Joss Whedon’s DOLLHOUSE imagines an underground organization where the filthy rich can hire brainwashed beauties to fulfill their deepest desires.

I wonder if any part of this was inspired by Vincent Price’s DR. GOLDFOOT movies. In 1965 and ’66 he made two films about an evil genius hellbent on making a fortune by using bikini-clad robot-women to kill wealthy men (and their wives, natch) and keep their money.

The character was originally named “Dr. Gold-toe” in a blatant nod to the then-popular movie villain “Goldfinger”. The films feature some low-rent James Bond style espionage, with the “secret agents” played by matinee favorite Frankie Avalon in Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine and teen idol Fabian in the sequel, Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs.

What’s really surprising is that the first film was scripted as a musical. When AIP bailed on making a full-out singing and dancing spectacular, they padded the movie with an endless chase-scene. The songs were later used in a bizarre promotional episode of Shindig!, with Vincent Price appearing as Goldfoot in a half-hour musical story. Ironically, for all the hype around the “bikini machine” girls, the TV special only shows girls in one-piece swimsuits.

I hope Joss Whedon goes whole-hog and does a musical episode of Dollhouse before it gets cancelled.

You can watch Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machinein its entirety on Hulu. Or catch Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs.

And you can buy tickets for this Friday’s Vincent Price Night here.