Wonder Women (1973)

Directed by Robert Vincent O’Neil, Wonder Women is a wild, low-budget exploitation action film that blends sci-fi, crime, and campy horror. Shot in the Philippines, it stars Nancy Kwan as a villainous surgeon leading a squad of deadly women in a plot that’s as bizarre as it is unforgettable.

Plot Summary
Dr. Tsu (Nancy Kwan) runs a secret lab in Manila where she and her team of “Wonder Women” kidnap world-class athletes to harvest their organs and body parts for wealthy clients. Her latest target: a famous jai alai player insured by Lloyd’s of London. When he disappears, the insurance company sends tough-guy investigator Mike Harber (Ross Hagen) to track him down.

Harber navigates a maze of tranquilizer guns, seductive assassins, and corrupt officials, all while dodging bullets and bad dialogue. The film builds to a chaotic showdown involving brain transplants, betrayal, and a pillow used to block a gunshot (yes, really).

Cast Highlights

• Nancy Kwan as Dr. Tsu
• Ross Hagen as Mike Harber
• Maria De Aragon (Greedo from Star Wars) as Linda
• Roberta Collins, Sid Haig, Vic Diaz, and Tony Lorea in supporting roles

Behind-the-Scenes Trivia

• The film was shot with no crowd control during a car chase through a Manila marketplace
• A man hit by a car during filming was not a stunt actor, but luckily wasn’t injured
• The “stunt women” were reportedly 14 or 15 years old, accompanied by their grandmothers
• Filipino stuntmen refused to wear elbow or knee pads, adding to the film’s chaotic production
• Only Maria De Aragon was flown in; the rest of the female cast were already in the Philippines working on other films
• A sequel titled Warrior Women was planned but never completed