex with him, and begins seeing Billie in secret.

At first he sees Billie just for sex but eventually finds himself falling in love with her. He becomes, in fact, so taken with Billie that he breaks off his engagement with Margie and starts appearing in public with Billie, who finds a new lease on life with Buster. They are happy for the first time in their lives. Happiness for them, though, is short-lived.

Buster's friends are extremely jealous that they cannot have Billie for their own use anymore and corner her one day when they are drunk and find her out walking. When she refuses to submit to them, they rape and kill her in the heat of the moment. Buster eventually finds her dead, and is hysterical. He then goes to the pool hall where his friends are, with the guilt evident on the faces of the main perpetrators of the crime.