1970s Movies About Cheerleaders and Sororities

Movies targeting the teen girl market usually revolve around the school setting. Many of them are rife with pop culture references and involve major or minor characters who are cheerleaders or members of a popular group or sorority. During the 1970s, these works reflected the culture, lifestyle, and mindset of the audience of those times. However, these films' overall appeal still allows many of today's viewers to relate to and enjoy them.

Some now call these movies classics. Others consider them controversial or exploitative. In any case, it is quite clear movies featuring high school and collegiate cheerleaders are presented as escapist flicks with plots that are often remotely realistic portrayals of American teen life during the 1970s.

"The Cheerleaders" (1973)

"The Cheerleaders," also known as "The 18 Year Old Schoolgirls," features the story of a group of cheerleaders from a local high school who try to sleep with the football players of the other team a night before the game so they can be worn out by the next day.

This 1973 sex comedy is one of the pioneering 1970s flicks that explores the raunchy side of cheerleader characters in comic and campy ways. It started the series of popular movies about cheerleaders, which became a top commodity in Hollywood until the end of the decade. These included successful sequels, adaptations, and other girl flicks inspired by this original 1970s offering.

"The Pom Pom Girls" (1976)

The romantic comedy "The Pom Pom Girls" centers on the different sub-stories of high school teens during the football season. These include a football player falling for a cheerleader who is going out with another guy, another player having a hard time deciding which cheerleader to be with, and a prank war plaguing the school.

This teen flick focuses on the free spirit of the era. It keeps most of the tried-and-tested formula of sex comedy antics that became famous during its time. The plot mainly features random partying, flings and sex, and a series of wacky antics in the 1970s high school setting.

"Revenge of the Cheerleaders" (1976)

One of the infamous follow-up movies to "The Cheerleaders," "Revenge of the Cheerleaders" showcases the bickering and hostility of high school cheerleaders against the opposing school. Many of them have notorious reputations because of underage sex and drug abuse issues. This campy flick shows many scenes of the fun-loving girls doing their wacky school getaways from spiking the lunchroom food with drugs to enjoying wild orgies inside the boys locker room.

This movie is also remembered as David Hasselhoff's debut on the big screen. Although he only plays a minor role, like the female stars, he appears in a nude scene for this sex comedy.

"H.O.T.S." (1979)

"H.O.T.S." is a sex comedy about the wild escapades of a group of women who form the H.O.T.S. Sorority. A popular drive-in movie, it is best remembered for its series of college life high jinks. Although a mindless flick, "H.O.T.S." has a marketable plot that is full of sexy antics. This, along with its stars including Playboy Playmates, a beauty queen, and sexy starlets, become its main source of mass appeal.

Another point of interest is the meaning of its title and sorority name, which both becomes a sensational word and acronym for the different sex-related descriptions in the story. By the film's closing credits, H.O.T.S. turns out to be an anagram related to the four founders of the sorority.

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