The Bitch (1979) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The Hobo nightclub is located in London's fashionable Chelsea district. The story primarily unfolds in this glamorous urban setting, which serves as Fontaine Khaled's domain and the center of her failing empire. The club represents the flashy, high-risk world she struggles to maintain.

• the hobo nightclub
• london
• chelsea
• nightlife venue

The Bitch is set in the late 1970s, during the era of opulent jet-set culture and decadent nightlife. This period setting is essential to the story, as it captures a time when wealth and influence could shift quickly, often through deception. The film explicitly references this era to ground its themes of crumbling fortunes and glamorous excess.

• 1970s
• late 1970s
• jet set
• era
• period

Greed drives every major conflict in the story, from Fontaine's desperate attempts to restore her nightclub's fortune to Nico's need to pay off his mafia debts. The con and counterfeit ring demonstrate how money corrupts trust and pushes characters to manipulate others for personal gain. The high-stakes Derby plot becomes a vehicle for profit, risk, and opportunistic crime.

• greed
• money
• wealth
• financial pressure
• corruption

Control over finances, reputations, and venues becomes the central prize throughout the film. Fontaine fights to reclaim influence over her life and business, while Thrush Feathers asserts dominion by owning the club and manipulating the Derby outcome. The narrative stages a battle for dominance between glamour, legitimacy, and criminal pressure.

• power
• control
• dominance
• influence
• authority

Deceit threads through every relationship in the film, involving fake wealth, a planted stolen ring, and double-crosses at the race. Fontaine plays both sides to advance her interests, constantly blurring lines between ally and exploit. The final twist revealing Feathers' ownership shows how appearances mask manipulation and control.

• deception
• lies
• betrayal
• manipulation
• double cross

Fontaine Khaled is a divorcee living a lavish jet-set lifestyle who fights desperately to maintain financial security as her nightclub The Hobo struggles to survive. She is clever, savvy, and uses her charm to manipulate situations in her favor. However, she remains vulnerable to those who control money and power around her, constantly taking risks to survive in a world of luxury and danger.

• fontaine khaled
• joan collins
• protagonist
• nightclub owner

Thrush Feathers is a ruthless gangland boss who uses both menacing force and shrewd business deals to control outcomes throughout the story. He manipulates the Derby and exerts power over Fontaine and Nico, ultimately asserting his own ownership over The Hobo club. His presence anchors the criminal underworld that threatens Fontaine's world.

• thrush feathers
• gangland boss
• criminal
• villain
• ian hendry

Nico Cantafora is a handsome Italian gambler who carries significant mafia debts. He uses Fontaine as a means to move a stolen diamond ring, thriving on risk and deception. His opportunistic nature constantly complicates Fontaine's plans, as he dances between charm and threat while remaining tied to criminal networks.

• nico cantafora
• gambler
• italian
• mafia debts
• antonio cantafora

Leonard Grant is Fontaine's wealthy best friend and a horse owner who represents old-money stability and aristocratic influence. His wife Vanessa is a key socialite who embodies refinement and the era's expectations of women in high society. Together, they represent the benevolent face of wealth that contrasts with the criminal underworld threatening Fontaine.

• leonard grant
• vanessa grant
• aristocracy
• horse racing
• socialite

The story alternates between London's glamorous nightclub scene and the Grants' countryside estate, highlighting a clash between urban luxury and rural tradition. This contrast emphasizes the tension between the risky, decadent world of city nightlife and the stable, aristocratic lifestyle of the horse racing set. The Derby at the country estate represents high-stakes stakes where both worlds collide.

• london
• countryside
• country estate
• contrast
• setting

Arnold Rinstead is Fontaine's cautious financial advisor who represents the rational voice trying to steady her volatile situation. He warns her that her fortune is dwindling and offers pragmatic guidance in a world of risk and temptation. His character anchors the film's financial pressures and provides a counterpoint to the reckless schemes around her.

• arnold rinstead
• financial advisor
• money
• warning
• kenneth haigh

The jet-set lifestyle in The Bitch represents a world of glamorous excess where wealth appears permanent but is actually precarious. Characters move between London, New York, and exclusive country estates, symbolizing a transient existence built on appearances. This setting underscores the film's themes of deception and the fragility of fortunes in the late 1970s era.

• jet set
• luxury
• glamour
• lifestyle
• wealth