''Women's Prison'' is a 1955 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

directed by

Lewis Seiler Lewis Seiler (September 30, 1890 – January 8, 1964) was an American film director. He directed more than 80 films between 1923 and 1958. Seiler was born in New York City, and died at UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, Los Angeles. Partial fi ...

and starring

Ida Lupino Ida Lupino (4 February 1918Recorded in ''Births Mar 1918'' Camberwell Vol. 1d, p. 1019 (Free BMD). Transcribed as "Lupine" in the official births index – 3 August 1995) was a British actress, director, writer, and producer. Throughout her 48-y ...

, Jan Sterling, Cleo Moore, Audrey Totter, Phyllis Thaxter and

Howard Duff Howard Green Duff (November 24, 1913July 8, 1990) was an American actor. He started in radio during World War II before appearing in many Hollywood features and television programs from 1947 to 1990. He also directed for television. His career ...

. The film is noted today for the appearance of Moore, and for Lupino's performance as the aggressively cruel warden. In the 1980s the film became rather popular,

Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...

subsequently released it in the boxed set ''Bad Girls of Film Noir: Volume II'' along with '' Night Editor'', '' One Girl's Confession'' and ''

Over-Exposed ''Over-Exposed'' is a 1956 American film noir crime film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring Cleo Moore, Richard Crenna and Raymond Greenleaf. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. This film was released on DVD by Sony Picture ...

''.

Plot

A ruthless superintendent of a prison, Amelia van Zandt, makes life hell for the female inmates. Her rules are rigid and she makes no exceptions. The newcomer Helene Jensen is not a hardened criminal by any means, but a woman convicted of vehicular homicide after she accidentally killed a child. Out of place here, Helene is so distraught that Van Zandt has her placed in solitary confinement. When Helene goes into hysterics, Van Zandt has her put in a straitjacket. Helene nearly dies. The prison has two wings, one for women, one for men. One of the inmates, Joan Burton, has been illicitly having conjugal relations late at night with her husband, Glen, a convict in the other wing. Now she is expecting a baby, and brutal men's warden Brock issues a stern warning to Van Zandt that she'd better find out how the two prisoners have been arranging these meetings. Joan has the sympathy of the decent Dr. Crane who's in charge of the infirmary and disapproves of the cruel treatment of prisoners he sees. But the heartless Van Zandt goes into a literally homicidal rage while interrogating Joan about how Glen managed to visit her, beating the pregnant prisoner to the point of death. Dr. Crane tells Van Zandt and Brock that he will resign after treating her, and report them. Glen manages to sneak into the infirmary, where Crane lets him talk to Joan; she envisions their bright future with their baby after both have done their time, and dies. A protest erupts in the women's cell block, beginning with a hunger strike organized by Joan's cell mate, Brenda Martin, then turning into a full-scale riot. Naive or timid inmates are swept up along with the vicious, veteran ones. Van Zandt is captured by the inmates; Dr. Crane pleads with them to leave it to the authorities to punish her for Joan's murder, but they refuse and menace her till the guards shoot tear gas and bullets into the wing. Glen, who has obtained a gun, comes looking for Van Zandt to kill her. She flees desperately from Glen, the other inmates and the gas, and Glen, wounded by the guards, confronts her with his gun in the padded cell she had put Helene in. Dr. Crane bursts in just in time to point out to Glen that the ordeal has driven her mad and he need not shoot her; raving, she is put in a straitjacket and taken away. Dr. Crane tells Brock he will no longer be warden after the prison board meets the next day. Helene is released and joyfully reunited with her husband.

Cast

as Amelia Van Zandt * Jan Sterling as Brenda Martin * Cleo Moore as Mae * Audrey Totter as Joan Burton * Phyllis Thaxter as Helene Jensen *

as Dr. Crane *

Warren Stevens Warren Albert Stevens (November 2, 1919 – March 27, 2012) was an American stage, screen, and television actor. Early life and career Stevens was born in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania and graduated from Clarks Summit High School.

as Glen Burton * Barry Kelley as Warden Brock *

Gertrude Michael Lillian Gertrude Michael (June 1, 1911 – December 31, 1964), sometimes nicknamed Beck Michael, was an American film, stage and television actress. Biography Lillian Gertrude Michael was born in Talladega, Alabama to Mr. and Mrs. Carl H. Mich ...

as Matron Sturgess * Vivian Marshall as Dottie LaRose *

Mae Clarke Mae Clarke (born Violet Mary Klotz; August 16, 1910 – April 29, 1992) was an American actress. She is widely remembered for playing Henry Frankenstein's bride Elizabeth, who is chased by Boris Karloff in ''Frankenstein'', and for being o ...

as Matron Saunders * Ross Elliott as Don Jensen * Adelle August as Grace * Don C. Harvey as Chief Guard Tierney *

Juanita Moore Juanita Moore (October 19, 1914 – January 1, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actress. She was the fifth black actor to be nominated for an Academy Awards, Academy Award in any category, and the third in the Academy Award for ...

as Polyclinic "Polly" Jones * Edna Holland as Sarah Graham

Reception

The staff at '' Variety'' praised some of the actresses in the film, "Sterling scores nicely as a tough moll, Cleo Moore is a typical femme inmate and Vivian Marshall, as an ex-stripteaser gone wrong, shines in some amusing impersonations."''Variety''
Staff film review, 1955. Accessed: August 15, 2013.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Women's Prison 1955 films 1955 crime films American crime films Columbia Pictures films Film noir Films directed by Lewis Seiler Films set in prison Women in prison films 1950s prison films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films American black-and-white films English-language crime films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links